"What do you think the Hero of Darkness is doing here? Tom."

"Maybe find something to eat, Jerry. Hehe!"

"Oh, I see, because we always took his meat from his meal. But a dog knows his place and just eats bones. Hahaha!"

Private Tom and private Jerry continue with their insult on Xiao as they walk closely to him.

Not wanting any trouble and tired of the day, Xiao tried to play it cool and be friendly so he could go to sleep.

"Listen, boys. It's late at night already, so let's take it to tomorrow, okay?"

"Shut the hell up, you piece of shit!" private Jerry shouted with a screeching tone.

"Yeah, you shut up!" private Tom followed up.

Xiao was shocked by private Jerry's reaction because he usually will say something stupid with a sly smile. Still, he was clearly not his usual self today.

Then Xiao noticed private Tom was having a hard time standing straight and private Jerry's face turned red.

(This smell....alcohol?! These two bastards are drunk!)

Xiao heard rumors of people bribing the guards outside to get out and have fun in the town. Never thought that these two were the proof of those rumors.

"Well, fellows, good night."

Not wanting to stay any longer, Xiao attempts to quickly move over them and head straight back to his room.

"Stand where you are, You piece of shit!" private Jerry shouted out loud while private Tom blocked Xiao's path.

(Shit, this isn't going to end well. Just my rotten luck.)

"You know, we lost some bet just now, and we don't feel so good about it, so.....what do you say you help us to, you know, blow some steam," private Jerry said with an evil smile while private Tom cracked his knuckle.

A heavy silence falls in the corridor. Both private Tom and Jerry were looking at Xiao, and he was slowly shifting to a stance to run.

Without warning, Xiao pushes his leg forward and starts to dash through private Tom. Still, Xiao failed as his hand got caught by private Tom.

Immediately, Xiao gets forcefully pulled back, and he gets a right hook punch from private Tom to the face, which knocks him to the ground.

"I swear to see you get punched always makes me feel better. Hahaha!" said private Jerry, giggling at the side like a goblin.

"And punching you is fun!" Private Tom laughed too as he exercised his left hand to ready to deliver another blow.

(It hurts damn it!)

Xiao was crawling on the ground, slowly getting up as he covered his face with brushes with his hand.

Since walking away peacefully and running away were already out of the option, Xiao's only choice was to fight his way out of this situation.

Xiao fists up and ready a fighting stance. He knew they wouldn't let him go until they were satisfied beating him up, not to mention they were already drunk.

Xiao knew that he couldn't beat private Tom. Not only was Xiao not trained in any form of martial art, but compared to Xiao, who's 5 foot tall, Tom is one foot taller than him.

Although the overwhelming height and bodyweight of private Tom have proven who's more superior in combat, that didn't stop Xiao from wanting to return the pain he had felt.

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Xiao clenches his fist, stomp one step forward and drives in a straight punch to Tom's chest with all his might.

(Eat this!)

Xiao's punch lands straight into Tom's chest, but Tom didn't even budge from the attack.

"The hell?!" Xiao was shocked as his punch did nothing at all.

"Hehehe! Now it's my turn," said Tom as he looked down on Xiao.

Without waiting for Xiao to react, Tom delivers a body blow punch into Xiao's chest. His attack sent Xiao flying as he crashed to the ground and tumbles backwards.

The force was so strong that Xiao felt he had stopped breathing for a moment. Xiao was gasping for air on the ground while Jerry shouted in excitement.

"Get up, shit head, we ain't done with you yet. The money we had lost can't just be done with one or two punches."

Jerry shouted like a drunkard while Tom slowly walked toward the still crawling Xiao.

Xiao realizes Tom was getting close; he quickly gets up and regains his fighting stance.

A series of haymaker punches from Tom towards Xiao, Xiao blocked most of it with his hand while dodging some. He was finding the right timing to slip passes through Tom and run away as he sees no winning chance at all.

Xiao thought about the magic he has been practicing. Still, he quickly discards that thought as he has not once successfully to cast either Fireball or Ice Spear. The only spell he has been casting was Fire seed, and Ice seed, which is no use in combat at all, and Xiao took too long to cast it.

After blocking a series of attacks, Xiao's hands were already worn out and trembling in pain. Xiao still didn't manage to find a chance to run away.

(With that body size, I can't seem to find an opening at all!)

Xiao was already tired, both physically and mentally. But Tom did not give a damn about Xiao as he delivered a straight kick, finally breaking through Xiao's guard and sending him flying again.

"That's right! Eat the floor, and stay down. There's where you belong!" Jerry laughs maniacally as he chugs on a bottle of mead.

"Hey! hey! Don't finish it, I want to drink some too after I'm satisfied punching him," says Tom as he cracks his knuckles again.

Xiao did not get up this time, for he's already tired of getting beaten down. His mind filled with regrets, disappointment and frustration on himself, cursing his inability to defend himself and get treated as someone’s plaything.

(Damn it, damn it, damn it!)

Xiao was frustrated at how weak he is as he starts to doubt everything, his magic training, the daily drill, the tips of swordplay from Owen. All of these were useless if he can't even defeat the two bastards in front of him.

All of his bad memories gush in one after another. The death of his family by some unknown monster. The false charge of murder for both his family and Lars from his world and this world. The humiliation he received from the other Heroes and the nobles.The title of the Hero of Darkness he acquired, which got him accused by all as the agent of the Demon God.

And the fact that no one believes a single thing he had said.

The title, Hero of Darkness, leads Xiao to remember the unique skill he has, which is the undying skill. He was once proud to have this skill because it signifies his exceptional strength compared to the others.

But now, Xiao realized that not dying is nothing at all if he can't even defend himself. Having an undying body means he's an unbreakable punching bag, which means eternal suffering and humiliation.

(What if this world never existed at all, all of these wouldn't happen at all, it was just a long terrible nightmare.)

Tom had already stopped in front of him. He then picks up Xiao from the ground by forcefully grabbing Xiao's head with his broad hand.

Tom picked Xiao up to his shoulder level, which made Xiao dangling in the air.

Xiao was tired and lost the will to fight back as he looked at Tom with his half-open lifeless eyes.

(I wish it'll all just burn down, this place, this country, the whole goddamn world of Aora. Or maybe just disappear without a trance, you all are not worthy to even leave ashes.)

"Here, I'll help you to stand up."

Tom put down Xiao and forced him to stand up. Xiao was already too tired to do so as he was struggling to stand straight. Tom did not care; he was already readying his fist to deliver another blow.

(If I got the chance to be the void to eat away this world, I'd gladly do it a million times.)

That was the last thought Xiao had before something happened, something inside of him crawled out.

All of a sudden, Xiao felt something in his eyes, or to be more precise, his eye socket, as he couldn't feel his eyes.

Xiao touches his eyes in reflex, wanting to feel his eyes' existence, which was still there.

The feeling in Xiao's eyes. It was not pain nor any burning sensation. It was this feeling where his eyes were getting eaten away by something, something empty and hunger for more.

"Huh? You....what happens to your eyes?"

Tom steps back as he notices the changes in Xiao's eyes. A vertical blue cross with edgy tips appears in his pupil.