It seems like everyone is ready now. I should apologize properly to Tommy for leaving him alone.

  I glance at Tommy. He seems lost in thought, his eyes fixed on something far away. But the moment he senses my gaze, he looks back at me, his usual relaxed expression returning. I walk closer to him.

  “Hey, bro, sorry to keep you alone for a day.” I say to Tommy, my voice low with sincerity.

  “It’s fine, bro. You already apologized before. No need to worry about it.” Tommy says with his trademark grin, one corner of his mouth quirking up like he’s holding back a laugh.

  I can’t help but smile back. Tommy’s always been like this—chill and unbothered, no matter the situation. He’s been that way ever since we were kids in this harsh world.

  When was it again? Ah, right—when we were just six years old. The memory feels distant yet vivid, like a scene etched into my mind.

  The smell of damp earth and rotting wood filled the air as we crouched in the shadowy alley of a village. The adult bandit loomed over us, his voice harsh like gravel.

  “You brats should go and pickpocket from those passersby.” he barked.

  There were five of us, a ragtag group of child bandits. Three of the kids lit up, practically bouncing with excitement at the prospect of causing mischief.

  “Ehhh… I don’t want to.” I grumbled, crossing my arms.

  “What was that, you brat?!” the adult snapped, his face twisting with rage.

  The three kids shot me glares, their eyes sharp and accusing, as if I were some sort of traitor.

  “I don’t want to do that either.” came a calm, defiant voice. I turned to see a red-haired boy standing his ground, his face unreadable.

  “You stupid brats! Don’t you dare talk back!” another adult bandit shouted.

  Before long, the two of us who had refused were sprawled on the cold, hard ground, bruises blooming across our skin. The adults left us there, their words cutting as they walked away. “Both of you won’t get any food for today. Consider this a lesson.” one of them sneered.

  “Ouch, ouch… Just wait until I grow up. It’ll be my turn to beat those jerks.” I groaned, my body aching as I tried to sit up.

  I had tried to fight back, of course, but it was a futile effort. What could this tiny, six-year-old body of mine do?

  “Can you stand up?” the red-haired boy asked, his voice steady as he rose from the ground like it was nothing.

  I stared at him. This guy had taken more hits than me, yet he looked completely unfazed. In fact… was he enjoying it?

  “Wait… Is this guy a… machocheese?!” I thought, horrified.

  “I’m gonna lay here for a bit.” I muttered, collapsing back onto the ground.

  “Haha, that could work too.” he said with a chuckle, plopping down beside me.

  “Why did you fight back too, Tommy?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

  “Hmm… I just didn’t think it was the right thing to do.” he replied, tilting his head like he was pondering a simple puzzle.

  “Hah! Same, dude!” I said, laughing despite myself. “I just don’t see the point in pickpocketing. I mean, I’d rather beg for bread or something. It’s way less trouble, especially if you get caught. Like that one kid before... Who knows what happened to him.”

  “If this world is just a game, then maybe…” I mumbled under my breath, the words slipping out unbidden.

  “Game?” Tommy repeated, his eyes narrowing slightly.

  “Oh, it’s n-nothing.” I stammered.

  Tommy just chuckled softly, brushing it off. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, expensive-looking book and a pen. Without another word, he began to write, the scratch of pen on paper filling the silence between us.

  “Tommy, you can write and read?” I asked, surprised. It wasn’t common to see young kids in this world being literate.

  “Well, I guess.” Tommy replied with a grin, scratching the back of his head. “I just write whatever I feel like when I’m bored anyway.”

  “Hmmm… Did you steal that book and pen?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him playfully.

  “Oh, you caught me.” Tommy said, feigning shock as his eyes widened. Then he chuckled, the sound light and carefree. “Hahaha! Well, trust me—it’s being put to good use.”

  I was tempted to peek at the book, curious about what he had been writing, but I ended up forgetting about it. Instead, I lay back on the ground, my gaze wandering to the sky. The endless expanse above felt oddly soothing.

  A voice soon pulled me back to the present.

  “By the way, Zero, since we don’t know what the future may hold for us…” Tommy began, his tone turning more serious. He reached into his robe, rummaging for something. “Here. I think you should read this.”

  Tommy handed me a small book. Its appearance hadn’t changed much from the first time I’d seen it—still pristine and expensive-looking, the leather cover worn just slightly from use.

  “Isn’t this the book you always write in when you’re free?” I asked, inspecting it with curiosity.

  “Yep. I told you before about the combat craft I made myself, right? I’ve spent years writing this.” Tommy said, his voice brimming with pride. “To be honest, I wanted to teach it to you myself. But after thinking about it yesterday, I realized… who knows when we’ll have the time? So, I’ve written everything down for you, including a training routine. Follow it if you’re strong enough—haha!” Tommy teased, his grin challenging me.

  I couldn’t help but feel intrigued. “Can I really have this?” I asked, hesitating. The book felt too valuable, too personal to just take.

  “Of course. We’ve known each other for years, and I trust you, bro.” Tommy said, his voice steady and sincere. I could feel the weight of his expectations growing between us, heavy but not unwelcome.

  “Tommy…” I muttered, moved by his confidence in me.

  “Writing this book is also how I awakened my Seer class.” Tommy added casually, leaning back a little. “I wanted to leave something behind for the future. That’s the gist of it, anyway.” His voice lightened as he continued, “But if there’s anything in there you don’t understand, come ask me. We can spar anytime, and I’ll show you some advanced moves while we’re at it.” He said it with such pride that I couldn’t help but smile.

  “Alright, I’ll be sure to do that.” I said, taking the book from his outstretched hand, its weight a reminder of the trust Tommy had placed in me.

  * * *

  “Mama… Papa… where are you?” a young boy called out, his small voice trembling as he wandered through the noisy, chaotic streets.

  “Hold my hand tight. We’ll find them, I promise.” a young girl said, her tone steady despite the chaos around them. She clasped his hand firmly, her grip reassuring.

  The two nine-year-old children weaved through the chaotic streets, their wide eyes scanning the unfamiliar faces fighting all around and disorder around them. Step by step, they drifted away from the bustle, finding themselves in an eerily quiet area.

  Suddenly, shadowy figures emerged from the darkness. Before the children could react, everything went black.

  The figures moved swiftly, snatching the children as they fainted. Without a sound, the two were stuffed into coarse sacks and carried into the depths of the shadows. In an instant, the figures vanished, leaving the quiet area silent once more.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  * * *

  “Here they come.” R’s eyes glowed violet as he sensed presences materializing from thin air.

  R tapped Tommy’s shoulder, and in an instant, the two of them vanished from sight.

  “Stay close to me. I need to maintain physical contact to keep you invisible.” R explained, his voice low but steady.

  Tommy nodded silently. Despite being invisible, he was the only one who could still see R, their shared understanding clear in the moment.

  “Let’s hurry.” R said as they began to trail the kidnappers.

  Moving cautiously, the pair followed their targets through the dimly lit passages. As they drew closer, Tommy shifted uncomfortably.

  “…” Tommy glanced at R, his brow furrowing slightly.

  R caught the look and threw him a confused expression.

  This feels kind of awkward, Tommy thought to himself, suppressing the urge to laugh. R was holding onto both of Tommy’s shoulders as if they were children playing a game of trains.

  Thanks to R’s invisibility, the two of them slipped through unnoticed, tailing the kidnappers deeper into an underground passage. The air grew damp and heavy, the faint echo of their footsteps blending with the ambient drip of water.

  “Got two kids this time?” a guard asked the kidnappers as they approached a checkpoint.

  “Yeah.” one of the kidnappers replied smugly. “With all the chaos between the guards and mercenaries up top, there’s no better time. Stupid kids are wandering around alone.”

  “Good. But this will be the last for now.” the guard warned. “Orders are to lay low. It won’t be long before someone shows up that even the Duxe can’t stop.”

  “Heroes… Why did it escalate so quickly? This wasn’t part of the agreement.” one kidnapper grumbled.

  “If you fools had done your job properly, the mercenaries wouldn’t suspect the Duxe’s involvement.” the guard shot back, his tone dripping with disdain.

  “Hah?! We followed every part of the deal!” the kidnapper retorted, anger flaring.

  “Oh, really?” The guard smirked. “Then explain how a kid saw you dragging another child through the sewer.”

  “That’s unpossible! We’ve never used that route.” the kidnapper protested, his voice rising.

  “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just get out of here—I don’t want to see your face anymore.” the guard snapped, turning away dismissively.

  “You little—” the kidnapper began, his voice seething with rage, but his companion cut him off.

  “Let’s just go,” the other kidnapper said, pulling him along.

  As the kidnappers moved forward, the passageway shifted. The walls on either side closed in, creating a single, narrow path leading straight ahead.

  R and Tommy crept forward, careful to match their movements with the kidnappers’ pace.

  “Wait!” the guard called out suddenly, his voice slicing through the silence.

  The two froze in place, their hearts pounding.

  “What now?” one of the kidnappers growled, turning back.

  “Pay.” the guard demanded, holding out his hand.

  “Tch.” The lead kidnapper clicked his tongue, tugging a small bag of gold from his belt. He threw it at the guard, the coins jangling loudly in the quiet tunnel.

  R and Tommy exchanged a glance, breathing a small sigh of relief as they continued their pursuit.

  But then they noticed something—one of the sacks the kidnappers were carrying shifted. A small leg poked through, stretching weakly.

  “Tch. Your abilities have worn off.” one kidnapper hissed, glaring at his partner.

  “That’s unpossible.” the other replied, defensive.

  “Yeah, yeah. Just put them back to sleep. We don’t want to damage the product,” another kidnapper said coldly.

  “Fine…” The kidnapper’s eyes glowed violet as a faint, ominous aura flowed toward the child in the sack.

  The little leg went still.

  * * *

  R and Tommy followed the kidnappers. The path ahead was unnervingly smooth—no monsters, no traps—but something felt off. Tommy couldn’t shake the unease creeping up his spine. He glanced at R, noticing how different he seemed. Was he angry?

  Is this a side effect of his abilities? Tommy wondered.

  Their silent pursuit brought them to a checkpoint near the end of the underground passage. Tommy tried to reassure himself—surely nothing would go wrong now. But then, a vision struck him.

  In the vision, he saw himself fighting two towering lancers. The imagery didn’t fade, even as they reached the end of the passage without incident. Why hasn’t the vision changed? Tommy thought, his nerves prickling.

  Before them stood the two lancers, towering figures guarding a massive door. Their menacing aura washed over the kidnappers, freezing them in place. Then, as if sensing an anomaly, the lancers shifted their gaze—directly behind the kidnappers.

  It was R.

  He had dropped his invisibility, exposing both himself and Tommy.

  “You bitch, you think being big makes you strong?!” R snarled, his voice seething with rage.

  Tommy slapped a hand to his forehead in frustration. The plan was blown. Time to move to Plan B, he thought grimly.

  The kidnappers whipped around in shock, their faces pale as they stared at the two boys who had somehow followed them unnoticed.

  “W-Where did these brats come from?!” one of them stammered, his voice quaking.

  Without hesitation, Tommy summoned a blazing sword, its fiery edge casting an ominous glow. He gestured toward the nearest kidnapper, the blade responding instantly. It shot toward him with lethal precision.

  The kidnapper screamed, panic overwhelming him as he dropped the sack he was holding and tried to flee. But the sword was too fast—its blazing tip pierced his heart with unerring accuracy.

  The other kidnapper, wide-eyed with terror, scrambled to grab the fallen sack. Clutching it desperately, he bolted toward the lancers.

  “Help!” he shrieked, his voice echoing in the passage.

  The lancers immediately turned their attention to the red-haired boy, recognizing the threat he posed. Their massive weapons appeared in their hands, shimmering with deadly intent.

  “Get yourself together.” Tommy said firmly to R, who was still consumed by rage, charging headlong toward the lancers.

  “Shut up!” R shouted, his fury unrelenting as he readied his weapon.

  Tommy exhaled sharply, summoning six more blazing swords that floated menacingly around him, their flames roaring in anticipation.

  “Please stay safe, you two.” Tommy muttered under his breath, his resolve hardening as the battle loomed.

  * * *

  “Zero, Zerooo, Zeroooooooooo.” Lia whined as she pinched Zero’s cheek, trying to wake him up.

  Zero opened his eyes groggily, blinking slowly. Instead of sitting up, he let his eyelids droop again, sinking back into his dreams.

  “Zerooooooo… don’t fall back asleep…” Lia begged, tugging at his arm.

  “Five more minutes.” Zero mumbled, burying his face into his arm.

  “Ugh, fine…” Lia sighed in defeat.

  Five minutes later.

  “Zerooooooo, five minutes have passed!” Lia said, shaking him more vigorously this time.

  Zero let out a long yawn, finally sitting up. He blinked at their surroundings, his face scrunching in confusion. All around them was a blinding expanse of white metal.

  “Where are we?” Zero asked, turning to Lia.

  “I dunno.” Lia replied, shrugging.

  They were in a white metal cell that resembled a high-tech jail. As the two scanned the area, they noticed other prisoners scattered around in similar cells.

  “Look, Lia! A bald man!” Zero pointed across the hall at a prisoner in an opposing cell.

  “Hey! I’m not a bald man!” the man barked, his voice echoing through the metallic space.

  “Zeroooo, that’s not nice!” Lia scolded, swatting at him lightly.

  “Awww… sorry, bald uncle.” Zero said with an exaggerated pout.

  The man let out a huff. “Seems like you kids got yourselves kidnapped this time, huh? Tough luck.”

  “It’s fine! We’re strong, anyway.” Lia said, her tone brimming with confidence.

  “Hah! It’s a first to see kids who aren’t all depressed when they’ve been snatched up.” the man said, shaking his head as if recalling countless downtrodden faces.

  “Where are we, bald uncle?” Zero asked innocently.

  “Stop with the bald remarks!” the man snapped. “Call me Baldric.”

  “Hmm, okay, Bald…” Zero paused deliberately. “...ric uncle.”

  “You little brat!” Baldric barked again, his temper flaring.

  “Heh… hehe…” Lia chuckled softly, trying to stifle her laughter. “Bald… ric…”

  “Pfft…” Zero couldn’t hold back any longer and burst out laughing.

  “You damn brats!” Baldric growled. But then, his face softened into an almost melancholic expression, catching the two children off guard.

  “Heh… hahahaha… Baldric the Bald…” he muttered to himself, losing it entirely.

  Zero and Lia exchanged concerned glances.

  “Fine! I am Baldric the Baldy.” he declared with a defeated tone. “You know, there was this cocky brat at the mercenary guild—a real annoying, overconfident punk. He’s the reason I ended up shaving my head.”

  “I always hated my name—Baldric. Kids used to mock me, asking why I didn’t just shave it all off. Then, one day, I lost a bet to that little brat. After shaving my head, though, I thought, ‘This isn’t so bad.’ The breeze felt… liberating.”

  “Is he finally losing it?” Lia whispered to Zero.

  “Looks like it.” Zero whispered back.

  “Hey! I can hear you, you little punks!” Baldric barked again.

  Suddenly, his expression turned serious. He ripped his shirt open, revealing a grotesque, fur-covered chest.

  “Ahhhh!” Lia shrieked, shielding her eyes.

  Zero stared, his brows furrowing. It wasn’t the sight of a hairy chest—it was something far worse. Baldric’s body was transforming, resembling that of a beast.

  “What happened?” Zero asked, his curiosity piqued.

  “Zero, don’t look! He’s a pervert. Not only is he bald—he’s a pervert too!” Lia exclaimed, still covering her face.

  “Hey!” Baldric snapped.

  “It’s fine, Lia. Mr. Baldric’s just showing us what happened to him.” Zero said, still focused on the man’s transformation.

  Baldric let out a grim sigh. “Those evil monsters running this place are insane. They combine people with monstrous creatures… experiment on us… twist us into something unrecognizable.” He looked down at his fur-covered chest with despair. “Oh, Almighty… what did I do to deserve this?”

  Lia peeked through her fingers, finally opening her eyes to see Baldric’s full condition. Her stomach churned at the gruesome sight.

  “Brats.” Baldric said, his voice faltering, “if you get the chance to escape this place… take it. Don’t look back.” He coughed violently, blood staining his lips.

  “Mr. Baldric…” Zero hesitated before a memory surfaced. “Are you from the Lignivallum Mercenary Guild?”

  Baldric’s eyes lit up. “Oh! You brats know about that? They’re looking for me, aren’t they? Surely they are!”

  Hmmm… I’m not so sure about that, Zero thought to himself, avoiding Baldric’s hopeful gaze.

  Zero and Lia exchanged a glance.

  “Yeah, they were looking for you and the kids that had gone missing.” Zero said.

  “Yes, oh, and by the way, was the kid who made you go bald, called himself R loseR something?” Lia asked, her tone casual but curious.

  “Hah, you knew him, huh?” Baldric responded, his brows raising in surprise.

  “Don’t worry, I kicked his ass and taught him a lesson already.” Lia said proudly, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

  “Eh… that brat lost?” Baldric asked, shocked by the statement.

  “Of course! He was fighting Lia. It’s obvious he had no chance of winning.” Zero said, shaking his head. “She avenged you.”

  Baldric chuckled, a genuine laugh escaping him for the first time.

  “I’ll tell you everything about this place. Listen carefully, yeah?” Baldric said, his demeanor lightening as he leaned forward, his eyes glinting with newfound hope.