Mmm~~~
Bain moaned softly as nature's quiet sounds registered in his brain.
Where am I?
He opened his eyes abruptly, examining the strange wooden cabin he found himself in.
Hiss!~~
He had a headache.
'What happened? I remember that he was surrounded with no way out... But then someone... Someone… Someone!'
Bain was about to spring up when a calm voice echoed out.
"I see you're up."
Who?
Bain quickly turned his attention to the cabin door. And there he was… The silver-haired stranger!
With unhurried steps, the man stepped into the cabin in full farming attire with a hoe in his hand and a basket of wheat on his back.
"Easy boy... You don't have enough strength in you." The silver-haired man said, slowly putting his hoe and basket.
Bain placed his hand on the mat he rested on, trying to pull himself up and lean against the wall.
With a skeptical look, he gazed at the good-looking man who was now taking out the many stalks of wheat from his basket.
"Relax."
The man gave him a brief yet lazy glance while focusing on his wheat as though he couldn't be bothered with Bain.
"If I wanted you dead, you will. If anything, I should've killed you for that restless belly of yours, keeping me awake till morning."
~Gruuu~
Bain's belly grumbled as though attesting to what he said.
He lowered his head awkwardly, recalling being on a vast farmland when he last met those miscreants. So this guy should be the owner of the vast farmland.
It was just that he was shocked, realizing that people farmed here. He thought they were just a bunch of criminals, all focusing on killing and murdering, too lazy to do everyday jobs.
"Are you surprised?" The silver-haired man chuckled, seeing through his thoughts. "Boy, there is so much you still don't know about this place."
.
~Tack... Tack... Tack… Tack…~
In the chimney space, the steady sounds of flames dancing underneath the overhead cauldron filled the room with a strange silence.
~Snap!
The silver-haired man processed the wheat stalks with a calm demeanor, still not turning to face him.
"Mainland 01… Before coming here, most people in the outside world only consider it a place of absolute violence."
Whoosh!
The silver-haired man's kitchen blade separated the heads of the wheat from their stalks with a skilled technique that gave Bain the illusion the silver-haired man was performing an execution.
Indeed… The silver-haired man was right.
If he wanted to kill him, he would have been dead ages ago. Yet, he not only saved him but also changed his damp attire too.
Bain stared out the window, seeing yesterday's clothes hanging on an old-fashioned clothing line, alongside several maize on a cob, plants, and crops drying out.
His attention returned to the silver-haired man, seeing him use his knife to shove the cut wheat heads into one open sac below the table while throwing the worthless stalks into another bag.
Looking at the fireplace, he was sure the man used the stalks as firewood.
All evidence showed that the guy must've been living and farming here for a long time.
His actions were unlike the many criminals he had seen since his arrival.
.
"Listen well. Here, there is indeed violence and chaos roaming about. The streets are filled with criminals, ready to make their best hunt, all with greedy intentions!"
~Pang!
The air remained stagnant with every thumping slash from the silver-haired man's blade. But just then, Bain's eyes unintentionally fell on a peculiar document not too far from his reach. And judging from how the silver-haired man kept the document, it's clear he was trying to hide it.
The document had a word that made his bubble boil with vigilance. No matter what, he had to take a look.'
He was currently on a woven straw sleeping mat on the floor. And any subtle movements might cause the floors to creak.
Bain frowned. 'This won't do!'
He listened to all sounds around him, from the boiling sounds of the small cauldron-styled pot to the light noises from the fire, the chirping birds outdoors, and even the silver-haired man's wheat processing… all these sounds should cover him well if he timed things right.
Secretly taking a big breath and acting naturally, he kept his body fixed while slowly stretching and creeping his hands towards the document.
He, Bain, didn't mean to be nosy. But the words on the document were too tempting and important for him to know.
Look up, look around; the cabin had no other doors apart from the one leading out. And the fact that a pot was hanging overhead in the fireplace meant the silver-haired man used this space as his kitchen too.
There was also a bed adjacent to him, books on the floor, pots pinned on the walls, utensils on the side, garden tools leaning against the walls, clothes in an open basket, etc.
This very small space managed to contain it all.
'The silver-haired man lives alone. And from the woodwork and congested space, he should've built it by hand... Maybe he was also trying to find a peaceful life in this chaos?'
It wouldn't be far-fetched for Bain to think so.
Though good-looking, the silver-haired man looked 47~50, meaning he should be about 180~220.
One should bear in mind that there was a difference between silver hair and aging white hair. The man's natural hair color from birth was silvery.
A person who could diligently cultivate such an abundant farmland meant that they would always have to look after it.
From observation, the crops were rich, and the smell of grain all showed signs of his diligence.
Bain drew many conclusions from what he saw, making him already have a good impression of the mature and handsome silver-haired man.
He had a good impression of the man. But that still wasn't enough to deter him from getting the document.
Almost there… Almost there…
Bain's fingers made a stretch reach for it!
…
That red mark…Bain's eyes glowed with a fiery light.The thin piece of paper was sticking out from underneath several books. He could see particular characters and symbols that, wouldn't you know it, belonged to none other than the Absolutes!Them again? Bain's interest was more than piqued.What did they want from the Silver-haired man? Though the man looked trustworthy, the Absolute court was another matter.Bain carefully moved his hands, still keeping his head stiffly facing the man.Could he do it? Would he eventually succeed?~Tack. Tack. Tack. Tack.The flames once again danced underneath the heated pot.The space was obviously hot. But when the Silver-haired man spoke, it suddenly grew heavy and frosty."Mainland 01… Violence, murder, chaos, and freedom to do whatever criminals want… That's what you ordinary folks think. However, you're all forgetting one simple fact. Even in Hell itself, there are rules."~Pang!The Silver-haired man swung his blade once more, giving the ill
Bain listened attentively.The silver-haired man referred to himself as Ryu.From his tale, he used to be an ordinary worker, that is until his newly wedded wife betrayed him. And the finishing blow that broke him was when she married another, bringing her lover and her greedy family into the house.Yes… Her lover was with his good friend.Ultimately, the woman managed to secure all his savings and all he had ever worked for.They say revenge was a painful dish served best when cold. But in his case, he decided to turn up the heat on his betrayers.He drugged them, tied them together in the basement, waited for them to wake, and gave them a piece of his mind before setting up a gimmick designed to blow the house up 10 minutes later.Sadly, because the buildings on his street were built too close to each other, his revenge act led to the burning of 2 neighboring homes.It resulted in the death of a neighbor's newly born children and the death of another neighbor's son playing in a room
It was a trap!... It was all set up!But why? Why had Ryu kept him alive rather than killing him previously?Bain felt his chest rise and fail speedily. But despite the pain, he knew the first principle of escaping was to do it as quickly as possible.The longer he remained in the enemy's control, the less likely his chances were of fleeing.His body was on fire, with a gushing wave of dizziness slowly eroding his consciousness.No!'I can't afford to fall asleep. Before my body gives way, I must take Ryu down.'Get up!Bain stabilized his staggering body, putting off a defensive stance. Seeing this, Ryu, who had always been calm and collected, burst out in cruel laughter."Boy!... If you think you can escape, you're much more foolish than I thought." Silver-hair Ryu smiled, reaching for his inner chest pocket with a sly smile on his face."Now, now, little one… Since you're new here, you probably haven't heard of me much. Some call me the silver Mad Hatter, others the Silver Maniac…
Judging from the boy's stance, a single blow from him should send the boy fast asleep. Good boy… Ryu maniacally inched closer with the syringe, not taking Bain seriously. But then, something happened. What?!!! Ryu crossed his hands against his chest in defense. But it was already too late. Boom! He smashed into the fireplace, burning his ass on the fire below and having the boiling hot broth pour on his body. Part of Ryu's face was burnt to a peel, with his mouth oozing blood. This… This can't be! He recognized the force that pushed him back. The boy… The boy was an enhancer! But the boy had no weapon on him. So how could he release enhanced powers? Wait! Ryu's eyes darted about in transfixed shock. The boy didn't need a weapon… His body was the weapon! Terrible! Terrible! Ryu squirmed amid his pain but soon revealed an excited smile. Hahahahahaha~ It must be the world's will for him to run across such a perfect subject. So how could he let him go? Pain? What pain? R
-Heart Headquarters, Arrow City, Southern Territories, Mainland 01-.In a vast and grand room, several men stood motionless. Some wore suits and others loose shirts. They formed straight lines along the path, creating a wide space between them.~Bam!A bloodied figure plunged into the room, falling on his nose in anguish.Following him were 2 other men; one wearing a suit with an emotionless face, and another wearing a red open-buttoned flowery shirt, having a playful and silly expression on his face.But don't let his friendly smile fool you. This man was colder than the freezing seas of Gantia."Owww~... A buddy, I think we broke your nose." The playful man commented, putting his hands in his pockets and kicking the bloodied man in the butt."Claus… That's enough." A deep voice from ahead echoed, and the playful man restrained himself.He was loyal and completely obedient to his leader!'I don't want to die. I don't want to die.'The bloodied man didn't care about his injuries, gro
James' heart sped up, seeing those mysterious eyes flash his way. And before he knew it, he was stuttering."I, I, I, I….""Mr. James…" The cold voice ahead called slowly, yet it made James' clothes feel damp with sweat.The figure unhurriedly stood, revealing himself into the light.Inky dark hair, raven eyes, and a face christened by the gods, the man was indeed good-looking. But James had no time to admire his beauty.His eyes were dark and deep like an abyss, drawing those who stared to fall into its bottomless pit.~Bam!James didn't see the kick coming."Ahhhh~... Ugh-Ugh"Son of a b**tch!His nose was all broken!James inwardly cursed from habit, controlling himself from cursing loudly. Did he dare? Of course he didn't. His fear for Mr. Hearts kept his lips sealed.And while he was rolling and holding his nose in anguish, Elric placed one hand in his pocket, taking and releasing a thick fog of smoke from his massive cigar."Mr. James… we didn't bring you here to listen to your
Gasp!Bain woke, panting heavily with vigilant eyes.The room was still a mess, with the table flipped, books scattered, tools displaced, and everywhere looking like a wind storm had flown by.Speaking of his body, he no longer felt any burning pains from before."I was right. Those pills did the trick." He murmured.His muscles had recovered, and now, he was in his best state.Thankfully, because he slept pre-battle, his body didn't feel like sleeping for long this time.Looking at how high the sun was, as well as the shadow it casted on the objects outside the small square-shaped window, Bain knew he had slept for no more than 2 hours.It should be 4:20 P.M by now.'I must leave this place before someone discovers Ryu's disappearance.'But first, he had to burn the place down.Towards the door were 2 baskets of neatly cleaned clothes now scattered and pushed aside.Bain's eyes lit up enthusiastically.Perfect!Bain quickly rummaged through the pile, setting his sights on the pair of
"Dammit! Barman! Where's my f**king beer?""Shut your damn piehole already. Beer, beer, beer. Here's your damn beer!""Hahahaha~ Old Toothless… I didn't think the operation would go that smoothly.F**k yeah! We're all rich, stinking rich!""Have, have you heard, the old called the Venomous Queen is on the loose with her gang of Butterfly bandits again.""True or false?""True! I tell you, those ladies sure pack a mean punch. Best not to anger them.""Bahahahaha~... Are you serious? Is the famous La Diva performing tonight at Fantasy house? Great! Just great! This time, I must watch her show!"…Within the massive space were all sorts of drunken bandits, goons, and thugs seated about with countless bottles scattered across their tables.Some were sleeping in a drunken state with one hand on their weapons. When you live here long enough, your weapon becomes an additional limb, always ready to take a life.The room was smoky, with countless people having cigarettes in their mouths. Some