River-Flower City, Outer region, slums area,
Inside a small, rundown hut was a broken stove, and beside it were two clean clay bowls, and inside them were clay spoons.
Other than that, some ragged clothes were neatly arranged in one of the hut's corners.
In a different corner of the hut, sounds of small whimpers were coming.
There lay a little girl in the cocoon of blankets on the uneven floor, and despite being tightly wrapped in two blankets, she was still shivering as if she lay on a block of ice. It seemed like she had a terrible cold or fever.
Since her face wasn't covered with blankets, one could see her adorable features. She looked only between seven and eight, with pale white skin.
Despite being ill, her face was a feast for the eyes. Her face was oval, with a little nose, hollow cheeks, and cherry-like perfect lips, just like a porcelain doll. Her tightly shut eyes and eyebrows were tightly knitted together at this moment and trembled.
Likewise, her complexion was so pale there seemed to be no trace of blood on her cute little face, just like a ghost. She was extremely frail.
Suddenly, the almost broken door of the hut creak opened, and a little boy with a height of 1.7 meters entered with rapid steps. He was relatively thin and looked extremely weak.
Despite his pale and skinny complexion, he looked handsome. Especially his dark blue eyes were like the dark, starry sky. He'd be a charmer if not for his tattered clothes and skinny physique!
He quickly approached the frail little girl and crouched beside her on his knees. He anxiously examines her condition with his skinny, pale hands.
After checking her condition, his eyebrows winced, forming dark lines on his pale forehead. He seems to be quite apprehensive at this moment.
He gently lifted the little girl in his embrace and softly whispered in her ear, "Little sis, how are you feeling? Look, big bro, come back with medicine for your cold. The cold will go away this time as soon as little Alina takes the pill!" His voice was feeble, but it was filled with trepidation and love.
As he said that, he hurriedly took out the medicine from his pocket. It is wrapped in rough paper packing. As he opened the pack, two small black pills came into view. These pills look just like black pepper.
Little Alina, who appeared almost lifeless, her eyelids trembled slightly after hearing her big bro's voice, and she slowly opened her eyes with extreme difficulty. A pair of beautiful, blue, watery eyes is revealed, but alas, they are dull and blurry because of her weak condition.
Alina speaks in a shaky and feeble voice, "B...b-big B-bro Ace!" Her voice was weak, but there was a hint of love and happiness.
It thrilled Alina to see her big bro holding her in his embrace. But she was so weak that she could only express herself.
Seeing her like this, Ace felt extremely heartbroken and sighed in indignation.
Ace gently stocked her black hair and smiled faintly, which clearly forced. He didn't want to show Alina his painful expression. Instead, he took one of the small black pills and fed her with extreme care.
After making sure she swallowed the pill, he said faintly with a forced smile, "Little Alina is going to be fine in no time with this alchemy medicine. Just rest and let big bro take care of you until you become healthy again, okay?"
Ace was reassuring her, or maybe himself. It wouldn't matter since he was anxious about her. She was his only family in this vast world, and he was determined to protect her until he lived!
---
[Let go A Couple of years In the Past]
'Ace white' is the name his parents gave him this name because they thought this name sounded good to hear and easy to remember by others, as well as the meaning behind it matches their wishes for him.
Unfortunately, his parents went missing in the wastelands when he was only four years old.
They were only low-level Cultivators and hunted beasts in the wasteland for a living. Since they haven't returned for almost a year, the city officials declare them dead.
Little Ace was very intelligent and sensible from a young age as he lived with his Grandparents whenever his parents went hunting.
But when he heard the news of his parent's death, it was like the world had turned upside down. He grieved for months after finding out about this heart-shattering news. Seeing him like this, his Grandparents were also very heartbroken.
The shock of his parent's death settled down eventually. He slowly accepted that his Dad and Mom were never coming back, so his grandparents were everything to him, and he cherished them dearly.
However, their living conditions begin to decline after a year of his parent's death. They didn't need to worry about food or clothing when his parents were still around, but now that they were gone, things changed quickly.
After three years of his parent's death, little Ace turned eight-year-old when another tragedy occurred. His grandma passed away from an extreme fever. He mourns with his old grandpa beside him.
After his grandma, his grandpa couldn't take the misery of her departure with his old heart. He became ill and passed away four months after her.
Now, little Ace was alone in this heartless world.
He worked as a dishwasher in the same restaurant where his grandma used to work before her death. The owner took pity on the poor, alone little boy.
The trauma of his grandparents' death hit him hard as he became a silent child and rarely spoke to anyone else. He had no friends.
When he watches other children with their parents, he silently cries in his house at night alone, where no one can hear or alleviate him.
Two years pass in a flash.
In these two years, Little Ace became somewhat tall, but his complexion was very skinny. He still works as a dishwasher for some copper coins in the same restaurant and earns his meals.
From his deadpan eyes, he seemed mature despite his young and tender age. Time has left a deep scar on his little heart. He even forgot when the last time he had smiled!
On one freezing night of winter, he was walking home after work when he heard someone's sobbing voice from a dark alley. From the sound of that voice, he could tell it was probably a child's voice.
Ace grimaced while he put his guard up and vigilantly looked around. He knew this area was not law-abiding as criminals roamed here. He first wanted to ignore this weeping voice since it had nothing to do with him and even took steps forward.
But eventually stopped, and with gritted teeth, he took small steps toward the small alley!