In the year 1035, a prostitute gave birth to a baby in the lawless place of Quibec, the underworld.
The baby cried out loud. The echoes of the constant crying were heard throughout the pleasure hall. Then, a loud slap was heard. It was a slap from the mother, the baby cried even more another slap followed. The act continued till the baby had a swollen cheek and no tears in his eyes.
She declared, “You are my first-born, your eyes shall have no place for tears, you are born to free me. You are my savior.”
His mother used her body to earn a few coins, since she was on her late 40s and had a child, she couldn’t get enough men and eventually got poorer and poorer. Even though they grew poor she made sure that her baby could eat the best and she was certain he would end her suffering in his 5th birthday by awakening an attribute.
A day before his 5th birthday he asked his mother about attribute.
His mother started explaining about the attribute.
Attributes are the blessing of the gods to human. They were given to us when the world was at the brink of collapsing. The god made 2 attributes for us. One is the combat attribute and the other is healing attribute. You get your attribute when you turn 5. One of the fingernails will be painted either green or red. The red signifies the combat attribute and the green signifies the healing. The children of the gods are the only one with an attribute.
I and the people here in the Underworld did sins in our past life so we aren’t given any attribute but I am sure you will have it as I have prayed the heavens every single day when you were in my womb.
She waited patiently till he turned 5 years old. Upon waking up she rushed to see the fingernail of her child but to her displeasure the baby didn’t awaken, meaning that he was not a child of the gods and a former sinner like her.
Seeing her savior not have any attribute, she yelled, “You were supposed to be my salvation. Why. Why?... Why? Why you have any attribute? Why are you weak?” And started beating him.
Eventually she stopped and threw him out of her house.
She warned him to not show her his face ever again.
He became an orphan on his 5th birthday.
The young boy had no place to call home. He had to suffer in the Underworld for 2 weeks with no food and shelter. In the brink of death, the boy simply closed his eyes. A man saw him and took the fragile boy to his place. The boy lived.
The next day, when he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a beautiful young girl maybe a year or two older than him sleeping next to him. He looked at her closely; she had fair skin, curly brown hair, a pricked neck and a short nose, she looked beautiful. Seeing her, his heart raced, his face turned red, and his lips began moving closer to hers. It was the first time he had ever felt this way, and he couldn’t understand what was happening. As his lips drew nearer, his heart pounded faster, and his face flushed even more. Suddenly, the girl opened her eyes.
Seeing a boy so close to her she screamed. The boy jolted, stumbled back, and fell to the ground, shaken and confused.
“Oh! Sorry to frighten you, you are the boy that Papa brought yesterday, aren’t you?” said the girl in a gentle tone.
Before the boy could say anything more, the door creaked open. The boy looked over the door and saw lean man, carrying a tray with a bowl of steaming soup and a slice of bread. His gaze immediately shifted between the two children.
“You awake? Now help me carry these.” Said the man.
“Alright!” replied the girl and helped him carry the bowls.
The boy sat on the bed took a look at them as they kept the bowls in the sink and took a good look at the room, he realized that he was in the kitchen with a bed. Outside the door he saw several drinks displayed on the shelf.
He grasped and said, “A bar?”
“Exactly, and from now on you will be staying here with us.” Replied the girl.
“Staying with you?” He muttered.
“Yes, but first, what’s your name?” she asked.
“My name...umm I am not sure if you want to hear that.” said the boy with a griming voice.
“Just say it.” said the girl.
“My name is *****.” replied the boy.
As soon as the boy said his name a silent followed in the room. The name left both the girl and the bar owner speechless.
Grasp* “Are you sure, you said that correctly?” asked the bar owner.
“That’s not a good name.” screamed the girl.
The boy looked down at the floor.
She felt bad and said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“But that name, you can’t continue on with that name, you need a new one. Papa, can you name him?”
“Umm… Sorry can’t think of any, maybe you can name him.” Replied the man.
“Ahhh…. Ummm… L..Le…Leeo, Ahh Leo.?”
“Leo?” said the boy confused.
“Yes Leo, that’s your name now.” She smiled.
“Okay I am Leo and you are?” Asked Leo
She smiled and said, “I am Aira And that’s my Papa, Ronan.”
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Leo spent the next 5 years with Aira and Ronan at the bar finding a sense of belonging at the bar.
He handled maintenance while Ronan and Aira took care of orders and cooking. It wasn’t much, but it was home.
Ronan even taught them to read and write.
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Though he had long forgotten his mother’s face, her piercing words, “Why are you weak?” remained lingered in his mind, haunting him like a shadow he couldn’t escape.
One evening, when Aira and Ronan were out, a hooded man entered the bar. His presence was unsettling. He wore gloves on his right hand, but his left hand was bare, revealing all five fingernails painted red.
Leo froze; his eyes fixated on the man’s hand. He had never seen anyone with more than three red nails before. He said to himself, “This man is not ordinary.”
The hooded man sat at the counter and ordered a mug of beer. Leo served him cautiously, avoiding eye contact.
“Do you want to be as strong as me?” the man asked, his voice low and deliberate.
Leo’s mouth went dry. “Y-yes,” he stammered.
“Join the battle arenas” the man said simply. He downed his drink, placed a coin on the counter, and left.
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At night Leo was constantly thinking about the interaction he had in the bar.
“The Battle Arenas. I wonder what kind of place it is?”
“A place where you aren’t meant to go.” Said Aira.
“Ai..Aira You still awake. I thought you were sleeping.” Replied Leo as he was stunned by her sudden reply.
“I would have been sleeping if it weren’t for you constant fidgeting.” Said Aira.
“Sorry about that.” Leo apologized.
“It’s okay but why are you suddenly thinking about the arenas?” asked Aira.
Leo wanting to avoid talking about the strange interaction earlier replied, “Umm... Because they are the best place to earn, I mean we can earn 15 gold coins if we win a single match. That’s like 7 month of living expenses for us. We can earn so much. Also, we can have a separate bed to sleep on.”
“Stop being greedy, our bar already is the best earning bar here.”
“But still…”
“Stop talking! Let’s sleep now.” demanded Aira.
“Okay miss.”
THE NEXT MORNING
Leo woke up and did his usual chores like cleaning the tables, sweeping the floor and so on.
He still wasn’t able to forget about the hooded man and the battle arenas. Then,
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Suddenly the door was slammed open.
Some man with weapons arrived and screamed, “Ronan, you asshole, where’s our money?” and started massacring the bar. Leo tried to interrupt but they simply gave him a beating and threw him flying.
Ronan came and said, “Your money, I will return it, I promise.”
One of the men said, “We’ve given you enough time.”
They plundered the place and took the anything that was valuable.
“Nothing here is good.” and looked over to Ronan.
“I know some people who might give some good price for you.”
And then they took Ronan.
“Stop, please please don’t.” cried Aira.
One of them held the knife to Aira’s throat and said, “Listen, if you want him alive bring 1000 gold coins by a week in our place or else just simply forget him.”
She begged him saying a week was really short period to give the money.
“We’ve already given Ronan a full month but he couldn’t repay us. A week is a generous time.” and left with Ronan.
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Aira tried to convince Leo to not go to the brutal underworld but the efforts weren’t enough.
They were in desperate need of money and the battle arenas were the only options.
He fought the first battle, but the battle was too brutal for the young boy, and he lost. In the harsh Underworld the losers weren't paid.
One after another, Leo fought but never won. A sadist who enjoyed the pain and suffering of the little boy would often throw Leo petty cash for his entertainment. Unable to refuse the money, Leo had to lie down on the ground and take the money.
Aira had to aid him every day as Leo was constantly covered with bruises.
She advised him to leave the combat arenas but Leo countered, “Then how else can we get money.”
Aira couldn’t answer and remained still. She continued to aid him, as she aided him an ounce of tears dropped in Leo’s knee.
“Aira... After I win, you don’t have to worry.”
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After 15 brutal matches and no wins, Leo faced another child his age.
The boy was having his first battle in the arena against Leo, so he didn't know the rules and strategies of the fights. Because of this, Leo had an edge over him due to his experience in the arena. But the boy was much taller and more muscular so he gave Leo a hard time.
They were fairy matched till a one point where the boy had a chance to cut off one of Leo's arms but right when he was about to commit the deed, he trembled in fear. Leo, filled with determination, seized the opportunity and struck the sword into the boy's left eye.
After Leo brutally landed such a blow in his eyes, the boy cried out loud but Leo felt no guilt, no remorse, no empathy, the arena shaped Leo to be that way, the only thing he cared was the money.
After receiving the prize money of 1700 gold coins, Leo dashed to the bar with excitement. But things were different. He saw Ronan. Seeing him made him so happy that he dashed to him and gave him a tight hug.
“Ronan Ronan I am so glad you are safe.” said Leo and hugged him again.
“Aira! Aira! Ronan came back.” he screamed but no one replied. Aira wasn’t there.
He asked Ronan, “Where is Aira?”
Hearing this Ronan began to cry.
“Hey why are you crying, where... where is Aira?” Leo asked clearly concerned.
Ronan replied, “She volunteered to become their mistress. After they were done, they sold her in front of my eyes.”
“How! How could you let this happen to your daughter. Did you just let her do that..?” and punched Ronan with more and more punches his eyes became teary.
Ronan replied, “I tried to rescue her, but I failed. I was too weak to defend my daughter. Beat me Beat me more, no just kill me. I deserve to die”
He didn't have the mellow tone as he used to have, he was in severe grief. Leo stopped.
Ronan was in tears and screamed, “It's my fault. It's my fault, It's my fault...” repeatedly. Leo unable to see Ronan like that left the bar.
To distract his mind, he decided to walk in the alleyways of the underworld. The distraction didn't work as his mind was occupied by the thought of Aira. He even felt guilt for leaving the bar if he had stayed in the bar the outcomes may have different, he thought to himself.
Leo walked all day feeling helpless and unable to live with the events that unfolded.
After a while he wasn't even able to walk so, he sat down in the alleyways.
The hooded man appeared again in the alleyway and noticed Leo, he asked if he was not feeling great.
Leo answered in the positive.
The man gave him a cigarette and said, “Here you go it is a medicine that repairs pain.”
Leo took his first cigarette, and he felt relief.
He expressed his entire frustration, grief, sadness and other feelings he tried to bury as he continued smoking.
Leo in his first day of smoking smoked 64 cigarettes. He started an addiction at the mere age of 7.
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After a year.
Ronan still in despair somehow controlled himself and restored the bar after a month. Leo assisted him to rebuild the bar with the money he won.
Leo still continued to fight in the arenas and developed some tactics to survive like implanting poison in his opponent. In the underworld fight arenas, anything was allowed. Stabbing in vital organ, using dangerous poisons, stabbing from the back were some fair games in the battle arenas.
The year was rough for Leo as he had more loses than wins.
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In the year 1042, The young Leo with cigarette again walking in the alley saw the hooded man again but he had a knife with him. The knife was glowing red. It emitted bloodlust that Leo could feel down his spine. He slowly approached the hooded man.
Suddenly the area around Leo turned red and the hooded man asked, “Do you want power? Do want to be the strongest?”
Leo, thirsty for power, “Yes, I want to be the strongest. The one who is undefeated, the one who can change everything. I want to be the strongest.”
The hooded man smiled and remarked, “Very well.”
Leo was embraced by a red aura. The hooded man started to slowly consume Leo’s heart.Leo screamed at agony.
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The next morning Leo woke up. He immediately checked his body and his chest if something was abnormal. He looked over his fingernail, they were not painted. He thought if he was dreaming and went to the battle arenas.
The match was against a big middle-aged man. He was almost a foot taller than Leo. He was much quicker and stronger than Leo.
The bell rings, and the man charges like a bull, forcing Leo onto the defensive. The man wings with brutal precision. Leo ducks and sidesteps, his movements quick
but not enough to counter. Then the man feints a left hook, then delivers a crushing blow to Leo’s ribs, sending him skidding across the sand. Leo gasps for air, clutching his side. The man doesn’t let up, advancing relentlessly.
A kick from him connects with Leo’s midsection, slamming the boy into the arena wall. The crowd roars as Leo collapses to his knees. He grabs Leo by the neck and hoists him into the air. He delivers a punch that splits Leo’s lip, blood trickling down his chin. The blood hits the sand, and something shifts. Leo's breathing slows. His muscles tense unnaturally.
From seemingly nowhere, the same cursed knife materializes in Leo’s hand.
The hooded man tells Leo in his mind, “Now experience the greatest power.”
Leo’s lips curl into a grin. His eyes gleam with a savage light.
The man couldn’t see the knife and swings a heavy punch, but Leo isn’t there. He is already behind him.
The man looks behind.
Leo smirk and says, “Goodbye.” and proceed to punch him so hard he couldn’t even move.
He won the battle effortlessly. After the battle commenced, he heard voices in his heads, whispering “Blood…Blood...Blood”. The voices grew larger and larger by seconds, and he couldn’t stand listening to it, so he took out the knife and stabbed the knife into the opponent’s back as he was trying to stand upright. The Knife began sucking the blood till it drained every last blood drop from the body. Then the knife disappeared.
Leo smiled after seeing the bloodlust of the Knife.
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The next few matches before Leo's battle started off, Leo drew blood from his hand which triggered the knife to appear in his hand.
As soon as the bell rang, Leo dashed forward and landed a lighting fast kick, sending the enemy flying and in one fluid motion, he grabbed their wrist midair, pulling them down. As they failed, he delivered an effective blow in their guts instantly winning.
After the matches, Leo took the opponents to his home and pierce the knife into their body. He made sure no one would see him killing the bodies and he didn't want others to know about Cursed Knife. He also made sure to kill everyone who knew about his strength before the got the knife. The first one he killed was the sadist who enjoyed his pain when he was little.
He also made sure to kill everyone who knew about him and his strength before he got the knife. The first one he killed was the sadist who enjoyed his pain when he was little.
The only one he didn't kill was Ronan.
Due to the unbeatable record, Leo slowly ascended in infamy giving rise to his new epithet, “The Demon of The Underworld.”
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In the year 1061.
A shocking news of Leo’s capture and imprisonment.
This created a buzz in the Underworld, how could anyone strong as Leo be captured. Some were relieved some were skeptical, but everyone knew Leo the "Demon of The Underworld" was imprisoned.
A year after Leo’s imprisonment in the year 1062.
A mysterious fraction called the Dark Council rose to power in the underworld. They completely destroyed the existing mafias in the underworld and gained a complete power over the trade in the underworld. They claim to serve a single leader named “The Broker”
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Leo suffered from immense blood loss due to the knife because he can't kill anyone else. He had to stab himself in the legs, in the arms deeply so that he could feed the knife. He also had to hide the hide in the prison so no one could find the Knife. Leo had to give the Knife his blood everyday overtime due to the blood loss and terrible nutrition Leo started losing his muscular build. Leo occasionally managed to kill some prisoners, but their blood wasn't enough for the Cursed Knife.
Leo planned to breakout of the prison in the next years.
In the year 1064
After 2 years of planning and preparation, Leo was ready to enact the breakout next morning but that night, an intriguing figure of the Knight, Sheraphina.
Sheraphina was a high-ranking member of the Knights. She made an offer to Leo. An offer to join the Knights, specifically in the ranks of the special Assassin Block.
Leo was reasonably confused why he was being recruited despite being a criminal.
Sheraphina whispered, “You are special and so is your precious knife.”
Leo was intrigued he asked how she knew about the weapon. She let a smirk and said, “I have had my eyes on you, ever since you became a little bit of a hassle for us.”
She then talked about Broker's position in the underworld, Broker initially intended to control Leo using the knife but couldn't.
Leo upon learning that Broker was the reason cursed knife even existed laughed and declared, “I have more reasons to kill you now, Broker”
Sheraphina said that she would assist him in finding the Broker, and in return, Leo should help her as a knight in her block.
Leo asked, “Why do you want to help me, what's the catch here?”
Sheraphina replied “I have some special reasons to do so.”
Leo was hesitant but still agreed and told Sheraphina that he is not the one to follow orders like an obedient dog but will only follow order if he sees benefits.
Sheraphina agreed and told Leo that he has to abandon his name as Leo and join the Knight with a false name of Lahart Rose, the son of Dienhart Rose.
They discussed that Leo, “The Demon of The Underworld” is still in prison and Lahart Rose has decided to be a member of the Knights to serve the innocent.
Leo asked several questions regarding the Knights and his payment as a Knight. Sheraphina ensured Leo thar he would be paid handsomely by the Knights to cover his expenses.
They talked about Leo's identity as Lahart Rose.
“Who is Lahart Rose and why should I be him? won't anyone be suspicious if someone inquired about my combat skill?” asked Leo
Sheraphina told that Dienhart is a famous craftsman of Raphium Stream Port and also tell all that you were trained by Luthien Rose, the brother of Dienhart who a renowned Knight. Both of them are secretly working with Sheraphina.
Leo agreed and told the new name sounded good.
On the ninth month of the Year 1064, the former Demon of The Underworld aligned himself with The Knights.