Chapter 4: Recruit and an Orphan
The sun beat down on Jefel's bare skin, sweat running in rivulets across his chest as he pushed through another set of exercises. The sound of fists striking stone echoed in the clearing. He had been at it since dawn, every punch fueled by the fragments of memories clawing at the edge of his mind.
Sixteen… he thought bitterly. I turned sixteen last week, and still no sign of this so-called orphan academy. Where the hell is it?
[Tink.]
[System]
—Daily Quests Completed:
• Hunting ✓
• Exercising ✓
Reward: +0.1% to all attributes and stats
He exhaled deeply, wiping his face. The notification vanished—but another appeared almost instantly.
[Tink.]
{Alert: Incoming intruders detected. Numbers: 2. Distance: ~2 meters.}
Jefel froze, his heightened senses sharpening.
And then he heard it.
Brudu du brudu—brudu du brudu!!!
Neheeheheee! Neheeheheee!
The ground quaked. Hooves thundered, rattling the earth beneath his feet. A pair of horses burst into view, pulling a dark carriage that screeched to a halt with a harsh streak of wheels.
Streeaakk!
Dust swirled.
The carriage door opened, and two figures stepped out—a man and a woman, dressed in matching uniforms. Their presence carried authority, but their eyes told different stories.
The woman's gaze lingered on Jefel, captivated by the primal, wild aura radiating from his sweat-soaked body.
[Tink.]
—Charm +1
Jefel blinked at the sudden notification. Charm? What the hell? He looked around, confused.
Meanwhile, the man beside her noticed her stare, his jaw tightening. A flicker of irritation crossed his face. Shameless, he thought coldly. For a proud White Tiger mutation like you to be swayed by a mere boy's body? How pathetic.
Clearing his throat sharply, he stepped forward, breaking the awkward silence.
"We're here for Jefel Fasael. Is he here?"
Jefel straightened, cautious but steady. "I'm the one, sir. It's been… a while since anyone used my full name."
"Good." The man's tone was clipped. "Then you know why we are here. Don't waste time—prepare yourself."
The woman, however, leaned forward eagerly. "You have thirty minutes. Make it quick, Jefel."
Without waiting, the man climbed into the carriage. The woman followed, though her eyes flicked one last time at the boy's frame before disappearing inside.
Jefel sighed, then turned back to his small home. He began to pack, retrieving every item from every corner, storing them away into his System Pocket. Even the useless things—trinkets, scraps—he refused to leave behind. They were pieces of his life, of the memories he carried.
They can't know I have the System, he thought, careful to grab a few mundane belongings as a cover. No one must know.
Outside, the carriage rocked gently as the horses stomped impatiently.
"Are you jealous?" the woman asked suddenly, a sly smile on her lips as she glanced at her companion.
"Hell no." The man scoffed. "Why would I be jealous of a boy's measly physique? Mine is better. And I'd bet the men you've been with were far more built than him."
"Oopss," she teased, eyes glinting. "You got me. But it isn't just his physique—it's his aura. Catchy, isn't it? And let's be honest—when you were his age, you weren't half as impressive."
The man's eye twitched at the jab. He opened his mouth, then shut it again, sighing heavily. "Tch. Fine. His aura is unusual. I thought he was just another Mutator… but no. Something else lingers in him. Something different."
Moments later, Jefel returned with his belongings strapped over his shoulder, his face calm and unreadable. He climbed into the carriage, settling in without a word.
The driver cracked the reins, and the horses began to trot. Slowly, steadily, the carriage drifted away from the village of Taboon. Its outline shrank, swallowed by the horizon.
On a porch nearby, an old woman stood with folded arms, her eyes misty as she watched the boy depart.
"He was a good child," she whispered to herself. "I think he'll be fine…"
The wind carried her words away, chasing the carriage as it vanished into the unknown.