[29] Independent

Zephry Ranga, formerly a slave, is a Half-Elf. Before his status as a slave, Zephry was the child of a poor farmer in a small village. His father, also a Half-Elf, had above-average physical strength, while his mother was a human with weak physical health but a strong heart.

Zephry led a simple yet comfortable life with his family. However, everything changed when a monster attacked their village. In an instant, their peaceful life was shattered. Both of his parents were killed in the attack, and Zephry, who survived the disaster, was betrayed by someone he trusted and eventually sold into slavery.

Originally, his name was not Zephry Ranga. This name emerged because of a meeting that changed the unfortunate fate of the child. The incident he experienced brought significant changes to his life, giving him a new name and a new hope.

Zephry had a sister, who was not a blood relative, but their bond was very strong due to the various tragic events they experienced together. Aurelia Mala is her current name, but like Zephry, her name was different before. Before meeting the kind master who saved them, Aurelia was also betrayed by someone she trusted and ended up as a slave.

Their once difficult and suffering lives began to change when they met Ash Constantine. With Ash's guidance and affection, Zephyr and Aurelia were given the chance to start a new life filled with hope. Ash not only rescued them from slavery but also provided them with the education and skills needed to live with dignity.

Currently, Zephyr is exploring the area around their store. As usual, the store is very busy. The company now has several trusted employees, so Zephyr decided to take advantage of his free time to explore the capital, an opportunity he had not had before due to his busy schedule at the store.

Meanwhile, Aurelia chose not to take leave and continued helping at the store. Her training with Ash is nearly complete, with only a small part left for her to learn on her own. Her skills are now comparable to advanced Rank or even higher.

Despite Zephyr's young age of just 10, his development is so rapid that he appears as if he is 12 years old in the eyes of others. At present, he is in the middle of a bustling market, experiencing the hustle and bustle of city life with great curiosity.

Zephyr walks between the busy stalls, enjoying the aromas of spices and food being offered by the vendors. He pauses at a stall selling roasted meat, the tantalising aroma tempting his senses.

"Good morning, how much for the roasted meat?" he asks the stall keeper, an old man with a friendly smile.

"This roasted meat is just one coin per piece, young master," the man replies, showing a stack of steaming roasted meat.

Zephyr takes several pieces and hands a coin to the stall keeper. While enjoying the delicious roasted meat, he continues to explore the market, browsing through various goods and chatting with the vendors. Occasionally, he stops to listen to street performers playing melodious music, adding life and vibrancy to the market.

Despite his youth, Zephyr feels increasingly confident in his abilities. The hard training and guidance from Ash have shaped him into a tough and intelligent individual. With eyes full of curiosity and a spirited heart, he continues to explore every corner of the capital, absorbing everything he can learn and enjoy.

...

However, things do not always go smoothly. As Ash had said, they have enemies here. With their business growing at an extraordinary rate, there are those who resent their success and even view it as a threat.

As Zephyr turns into a quiet alley, the pursuers finally reveal themselves. He is surrounded by a group of grim-faced men who clearly have ill intentions.

The boy stands calmly amidst them, unfazed by their presence. The derogatory remarks and threats from the men are ignored. Zephyr is merely busy enjoying the last piece of roasted meat he just bought.

Seeing Zephyr's indifferent attitude, one of the thugs becomes enraged. "Hey, kid! Do you not realise who you are up against?" he shouts in a harsh voice.

Zephyr raises an eyebrow, looking at the man with a calm gaze. "I am aware, but it seems that you are the ones who do not realise who you are dealing with," he replies, swallowing the last piece of meat.

Angered by this response, the thug swings his sword at Zephyr. However, before the sword can reach him, Zephyr moves with surprising speed. With graceful movement, he evades the attack and positions himself perfectly.

"Alright, you want to play? Let's play," he says in a calm yet firm voice.

Zephyr draws his sword without unsheathing it, a weapon he has trained hard with under Ash's guidance. Using techniques from the Wind God's style, he begins to move with extraordinary agility and speed, as though he is part of the wind itself.

Suddenly, Zephyr is in front of one of the thugs, who is startled by his sudden appearance. "One," he whispers calmly.

Thunk!

With a swift and precise motion, the thug falls to the ground without making a sound. Zephyr continues with light steps, taking advantage of the confusion among the remaining thugs. They can only see a fleeting shadow before one by one they fall without much resistance.

"Two," Zephyr says again, this time with a firmer tone.

He swings his sword with smooth and unseen movements. The second thug collapses to the ground, unable to comprehend what just happened. Zephyr moves to the next target with the flowing speed of the wind.

"Three," he mutters while spinning his body, striking the next enemy with the flat side of his sword. The thug stumbles and falls, eyes wide in disbelief.

Zephyr continues with more complex techniques, combining the movements he has learned with his own creativity.

"Four, five, six..." Zephyr counts each thug that falls to the ground, ensuring none escape his skill.

The remaining thugs begin to feel fear, realising they have underestimated Zephyr's power and skill. With a cold stare, he looks at them one by one.

"I hope you've learned something today," he says in a calm yet resolute voice. "Never underestimate others, especially when you don't know what they are capable of."

After ensuring all the thugs are incapacitated, Zephyr sheaths his sword with a smooth motion. He takes a deep breath, feeling satisfaction from his victory. Every attack and defence he has learned and trained for has proven effective. With light steps, he leaves the scene, continuing his exploration of the bustling and vibrant capital.

Unbeknownst to him, someone observes his actions from afar. A person known as the strongest practitioner of the Water God's style, standing in the shadow of an old building, watches Zephyr with keen, interested eyes.