"Gramps!" Dio excitedly called out to his grandfather when he arrived home because he brought good news with him.However, he was welcomed by the groaning of a kid inside the room where they brought wounded people.He peeked on the slightly opened door and saw that the kid he helped earlier was writhing in pain. He immediately opened the door wide and stood next to his grandfather."What happened?""Good thing you're here, Dio. Can you help him? The poison spread too fast because it was put in his open wounds.""How about the antid—" he couldn't continue what he was about to say when he saw the grim expression on Archie's face. "You couldn't."He sat beside the kid and covered his hands with his eyes. He could feel the surge of power coming from his core towards his hands as he focused the mana in his fingers. He calmed the kid first. He made his sensory nerves numb for a moment so that he wouldn't feel pain temporarily. Removing a poison from the body would hurt a lot so he had to do

"Please, Mr. Archie!" Matt prostrated in front of Dio's grandfather.The old man pursed his lips as he stared at the young man bowing his head in front of him. "Why does it have to be Dio?""Dio knows a lot about herbal plants. Aside from the fact that he is the second best when it comes to medicine, he is the only one I could ask to come with me," Matt answered truthfully.Archie turned to look at his grandson who was looking down. It felt like too much of a coincidence that Dio suddenly asked about his opinion on him being an adventurer last week and an adventurer suddenly visited to ask if he could take Dio with him on a mission."Dio. . .""I didn't do anything, Gramps."Archie sighed when he sensed the truth when he looked at Dio's eyes. However, Dio didn't even try to hide his expectant and happy gaze towards Matt."Can you promise to protect Dio?""Even at the cost of my life, Mr. Archie.""Matt!" Dio blurted out of shock. "You don't have to go that far.""It's just proper to a

Dio threw the shovel to the side after he finished burying his grandfather’s remains. He sat on the ground with his legs crossed as he stared at his grandfather’s tomb. He played with the ring on his finger, the last thing that his grandfather gave him, as he sighed repeatedly.“Heir apparent.” He sighed after reading the letters carved into the ring. If it was the reason why his grandfather wanted him to live on, then it would be useless. He threw everything away that day and nothing was left for him to live for.He poured mana onto the ring and a magic circle appeared in front of him. He already expected that it would be a space ring, yet his lips curved upwards when he realized that he was right. He peeked at the contents of the dimension storage and he shook his head in disbelief. In the end, his grandfather prepared everything for him to live a good life. It was obvious with the stack of gold and jewelries that he found inside as well as the amount of high-quality potions that he

It took Dio a few more days to collect himself. Knowing fully well that he wouldn’t die easily unless he commit suicide, he decided to just continue what he had been doing-- walking without moving forward. Besides, it wasn’t that bad to comply with his grandfather’s last request: live on.Dio found himself staring at his grandfather’s grave once again. This time, he was neat-looking and well prepped. Unlike the past days when his body hasn’t been washed and covered with sweat, dirt and tears.“Should I go on an adventure?” He stood up and put his hands on his pocket. It was more of a question for himself than to Archie. Dio lost motivation to continue living but he remembered his grandfather’s words.“I need to get moving, Gramps. Please rest in peace.” He bowed in a ninety-degree posture before leaving. As he turned his back on his grave, he felt a pang in his chest. Just the mere thought of leaving the place where he spent his days with his grandfather tore his heart into pieces.He

After the topic of his light-colored hair, an awkward silence ensued between the two of them as they walked towards the entrance not knowing that a disaster was waiting to fall upon them. Unfortunately, even though the lady basilisk let them go; another one was waiting right around corner. Without making a noise, the smaller basilisk which happened to be the younger brother of the lady basilisk that guarded the mountain bit Dio on his shoulder.“Argh!” Dio groaned in pain when he failed to dodge the surprise attack. He immediately pulled her to the other side to evade the serpent-like beast.Dio held his bleeding shoulder and the lady’s hand trembled in fear as she panicked not knowing what to do. Dio gritted his teeth, the pain coming from the clash between the basilisk’s venom and his healing abilities made him feel wobbly.“W-what should I do?” The lady exclaimed as she tried to wipe Dio’s blood as they ran.“Calm down,” Dio said in a hushed voice as he pulled her to hide behind a