A split second after the first bolt hissed past his cheek, more followed—whistling through the air in rapid bursts.
Luck dropped low, crouching into the swirling black haze as another shot sliced overhead.
’Motherfuckers..’ He clicked his tongue in annoyance, but deep down, he knew that he was also at fault for being too complacent.
’I should have known that these dwarves can use tricky items like in those RPG’s. I’m a disappointnt to the whole gaming community.’
Teeth gritted, Luck ran , using the confusion as cover.
As he burst from the border of the smoke, the dwarves already fanned out, crossbows raised in a dark parody of a firing squad.
"SHOOT HIM!"
They let it fly.
He twisted to one side, blade up.
clang!
clang!
Two bolts smacked the tempered alloy of his sword and shattered.
Third one stung as it sliced across his shoulder. He ignored the pain, running straight for Black, whose mouth hung open in a perfect O of surprise.
The dwarf hastily raised his crossbow to block, but it was a feeble defense.
crack!
Luck’s sword cleaved through wood , shearing the weapon in half and continuing its brutal path into the forehead. The blade drove deep until the hilt kissed bone.
thud!
The body crumpled like a sack of at. He extracted the sword quickly and turned toward Brown, only to be greeted by the eruption of another smoke bomb.
Having learned his lesson, he propelled the bomb with a forceful kick, sending it out to the forest.
Brown’s eyes widened. The smoke failed—so did his courage.
"Ti to et your maker!" Luck declared, executing a formidable vertical arc , cleaving the cranium and skull.
Brown convulsed, his eyes retreating into his skull, before a trail of brain matter oozed from the split of his skull.
"You’re next,"
Yellow barely had ti to shriek before Luck set on him with a horizontal slash, catching him at the weak spot where his breastplate t his belly.
"No!" Yellow howled. but it was already too late.
The montum of the strike sundered both mail and flesh; the upper torso detached and descended with a crash, internal organs cascading out in a steaming array.
Worse, the poor dwarf didn’t die instantly. He lay there, choking on blood, eyes locked on his murderer.
Luck knelt beside the upper half. "This is what you get for ssing with ."
Yellow could do nothing but clench his teeth until his final breath.
"It’s finally over," Luck wiped his sword on the nearest patch of moss, the sticky residue painting the grass crimson.
He paused, focusing on his breathing. The adrenaline faded, leaving him clear-headed.
’I can’t let her see all this bloodshed.’
He made quick work. The dwarves ca loaded—pouches of coins, a stash of smoke bombs, and collections of absurdly intricate folding crossbow.
Luck gathered everything of value and sold it all in one go—except the smoke bombs. Those might still co in handy.
[Dwarven God Blessing: 18%]
The passive effect wasn’t strong enough to reinforce his skin completely, but the bleeding in his shoulder slowed noticeably.
Sitting on the deck, Luck took a mont to relax while he checked his spoils of war—they increased significantly.
But this wealth didn’t lift his mood. There were still no sign of the evil stepmother.
If she never showed, this world would beco just another Chapter he would be forced to close without Neve.
She had already grown on him, and the thought of her being left defenseless gnawed at him.
It made him question the system’s logic. Why give soone like him a main mission that demanded more heart than strength?
"Hey, is there really no way to get her other than Affection Points?"
[Owner, nothing in the universe cos for free. This first mission was designed to train you—so either learn to let go, or beco strong enough to take everything you desire.]
The system’s logic was cruel, but honest.
"Which path did my grandfather choose?"
[The path of the strongest.]
"Of course he did," he said with a dry chuckle. "So tell ...why is he dead then?"
[To walk the path of the strongest is to walk alone. At the summit, you’re not admired—you’re targeted.]
He laughed softly, a glimr of comprehension lighting up his eyes.
A gradual smile appeared on his face. "So what if I take that road—with others?"
[The path you walk depends entirely on your choices. The system exists only to assist and train]
He said nothing, just stared up at the blue sky. Everything felt like a dream.
One mont he was dodging death, the next he was getting lectured by an interdinsional guidance counselor.
click!
The wooden door to Neve’s room groaned on its hinges as it swung open slowly.
She slipped out, her footsteps light and careful, her eyes darting around the hallway, searching for any signs of movent or noise, trying to determine if the coast was clear.
Earlier, she tucked herself away in the bedroom—not because she was afraid, but because she did not want to be a liability.
She spotted Luck sitting on the step, shoulders hunched, back slicked with a streak of blood.
"You’re bleeding," she blurted, louder than intended.
"It’s nothing. Wounds like this heal fast."
She knelt beside him anyway, ignoring his waving hand and rummaging through her pockets for sothing—anything—that could pass for a bandage.
Neve found a handkerchief: lavender-embroidered, far too elegant for its imminent fate.
With a shaky exhale, she tore it down the middle, wrapped the larger piece around his shoulder, and tied it tight.
Luck chuckled as she cinched the knot. "I’ll get you a nicer one."
She focused on the blood, stubbornly refusing to et his eyes. "You should be more careful."
He started to retort, but caught the way her hands trembled. "I’m sorry I made you worry."
A faint, watery trail streaked down her cheek, and she brushed it away with the heel of her hand, frustrated by her own weakness.
"I’m sorry, ever since I entered your life, you’ve constantly had to risk your own."
He pressed his lips gently to her forehead.
"Let’s just call it even," he murmured.
In the forest, a bird chirped. At first, it didn’t seem like anything important. But then the chirping grew louder and quicker.
The leaves rustled, and suddenly, a whole flock burst from the trees, flying overhead like they were running away from sothing.
Luck felt uneasy. "Neve, return to your room and, no matter what happened, stay there."
She balled her hands into fists, protesting silently as she stared at him
"Listen to ," he added, more urgently this ti. "You’ll only make it more difficult for if you stay."
"O... Okay," she whispered, her voice trembling. "But promise you’ll be careful."
"I will," he kissed her forehead and watched as she walked back to her room.
With ti to spare, he bought five more bullets. His guts told him that whatever was coming next was on a whole different level.
Click!
He loaded the magazine and tucked the gun into the back of his waistband.
Next, he placed the smoke bombs just behind the doorway for easy access, keeping his eyes on the trees for any sign of a trespasser.
’Why do I feel so afraid?’ he looked at his hand. It wouldn’t stop trembling.
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