"All journeys are thrilling adventures, but not all of them teach you how to venture out."

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There are eyes that witness horrors so vile, they can never return to what they once were. By force and bloodshed, Don managed to sneak into New Glimmetropolis—a city built on filthy blood, greed, and power… a secret fiercely guarded.
Some might know this, but New Glimmetropolis was declared part of the Montesis Kingdom after the Purification War.

[Don. P]

My master and I live far from the metropolis and the Montesis Kingdom to avoid too much contact with humans. I'll repeat his exact words: "The folks from the capital or the Montesis Kingdom are all elitist pricks who think they're better than everyone else—they look down on and crush anyone they deem unworthy of living in their shit-stained kingdom." He's always warned me never to go there. But staring at this list… What?! I froze, clutching the tiny slip of paper between my fingers. And damn if I don't know where to even start with this packed list my master left me.

—"But like always," I muttered bitterly, just thinking about it, "you gotta tackle the hardest job first. But out of all these… which one's the worst…?"

—"Let's see," I said before reading it aloud, "I need to buy a common ring… Pfft! Easy enough. Just gotta find a blacksmith… and I already have one in mind… Then I need melted obsidian crystal… That complicates things. Ah well, I'll figure out the rest as I go."

Strolling lazily through the green fields near home, I soaked in the view and mused:
—"Might meet loads of new people along the way—not just the same old faces from Duncaster. Hey!" I hyped myself up, "What if I bump into a smoking-hot chick?" My mind instantly spiraled into very unethical fantasies. "I pictured her body, her pink lips, my fingers slowly trailing down from her neck to her nipples… Enough!" I shouted, snapping back to reality. But I faltered again, wondering: "Will I ever actually get a girlfriend?"

So lost in my head, I didn't notice the guards at the village entrance until I slammed right into one.
—"Damn it, Don!"
—"Ugh, I'm such an idiot! Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."
—"What the hell were you daydreaming about, huh?!" he barked.
—"I'm sorry, forgive me."
—"Too late. It's getting dark. Where you headed, kid?"
—"Buying supplies for my master. My birthday's in three days. Heading to the village smithy."
—"Oh, really? Didn't know. Happy early birthday, but watch your ass after sunset. This place ain't the same at night. Hurry up—Mr. Snuch closes early these days."
—"Thanks for the heads-up. I'll be careful. Shit!" I gasped, eyeing the sky. "The sun dropped fast."

I bolted toward the smithy, dodging villagers and enduring curses from those I bumped into. Whatever—if I'm lucky, I'll never see these assholes again. Finally, I neared the street with the village's only blacksmith. Just a sprint and a left tu—

- "Nooo! Please! Let her go! She has nothing to do with this!" A mother's screams tore through a dark alley.

In my haste, I skidded through the alley and froze at the scene: a mother, battered and pleading, with her daughter trapped by three filthy lowlifes while another raped her mother in front of her.
-Shit, how did you end up with such a sweet cunt?" the scum moaned, lost in her frenzy. Disgust and rage boiled in me as I watched.
- "If you don't want us to slit her throat and then rape her corpse, you will obey, slut. Or else-"
- "Don't hurt her! Do whatever you want to me," the mother pleaded, her voice cracking as she closed her eyes.

- "Boss, what about the brat? We're getting bored," taunted another bully.
- "Mom! Let her go, you bastard!" the girl shrieked, ignored as her mother collapsed under the horror.

The ringleader, raping the sobbing mother, smiled:
- "Rape the girl too. Teach them to pay their debts... and then kill her."
The mother screamed, but a punch silenced her.

I stepped into the alley and roared:
- "Stop this shit right now and get out of here!"

Then my teacher's warning resounded, "Don, no matter how bad it gets - and I don't care how bad it gets - don't ever play the hero. You are not, and you never will be. Those who try, end up dead or worse. Take a chance, and you'll swallow the consequences like a man."

—"Who the hell do you think you are?!" the rapist spat.
—"Me? Nobody," I said coldly, locking eyes with the boss. Flames surged through my veins. I bit down, fury seething, as a fireball formed in my palm.

They paused, sizing me up like trash. The boss laughed:
—"You joking? We're fire users—rank 3, and I'm 4. Still wanna stare me down? Walk away now, kid, or die."

I weighed it: Kill or be killed. Four against one. One thug groped the girl, knife to her throat; the mother lay unconscious. The boss smirked, underestimating me. Good. Let him. But then I recognized the girl—Maria. Rage detonated.

I snuffed my flame.
—"Burn!"
—"The hell—?" the thug holding Maria stammered.

I slammed both hands down, erupting flames beneath their feet. Burn them to ash. I lunged without thinking. Protect Maria. No regrets.

The boss and one lackey survived, the boss shielding them with hydrokinesis. The thug holding Maria burned to cinders. The boss and I clashed—he was stronger, I was faster. His punch shattered a wall behind me. The others lunged for Maria—one grabbing, the other priming fire. I blasted a fireball at the boss' gut. He blocked, exploding backward, buying me seconds to reach her.

He lunged back, roaring:
—"You're interesting!" His hand gripped my face, slamming me toward the ground.

—"RUN!" I screamed at Maria. She stood petrified. Shit! The thugs panicked, and my master's words rang: "A desperate man will burn his own allies."

And... BOOM!