I skipped through the battlefield, grinning. Bodies littered the ground like broken dolls. Revenge burned sweet in my chest—my family could finally rest.
But Ares still lived.
He could hit another town. Spread more chaos. Gain more fame.
That thought alone soured everything.
Rage surged. The joy snapped away like a broken thread. I raised my hand. Smoke swirled as I pulled the souls from every dead bandit around me. When the haze cleared, two pendants lay on the dirt—one complete, the other cracked and half-formed.
I pocketed the unfinished one and studied the full pendant.
"Looks like a disfigured face…" I muttered.
I crushed it.
The creature erupted into existence, twisted and terrifying. Its face warped, its body incomplete, holding a jagged weapon and a heavy hammer.
"What's your power?" I asked, almost breathless with curiosity.
It didn't speak. Just nodded.
With both hands, it yanked something on its weapon—whirrrr.
The blade spun, and the creature shot forward. In a blink, it tore through trees, walls, even steel. Nothing stood in its path.
"Whoa!" I shouted, heart pounding.
I whistled. Wraith and Trapper materialized beside me, silent and ready.
"Collect the valis," I ordered.
They vanished among the corpses. I turned back to my new companion, smirking.
"I'll call you… Hillbilly."
He tilted his head like he didn't care.
Where did that name even come from? I shook it off.
Wraith and Trapper returned, hands overflowing with valis. I dumped them into my bag and did a quick count.
Fifty thousand. Not bad.
The sky was dark now.
"Let's just camp here tonight," I said. They stared at me, expressionless.
I ducked into an abandoned tent and sighed. "Back to pendants."
They dissolved into wisps and slipped into their charms. I stored them in my bag and lay down, unbothered by the corpses outside.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Morning came. Time to move.
I unrolled a scroll and scanned the map. "Closest village…"
"Daemarrel," I muttered. "Dad's been there before. Small place. Friendly people. Average shops."
Perfect.
I left the bandit camp, grabbed some fruit on the way out, and walked for hours until the town came into view.
Then I stopped cold.
"What the hell…?"
Tall stone walls were under construction. Civilians were locked in cages—men and women separated. Knights roamed everywhere. It looked more like a war zone than a village.
I moved forward.
"Halt!" a guard barked, raising his hand.
My fingers wrapped around Trapper's pendant, ready.
Another guard lunged, sword flashing. Reflex kicked in—I raised my hands.
SNAP!
Bear traps snapped open. Poison hissed.
I opened my eyes. Both guards were down.
"Well," I said with a grin, "that made things easier."
More guards panicked. The gates slammed shut. Smiles flickered across their faces—forced and foolish.
"You just gave me a reason," I muttered, and crushed Hillbilly's pendant.
The smile disappeared.
Hillbilly ripped through the wall like paper. Screams erupted. Knights scrambled, chaos spilling everywhere.
"Call General Borin!" one of them shouted.
They tried to form a line, shields raised. But their legs shook. They were scared.
Good.
I summoned Trapper. The air turned cold.
"You know what to do," I said.
Trapper raised his hands. One by one, the knights dropped—silent, swift, systematic.
Then he arrived.
Golden armor. Massive sword. Radiating arrogance.
"You'll pay for this, child!" he roared.
"Then come collect," I snapped.
"Such insolence! What threat are you to a Level 3 Knight?"
"That's what the last guy said."
"Who? Althatos? Ha! Weakling. I'll end you and be—"
SHING!
His body fell in two clean pieces.
Wraith shimmered behind him.
I stepped over the corpse and grabbed the keys from his belt.
"Nice work, Wraith. Let's free the townsfolk. But first…"
I absorbed the fallen knights' souls. The new pendant glowed brilliantly—fully formed, thanks to the Level 3's soul. I stashed it, recalled the others, and made for the cells.
Locks clicked open. Doors creaked. Families ran to each other, crying and hugging. I smiled… a distant ache stirring.
No one ever saved my village.
My thoughts broke as the town chief stepped forward.
"Thank you, kind adventurer! We've been imprisoned for months. Which Familia do you belong to?"
"Oh, I'm not in one. Just a traveler," I replied.
He stared. Confused. How could someone wield magic without a god's blessing?
Then he smiled again.
"Then tell us—how can we ever repay you?"
"Where did the general live?"
"I'll show you."
He led me to the center of town. The chief's house—taken over by the enemy. Inside, I found it.
A room full of scrolls. Detailed logs. Maps. Lists of Ares' generals and their locations.
I grinned, eyes wide.
"Jackpot."
Into the bag they went.