The Ashen Dominion Chapter 28 - Getting Ready [1]

"Evil doesn't stop when you tell them to. They stop when you make them."

I said firmly. And hearing my words—

"..."

Brock, Khan, and Jin went silent.

"Whoa..."

Brock mumbled.

"That's so good words you got there."

He said, the corner of his lips rising into a grin. And after him—

"Yeah, that's sothing."

"Haha, I like you even more now, kid."

Khan and Jin chid in one after another.

"..."

Fwip—

I just shrugged my shoulders at them.

"My bad, kid. You're absolutely right about that one."

Brock said, patting on the back with a big smile on his face.

"We'll be cheering you on again during your next fight."

He added with a confident nod.

"Yeah."

"Mhm."

Khan and Jin nodded along.

"Thanks."

I simply replied, smiling a little bit. I'm glad that these guys are friendly to .

"Co to us whenever you got sothing you want to ask. We'll help you, kid."

Brock proudly declared.

"Sure, I'll do that."

And I responded with a smirk on my face.

*****

After that small talk with Brock and the others, the guards arrived with so servants and distributed our lunch.

I ate with Brock, Khan, and Jin. They kept giving tips and complinting about my first fight.

"You were sloppy and clearly unskilled. But you won because you took advantage of the fact that your opponent was underestimating you. Then once you got him, you didn't stop until you finished him. That was a good decision."

Khan said to as we were eating. His insight was great, and he seed really wise, so I listened closely to his words.

Though—

"How do you feel about your first kill?"

Jin suddenly went and asked that just as I was about to take another bite on my food.

"..."

I stopped eating for a second and just stared at him, not answering.

I was kind of surprised that he asked this. But after a while—

"I don't really know, to be honest... It feels all fuzzy to ."

I responded to him.

It's not like I didn't feel anything after killing soone. I was disgusted when I stabbed Umar in the neck—the blood gushing on my hand and the feeling of my blade going deeper into his throat.

But maybe because of the adrenaline, I didn't feel bad. Also, adding the fact that I thought of Umar as soone who deserved to die.

I did pass out too not long after that, so it didn't really sink into until now.

"..."

I went silent, thinking about my first kill. My brows furrowed, confused.

But then—

"h, who cares. As long as you're alive and you're not hating yourself for killing soone, then you'll do fine in this place."

Brock went and declared that while eating casually.

And at his words...

"..."

I actually agree a little.

I an, sooner or later I would have to get used to killing soone. Because if I didn't... I would die instead.

'Well, not that it's a big deal if I die.'

I thought, still indifferent about the idea.

But for now, I just decided to go with the flow.

...

...

...

After eating lunch with Brock and the others, I went in to my room and rested.

I took a nap there.

And just about an hour later—

Bam! Bam! Bam!

"Kid, they're here."

Khan knocked on my door and told that the servants were there.

"Thanks, I'll get out in a second."

I replied to him, stretching my body real good.

And after waking myself up—

"Ugh..."

Tap—

I stepped out of my room.

...

Outside my room, I saw Brock, Khan, and Jin talking to each other again.

I just waved at them as a greeting. Then after that—

Fwish—

I turned my attention to the servants outside this copper place.

And there—

"..."

I saw Rai. He was already looking at and smiling.

'Good to see him here.'

I thought as I smiled back at him slightly. Then without further ado—

Tap- tap- tap—

I approached him.

"Hello!"

"Hello."

We simply greeted each other when I got to him.

And before I could even say another word after that—

"Here!"

Fwish—

Rai suddenly handed sothing with a wide grin.

"...?"

I stared at him, confused.

I had no idea what he was handing .

And after seeing my expression—

"Haha..."

Rai let out a light laugh.

"It's the clothes you asked for before the fight."

He said, smiling brightly.

"Ah..."

My mory was jogged after hearing that.

'Right... I did ask for so better clothes.'

I nodded to myself as I took the package he was handing . It was wrapped neatly in packaging paper.

And as I was taking it—

"Congrats on your first fight! I saw the whole thing. You were so cool!"

Rai went and said that with a huge grin on his face.

"...?"

I blinked a few tis, surprised by the sudden complint.

Looks like almost everyone I know saw my fight.

Anyway, recomposing myself—

"Thanks."

I simply responded to Rai.

Then after that—

"Well, actually..."

I told him what happened earlier, like how I got into a fight and how I'm already scheduled for another match next week.

...

And upon hearing the news—

"WHAT?!"

Rai's eyes widened and his voice rose in shock.

He's really loud, that's for sure.

"But you just woke up from being unconscious for four days!"

He exclaid, looking at worried.

"This thing usually only happens when the fight was so one-sided and the winner sustained low to zero damage..."

He mumbled to himself, frowning.

"But you..."

Then he looked at properly.

"..."

I remained silent, just looking at him and not saying anything.

Rai saw my fight, he knows damn well that I got beaten up pretty bad.

Even now I'm still all bandaged up.

And because of that—

"This is not good..."

His expression quickly turned into full-blown worry.

And seeing that face of his—

"Haha..."

I just let out a short laugh. It made kind of happy that he's really concerned about .

"...?"

Rai tilted his head in confusion after hearing my laugh. And before he could even say anything else about my incoming match—

"Don't worry."

I muttered that.

"I'll recover in ti."

I added.

And with a smug smirk on my face—

"All you have to do is help get what I need for my next match."

I flatly declared that.

"..."

Rai went silent after hearing .

He opened his mouth a few tis, like he wanted to argue.

But after looking at him straight in the eyes with a confident look on my face—

"Got it..."

Rai finally responded, a small smile creeping onto his face.

"That's good."

I said, nodding.

And without beating around the bush—

"Then let's start... Get cooked chicken breast every day until my fight, starting today."

I instructed him without hesitation.

It was ti to start preparing.

I only have a week before my next fight.