Igaris shared a superhero story from his past life, and Isadora seemed to be taking a liking to it very much.
"Big brother, this hammer man's story is really different from the stories you have told me. In the past, you have always spoken of the Legendary Summoners from ancient times. Is this hammer man also some kind of Summoner? And where is this place called 'Earth'?" she asked naively.
Igaris paused... Then answered, "Yes. You could say so. He was also a Summoner in a way. He was contracted with a hammer for eternity. Do you understand what I mean?"
Isadora blinked, looking at his face in the dim light of the fire lamp by the side.
"Big brother, when will you become a Summoner?"
"Why do you ask? What would happen if I become a Summoner, Dora?" Igaris asked curiously.
Isadora turned away and said quietly, "If you become strong, I wouldn't have to live in this bad place anymore. I want to go back to our home on the other side of the ocean. I want to see Daddy again.."
"Home? Dad?"
Igaris was at a loss. Did that mean Igor's family did not originate from the Forsaken Land? Had they been abandoned here for some reason?
So that's why Roxanne had such excellent beauty compared to other women of Forsaken Land
There was even a noble domineer about her, despite it being hidden by the shabby clothes she wore.
Looks like losing all those memories had been a great loss.
He turned to Isadora's back and said, "Don't be so disheartened, Dora. I swear ome day your brother will be the strongest Summoner in the world. Then I'll get you two out of this place alive."
Isadora turned back after hearing this.
"Really? Are you saying the truth, big brother? You promise?" she asked to confirm, her small hand touching his as if sealing the vow.
Igaris paused, feeling the small, callused fingers on his wrist.
He hesitated... Because, he didn't want make empty promises which he couldn't fulfil.
But looking at those innocent expectant eyes, his resolve faltered.
"Yes... I promise. Now go back to sleep," he said, somehow making his tone gentle for her sake.
In his childhood days, it was always his big brother who had shown him love, and now, finding a younger sister was a new completely experience for him.
He didn't know if it was love, pity, or simply the burden of responsibility that made him say those words.
But one thing he was sure of: he had to become stronger.
Beside him, Isadora's breathing gradually slowed down.
Her tiny chest rose and fell in a peaceful rhythm as her eyes fluttered shut, lost to sleep.
The faint flicker of the oil lamp danced across her innocent face, casting long shadows across the cramped, straw-lined walls.
At last, silence settled over the little hut.
Igaris's own eyes began to grow heavy, the fatigue of the day creeping in.
But just as he began to drift off, a soft, broken sound pierced the quiet night.
Someone's sobbing.
It was barely audible, but unmistakably coming from the other side of the thin, makeshift wall.
Roxanne was crying.
It appears she had waited for them to fall asleep before letting her emotions spill out.
Alone in the dark, she must have been reliving memories that only deepened the ache in her chest. Those memories were of better days, of a distant home, of a husband and a life lost to time and exile.
Igaris lay still, his eyes open in the dark.
A strange chill crept over him, not from the cold night air, but from something deeper. A hollowness in his chest that even he couldn't explain.
Without a word, he pulled the thin, patched blanket up over his ears, curling in on himself beneath the faded fabric.
Sleep. He needed sleep.
Tomorrow would be another day. Another step forward. Another piece of himself he'd need to shape into something unbreakable.
Into someone new.
---
The night passed peacefully.
But early in the morning, Igaris and his family were woken by the sound of chaos in the distance.
Igaris stretched and yawned, then stepped out of the hut alongside Roxanne, feeling curious about the chaos.
"What's all this noise about?" he asked, squinting toward the growing commotion.
A crowd had gathered not too far from their home.
Loud shouts echoed across the settlement. Some rowdy men were arguing, even fighting, and by their side stood a large, snarling hound sniffing the ground with unknown purpose.
Roxanne stood beside him, equally puzzled, worry tightening her brows.
Then Igaris remembered.
"Hm… They must be here because of the Ranger's death. But how did they get here so fast?"
His heart skipped a beat.
The chaos in the distance could only mean one thing: news of the slaughter from last night had already spread, and it had reached the wrong ears.
Someone had sent men to investigate.
He turned sharply and rushed back into his room.
He had to hide the blade and the maps. If those people found them, there would be no escape.
Roxanne remained outside, still trying to make sense of the commotion.
Inside, Igaris quickly retrieved the weapon and the maps from under his pillow.
His hands trembled slightly as he looked around, searching for a hiding place.
But where should he hide them?
His eyes narrowed as he recalled the large hound outside. It had been sniffing the ground, possibly tracking scents. That wasn't just any ordinary animal. It could likely detect the residual essence left by the Ranger's blade.
This wasn't a simple odour that could be wiped away easily. It was something more, like an illusory imprint left behind by the weapon's long-term user.
A kind of invisible aura.
Burying the blade would be useless. They would still find it.
And he had no way of masking the scent from beasts with such sharp instincts.
"What do I do? What do I do?" Igaris muttered internally, panicking slightly.
His mind raced, desperately searching for a solution.
Then, almost unconsciously, his thoughts drifted toward something he'd never dared test fully.
Something impossible, something heaven-defying.
His Innate Ability: Infinite Acquisition.
A strange, instinctive feeling stirred in his gut.
It told him that this ability was the only thing that could save him now.
But that should be impossible!
Or was it not?
To be continued....