The next morning, the sun had just risen when Arya glanced at his two companions.
“All packed? Let’s go,” he said.
“We’re ready!” Dina and Gamma replied in unison.
After a day’s journey, they decided to stop and rest. Arya raised his hand to signal a halt.
“Alright, let’s take a break. Let’s eat, and chat while doing so.”
Arya opened his magical pouch and laid out various weapons one by one on a cloth.
“Gamma, which weapon do you want to use? Here’s a small thin one-handed sword, a karambit, a pistol, and a spool of thread that can cut anything when infused with magic.”
Gamma looked at the weapons with curiosity.
“Hmm… not sure. Arya, any recommendation?”
Arya nodded. “Good. I recommend the thread.”
“Why the thread?”
“You can disappear, right? If you meet someone with the SEARCH skill, you can trick them with this thread. Set traps or block their path. The thread cannot be broken or melted. It’s made of mithril.”
“Mithril?! You mean that rare metal?! Where did you get it?”
Dina chimed in casually while chewing her food, “Don’t think about it. He’s abnormal. All those weapons—except the pistol—are made of mithril. Even my two daggers are mithril.”
“I got it from a mine,” Arya explained. “But locating it requires the SEARCH skill. Mining it is difficult, you must be careful or the mine collapses. Its refining is complicated. But the reason is clear: mithril easily conducts magic.”
“Amazing!” Gamma’s eyes sparkled. “Then I choose the thread.”
“Okay. Now feel the magic flow in your body.”
“But I don’t have magic. I can only use the vanish skill.”
“No, Gamma. Every living being has magic within them. But if not talented, the magic cannot be used. You are different—you are talented. You just need training. Here…” Arya placed his palm on Gamma’s hand, channeling magical energy.
“Feel what’s in your palm.”
“Hmm… warm… slightly cold, and comfortable?”
“Right. That’s magical energy. Now close your eyes, calm your mind, and find that energy within yourself.”
Gamma closed her eyes. “Hummmm… magical energy… magical energy…” She opened her eyes. “I can’t find it, Big Brother…”
“Haha, take it easy. Keep trying.”
Minutes passed until finally Gamma opened her eyes wide.
“Oh! Is this it?! It feels the same as earlier in my palm!”
“Great!” Arya smiled. “Now channel it into this thread. Imagine the thread as an extension of your hand.”
Gamma tried. Seconds later, the thread began to glow faintly.
“Wow! The thread is shimmering!”
“Amazing. You’re truly talented, even though you’re only nine. Just like both of us were when we first started training. Try cutting that tree over there with the thread.”
Settt!
The tree was cleanly severed.
“Wha?! How did it cut without any pressure?!”
“I adjusted the thread so it won’t harm its user or those nearby. Now just train your fingers and palm to pull and control it skillfully. Its maximum length is one kilometer.”
“Understood, Big Brother! I’ll train hard!”
“Good. Now, let’s continue eating.”
Dina was almost done eating. “Nom nom… hey, the food’s almost gone?”
Arya looked at his plate. “Eh, why is so little food left here?”
“You talked a lot, so I ate most of it,” said Dina casually.
“Dina! You’re so greedy! I’ve barely eaten at all!” Gamma complained.
“Hahaha, first come, first served!”
“Okay, okay,” Arya laughed. He opened his magical pouch again. “Here’s more.”
“Yaaay!” Gamma and Dina cheered together.
But Gamma immediately pointed at her sister. “But you’ve eaten a lot already. You can’t have more!”
“What?! Don’t be stingy, please!” Dina retorted.
Arya could only laugh watching them.
While chewing, Gamma said, “Big Brother, something’s missing about the weapon. Can the thread be formed into a ring and shrunk by space magic?”
“Oh? You want to use space magic to shrink it into rings? How about I make two rings? One for the right hand, one for the left.”
“Is that possible?!”
“Of course! Who do you think I am?” Arya laughed heartily. “Come on, hand the thread over.”
Gamma handed him the thread.
“Give me one hour,” Arya said. He began engraving spatial magic into the mithril thread.
Moments later, Arya presented the results. Two small silver-blue rings.
“There you go. Each ring can generate up to 500 meters of thread.”
“Wow! You’re amazing, Big Brother! Genius!”
“Wahahaha! Keep praising your brother, my beloved sister!”
“Tch. Crazy compliments,” muttered Dina.
Arya laughed louder. “Try them. Get used to using them.”
Gamma nodded. Three days passed, and she became increasingly skilled using her new weapon.
The journey continued toward the city of Eryua.
As evening turned into night and the western sky glowed red, Gamma glanced at Arya and Dina walking ahead.
“Hey, can I join the fight too?” she asked.
Arya responded briefly. “Not allowed. It’s too dangerous.”
“True,” Dina added quickly. “It's not time for you yet.”
But Arya paused and looked ahead thoughtfully. “Hmm… but perhaps real experience would be useful for her…”
Dina glared immediately. “You want to let a girl as beautiful as Gamma join the fight?!”
“No, not like that. But you yourself will be with her during the infiltration. If she gets real experience, she can learn to face real enemies.”
“That's true… but wouldn’t sparring with me be safer?”
“Safer? You? That battle fanatic?” Arya teased with a chuckle.
Dina lightly punched Arya’s arm. “Hey?! You mocking me?”
Gamma looked between them. “So… can I or not?”
Arya finally nodded. “Okay, but stay close to Dina, alright?”
“Yes, it’s dangerous otherwise,” Dina added gently.
“Thank you, Big Brother!”
That night, they arrived in Eryua territory. The city seemed quiet, but the aura of evil was strong in the air. Gamma, eager to help more, received a task from Arya.
“Gamma, I’d like you to gather intel for me, okay?”
“You can count on me,” she replied. She vanished immediately and swiftly moved toward the target mansion.
After infiltrating, Gamma realized something.
“Only fifteen guards?” she muttered to herself. “Not as many as in Tizar, but their aura… strong. Like veterans…”
A voice from inside the building caught her attention.
“Master, don’t wander too far! Exone might target this mansion, like elsewhere.”
“You dumb? Why should I be afraid?! I already hired A-ranked adventurers expelled from guilds—they’re ruthless. They can’t be defeated!”
Gamma clenched her fist. “A-rank? Dangerous. I must report… but first, check for hidden rooms…”
After finding none, Gamma returned.
“There are fifteen guards,” she reported to Arya. “They’re former A-rank expelled from guilds for brutality. I couldn’t find any secret rooms.”
Arya listened calmly. “A-rank, huh? But you said you wanted to fight. So, are you ready?”
“Of course! But if I struggle, can you help me?”
“Don’t worry,” said Dina. “Your sister and I will support from afar.”
“Yeah. Don’t worry,” added Arya.
“Alright!”
Arya gazed at the night sky. “We start at midnight. You two may explore for now.”
Midnight arrived.
“Okay,” Arya whispered. “Begin.”
Dina dashed forward first, silent like a shadow. Gamma vanished behind her. They approached the mansion with light, measured steps.
At the gate, two guards stood. In an instant Gamma wrapped one in her thread and quietly strangled him. Dina slashed the other’s throat.
Slice — the head fell, body dropped silently.
When they opened the main door, more guards met them.
“So you finally show yourself?”
“Kids?!”
Some recognized Gamma—perhaps due to SEARCH or aura sensitivity.
“You’re Exone?”
“Impossible, just kids?”
Dina and Gamma ignored them and attacked immediately.
Clang clang — Dina’s dagger clashed with the enemies’ blades. She stepped back then lunged, slicing off hands, legs, heads in quick succession.
Gamma moved through the unseen path. Her thread spread—three men cut down in an instant.
“Eh?! Why are there suddenly bodies?!”
“Watch out! Someone’s using vanish!”
“Aaargh—!” One parted midair.
Dina and Gamma continued until only one man remained. This one was different.
“Gamma, careful!” Dina yelled. “That one’s strong!”
“Okay, Sis!”
Dina attacked, but the man parried easily, though her dagger was mithril.
“Hoo, you’re strong too. Who’s your master?”
“Shut up!” Dina snarled and slashed again.
“Ah, don’t be so cold~”
Gamma attacked from behind with her thread, but the man evaded as if expecting it. Their strikes missed.
“Arya, this one is really strong!” Gamma called from afar.
“I understand…” Arya whispered.
Dina tried to strike vital points, but the man kept evading. Then—bang—a bullet from above pierced the man’s head. He collapsed, dead.
Arya lowered his sniper from the hilltop.
“Let’s find the ruler now,” said Dina.
“She’s on the fourth floor,” reported Gamma. “Who will take her down?”
“Arya. We’ll lure her out to your range. After that, hunt everyone connected to her.”
“Including her children?”
“If they’re grown and heartless, yes. But if they’re small, usually they’re spared.”
“Understood…”
Slice! The door was cut open.
“I- it’s you?! Where are your guards?!”
Dina sneered. “Good evening, filth. Want to run? We won’t stop you.”
“R-really?! You let me go?!”
“Go ahead.”
The man ran out of the mansion panting. But just after taking a step—bang—a bullet struck his head.
Dina watched his body coldly. “I said you may go. But I never said you’d be safe.”
Gamma was silent.
“How does it feel to kill for the first time, Gamma?” asked Dina softly.
Gamma looked at her hands. “On one hand… I’m glad people like them are dead. But on the other… it feels strange. I feel pity…”
Dina embraced her sister gently. “That feeling is normal. Sometimes, to punish those who've lost their humanity… we can no longer use humanity.”
Gamma nodded softly.
That night’s execution was another success. As usual… only the servants were spared.
After the ruler of Eryua was killed, the night grew calm again. In their resting spot, Gamma sat, staring at the campfire.
“What’s wrong, Gamma?” Arya asked, seeing her troubled expression.
“I’m okay… just not used to killing people.”
“That’s normal.” Arya nodded. “It doesn’t mean you must become accustomed to killing. But this is the path you chose. If it’s too heavy, how about you skip the next mission’s fighting part?”
“That’s true,” Dina added. “Let us handle the dirty work.”
“No!” Gamma replied quickly. “I want to fight! I won’t slow you down!”
Arya chuckled softly. “Haha, fine. If that’s your wish. By the way… I made ice cream this morning. Want some?”
“Definitely!” Dina and Gamma replied in unison.
Their next destination was Yuira city. It would take five days to get there.
But two days into the journey…
Tssshhh!
A fire attack shot from the forest and was halted by Arya’s magical shield.
“Oh, you can repel sudden attacks? Impressive,” a voice spoke from behind the bushes. “You are… Exone, right?”
Arya squinted. “Excuse me, who are you?”
A man in fiery red clothes emerged with an arrogant expression. “Oh, sorry. Greetings: I am Mars the Flame. From Seven Eclipse.”
“Seven Eclipse?” Arya and Dina exchanged glances. “What do you want with us?”
“Of course… to kill you,” Mars said calmly. “I’ve been tracking you for weeks, and finally found you. Hmmm, so you two really are children?”
“Maybe you have the wrong people,” Arya said flatly.
“Don’t talk nonsense. The magical residue left at previous execution sites matched yours. Did you leave it intentionally to lure me?”
“No.”
“In that case… die!”
Mars launched his attack. “Fire Storm!”
Arya immediately erected a barrier. “Barrier! Both of you step back! I’ll handle this.”
“Aren’t we allowed to fight too?” Dina asked.
“No,” Arya said. “I want to fight this one directly—for once.”
Mars sneered. “You underestimate me?”
“No. I never underestimate my opponents.”
Mars unleashed a wide-area fire magic explosion. Arya evaded using a short-range teleport and fired ice and wind magic bullets from his two pistols—though his shots were swallowed by flames.
Mars scoffed. “Is that all?!”
“Infernal Burst!” Flames surged from below, encasing Arya in fire.
“Swap!” Arya teleported away, firing two magic bullets—but again, they failed to penetrate the flames.
Arya regrouped, thinking quickly.
(His fighting style is brutal… But on too grand a scale. He can’t read swift attacks.)
He reloaded his pistols, then jumped, zigzagged among rocks, short teleports, and then…
“Frost Shard!”
A volley of ice bullets struck the ground, forming small walls that restricted Mars’s movement.
Mars responded with Flame Wave!—a sweeping fire wave forced Arya into the air.
From above, Arya aimed at Mars. “Snow Storm Cannon!”
A burst of ice magic struck Mars head-on. His flames dimmed, and his body began freezing.
“What is this?!” Mars roared. “You… monster!”
Arya approached swiftly, pistols trained on Mars’s head.
“You’re powerful. But too barbaric… and too monotonous.”
Bang!
A shot to Mars’s head ended him.
From behind, Dina watched in awe. “What kind of fighting style was that? Teleporting around while continuing to attack…”
“You’re amazing, Big Brother!” exclaimed Gamma.
“Wahahaha! Praise your brother, my sweetest sister!”
In a dark room…
“So Mars is dead?”
“Did I not predict it? He was nothing more than a barbarian. He had to die first.”
“Who’s next? Exone is truly a threat.”
“I am.”
“You sure?”
“…”
Meanwhile, on the journey…
“Big Brother, what is Seven Eclipse?” asked Gamma.
“We don’t know either. We grew up in that village and never heard the name along the way.”
“Right,” added Dina. “Magic users are rare, let alone organizations like that.”
“If so… may I find out more?”
“Find out how? Where? Don’t tell me you want to go to the kingdom’s capital?” Arya narrowed his eyes.
“Yes. Most likely, they originated from there.”
“But that’s dangerous.”
“But I’m part of intel, right? Isn’t now the right time to show my ability?”
“We can go together.”
“No!” Dina said firmly.
“But I’m already strong…” Gamma pleaded, eyes shining.
“Uuuhhh… don’t give me that look…” Arya touched his face.
“Please… I can infiltrate underground organizations and gather useful information. Besides, I have a long-distance communication device.”
Arya sighed. “Fine, fine. But if it's dangerous, run away immediately and don't push yourself. Here, take this too.”
“What is it?”
“A teleportation bracelet. It lets you teleport to places you've been before. But I only made two. One for Dina. Because making this device is really difficult.”
“So the bracelet Dina is wearing… is a teleportation device?”
“Yes. But I haven’t used it yet,” replied Dina. “I prefer relying on my own legs.”
Dina looked at Arya seriously. “You really allow Gamma to go alone?”
(Whisper) “We must trust our little sister’s capabilities,” Arya answered softly.
(Whisper) “But it’s incredibly dangerous!” Dina replied.
(Whisper) “It’s okay. The ring she’s wearing is configured. If the wearer is in danger, it will send me an alert. I can teleport there immediately.”
“…Alright then. In that case, I also allow you, Gamma. But remember! Don’t force yourself!”
“Thank you, Brother!”
Gamma parted from Arya and Dina. She embarked alone toward the kingdom’s capital.
On the journey…
“Hmmm… how do I search for information? Does Seven Eclipse have ties to underground organizations? Well, later. Focus on reaching the capital first.”
Upon arriving at the capital, Gamma was astonished.
“The capital is vast… But only the palace and rulers’ mansions are grand. The inequality is striking…”
She entered a small bar.
Kerchakkk.
Everyone stared as she entered.
“Excuse me. I’d like to order milk, one, please.”
The bartender paused, then nodded. “Certainly. Here.”
“Sir, do you know about Seven Eclipse?” Gamma displayed a pouch of coins.
All eyes turned back to her.
“Seven Eclipse?” the bartender repeated, returning her money. “Why would a little girl ask about that?”
“I’m just curious.”
“Hey, kid! Do you know what you’re saying? Seven Eclipse?! Are you sane?!”
“Quiet!” the bartender snapped. He looked at Gamma seriously. “Seven Eclipse is an organization under the command of the king’s adjutant. That’s all we know. If you really want to know, go to the underground networks. There’s a lot of secret information down there.”
“I see… Thank you very much, Sir.” Gamma slipped the coin and a tip.
The bartender handed her an address. “Glad to help.”
Kerchakkk. Gamma left and murmured,
“So Seven Eclipse is under the king’s adjutant… General knowledge, huh? In that case… it’s time to infiltrate.”
She headed toward the underground organization.
“HELLO HELLO! SLAVE AUCTION STARTING SOON! COME CLOSE!”
Gamma bowed her head, eyes somber.
“Slaves… huh…” she whispered. “I want to save you… But this is for the mission. Forgive me…”
She saw an announcement board, then stopped at a poster.
“What…? An arena match to fill the vacant Seven Eclipse seat?!”
Gamma asked a nearby man. “Sir, what does this mean?”
“What? A kid?! Oh… it’s a one-on-one arena fight. Hosted by the king’s adjutant. The Flame Mars seat is empty.”
(Mars the Flame?!) Gamma was stunned.
“Where do I register?”
“You want to register? Don’t waste your life! Many veteran adventurers are participating. And that fight… continues until someone dies.”
“I have a purpose. And I’m strong.”
“Hmph… If you die, I’m not taking responsibility. Over there.”
“Thanks so much, Sir!”
Gamma walked toward the registration desk with determined steps. She enrolled…
But what will happen next?