Before he departed, the aunt handed Sword of the Sky some clothes and a bag of money, saying,
"These clothes are for you, and this amount should suffice for a while. I'm sorry, but this is all I can help you with right now."
Sword of the Sky changed his clothes and said,
"You have helped me greatly, Auntie, thank you truly. I must go now; take care of yourselves."
His siblings, worried, asked,
"Will you come back again?"
Sword of the Sky smiled and said,
"I promise that I shall return. Just wait for me."
The aunt replied,
"Take care of yourself too; don't worry—they will be in safe hands."
After thanking his aunt for the final time, he closed the door and departed toward an unknown fate.
---
While Sword of the Sky contemplated what to do with the money he had left, he noticed the forces assaulting a nearby house. He hid behind a wall, clenching his teeth as his hand gripped his fingers until blood began to flow. He started running away from the scene, and as painful memories overwhelmed him, he collapsed among the people. An old man, panting, noticed him and asked,
"What's wrong, my son?"
Sword of the Sky answered,
"Nothing, Grandfather, I just felt pain in my leg."
The old man replied,
"Do not lie— you were trembling with fear. Are you a fugitive from the forces? It appears they are patrolling to recruit youth."
Sword of the Sky said,
"Would that were so, but they do worse; they kill anyone who resists without mercy."
The old man said,
"You must have much to say. Come to my home; you can spend the night with me."
At first, Sword of the Sky refused, but after some thought, he finally agreed to spend the night in the old man's home. The old man welcomed him with a smile, saying,
"Come in, my son, my home is your home."
Upon entering, Sword of the Sky noticed the place was cold and desolate, lacking any warmth—as if no family could live there. He shivered at the chill.
The old man said,
"Please, have a seat; I will prepare some food."
Sword of the Sky found two chairs and a small table, and he chose one of the chairs to sit on while waiting for the old man.
At that moment, the old man brought two cups of shorba and offered one to Sword of the Sky, then said,
"Come, let's begin the meal, my son."
Sword of the Sky took his wooden spoon and began to sip the shorba.
After the meal, the old man asked,
"Do you have anything to say, my son?"
Sword of the Sky, trying to place his trust in the lone old man, began to recount everything that had happened. Tears streamed from the old man's eyes continuously as he asked,
"Are you alright, Grandfather?"
The old man replied,
"I am fine, but it was a grim affair; a few days ago, the forces stormed my house, took my grandson, and killed my wife. I accepted it, but when you told me what happened to you, I thought my grandson had already died. It is painful—I wish I had died that day."
Sword of the Sky tried to console him, saying,
"Do not say that, Grandfather. Perhaps he is still alive or has escaped. Trust in your grandson."
The old man smiled sadly and said,
"Then, what will you do now, my son? Will you continue to flee from your fate?"
Sword of the Sky replied,
"I will remain on the run until I find the strength to take revenge on this corrupt world. Corruption has spread in all the major cities, and in the Seven Regions, where slavery has become the system; slaves are gathered, sold at meager prices, and people are sacrificed in foolish wars for the title of the strongest. Someone must cleanse this corrupt world, and I will be that person. And if I die, then everything I said was but fury—yet I shall not regret it, for I will do everything in my power to accomplish it."
The old man continued,
"I place all my hopes in you. You must purify this corrupt world."
The old man gazed at Sword of the Sky with his silver eyes filled with hope, and as they conversed and even shared a few laughs, the room was briefly filled with a transient warmth.
---
At that moment, Oran closed the book and said,
"I will continue it later; it's gotten late. We must sleep so we can set off again tomorrow."
Leon interjected,
"But isn't it strange? The catastrophe hasn't yet appeared; the entire book speaks only of Sword of the Sky's past."
Oran responded,
"I have read only two parts of the first chapter, and there are many more chapters yet to come."
Leon nodded in understanding, while sadness filled the eyes of Mona, Celine, and Lina. Celine remarked,
"It must have been truly harsh back then, Oran."
Oran replied,
"It is indeed harsh—those demonic times, when the world was corrupt with pointless disputes and wars that shed rivers of blood at the expense of the people; oh, if I were to speak, my words would not suffice to express the massacres that occurred. But anyway, let us sleep."
After that, Celine and Mona prepared the bedding for sleep, and everyone eventually lay down.
When Celine awoke, she looked around only to find that Ren was nowhere in sight. As she was about to look outside, she saw Leon lying on his bed, gazing at the cave's ceiling in contemplation, oblivious to her awakening. She looked at him with sorrow, thinking that it must have been terribly difficult for them.
---
She stepped out of the cave and saw Ren sitting on the green grass, his head tilted upward as he gazed at the crimson moon. Feeling her presence nearby, he asked,
"What are you doing? Won't you sleep?"
Celine replied,
"I couldn't sleep; and since I didn't find you asleep, worry seized me."
Celine sat close to him, then asked,
"What are you looking at?"
Ren answered,
"I'm simply admiring this crimson moon."
Celine inquired,
"Is there something special about it?"
Ren replied,
"Not at all."
Celine laughed softly and said,
"Do you know? I experienced the same thing with Oran. What makes this crimson moon so special?"
Ren answered her,
"Nothing at all. I'm merely admiring it—I can't sleep anymore."
Celine said,
"I have nothing else to do; anyway, I'll stay with you here. Let's admire it together."
Celine spent the entire night by Ren's side, though soon sleep overtook her.
---
At dawn, before the others awoke, Ren roused Celine. She opened her eyes, then leapt up, her face flushed with bashfulness. Ren noticed this, and a slight smile appeared on his face. Celine's embarrassment quickly faded; she smiled at him before going off to wake the othe
rs, so that none would suspect anything between them.
Celine thought to herself,
"I must support them with all I can."
Everyone awoke in a bright morning, ready to embark on their journey anew.
As they set out toward the western desert, they stopped to rest and have lunch among the thick trees and green grass. Oran and Theron went out hunting, while Rin and Leon remained behind to protect the girls. Leon lit a fire while waiting for Oran and Theron's return.
At that moment, the two hunters arrived, each carrying a rabbit—since the Green Plains region is famous for its abundance of rabbits. Celine and Mona stepped forward to cook the rabbits while the others sat and chatted.
"It seems that things are going smoothly; we haven't encountered any demonic beasts since the start of our journey, and that worries me," Rin expressed his concern.
Oran replied thoughtfully, "It is indeed strange—the portal opens every day at sunset, yet no demonic beasts come out of it. Could it be the calm before the storm?" Confusion was evident on his face.
Leon added firmly, "We need to be more cautious. There must be something waiting for us. We know nothing about this mysterious portal. Who knows? Perhaps there is an entire world inside it, filled with creatures far more powerful than these wolves."
Worry spread across everyone's faces, but it was soon forgotten as Mona and Celine finished preparing the food and Lina served the dishes. They all sat on benches made from dead tree trunks—with Celine sitting next to Rin, followed by Leon, then Theron. Mona was in the middle, with Oran and Lina on her sides. Everyone began eating.
After the meal, they lay on the ground to rest, gazing at the beautiful clear sky, which stirred memories of the past.
Yet only Rin and Leon had eyes devoid of life, staring blankly at the sky. Their battle against the Earth Calamity Wolf had taken a deep toll on them. Although their physical wounds had completely healed, the psychological scars still lingered. They had pushed beyond the limits of their human bodies, using every ounce of their mental strength until blood flowed from their seven orifices. They fought on pure instinct, like beasts, leaving their gazes devoid of any spark of life.
At that moment, the group packed their belongings and set off again toward their destination. They proceeded in three groups: Rin and Celine, Oran and Theron, and Leon with Mona and Lina. They traveled separately, and if they found a suitable place to camp, they would light a fire as a signal to the others.
As Rin and Celine walked side by side, Celine asked, "What do you plan to do in the future, Rin?"
He answered softly, "I will continue to kill these demonic beasts until they are completely eradicated… maybe then I'll be able to sleep. I no longer feel like myself; perhaps I'll find solace if these creatures vanish." Sorrow filled his face.
Celine looked at him resolutely. "I'll support you—I too want these creatures destroyed. They killed my mother and my siblings; now I have only my father left… We await our fate, be it death or survival."
Rin turned to her and said seriously, "I won't let you die; I'll protect you all. I won't allow another soul to perish. I will keep increasing my strength until no demonic creature can stand before me. Each of us has a destiny, but sometimes even fate can be changed. So, do not fear; we must not give in but fight until the end. So… smile."
Celine smiled gently. "I'm grateful to you, Rin, but you must shed that coldness on your face—you and Leon. I know you both have endured hardships, but you must continue to live and protect those you love. Can you promise me that you'll try to let go of that coldness?"
He looked at her and said, "I'll try."
She replied with a hint of frustration, "But that isn't a promise. Come on, let's make a pinky promise."
They each raised their little finger and made a pinky promise, then continued their search for a place to spend the night.
---
The sun set, painting the sky with its bloody hue, and the crimson moon appeared. Yet no signal came from the others.
At that moment, Celine spotted a cave and waved to Rin, who moved forward to take a look.
"What do you think? Isn't this a good place to spend the night?" Celine asked.
Rin replied, "It's good—and spacious too. It will accommodate our group. Let's send a signal to the others."
But before he could do so, Celine said with a smile, "Wait, Rin… before that, smile. We had such a pleasant time searching."
Rin looked at her, about to smile, when suddenly an arm shaped like a sword pierced Celine's chest, and blood gushed out like a fountain, splattering all over Rin's face.
His smile turned to shock, his eyes widening in disbelief, now stained with blood. He hadn't yet comprehended what had happened, for a group of the Silent Golden Sword Centipedes had surrounded both Celine and Rin without their noticing. This type of creature was slightly larger than a human, with a black back tinged with red and golden arms as sharp as blades, with crimson, saw-like teeth that evoked intense terror. They were known as the "Silent Golden Sword Centipedes," and Rin recognized them immediately, though he had not yet fully grasped the situation.
Celine collapsed onto his shoulder, her mind still unable to process the rapid events.
Rin caught her and whispered, "I fear I won't be able to keep my promise, Celine…"
He tore a piece of his clothing and tied it securely so he could carry her on his back. Then he drew his sword, raised his head toward the sky, his hair covering his eyes and his face still stained with blood. Before him, the horde of Silent Golden Sword Centipedes advanced relentlessly.
He charged directly at the Silent Golden Sword Centipede that had pierced Celine's chest, swinging his sword to slice it in half with one blow, as green blood spattered along his blade. The others gave him no time to catch his breath; wave after wave of the Silent Golden Sword Centipedes advanced, yet he struck them down mercilessly with successive blows, the green blood clinging to his sword as if a black void were absorbing it. It was utterly terrifying.
At that moment, Rin plunged his sword into the ground, and yellow lightning sparks began to flow from beneath his feet, as if rain were rising from the earth toward the sky. Every one of the Silent Golden Sword Centipedes within his attack range was torn to pieces, and green blood soaked the ground. Yet, despite this, the creatures seemed endless, their numbers continuing unabated.
An hour passed, and Rin was still fighting, swinging his sword without pause—each strike felling dozens. His combat efficiency had increased since his battle with the "Lightning Calamity Wolf," reaching 2000; but now, in this second calamity, it had exceeded 3500. With each blow, he absorbed the blood of the Silent Golden Sword Centipedes, which sharpened his blade and made the fighting smoother, as if he were slicing through butter.
But despite his growing strength, anxiety crept in. He had been carrying Celine the entire time, and her blood had soaked him completely. If this continued, she would die at any moment. Rin thought to himself, "I must get out of here quickly… but why do their numbers never decrease? I must act!"
He tried to recall what Oran had once told him:
"When you face an enemy, try to imagine using his style or energy against him."
But before he could think further, he felt a slight movement on his back. Celine opened her eyes with difficulty and, in a faint voice, said, "Leave me… I must be a burden to you. I'll die anyway—take care of the others instead…"
She couldn't finish her words, as she coughed up a mouthful of blood onto Rin's back.
Due to my work commitments, I don't publish chapters on Saturdays and Sundays, as I only have one day off. However, I still make sure to release 5 chapters a week—this week, I even published 7 chapters in just five days! Thank you for your support and understanding, and I hope you will continue to encourage me to complete this novel.