Allan could never understand this. But he can imagine the real hunger that was inside of people of power. They want more. Without quenching their thirst for greed, they would go on until being hit by a quantitative force they wouldn’t be able to defeat.

One can only hope that the kingdom of Grusha will stand against this sudden invasion. Allan hoped for a chance to overrule the current disaster. But, the City of Waan has already fallen, never to be returned to its previous splendor.

Suddenly. Light penetrated into the cave as the footsteps were just around the corner. It enveloped Allan, who couldn’t help but close his eyes. Taking him at least a few dozens second to get his sight back on track. He looked warily in front of him.

A man with ordinary features, apart from a huge scar on half his face, was looking at Allan with indifferent eyes. A bright, small crystal was in his hands. Illuminating the entire cave with shadows everywhere.

“Y-y-you!?” Allan shouted. He recognized this man easily because of his scar. He was a man who stood behind the old bald man who was currently fighting with Skoll.

“Well. I expected this, but it is still rather disappointing. Being tasked to take a mortal kid. Man... It is surely disheartening to watch it all fall apart. Isn’t it, brat?” The man talked in a monotone voice. Like someone who did not care one bit about what the other thinks about his talking.

Allan shook to his core, his fist clenched so hard he wanted to burst forth. He did not have an urge to beat someone in his entire life like the person before him. He did not even know anything about him, but the sudden hatred from his word injected him with courage unbeknown to him from ever before.

“AAAAAHHH!!!” Allan shouted, and charged at him. He swung his short sword right to the body of that man.

Clink! Blade stopped its charge as it hit his chest. Allan stumbled away while dropping his weapon.

The man just calmly looked at him. No pity in his eyes. The only indifferent gaze which looked at Allan as if he had seen an ant. “I guess there should be at least some chance for survival. If someone with no chances is given a 1-time limited offer. It is so funny to see it. Hehehehehe.” Scarred man's laughter sounded throughout the cave. He touched his face in a manner of deep thoughts. A smirk of intentions and ideas appeared on his face.

“Kid. Run for your life right now! Run to make my time worth it! Run to your content, until your breath will light your lungs on fire!” He shouted in an exaggerated manner to Allan, who was left speechless by this madman's cheers.

“You want to make me into your little mice plaything?” “Dream on!” Allan shouted. He pulled his other sword and pounced at the man. Not stopping himself from the earlier failure.

SMACK!

Allan was crushed to the wall. Blood flooded from his mouth. His brain was in total shambles by the instant pain which was not even processed by his sight.

“Wwwwwhahtt…” He fell to the ground. The man just smacked him to his near death.

“Oh nonononononono. You are going to be a good prey for me. Master is on his own hunt right now. You will do the same for my sake.” The man crouched down and lifted his bloodied head. His father’s bandanna was left with bloody color.

“Now, now, now, don’t you dare to end on me. Run now!” He tossed Allan towards his small temporal camp. “Take your things, of course. They are also your life, as you won’t starve! Hehehehehe. That is right.”

Allan pushed himself up. Grabbing his bag, and stumbled to an exit. “Yes, yeeees. That is a suitable expression of despair! Truly emotional” Man looked at him with excitement.

He kicked him to his back. Not having patience for slow action. Allan flew from the cave. With a thud, a small tree stopped him. He casually picked himself up and ran across the stone surface of the hill, taking all chances of fleeing. He was numb to every better possibility than survival and go away as far as he could. Panting and blood dripping from his nose and mouth.

Earlier, he felt like he hit him with a force stronger than a hammer. Normally, you would be completely gone from such an attack, but it hit Allan in a way that he did not lose consciousness right away. Your face or whatever was hit would be no longer usable. But, this hit stoked him so unexpectedly fast in such a fashion that his whole body went with him. Crushing into a bloody figure.

Allan's jog quickly went on. Occasionally falling over and getting up. The bag on his shoulder eased his impact. He ran, he fell and started to stroll around the forest. He did not know where he was, nor did he care too much.

Swoooooosh!

A piece of pebble flew from far bushes. It smashed Allan's thigh with heavy force and made him stumble for some time. He looked around in pain. His left thigh bones were mostly broken. He could not run any longer.

A man with a scar emerged from the far bushes. He was playing with pebbles in his hands. Grinning with a playful expression as he tossed them to Allan.

Bang! Smack!

Allan’s bag blocked these blows apart from the one that hit his chest as he turned around on his remaining leg. He fell to his knee. Panting hard and catching his breath.
“Yehheheh. A successful hunt is a pleasurable hunt! Isn’t it?” The man cheered himself up. Strolling toward Allan, who slowly crawled to his back. Resting on a side of a nearby tree. His bandanna slipped off from his neck to his chest.

“You don’t have anything to say? Anything to add to your meaningless life? Those pebbles are the best that you could ask for!! Your ancestors would be proud of your accomplished death, you mortal piece of shit! Hahaha.” The man shrieked as he tossed more to him.

The wind blew up.

Pebbles struck the air before stopping and slowly falling down to the ground. A man with a hidden appearance in a cloak stomped from the unknown. Standing before the scarred man and Allan in an imposing manner.

“WHO the fuck are you? Do you dare to clash with me? In my hunt?” The scarred man said with anger.

“I am sorry. I do not know who you are. But I know your seniority.” The man in a cloak said in a hoarse voice.

“F-f-fucker! I was tasked to make work here by someone you could never glance an eye on in your entire life!” Said scarred man even more furiously as he heard his words.

Cloaked man, unmoved by his remarks, and putting his hand into the pocket of his clothes. He slowly pulled a piece of jade. It had a bright green design with swirling Draconian vines.

“Y-you?”The man shouted as he saw the jade.

“I got a deal with sir Meng. He is the official disciple of your Master of Mount Raziid. Unlike you. So back off.” Said the cloaked man.

“You can take the kid after I am done with him. I won’t make things difficult for you just because I stopped you. I couldn’t care less what will happen to him either. You may as well torture him for some fun if you want. Oh, wait, you already did.”

The scarred man grunted in displeasure. “Preposterous.”

“I will take my leave. Do as you wish to that kid, but do not kill him.” He said after calming down and understanding the situation a little bit better. This man before him had the rulestone from his master that was given to Meng, who made his master come here. Something went behind the scenes that he did not expect.

All he could do was bitterly accept the circumstances and gulp this piece of displeasure down his throat. The scarred man left to the distant mountain to vent a little and not bother them.

“Very well.” The cloaked man said and stored the rulestone back in his pocket.
.
.
He walked towards the beat-up Allan and sit in front of him. “Do you recognize me?” “If so, just nod.” He added just in case Allan is too wounded to answer.

“I don't know you… I’ve seen you with father… nothing else.” Allan muttered from his bloody lips. He could still hear and see from his eyes and ears. He recognized the man who had the 3rd deal with his father’s secret stash of legendary swords.

“Yea. You are much tougher than you look. I guess you don't know anything of much importance. Your father is an absolute idiot… but a good father, I guess. Still though. You could have been much more than a piece of a pebble on the road.”

“I… don’t mind this at… all.” Barked Allan with a sharp voice. Coughing.

“Is this a business?” Allan asked.

“Sharp boy, huh?” Man wondered.

“No. I am currently just a shameless thief who will rob you of everything… In fact. I already did.”

This time, he pulled a book from his clothes. It was just a nameless ordinary notebook, but Allan would recognize it everywhere and anytime. It was his spy diary that went missing today or somewhere? The day before? He was not sure.

“Y-you take my stuff? What are my little learning materials of any use to you? I am aware of your deals with father.” Asked Allan, in silent rage and little fear. He would never allow him to steal from his father's shop! “I did not even once get there myself anyway.” He secretly thought.

Allan shouted at him. “That’s mine! Where did you get it?”

He didn’t imagine that someone stole his diary. His years-long journey of his father’s endeavors. He was sure he would never lose it because he kept his most important things in his chest stash. As far as he knew. No one was aware of the content of his books. Moreover, his collections weren’t things one would try to steal.

They were mostly common knowledge with some twists and unexpected information. But the man before him. Intentionally stole his diary.
It was, in a sense, obvious. He did not know anyone who would even consider looking at his stuff for information about his father. It did not make one to be certain about it, but nothing happened as far as he was concerned. One little situation led to another, and Allan was facing this thief.

Allan met such a person. Someone who was looking at his father with greediness and other unknown intentions. Allan was both angry at him for sticking his hands where they didn’t belong and himself for not considering the dangers. His carelessness caused the man to somehow spy on him.

“Yes. He surely knew about me. Tailing my father at that time. Father's deals were exposed to some bad people, or his cause was to hurt them.” Allan was uncertain. He could make some guesses in his mind, but that was about it. Only his father knew the truth, and his trust in Skoll was real.

“You seem to be mistaken. I like this very much. What you wrote here was of great value to me. I can sell this information or deal with it myself for even more.” Man honesty said.

“Then what are you doing here for me?” Allan questioned his intentions.