"Hmm, what are you guys doing here?" the man with strange bangs approached, ensuring his men surrounded the two mysterious figures with their hands raised. "We're just on a date," Lucius retorted, tugging on the arm of the girl beside him. She gave a soft, surprised sound. "On a date? In an ancient tomb like this?" he asked, stroking his strange bangs, seemingly deriving pleasure from the act. "Do you think I'm stupid?" He pulled a small dagger from his waist, boldly pressing it against Lucius's forehead. "As I suspected, he's no different from his younger self. Such a coward," Lucius thought to himself. "Brother, don't you recognize me?" Lucius asked. The man immediately stopped playing with his dagger and took a step back. "A friend? You recognize me?" His voice carried a hint of surprise. "I knew it, he really is a coward," Lucius mumbled inwardly. "Corporal Tiras, do you not recognize me anymore?" Lucius's tone was frosty, suggesting his importance. "You recognize me?" His
The building was immense and heavily fortified. Any passing vehicle had to endure intense scrutiny, indicating that this was no ordinary structure. Nestled within, a neatly organized workspace showcased a large photo of the Hedron nation's founder, underscoring the place's significance. "The generals are preoccupied, and General Nefion is engaged in unusual activities. Is that what you're saying, Minister of Defence?" queried a man in a white, long-sleeved shirt with slightly rolled-up sleeves. "Exactly, Mr. President. I fear this might destabilize our country." "Indeed, these individuals have been behaving like petty kings. It seems I need to remind them who truly runs this nation," retorted the man identified as the president. A young man, he was remarkably popular and had secured a majority of the votes in their country. He was the supreme leader, to whom the generals were expected to defer. "What about the secret crystal production in our gold mine?" "General Conrad has halt
"Sir, I don't know anything about this," the man with bushy bangs covering his face declared, looking terrified. Being summoned to the President's office was especially intimidating. "I don't need your excuses. Just explain about the two people you saw leaving that place," the President demanded. "Sir, they claimed to be General Nefion's right-hand men." "And you believe it?" The President's voice was chilling, demonstrating a lack of concern for the corporal's wellbeing. Meanwhile, Corporal Tiras seemed to be trembling violently, especially when he glanced at the strange entity in the room, a figure clad in ancient clothes with four terrifying eyes, unlike anything he'd seen before. "What are his characteristics?" "He is young, Mr President. Still a teenager." "A teenager? And you believe that he is General Nefion's right-hand man?" "Mr President, I'm afraid that the teenager is the fugitive who caused trouble in the secret prison. He is also rumoured to have killed General
"Mr. Lucius, where are we going?" the girl finally asked. It had been several days of travelling with Lucius, and their destination remained unclear. "We're looking for artifacts," Lucius answered. "Artifacts again? But how?" The girl was confused by Lucius' plan because she knew that artifacts were not easy to find. Lucius just shrugged, almost as if he wanted to say, "I don't know either". He had only heard from information in his previous life about an extraordinary fighting technique. "Amia, do you know what is important in a fight?" "Fighting techniques?" "They're important, but you won't be able to fight continuously if you only rely on them," Lucius said, his tone and smile mysteriously aloof. "I only heard this in my previous life: the story of a young man who drowned in a lake and gained terrible power." Of course, he could not share this story with the demon girl who had become his slave this time. "What if there is a power that can restore a person's energy every ti
"Miss Celestial Messenger, I apologize for my son's actions." "There is no need to apologize to the village chief. I heard that he doesn't believe in the existence of Gods. Is that so, young man?" she walked over and lifted her cloak, revealing long fingers with nails colored jet black. "I do believe in the existence of Gods, but not in the way that you suggest," the teenager tried to stand, but his legs suddenly felt heavy as if they were being grasped by those mysterious hands. "You know, boy, you have no right to trivialize the existence of gods." "Smack!" She slapped the boy's cheek, making him immediately fall down, followed by a change in expression from the village chief who led the ritual. "Miss Heavenly Messenger, please... please forgive my son," he pleaded, prostrating himself for forgiveness while the teenager was grimacing, wiping the fresh blood flowing from his nose. "Father, don't be foolish. She's not a heavenly messenger! She's just a twisted witch!" "Gross,
The men marched around, holding and lifting the young man who was chained and tied to a large log. A woman wearing a robe and headdress walked in front of them, displaying the difference in their status. "Lord, we will sacrifice the one who mocked you. Forgive us all," she announced after stopping by a clear lake strewn with floating buffalo heads. "They are completely corrupted," muttered Lucius from a distance. "Throw him, and may God accept and forgive all his sins," the village chief commanded with a heavy heart. Regardless of his damaged state of mind, his affection for his son remained, evident from the unceasing flow of tears from his eyes. "Wait," he spoke softly, which was met with a sharp gaze from the woman. "Village chief, what else are you seeking?" she asked, losing her patience. "Miss heavenly messenger, can't I take his place?" he asked again, softly, desperate to persuade the woman claiming to be a holy messenger from heaven. "Father, what are you saying?" The
The middle-aged man sat pensively in his house, serving as the village head of a remote settlement far from the bustling city life. Despite the country's advanced technology, life there retained its traditional essence. "Gross, why did you even do that?" he murmured softly, rubbing his forehead. There was no one to offer him comfort in this moment of distress. He continued to gaze at an old, grey picture frame which captured a woman holding a newborn baby, his long-deceased wife. "Why did everything turn so complicated and bad? Where did I go wrong in my past decisions?" he lamented, eyes puffy and filled with sorrow. The daunting condition to save his son, which required him to procure a hundred more sacrifices, seemed impossible. "Village chief, come out!" A voice echoed, accompanied by the sound of dozens of footsteps, disturbing the man's contemplations. "Why are they here?" he wondered, peering through a crack in his wall. He saw his villagers approaching, brandishing fresh
The chains finally broke, instantly drowning the young man, as the cloaked woman looked on with evident pleasure. "Soon, soon I can make a pact with the devil," she stated, her goal explicit, unaware that she was being observed by two pairs of eyes. "Mr. Lucius..." "Just call me Lucius," he said, interrupting the girl who seemed to have misnamed him several times. "But..." "There are no buts," Lucius interrupted again. "Then Lucius, why didn't we save that man?" "I believe there's a destiny that's protecting him. I'm more interested in seeing what that woman will do next," Lucius replied. The woman appeared to be hustling back and forth with the corpses that she had laboriously pulled out. It was clear that she was breathing heavily due to the strenuous work of carrying the bodies of villagers who had been slain by the village chief. "Damn, this guy should have left one or two slaves alive," she grumbled in annoyance, but she couldn't stop herself from continuing her task unt