----> Massacre of Grimthrone village

The forest went silent. The air felt thick, and each second seemed like an eternity as Jin and the spider assessed each other's abilities. Jin thought to himself, *That's an Araweft, an A-class monster. This is not going to be easy. I have to take my time.* But his thoughts were interrupted by Liam's painful cry. The adrenaline was wearing off, and the pain of his broken arm hit Liam. Liam's cry agitated the spider, prompting it to attack Jin. *I have to be quick; Liam is in bad shape,* Jin thought, running towards the spider.

Jin lunged forward, his eyes narrowing in concentration. He feinted to the left and swiftly darted to the right, hoping to catch the spider off guard. However, the spider moved with terrifying speed, leaping into the air with its fangs extended. Jin gritted his teeth, his heart pounding as he raised his sword. The spider shot its web, trapping Jin's sword arm. It descended quickly, spreading its legs to finish him off. Jin frantically wriggled his wrist, trying to cut through the web. *Please get loose, please,* Jin thought desperately as the spider approached. When the spider attacked with its fangs, Jin pulled his arm with all his strength, breaking his wrist in the process. He smiled despite the sharp pain. *I am so screwed if this doesn't work,* he thought. Dodging the spider's attack, he threw his sword into the air, rolled, and caught it with his other hand. *This sword isn't perfect for the Lunar Style, but I have no choice,* Jin thought. He held his sword with both arms, his broken wrist twitching. "Liam, you better stop screaming and watch this. This is how strong people fight."

The spider dashed, shooting three webs. Jin's blade suddenly felt like a giant sword, even though its size was the same. The spider halted its attack, and despite his pain, Liam watched in awe. "Lunar Style is amazing" Liam whispered. With one flick, the spider was cut in half. The impact was so strong that Jin flew back and hit a tree, breaking several in the process. Jin's ribs were smashed, and he was bleeding from his mouth, but he got up. *If your stance is bad while using the Lunar Style, you're dead. That broken arm almost killed me,* Jin thought as he went to Liam, who had passed out from the force of the wind caused by the attack. Barely holding on, Jin used what strength he had left to cut the web and free Liam. Liam's hand was completely crushed, and Jin felt disappointed that he couldn't arrive sooner. Using his sword as a cane, Jin put Liam on his shoulder and carried him to the lake. Crossing the lake with Liam in his condition was impossible, so Jin screamed for help. A girl noticed and helped them across. "Thanks for your help. Can you please take him to a doctor?" Jin asked as he collapsed from his injuries and exhaustion.

"You have to see a doctor too. Your condition is worse than his," the girl replied.

"No, it's okay. Thanks for asking. My name is Jin. What's yours?" Jin asked, trying to get up.

"My name is Hannah. I am a royal guard. I'll take you to our healer. The doctor will take some time, but the healer will fix you up right away," Hannah replied with a worried expression.

"No, no, it's okay. I don't have the money for a healer for tw-" Jin passed out in the middle of the conversation. Hannah hurriedly took them both to the healer.

"SIR, PLEASE FIX THEM UP. THEY ARE MY FRIENDS," Hannah shouted.

"I can hear just fine. You don't have to scream," said a young man around 19 with fluffy brown hair and beautiful green eyes. His smooth skin and perfectly shaped body made him look stunning, even making Hannah pale in comparison. "Please, just do it quickly. I am really worried about them," Hannah said, crying.

"I bet it's like last time, you found some random people on the streets and brought them to me. Don't worry, I'll fix them up right away." He wore a dark green ring, a life core, which brings out the defensive capabilities of one's mana. He lifted his hand and touched both their heads, and soon their bodies were engulfed in a soothing green light.

"No matter how many times I see this, Solaris, it always fascinates me," Hannah said excitedly.

"Haha, I think you bring people here just so you can see this," Solaris said cheerfully.

"It's not like that. It's just so beautiful, unlike you," Hannah teased.

"Yeah, but you definitely are beautiful," Solaris said, making Hannah blush. "Ah, I don't know what to say," Hannah said, punching him playfully. Solaris caught her hand and pulled her closer. "You don't have to say anything, just take the compliment," he said. They locked eyes, their lips inching closer. *It's going to happen,* they both thought.

"Ahem, I hope I'm not interrupting something," Jin said, getting back on his feet. "And even if I am, I don't really care."

*You ignorant brat, because of you I missed my moment. I hope you die,* Solaris thought to himself, smiling at Jin. *Oh my God, I was about to kiss Solaris. Thank God Jin interrupted,* Hannah thought with relief.

"Are you feeling any pain?" Hannah asked politely.

"No, I'm not wimpy like you," Jin said, slapping Liam to wake him up. Solaris was really annoyed by Jin's rude behavior.

"Hey, we just saved your lives. Can't you be a little more appreciative?" Solaris said angrily.

"Yeah, yeah, thank you. Now shut the hell up," Jin said, barely paying attention to Solaris or Hannah.

"Would it kill you to be nice? You better act nice, or I'll do what your injuries couldn't: kill you right here," Solaris said, punching Jin's arm.

"Solaris, what's wrong with you?" Hannah said, punching his arm.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with him? Who does he think he is? We just saved his life, and--" As Liam began to wake up, Jin signaled everyone to keep quiet. Liam looked around at Solaris and Hannah and started panicking.

"Please don't kill me, please, Ahhhh," he screamed, about to pass out. Hannah tried to calm him down, but it wasn't working. Jin slapped him. "Get your shit together. I know something is going on. The forest was almost empty of creatures, there were clearings, and a huge army was sent to a village like this. You better tell me what's going on because that's your best chance of survival."

Liam suddenly went quiet. Even though Hannah and Solaris had no clue what was happening, they remained silent, realizing something big was going on. Liam finally broke the silence with a tired, pained voice, no longer sounding like a child. "On the day Princess Sophia is crowned, all the elves in this town will be massacred. You guys probably wouldn't care since you're humans. It's me; I'm the one whose life is in danger!"

Jin punched him, sending him flying a few feet and almost falling into the river. "Are you stupid? Do you think they'll spare witnesses? Every single villager in this town will be killed. They'll be happy because the race ratio is 70% elves and 30% humans. They'll be getting rid of more elves. It's a small price for them, so get your shit together. Stop acting like you can make a change. You can't; you're weak, and the weak always end up dead. That's the law of nature." Hannah and Solaris stood quietly, horrified, trying to assess the situation. Solaris thought for a second and said, "No, this must be a misunderstanding. That would cause hatred among citizens." He looked at Jin, waiting for his response.

"They're smart. The empire's greatest minds sit together in the central. They'll probably kill all the elves, kill all the humans, and hire actors to make it seem like the elves attacked the humans," Jin explained.

Hannah interrupted, "You're thinking too much about this. This can't be possible; it would go against the Golden Race Pact."

"Yeah, but this way, elves would look evil, and they would be held accountable. The elven empire would have to pay for breaking the rules by giving favors," Jin responded. Hannah wanted to argue but realized Jin had a point, and there were too many things supporting his theory.

"You guys should stay with the empire. If you break the rules, you'll be treated as criminals," Jin said, picking up Liam, who was still dizzy from the punch. "Kid, if you have any family, go back to them and hide. That would be for the best,"

Solaris interjected "Can't we just alert everyone?" Jin sighed "Do you think common people can cross this forest? If we alert them, we'll just speed up their plans. You shouldn't think too much. I know you've been trained to kill without question; you wouldn't have any problems with killing nobodies," Jin said, and started running towards the library.

"We're not monsters! Come back!" Solaris screamed as Jin vanished into the distance. *I just have to save the old lady—granny. I don't care about these nobodies. I didn't survive all those deadly adventures just to lose her. She was the one who bought me from the slave market and treated me as a grandson. I have to save her,* Jin thought as he reached the library and suddenly heard a scream and the sound of metal clanging in the distance. *So it has already begun. Sorry, I can't save everyone. May their souls rest in peace,* Jin thought as he opened the door of the library. "Old lady, where are you?" Jin called out, scanning the place. Suddenly, a terrible thought hit him. *No way, it can't be happening.*

"Hey, stop screaming and stay quiet in the library," the old lady said, coming out from the back. "And where did you run off to? I wanted you to clean the back."

Without thinking, Jin hugged her tightly. "I'm so happy you're alright," he said. But then, the sound of breaking glass was heard. An arrow pierced through the air and struck the old lady in the head, splattering her brains. Jin's eyes widened as her lifeless body fell. Memories of their happy times together flashed before his eyes. He fell to his knees, unable to react for what seemed like an eternity. He finally got up, went to the back, and retrieved his sword. His eyes now held the look of a killer.

Meanwhile, Liam ran off to his house, desperate to find Ryan. *I messed up. I was only thinking about myself. I hope Ryan is alright. If something has happened to him, I will never forgive myself,* he thought. Fear gripped him as he heard soldiers tearing flesh and smelled the metallic scent of blood. He finally reached his house and heard a painful scream from inside. *No, Ryan, please be alright.* He kicked open the door and was met with his worst nightmare: Ryan was on the floor, his hand chopped off, begging the soldier, who smiled and kicked him.

"Liam, help me," Ryan whimpered, his face pale and drenched in sweat.

Liam's heart pounded. *I can't let this happen,* he thought. With a burst of courage, he charged at the soldier, tackling him to the ground. The soldier was caught off guard but quickly regained his footing, drawing his sword.

"You little pest," the soldier sneered, swinging his sword at Liam. Liam dodged, grabbing a nearby chair and smashing it against the soldier's head. The soldier staggered, but Liam didn't rest. He picked up the fallen sword and, with all his might, drove it into the soldier's chest. The soldier let out a final gasp before collapsing.

Ryan lay on the floor, bleeding profusely. "Hang in there, Ryan. I won't let you die," Liam said, tearing his shirt to make a cover for Ryan's arm. "We need to get you to a healer."

Liam struggled to lift Ryan, who was barely conscious. He dragged him outside, where the chaos of the attack continued. Fires burned, and screams filled the air. Liam pushed forward, determined to find help. He spotted a group of villagers running and called out to them.

"Help us, please! He's badly injured," Liam shouted. A woman and her teenage son rushed over.

"We'll help you," the woman said. "There's a safe house nearby. Follow us."

With their assistance, Liam carried Ryan to the safe house, an abandoned building. Inside, they found a few other villagers seeking refuge. An elderly woman, who seemed to be a healer, she was wearing a green earring, a life stone, approached them.

"Let me see him," she said, examining Ryan's wound. "He needs immediate attention. I'll do what I can."

Liam watched anxiously as the healer worked on Ryan, cleaning and bandaging his wound. "He'll need rest, my ability isn't that strong it just increases natural healing rate of your body, but he would survive. " she finally said, offering Liam a reassuring smile.

"Thank you," Liam said, his voice choked with emotion. He turned to the woman and her son. "You saved us. I don't know how to thank you."

"Just stay safe," the woman replied. "We need to stick together."

Back at the library, Jin was seething with rage. The old lady's death had fueled his determination to fight back. He stepped outside, sword in hand, ready to face the onslaught. The streets were filled with soldiers, their armor glinting in the firelight. Jin's eyes locked onto a group of soldiers approaching the library.

*This is for you, old lady,* Jin thought, charging at them. His movements were swift and precise, his sword cutting through the air with lethal intent. The first soldier fell before he even had a chance to react. The others quickly realized the threat and drew their weapons.

"He's just one man! Take him down!" one of them shouted.

But Jin was unstoppable. Fueled by grief and rage, he fought with unmatched ferocity. Each swing of his sword was calculated, each strike deadly. The soldiers were no match for his skill. One by one, they fell until only Jin remained standing, his chest heaving with exertion.

As the battle subsided, Jin looked around at the devastation. The village was in ruins, the streets littered with the bodies of both soldiers and villagers. His heart ached, not just for the old lady, but for everyone who had suffered.

*I can't let this continue,* he thought. *I have to find a way to stop them.*

He started to make his way back to the safe house, hoping to find Liam and the others. As he moved through the wreckage, he noticed a faint sound—a soft, familiar voice.

"Jin..."

He turned to see Hannah, badly injured but alive, leaning against a wall. "Hannah!" he exclaimed, rushing to her side. "What happened?"

"I...tried stopping them," she said weakly. "me and solaris tried to fight them off, but... there were too many."

"what happened to solaris?" jin asked with a troubled expression, he was prepared for the worst outcome.

"I don't know, we were separated." Hannah said crying.

Even though solaris fate was unknown, it still made jin happy that there is a chance that solaris might be alive.

Jin's jaw clenched. "I'm getting you out of here," he said, helping her to her feet. "We need to find the others and regroup."

Together, they made their way through the ravaged village, determined to find any survivors and plan their next move. The fight was far from over, and Jin knew they had to be ready for whatever came next.

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EXTRA INFO

In this world, there are four primary sword styles, developed because of the rarity of magical cores and the need to combat formidable monsters. These styles are practiced globally and each has its distinct characteristics:

1. Lunar Style: This style is performed with long broad swords, emphasizing powerful attacks and robust stances. It requires immense strength and precision to deliver devastating blows.

2. Scarlet Style: Utilized with standard swords, the Scarlet Style is the most common. It focuses on overwhelming opponents through rapid movements and relentless strikes, making it highly effective in fast-paced combat.

3. North Ice Style: Executed with long, pointed swords, the North Ice Style relies on pinpoint accuracy. Practitioners aim to strike the opponent's fatal points in quick succession, requiring both speed and precision.

4. Shadow Style: This style employs knives and short swords, emphasizing stealth and assassination techniques. Once widespread among assassins, the Shadow Style is now nearly extinct in modern times, preserved only by a few select practitioners.

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