Chapter 74: The Path of the Miserable is Always Filled with Good Intentions (6).
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The strongest warrior of the youth generation, the legend of the city of Kaitona, and the most loyal guardian of the sect.
The cold guard dog, Bai Sang.
He was simply defeated in a front of his brothers.
By the young boy walking in the chaotic blood-soaked arena.
"Next."
What the boy uttered was not a request; it was something he said, and they would do it.
The body obeyed the words as if possessed.
"Ahhh!"
Four warriors attacked him quickly.
In the culture of the Kanghua people, a warrior was similar to what other cultures referred to as a sorcerer, and he was called a shaman.
One of the four was a shaman, who retreated a sufficient distance, ready to unleash ice spells, while a massive warrior in the front held a huge shield and prepared to collide.
The other two circled him from the sides.
Bam!
The massive warrior struck Leon's body, sending him flying backward.
The others were ready and did not miss the chance to attack.
Kwak! Kwak!
Sharp frost winds flew through the air like swords!
Leon, who was flipping in the air, smiled mockingly.
Then!
Bai Yerin, who was unconscious, floated and appeared in front of his body!
Like a flesh shield!
"This bastard!"
"Don't you know honor!"
The members of the Red Frost sect almost spat blood from anger!
Dishonorable! This impudent one!
Kwak!
One of the archers struck the frost blades before they collided with Bai Yerin's body, covered by a transparent barrier.
While in the air, and before anyone could move, Leon waved his arm, sending Bai Yerin's body flying backward towards his allies at high speed.
"This bastard!"
Leon laughed dryly, mocking fiercely, "Hehehe, if you're not careful, the face of your sect's little lady will be disfigured. Maybe she wasn't even born in the embrace of marriage, perhaps this whore conceived her suddenly and without planning! That is, if your sect leader is even a woman, hahaha!"
He crushed the arrows heading towards him as if playing with children, his voice rising.
"You! You—"
One of the elders pointed his finger at Leon in anger, but he did not dare to advance.
The massive army behind this boy stirred any enemy's wrath.
"Shut up."
His foot struck the air, causing him to surge down forcefully.
The space distorted around him, making it bend!
Bam!
Three warriors were crushed to death and turned into ground meat!
Leon stood atop the bodies, his foot treading in the viscous blood, scattered eyes visible in the area, and broken skulls clearly displaying brains.
His eyes turned toward the last victim.
Swish!
A wave of blue flames suddenly surged toward him!
"Heh."
He simply stretched out his arm, and with a simple wave, the direction of the wave of flames was reflected.
So fast.
The difference in speed was simply ridiculous.
No comparison!
Bang!
The members of the Red Frost sect, who were at the front with the shaman, did not realize what had happened until they felt a strange heat enveloping their bodies.
"Kyaaaaaaah!!"
Of course, the pain of burning was the worst, and could only be expressed with a desperate scream.
But that was not the worst of it.
A bloody, ominous laugh distorted Leon's expressions.
He extended his arms again, and the space around the explosion compressed.
"Ahhh—!!"
"Kwaaaaah! No—!!"
"Help me! Help me!!!"
Those who tried to escape the explosion were trapped, and the wave of flames burned them more and more.
Everyone witnessed a clear sight of bodies burning to death within a space that prevented the flames from escaping.
"Hahaha!"
The sound of a devilish laugh coming from the mouth of a young boy sent chills down the spine.
"... That damned rascal!"
Bai Yun attempted to pounce on him; this rascal's tyranny in battle would demoralize her followers; this was a problem, as they wouldn't be able to buy time, let alone save her daughter!
This bastard had been using her body as a shield against the enemies' fierce attacks.
This forced the elders to distract him to try to retrieve her, or at least cover her with a shield.
Unfortunately, no one could take her from his devilish clutches, but at least they placed a protective barrier over her.
But what did this devilish rascal do?
He used her as a shield more than ever!
Bah! This damned rascal! Honor! Didn't your parents teach you the meaning of this word!
Bai Yun used her Ego ability to surprise him.
"If you make a move, I will collapse this place over your heads and turn it into dust."
But Yun Woo intervened, leaving her powerless.
She knew what Yun Woo was doing; he wanted her to remain a witness, watching the destruction of what she had built her entire life.
The warriors gathered around the young boy, trying to find a gap.
"This is really annoying..."
Leon muttered a little.
So, he had to get rid of the pests.
Haap!
He forcefully inhaled air through his lungs.
The gravity in the area trembled, heralding doom.
"Kill him! Damn it! Quickly!"
Those at the front surged forward at the elder's command.
Leon tensed his body muscles.
"Roar—!!!"
A tremendous scream, no, it was the roar of a ferocious beast crushing!
The essence's energy surged in the environment, creating a shockwave.
A red aura mixed with black struck the surroundings.
The ground trembled, the barriers of aura surrounding the bodies shivered, the desire for bloodshed made the heart tremble!
Leon's roar did not stop, but rather intensified!
Roaaar!!
A wave of wind rose and became a storm!
Those on the ground were blown away; those who tried to retreat were struck by the sound wave!
Kraaaaaagh!
The weak were injured, and the strong had no strength to resist the retreat.
The cry of the sole king, a roar that shook the heart with its horror!
Everyone was blown away, even the elders were forced to retreat!
And Leon's standing place became vacant.
Standing simply, behind him were heaps of distorted corpses.
This roar forced the external barrier of the sect to activate.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
In other areas of the battlefield, fights were raging fiercely.
Leon's roar ignited the bloodthirst of his allies, while the enemies' hearts were humbled, and their morale weakened.
Bai Yun bit her lips.
This battle was clearly lost; waiting for support was just a gamble.
She was not a foolish warrior to rely on luck, and was now waiting for the right opportunity to move.
Leon stood proudly before the building of the Red Frost sect, his bloody eyes shining with a dark light.
[Sahyeong, everyone prepare, it's just a guess but... there's a catastrophe coming]
He activated the Blood Communication Ego and spoke with Yun Woo telepathically.
[Boss, there is some danger in what we're doing, but you are right, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks; it is foolish to think of the consequences now]
Leon issued some instructions and what should be done afterward, and so on...
In the midst of the void left by the warriors, an old man quietly advanced.
Standing silently, he stared at the boy, and the latter responded with a silent gaze.
In the midst of this calm, both expressions bore faint smiles.
"Old man, you have protected this land your entire life; at the beginning of the journey, there was meaning, even if you lost something precious in your heart, there was meaning, but what about now? Hollow, your living place has become hollow; why do you continue to protect this place?"
Leon wondered to himself, this land was doomed to fail, and it would be better to eradicate the corrupted.
So why?
Whether it was this old man before him or Sahyeong, who sacrificed himself, they were protecting this land no matter how harsh it became, no matter how stripped their country was of first-generation beliefs, they saw hope in it.
It was something Leon did not understand in his heart.
"I believe that someone like you will never understand after all; how will you? It's a feeling tasted only by those who have lived here; no matter how much corruption increases, I will protect this land and change it, and if I do not, someone will come to inherit my will one day."
This is my conviction, and this is my duty.
"I am firmly convinced, put your hand in ours, and let us end this conflict if you wish."
Leon believed that it was a waste to abandon someone with a firm conviction.
"Even I know, I know perfectly well, there is no room for compromise between us and you; I am aware of how deserving our roots are of destruction due to our extreme corruption; when cutting the weeds, cut them at the roots, do not retreat."
"... You truly."
He was right in his words, and Leon could only sigh at his words.
From the beginning, there was no mercy in Leon's heart to keep the remnants of these corrupt ones, but his desire to include this old man was not simple.
Unfortunately, unfortunately indeed.
"Today, one of us will die, do not retreat ever, I do not even need to think twice; you are stronger than me, but I will do my best; even if my story fades away through the remnants of history, there will be someone who will walk that path indeed."
The old man spoke with unexpected words.
[ I will engrave my actions, even if it seems meaningless, however strange it may be, therefore, I ask you earnestly, oh heir of the ancient dusk, show me, show me what lies beyond the world you see and intend to reach.]
"Oh, what a pity... you could have been a good ally; well, I will fulfill your wish."
Leon shook his head a little in disappointment, but he did not disdain the person before him.
Just because their beliefs were different, that was not a reason for hatred; on the contrary, that resolve increased Leon's respect for him.
"Come on! Show me the true metal of the ancient frost! What kind of people the first generation were!"
"Then! Try to block my attack!"
The old man shouted a battle cry as he lunged toward the young boy.
The sect elder floated above the sky, extending his arm and pouring all his energy into it.
He raised his palm into the air and thrust with force.
In the air appeared frost resembling the hand exactly, massive, extremely majestic, the elder's size in comparison was rather small.
Leon showed no sign of retreat and continued to stare at the giant hand.
Sreeeeng!
A black blade emerged from his arm, taking a stance resembling the body's contraction toward the earth.
There was no need to use Ego even.
A simple fighting style, overwhelming power, immense essence energy.
That's all it took.
With that simplicity, the enemy could be eradicated.
Once.
And for good.
A bloody red aura spread through the area, the suffocating feeling rendered the senses numbed, survival instincts were useless in the face of this bloodthirst.
Leon raised his head toward the giant hand.
"Retreat! Retreat quickly! Anyone who does not wish to be buried must retreat!"
The members of the Mad Demon Unit did not have that much confusion, so they quickly realized what they had to do in an instant.
Thus, they retreated quickly; those who weren't fast were dragged by others.
And naturally, Stella, Logan, and Kang Woo, who were at the front, were dragged along.
All this happened in fractions of a second while Leon was still in the middle of his move.
Finally, the members of the Red Frost sect felt the danger.
"Tsk! Unfortunately, they didn't get close enough!"
"Damn it! Attack quickly!"
"Oriaaaaaaa!"
And of course, some tried to deter Leon from his attack.
They charged with all their strength.
This fortress was adequately equipped to defend the area.
Ego stones, heavy weapons, and Ego as well...
Thus, defensive formations were built in the area; as long as the attack was strong enough, a commensurate amount of the power of these defensive formations would be activated.
The defensive formation was a secret from the neighboring forces and was intended to be used against the Mad Demon Unit in this battle when they reached a certain range.
But Leon's attack thwarted this hastily made plan.
From this alone, it could be inferred that Leon's power was not to be underestimated.
And the reason for that…
All the defensive formations were activated, at maximum possible power.
Frost arrows, earth-shaking spells, even brain-confounding lightning spells were unleashed.
Cannons, swords, and spears, mines, defensive spells, and barriers.
All of that covered the castle.
And the attack was targeting one person.
Of course.
There were those who fled as well.
"... Heir of the ancient dusk, the strongest survivor of the third generation's extinction war, he is a monster not to be measured by his arrows; I must give it my all! The little lady is with him, but it doesn't matter! The sect leader can always give birth to a new descendant; even if I die here, I must take him with me!"
The old man had already left his legacy to his grandson, which was scheduled to inherit his position after his retirement; he had no reason to fear death.
The council of elders was fighting over the benefits, but they were a united entity, no need to worry.
In fact, if Bai Yerin "accidentally" died in this battle, the council could pressure Bai Yun to choose her heir; this would give the elders the initiative to place a puppet leader while controlling things from behind the curtain.
And if the sect leader gave birth to her heir before that?
Hehehe.
It was common in this city for "children to mysteriously disappear."
Of course, these matters were issues for the living to deal with.
The hardships of life are matters that the dead do not concern themselves with.
"The defensive formation requires half a second to strike the enemy; I need to hit him a few fractions of a second before that; the enemy army has already retreated, but by directing the force of the explosion, I can take out some of them; this will buy time until the arrival of the Yellow Field doctor."
Even if the little lady died, it would take out the enemy.
This simple idea was not in the elder's consciousness but rather his subconscious.
Thus, without realizing, his murderous intent surged, and his cautious attack became unrestricted.
Not to mention everything, the enemy is the strongest person among the heirs of dusk, a monster among monsters, the perpetrator of the blood army massacre in the last war.
He must give it his all; the intent to kill is the only thing useful against this power.
The feeling of pressure lifted from his heart, and he was immersed in unfamiliar emotions.
Ah, right, I heard about this before.
The ecstasy of killing.
When a person does not think about the consequences of their actions at all, and their consciousness becomes free of any useless thoughts.
He was immersing himself in that feeling intensely.
"Grandfather! Don't do it!"
An ominous feeling came over one of the young men on the outer walls of the fortress, shouting with all his strength.
He tried to jump and stop the old man at all costs!
Bam!
"Ugh! Let me go! Let me go, you bastard!"
But his personal guard pinned him to the ground and remained silent.
"Grandfather! Let me go to grandfather! He is trying to commit suicide!"
The young boy knew that icy hand; it was an incomplete technique invented by his grandfather, and it was dangerous to one's life.
And if that composite technique was activated with full force?
Whether the enemy was eradicated or not, he would die a miserable death.
To hell with the sect for all I care!
Even if my arm is cut off! Even if I die because of that! I will stop you, old man!
I will stop this old man!
Kwak, kwak, kwak.
When he wanted to use the essence energy, he felt a numbness.
The energy pathways in his body were blocked before he even realized it.
"Why! Ahhh! You bastard! Why… I just want to save grandfather, why are you stopping me! I have already lost so much… I don't want to lose him too…"
Please…
Please, grandfather, don't go.
Tears flowed from the young boy as he cursed his weakness, watching helplessly as his grandfather.
The guard bit his lips with all his might, his eyes trembling fiercely, preventing himself from shedding tears.
I'm sorry, young master, but I cannot let you go.
I just… can't.
In the starry night sky, an old man with white hair emitted a faint blue frost, reflecting a semblance of the purity that had faded in this sect.
The old man felt a strange sensation, and an image of a small boy flashed through his mind.
My grandson, this is the last gift this old man gives you.
From me to you, watch this attack and engrave it in your heart.
The sect elder closed his eyes, memories of his life flashed in an instant.
The burden, the weight of the past, the responsibility and duty.
His father was just a nervous drunk who once beat his mother to death, and then a few days later sold his son into slavery for fear of not being able to pay the taxes.
After that, he struggled among the slaves until he accidentally found a firefly in the fifth spring, and his power was awakened after a series of strange events.
A strange man found him, trained him for a while, and then left, leaving him on this island with a budding sect, where he grew up and established a family.
How fleeting his happiness was.
Conflicts began to increase throughout the world bit by bit.
And after that, there was not much to say, just patience.
When his daughter's corpse was torn apart by monsters in her fifth spring, he bore the heartbreak.
When his wife died, he bore the heartbreak.
When his brother betrayed him after taking the title of elder, he bore the heartbreak.
Even when he learned that his son's death was caused by the sect leader, who sacrificed him to refine her Ego, he held back his tears in his heart.
No matter how filthy what she did was, no matter how far she strayed from the hero image he once wanted to become, no matter what happened.
Despite everything, he bore and endured.
In this brutal world, his desire was as simple as it could be.
"I want to make my family know happiness, for the dawn to shine bright, comforting their hearts, for them to always know love, even amidst the spread of cruelty, unlike this corrupt old man."
For someone to be happy with my existence, and for me to see that companion smile.
A very naive wish.
That is everything.
It was a long road.
The elder accelerated his attack with all his being.
And by concentrating all his instincts on his composite technique, his power reached what even his wildest imagination could not conjure.
When logical reasoning and pure instinct come together, an unusual state in awareness arises, causing the sea of consciousness in the heart of the essence to swell.
The name of that state is: Flow.
Flow is a type of ecstasy that comes to a person, allowing them to exceed their limits, making the boundaries of their body and mind indistinguishable in intensity or transparency.
Simply put, the elder was now in a state similar to flow, and the danger of death made him unleash his potential.
However, this was not necessarily true.
The giant hand became colossal, casting its shadow over the outer fortress of the sect building, heading toward Leon!
This was certainly a terrifying attack.
"This technique is indeed deadly."
But.
Leon smiled, who had Bai Yerin's corpse floating behind him, covered with a transparent barrier, simply.
"No matter how large your attack is, if it is hollow, it will remain hollow."
There is a thin line separating the ecstasy of immersion in awareness and the state of flow.
Immersion in awareness is merely a mental invocation of desire, which somewhat amplifies power.
The sea of consciousness inside the heart of the essence is affected by multiple emotions, and emotions can ignite within that sea.
But emotions will soon fade.
That is why, in Leon's eyes, the attack was hollow.
An empty plate is nothing more than a house of cards.
Let the house of cards fall; all it takes is a light breeze.
The contraction of the body generated greater momentum, and that momentum was directed toward the arm.
Leon jumped into the air, the momentum of his arm causing him to flip.
And simply.
That arm made the cut.
[Destruction Blade Techniques: Brutal Horizontal Cut]
[Split the Sky]
As if cutting through the very passage of time, no one could know when the arm moved.
Leon's arm disappeared and then reappeared.
From one place to another, no time gap or resistance in space, beyond what any mind or creature could grasp.
The elder's attack reached a close distance to Leon, and the attacks were a bit further.
It could be said that they would hit him before he completed his attack.
Secretly, Bai Yun was planning to pounce, grab her daughter, and flee.
As long as she was alive, she could immediately build a new sect.
Thus, everyone's minds raced like lightning, searching for the best course of action after the attack occurred.
Leon's movement was unfavorable in terms of speed, and so the attackers believed they had a good chance of surviving if they prevented his attack.
However.
The concept of time was useless in the face of unreasonable power.
For logical people, unreasonable things are beyond understanding.
It cannot be explained, it cannot be understood, it cannot be dealt with.
This is what is called disasters.
"No!!"
A woman's desperate voice echoed in the outer fortress of the Red Frost sect.
She tried to reach the source of the attack's flow and prevent it from happening.
But her efforts were in vain.
No time had actually passed at all when the wave ended.
Swish.
And in the slow motion of limitless time, a gentle breeze touched everything.
Suddenly, a giant red blade appeared in the air.
The blade expanded, illuminating the vast castle and its surroundings with a bright red light.
The passage of time cracked, as if there were a fissure, causing it to stop.
The tremors of spells ceased, the ground flattened as if space had distorted.
Like a mirror, as if what one stood upon was nothing more than a dusty mirror.
The frost arrows disappeared, like snow melting with the arrival of summer.
The weapons that were thrown with the intention of exploding turned to dust, scattered in the winds.
The accumulation of dust gives us ash.
That ash slowly floated in the space.
From dust to dust, from ash to ash.
As if one becomes two.
As if the space split.
The red blade touched the giant frost hand.
And smoothly.
The hand was cut in half.
No.
It was as if everything, including its essence, was cut.
Right in the middle.
At the utmost point of eternal time's pause, images and memories flowed through the minds.
Ambition, dreams, desires, hatred, gratitude.
There were those who wished to shine, and those who persevered for their families, there were those who wanted to soar above the sky.
There were those whose stories had yet to be revealed, in the eroding darkness where ultimate madness dwells.
There were those who wanted to taste salvation, where the torment of their struggles ends forever.
And there were those among them, who wished to repent and open a new page, hoping that path would be different from the harshness of sin that gnaws at the heart.
These memories.
Merged together, forming different expressions reflected in the shining red light.
Fear, the determination to fight until the last moment, rigidity, sorrow, surrender, acceptance, relief.
Crack.
A strange sound of splitting echoed in the stillness.
At the sound of this, the scattered emotions vanished in an instant.
The stillness of time became slowness, making expressions resembling statues alive once more.
One feeling permeated them all, and a clear understanding of the situation arose.
What came behind them had a name known to all who lived, whether sane or insane.
And that name was simply.
Death.
"So this is how it ends."
In his last moment, the heart of the elder, Bai Guanyi, was incredibly peaceful.
Hollow...
This question had always troubled his heart.
What does it mean, isn't sufficient power the solution?
No matter how much he developed and grew stronger, there was a strange feeling of inadequacy in his heart.
As if something had been forgotten.
But now, facing this overwhelming rift in space, he closed his eyes.
What he lacked.
It was the will.
The will to protect.
The will to understand oneself and accept oneself.
The will to achieve the goal, and never to be swayed by the temptations of living.
A will that never bends.
Even in the depths of despair, the will shall never bend.
This was the difference between the young boy and him.
A tremendous will, a vast will.
An unquenchable desire and overwhelming feeling.
As if his ambition sought to swallow space.
To soar high, higher than anyone else.
Just seeing this wave of his hands was enough to feel that struggle.
He never thought in his life that this feeling would come upon him.
After all.
Gratitude towards an enemy is the stupidest thing in living.
But...
A slight smile crept across the lips of this old man.
So things flow in the world.
Toward the mouth of the river, toward the end, always.
Hahaha.
In Leon's ears, who had cut everything, flowed the laughter of a dying old man smoothly.
A laugh filled with life.
Boom—!
An explosion occurred.
An explosion that resounded high in the sky, as if heralding eternal destruction.
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[ The First Explorer Travels: Chapter One, Section Two]
[ The Path of the Ignorant is Paved with the Thorns of Knowledge]
Man was in a dilemma.
Flames of the birds scorched his body, nightmare beasts left no emotion in his heart untouched, the earth swept him toward the abyss of shadows, thorny trees strangled his neck.
Strange emotions swept through that hollow heart; he did not know what to call those emotions, but they certainly existed.
This is painful! Scary and terrifying!
As if the languages of those tormentors pierced his mind, words began to flow smoothly in the form of thoughts and emotions.
In the agony of ignorance about what was happening, he felt despair.
Give in, you have no path in this world but suffering.
That is everything.
Then at that moment.
"O human, these arms are the way forward, use your arms and come to me if you wish to survive!"
A strange voice rang in his ears.
The voice was unfamiliar yet oddly familiar.
He stretched out his hand and grasped the soil, but the hand slipped.
"Your fingers are what lead you to crawl, dig them into the soil of the ignorant and see the path of salvation from your horror and fear; this is the only way!"
He did not understand the reason for his failure and tried again.
He dug his nails into the soil of the ignorant, his silver blood like the moonlight flowed through those nails.
In a person's journey to rid themselves of ignorance, they will suffer some truths.
Those truths are tied to the acknowledgment, his acknowledgment of ignorance.
"Seize him, my nightmare brethren! Even the ember doesn't linger for a day; the light at the end of the horizon doesn't reach the coward; that light shall not rise!"
The nightmare beasts took on an ethereal form, a mass of black despair and fear.
They attacked the man who was trying to learn to move his arms with strength!
With the accumulation of knowledge, emotion becomes stronger, and that will generate despair.
The coward fears not, for with the woes of knowledge itself, he does not weigh down.
The scholar carries responsibilities in his heart; he knows what calamities mean, and fear creeps into his being.
The man was terrified!
Tears flowed from his bloodied eyes, the flames scorched his body, and his ribs broke, yet he did not die.
He did not know how to move his arms at first; ignorance led to diminished fear; he did not understand how dire his situation was.
Thus he persevered, for he was ignorant; he was fearless of despair, but now after experiencing that feeling?
It is painful and filled with darkness.
Amidst that darkness, he did not give up; he persevered.
That is because...
"Never forget, no one can pull you from your ignorance but you, no matter how painful and harsh it may be, you must move forward!"
Though he faced failure, the voice of the lake guided him toward success.
He gritted his teeth and dug his nails into the hard ground with all his strength.
He was learning to move his arms; the nightmare beasts attacked his mind; he felt sorrow, pain, and despair, yet he advanced.
The number of beasts began to multiply over time; minutes, hours, and days passed.
But those beasts could do nothing to him.
He was becoming stronger with his progress, the upper half of his body which had been buried in the soil of the ignorant was now above.
The nightmare attacks no longer affected him as powerfully as before, and his crawling progress became faster.
This immense pain drove him further.
The lake was close, and when he was about to succeed, strange emotions struck him again.
But unlike the previous emotions, these were warm and comforting.
It took him, and his expression twisted into a smile.
"Oh no! Advance quickly! Do not rejoice at reaching success; deep joy is the greatest ally of the failure; when you rejoice before achieving your goal, you will become complacent and prideful of your accomplishments!"
With the ringing of the lake's voice in his head, he noticed his situation; without realizing it, his arms had stopped working.
A hollow feeling, a strange loss of drive, and satisfaction with the state no matter how miserable it was.
This is dangerous!
He was losing his passion; he was forgetting himself!
The old man closed the book, as he immersed himself in the meanings of the story, he recalled what had happened to him before.
A few days had passed since he had searched for the violet finned fish, and fortunately, he found some fish at the end of the day, during which he saved the young man.
With tears streaming down his face, he healed his granddaughter and sold the remaining fish to the village chief, which relieved him of financial worries for a while.
He had been caring for his granddaughter and the injured young man since then.
Though his granddaughter improved, he still had to take care of her, while the young man had yet to awaken.
"Mm~"
While he was thinking about the first explorer, his granddaughter woke up.
"... I'm hungry."
She clutched her belly and spoke out loud intentionally.
"Su Mi, come here, this old man will feed you until you're full!"
He lifted her while patting her head and headed toward the small dining table.
The name of this old man was Eugene Simon, and this little girl was Hua Su Mi.
Old man Eugene hailed from humble origins in Cairo; after working as a merchant for decades, he retired and lived in this village near the coast.
Whatever kind of life he had lived in the past, now he was just an old man raising his granddaughter and taking care of an injured man.
"Grandfather... why hasn't the uncle woken up yet?"
While Hua Su Mi ate, she asked with concern, staring at the sleeping man.
"Hohoho, don't worry, my little girl; he will wake up soon."
Old man Eugene placed food in his granddaughter's mouth while comforting her.
Clack.
At that moment, the bed creaked.
The man showed signs of awakening.
"Grandfather! The strange uncle is waking up!"
Hua Su Mi's eyes brightened, and after swallowing all her food, she ran toward the bed.
"Don't run inside the house; it will disturb him."
Despite his warnings, the old man chuckled a little; all the time since he fell unconscious until now, Hua Su Mi had put in a lot of effort in caring for him, changing the towels on his head, trying to change his wounds with her grandfather's help.
Sometimes she talked about herself, and sometimes she slept with her grandfather near the man, even telling him her fears about this unconscious man.
Now, the joy of her efforts was reflected in her expression.
"Uncle~ dinner is ready; wake up."
The little girl whispered to the young man quietly while watching him with curiosity.
There was no response.
Old man Eugene remained silent, still as a witness, with no intention of intervening.
"Uncle? Night has come; dinner is here; why don't you wake up?"
Gently, fearing for his injury, she shook him a little.
This time, his eyelids moved.
"... Um."
A sound of groaning came from his mouth.
"... He is waking up."
Hua Su Mi was excited, yet at the same time tense.
The man's mind was hazy; he did not know what was happening, but a painful light bothered his eyes.
He opened his eyes slightly and saw a little girl staring at him.
Her shape was blurry.
"... My daughter..."
A trembling voice emerged from his mouth, regretful, helpless, crying.
And without realizing when, he was crying.
"Strange uncle! Don't cry! Su Mi is here with you!"
The girl felt a strange sensation that this man should not be left alone, and so, she hugged him.
"My Little Girl, don't hold him too tightly; his wound will open."
Old man Eugene stepped closer, chuckling a little, but he watched the man carefully.
The man was confused; he did not know why he was crying, but the feeling of burning would not vanish.
Little by little, some vague images entered his mind.
A little girl and a woman, some other people too.
Those images were accompanied by a slight fire, as if a painting was burning inside an ancient palace.
"... Ah."
Sorrow turned into sobs.
"Ahh ... Aaoh … heek ..."
Thus, the little girl hugged him lightly, and his tears fell.
The girl Hua Su Mi was moved, and her body trembled a little, but she held back her tears with all her might.
This feeling was familiar.
Yes, it was when her grandfather was sad and cried; there was no one to comfort his sorrows, so she hugged him and cried with him.
It was the same situation.
And thus.
A light pat on the head.
Su Mi patted this man's head, and words of reassurance found their way easily.
"It's okay, everything is fine; uncle is strong, and I am here with you; Su Mi is strong too."
Old man Eugene never thought he would live long enough to witness this twice.
A grown man crying while a child comforts him.
It may seem humiliating, but in reality, crying is essential for the heart, and even the strongest people have their moments of weakness.
Not to mention anyone.
There is no worse feeling than losing loved ones.
Especially when those loved ones are children.
"... The food can wait a little while."
Now, let's fill this hollow heart, even just a little.
The old man went to the dining table while preparing the food.
In a village overlooked by the stars of the night sky, inside a simple cottage, a candle illuminated the dark night, casting its light on three people.
A silent old man preparing food for the other two behind him.
A little girl shedding a few tears yet smiling.
And finally.
A young man crying, with memories gnawing at his heart that he wanted to forget.