"Oasis of Lunaris," he replied with a smile, his name carrying a sense of pride and belonging."I am Balto of the BlackBoar Mercenary," the man replied with a respectful nod. "Nice to meet you, Oasis of Lunaris."Oasis and Balto exchanged words for a few minutes.From Balto, Oasis learned that the mercenaries had been contracted to escort the son of the city lord of Belvan Town.The young lord had been attending a meeting about a betrothal alliance with Mistvalley Town, just a few kilometers from the valley where they now stood. Through their conversation, Oasis also learned more about their current location.The place was an independent region, nestled between Verdantia and the Kingdom of Ironhold, known as Dawnhail.Dawnhail was a rugged and somewhat lawless area, where various factions operated with little oversight.The region was valued for its strategic position as a buffer between larger powers, but its independence also made it a hotbed of intrigue and conflict.As Balto expl

Meanwhile, back in Lunalith..."You sent the kid to a dangerous place. Don’t you think you went too far?" Elder Tyron said, his voice filled with concern as he spoke to Sect Leader Conri. They sat together, drinking tea under the moonlight."He’s strong enough, Tyron," Sect Leader Conri replied calmly."He might be strong for his age, but he’s still a kid and lacks experience," Tyron insisted."He’s gaining experience this way. Don’t worry too much about him—he’ll be fine," Conri reassured his old friend."At what realm do you think that kid is now?" Conri asked Elder Tyron, testing his insight."Maybe peak Newborn Realm," Tyron guessed, though uncertainty tinged his voice."Not quite. I’ve been watching the boy over the past days, and I can tell without a doubt that Oasis is at the intermediate stage of the Tabula-Rasa Realm, and his spiritual energy is even above that," Conri revealed.!!!"What? That’s impossible at his age," Tyron exclaimed, clearly shocked. "Is he really that tal

"Ha ha ha, what a fine merchandise you’ve brought us," a new voice sneered as a man stepped out from the shadows.He was tall and imposing, with a cruel smile that showed off yellowed teeth.His hair was greasy and slicked back, and he wore a long, tattered coat that hung off his gaunt frame. His eyes gleamed with malice as he looked over the group."Put your weapons away already—you’re scaring our merchandise," he commanded, and the rest of his men emerged from the woods, all armed and ready, with bows aimed at Oasis and the others."Take it easy, kids. We won’t mistreat you. After all, you’re all precious merchandise," the man said with a smirk, licking his lips."Ha ha ha, these girls are damn pretty," he continued, eyeing Lila and Kaelith with a leer. "If they weren’t merchandise, they’d be warming my bed tonight."Kaelith began to shake, her eyes wide with terror as tears welled up, threatening to spill over. Lila let out a scream for help, her voice shrill and desperate."Don’t w

The last remaining bandit, witnessing the gruesome fate of his comrades, felt all his bravado drain away.His legs gave out beneath him, and he fell to the ground with a thud, landing on his backside.His face was pale, and his eyes were wide with terror as he stared at Oasis, who was now walking towards him.Among the recruits, the girls huddled together, trembling with fear.Toren remained unconscious, while Ronan, though scared, tried to maintain his composure. He mustered the courage to move closer to Oasis, though his legs shook with each step.Oasis stopped just in front of the terrified bandit and crouched down to meet his eye level.The bandit’s face was a mixture of sheer terror and disbelief, as if he couldn’t comprehend whether the person before him was a normal child or a monster in disguise."You have only one painless choice," Oasis began, his voice cold and menacing."Tell me everything about your businesses in Dawnhail—your organization, its power hierarchy. Or, you ca

Without waiting for an answer, Oasis reached into his storage bracelet and pulled out his sword, Kaze no Kagutsuchi.!!!"That’s definitely a high-grade artifact," Jerek blurted out, his voice betraying a mixture of awe and fear.The others in Garron’s group, upon hearing this, suddenly realized the gravity of their situation.Garron’s earlier confidence began to waver as he reassessed the young man standing before them."Who are you, kid?" Garron asked, his tone no longer as assured as before."Oasis of Lunaris," Oasis replied simply, flicking his wrist casually as he adjusted his grip on the sword."Since it’s come to this, there’s no turning back. Either we die, or you die, kid… unless you decide to join us," Garron said, trying to maintain his composure despite the growing unease."Then, Uncle Garron, and the rest of you," Oasis began, his voice chillingly calm, "I’ll give you a few minutes to write your farewells to your families, because today shall be your last."Garron’s group