Three months quickly passed by.

The change in seasons had become apparent after a short period of transition. The warmth of summer receded, along with the orange foliage falling to the ground. This period did not linger for very long, however, as the winds that were blowing through all the pipes and crevices began to become colder and colder each day, biting the skin.

Shortly afterward, the snow had blanketed the plains and the drab grey sky, leaving the green and orange areas completely covered in white.

The days had become shorter as the darkness of the night dwelled more. The people of this continent had switched from wearing brightly colorful clothing to more somber, heavy garments. They use a variety of coverings and fabrics to keep themselves warm as there is never enough clothing to completely insulate them from the cold.

Even the most resilient individuals could not endure the cold, even if they were graced with divine favor. As a result, very few people were outside in the snow. In fact, hardly one wanted to be outside at all during winter. Even though the residents have acclimated to the climate, it is still easy to get sick under such circumstances

And nobody wants to become ill under such conditions.

Medicine is very expensive and very difficult to acquire in this world that even poor people would rather spend their money to buy jackets just to avoid getting sick. Fevers and such are already considered fatal that often led to death due to not having enough care and medication.

There are only available herbal remedies that only alleviate symptoms rather than cure the sickness. 

Winter is a season where the depths of coldness can kill the people.

However, despite the clamoring of the winter gods, the two small bodies of boys in the dirty and stinky alleyway are engrossed in a fervent fight. They appear to be unconcerned by the terrible weather, looking solely at each other. They are dressed nothing except for mussed and tattered garments established a world on their own.

A torrent of punches flew towards Jin Wei as he found himself on the defensive, his assailant relentlessly pressed closer. The punches sliced through the air with a whistling sound, each laden with concentrated force that could break teeth and bones. Jin Wei stood in his ground firmly, his arm deftly intercepting the blows.

However, despite Jin Wei's valiant efforts to defend himself, the next series of punches found their target, striking him with a resounding blow. He grimaced in pain as he staggered backwards, jumping twice frantically to regain his feet. Jin Wei appeared unmoved on the outside, his face set in austere indifference. But inside, his mind seethed with anger as he struggled to stay composed.

That one hurts!

It didn’t touch a vital part but that still definitely enough to make someone faint!

As Jin Wei plotted his next move, his young opponent proved to be one step ahead. With lightning-fast reflexes, Laurem launched himself into the air, his left arm stretched back, ready to unleash another crushing blow. The speed of his movement left behind a trail of smoke, amplifying the sense of peril. Before Jin Wei could even regain his footing, the young man was already closing in for the next strike.

The two figures descended upon the corner with a thunderous crash, sending crates flying and frightening the nearby rats and cats. Although the blow missed its intended target, the wall wasn't so lucky. A deep dent appeared, surrounded by spidery cracks, as if a giant hand had struck it with immense force. Jin Wei had narrowly escaped disaster, his head coming within just a few inches of the impact.

Most people in Jin Wei's situation would have been overwhelmed by fear or staggered from the close encounter, but Jin Wei was not like most people. He remained unperturbed and even managed to sneer at his opponent. This unexpected display of confidence took Laurem aback, and he hesitated for a moment. The grin on Jin Wei's face caught Laurem off guard, making him pause in his attack momentarily.

Seizing the opportunity presented by Laurem's momentary distraction, Jin Wei struck with a lightning-fast chop aimed at his opponent's waist. Using a clever feint, he drew Laurem's focus to his other hand, only to switch his attack at the last moment.

However, Laurem was no fool, and his keen senses picked up on the change in Jin Wei's movements. He blocked the attack with quick reflexes, his arms coming up to deflect the strike.

Jin Wei raced into action once more, unfazed by the foiled attack. This time, he purposefully kicked Laurem in the left thigh with his agile left leg. But the young man was ready, as he quickly grabbed hold of the kicked limb and held it there.

Despite the drawback, Jin Wei stayed cool and collected. He quickly rotated his body, taking advantage of the moment of immobility to deliver a powerful roundhouse kick. But Laurem was in charge of the play. He released his hold on Jin Wei's trapped leg and scurried to duck down, deftly avoiding the approaching blow.

Laurem moved swiftly to act immediately before Jin Wei could execute another crafty strike. He seized Jin Wei's waist with his small but strong hands and pulled him into a close embrace. Then, quickly, Laurem rushed forward, barring Jin Wei from regaining stability. Jin Wei had to take a step back to regain his footing after this sudden action pushed him off-balance.

Laurem's intentions were clear as he slyly snaked his hands around Jin Wei's back and down to his waist, seeking to steal some tofu. Jin Wei, however, was caught off guard and believed that Laurem was simply being mischievous, trying to tickle him. With a simple strike, Jin Wei aimed at Laurem’s neck that immediately knocked the kid unconscious.

The protagonist fell to his chest limply. Jin Wei, not wanting to leave the child to fall unceremoniously, gently caught and cradled him. He then carefully placed Laurem against the wall in the corner, propping him up.

Jin Wei hunches over to look at the child's face. He checked the wounds and scratches of the kid. They are not severe and can be healed easily after a few days. He took medicine from his space then fed it to Laurem. However, the protagonist's lips are closed.

Jin Wei sighed. The sigh is so deep enough that his sorrows did not have any chance to appear and got drowned by it. As he tended to the unconscious child, he couldn't help but reflect on their recent battles.

"Lately, I've been feeling like this kid is getting stronger each fight. He jabbed my hip earlier, it is very painful. It feels like I’m about to vomit blood. I thought I was going to die for real.”

System 777: "..."

“The place that he kicked a few days ago is still sore. I feel like I’m slowly developing trauma every time I see him. What is this kind of love-hate game is this?”

System 777: “…”

“I am lucky that he is still a child. It’s good that you suggested on finishing the task now that he is not mature yet. Fighting with him when he’s already adults will surely cause our instant annihilation.”

System 777 could only remain silent.

The system watches its host prying Laurem's lips apart gently while pushing the pill inside. The system seems to see the protagonist deliberately sneaking a taste on its host's tofu while Jin Wei is pretty much dense to understand the situation.

It suddenly wanted to light some candles for Laurem for its host's slow comprehension.

"Well, that's all for today," Jin Wei wiped the saliva from his finger. He stood up to take a look at the sleeping protagonist and then to his system that is suddenly giving a hologram of a candle with a light.

"What is that?" He asked.

「A candle」 the system mournfully answered.

"For whom?" Jin Wei thought that the system sounds a bit aggrieved?

「Nothing.」System 777 took the candle away and replaced it with a translucent screen. The screen contained Jin Wei's recent achievements in this world.

「Host punched the protagonist one thousand times. Host completed 100% of the task. The host received one thousand points for the task. Congratulations Host for your hard work.」

 「Host kicked the protagonist one thousand times. Host completed 100% of the task. The host received one thousand points for the task. Congratulations Host for your hard work.」

 「Host slapped the protagonist one thousand times. Host completed 100% of the task. The host received one thousand points for the task. Congratulations Host for your hard work.」

 「Host completed the three tasks and collected three thousand points. Congratulations host!」

「One task is left for Host to do, and that is to 'Save the protagonist once'. Host, keep up your hard work.」

Jin Wei was pleased with the completion of his tasks and the points he had earned. There's only one task left but that can be done once so he wasn't worried. This put Jin Wei in a good mood as he adjusted Laurem's position so the kid will be comfortable after waking up. He even left a few candies in its pocket to show his gratitude.

Goodbye for now, Laurem. Thank you for your cooperation!