"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, DEMON!"

Kizan yelled and took over me. He ran towards Terrence's kidnapper. I, on the other hand, had my mind preoccupied with increasing my stats. That was the only reason why I slowed down for a bit. If the Planer System didn't prompt me that a fight would ensue, the ones that would be in danger, would be myself and Kizan. Actually, I'm surprised that Kizan dashed past me like that, he's more of a cautious person that I. We didn't have a plan on what to do when we found the missing orphan. It's looks like Kizan's actions are the result not having a proper plan.

I picked up my speed, moving much faster than I previously could. In front, the kidnapper named Terrance turned back and looked surprised. He became calm and cautious, wearing a leather mail and gloves like those worn by freelancers, it gave me a sort of nostalgia. This man named Terrance appeared to be someone who walked out of the slums, he raised his nose and asked, "Do children these days lack respect for their elders."

The man's voice wasn't particularly deep, although he spoke calmly, he seemed annoyed. We approached, Kizan and I didn't get too close. Perhaps it was out of fear or maybe, it was out of courage that we came this close in the first place. I felt it to be the latter, it's only because Kizan is beside me that I dared to get this close to the kidnapper. I think it's the same for Kizan as well.

Kizan shouted, "YOU THINK WE'LL RESPECT SOMEONE WHO TREATED A CHILD THE WAY YOU DO?"

"HMPH!" Terrence said darkly, "How I discipline my child is none of your business."

"YOUR CHIL-"

I cut Kizan off and said strongly, "Stealing children from an orphanage and claiming him to be your own, only shows what an asshole you are!"

"YOU!!!"

I surprised myself with that line, Terrance appeared enraged. Before today, I didn't know what an asshole was. It was one of the many words that the Planer System fed me with, it seemed to me that it was one of the common words used in a situation like that one I'm in now. Kizan, who was at my side, looked confused as well. Well, we grew up in an orphanage, words of insult are not expressed in the home we grew up in. But the man before me had taken what I said to heart.

The man tossed the weak child aside, young Terrance fell with a thump. The man reached for his waist and from behind him, a dagger came out. It was a curved blade, too small to call it a knife but not long enough to consider it a sword. The elder Terrance came at me. It could've been because I called him what he is, maybe it's because I exposed his crime. Whatever it was, he was coming towards me and that was scary. The man's speed was high and a burst of heat came from nowhere.

I had never faced a situation like this before. The man cast a spell of some sort, it raised the heat around us. At least that was what I thought. The man drew his arm back then the dagger he held arked forward. I was scared, this was a battle using magic. At home, at most, if we ever fought, it was usually punching and kicking and rolling over each other. Instinctively I leaned back and jumped. Still, I wasn't fast enough.

It wasn't that I didn't dodge the blade, rather, the wave of heat that followed the blade in a crescent caught me. A neat tear across my chest manifested. The point of the tear on my sweater melted against my skin and a thick line burned my chest where a cut should've been. No, I did get cut but the heat wave prevented any blood from leaking out. I had no time to be happy about not bleeding, the pain coming from the burn was intense. I tried to rub on it with my hand to numb the hurt but to no avail.

Terrance stepped closer suddenly, the dagger was coming at me in reverse. I did my best to step out of the way of the in coming blade, even after increasing my Agility stat I wasn't fast enough to beat the dagger. I shot my foot forward, although I couldn't evade, the sole of my foot met the arm that held the hot dagger. Some how I managed to prevent the blade from approaching any further.

I realized that the Agility stat focused on movement speed and evasion, whereas my Dexterity stat gave rise to reaction speed and proficiency. My reaction speed was higher than my movement speed. That was how I was able stop the dagger from doing something I don't want to imagine.

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Kizan howled, "HAA!!!"

Out of nowhere a leg came swinging, heading for the man. It wasn't me who kicked out, that was Kizan. His leg shot out vertically but the man managed to get out of the way, Kizan missed!

The man turned to Kizan, thrusting the blade without remorse. My heart had long since been pounding, seeing the dagger come at Kizan, I lunged forward. I caught hold of the shirt Kizan wore and yanked him back as hard as I could muster. How far the tip the blade was from him, I didn't know but I managed to pull Kizan out of the dagger's range. Kizan fell behind me.

My breathing was heavy, there was no time to think and yet I was gathering my thoughts. All the power that the man has, it was being focused on the dagger in his hand. I need to sperate it from him if we are to have a fighting chance. It was possible for us to run away but that would mean leaving child Terrance behind. That child was in front of us but in front of that child was his kidnapper.

What do I do?

I had no clue but then, a warm energy flowed into me. It didn't come from the Planer System and obviously not from the kidnapper. My chest didn't lessen in pain but my body felt a lot lighter. The Planer System immediately notified me of what happened, it spoke in its foreign accent while a tiny cog appeared. The cogwheel showed me what the system had said before disappearing.

System: Host is affect by support spell, Swift Wind Stepping. Host's Agility rank increased by three stages.

Incredible! I felt a lot lighter but I couldn't rejoice or acknowledge whoever cast a spell on me. I had to focus on the man in front. Since he lost his target, Kizan, naturally, I was the next option. The man pulled back the hot dagger, he was intending to thrust the blade into me. I stepped back, waiting for the blade to come forward. I was nervous but the I knew had to get the dagger away from that man.

The dagger launched itself. When it started I had also kicked forward, my intention was to hit the dagger out of the man's hand. That was the only way, I was uncomfortable with using my bare hands or my body. What if I got hurt badly or worse, lose my life? I hoped for the best with my current dexterity.

The hot blade of the dagger approached, yet my round kick was off the mark. It missed the man's wrist and the dagger inched closer. Although the result didn't turn out the way I wanted, the tip of my shoe managed to crash into Terrance's arm.

"Ahh!"

The man gasped, his forearm bent, off setting the power and accuracy of the strike. Terrance lost his grip on the dagger as well as his balance. I saw him tumble, however, it didn't look all the menacing. Terrance's fall wouldn't leave any injury on him. On the other hand, I wasn't as fortunate, the dagger still came at me. The dagger's aim was off, it wouldn't reach my body but it did claim the surface of my arm.

"ARGH!!"

The hot blade of the dagger got me in the arm, a hand length below my shoulder. The sleeve of my sweater withered while the burning dagger's tip pierced me. The sharpness supported by the heat enhancement was beyond what my body could handle. The dagger's sharpness, weight, momentum and temperature caused it to cut out of my flesh. I was left with a gash. This time blood spilled. Just like the kidnapper, I lost my own balance fell to the side. I cutched my arm tightly as I rolled over. The pain from my wound was worse than what I got on my chest. Worse still, the pouring blood burned, it gave me a severe impression of lava flowing.

I started to hear the sinister voice of the Planer System.

System: Host afflicted with Bleeding. Host afflicted with Burn.

I didn't care about about what the system was telling me, I couldn't concentrate on my surroundings as all my attention went to tolerating the pain. I knew I had to get off the ground and see what that man was doing and see what had happened to the blade. With one eye closed as I cringed, nearby I saw a silhouette swiftly move. It was Kizan, he bent over to lift the blade. As he started, the blade dropped from his hand, Kizan made painful expression before lowering both his hands to pick up the dagger.

Kizan made quick movements, he grabbed the the dagger and flung it further away from us. He started to shake his hand rapidly, I could only guess that the dagger was in no position to be held unless you could endure the fire element.

PAK!!!

Kizan dashed past me, he seemed to hit something. I struggled to get on my feet and managed to turn over. The kidnapper fell on his back. Kizan held a leg out to him, I could tell that Kizan definitely planted the tip of his shoe on the man's face. Kizan stepped forward and with the opposite leg, it launched towards the man's crotch.

"OHHHH!!!"

The man named Terrance turned over and curled, holding his man parts. Kizan looked at another place and commanded, "RUN RUN RUN!!!"

Hearing Kizan speak so strongly, I could hear quick movements happening behind me. I can only guess that the child began running, as for myself, I was encouraged by Kizan to escape. I began to get to my feet. The burning in the blood started to subside and bleeding stopped soon after. I was suffering from the wound, though it was a small cut on my flesh, the burn still hurt. Kizan came to my side and grabbed me, he helped me up and we ran for it. I wasn't as fast as I was previously, my body kept flinching due to the pain coming from my burning wounds.

Kizan ran faster and caught up with the kid. He grabbed hold of the kid and shot out of the alley and into open road. I followed behind at a more slower pace but I went all out without daring to look back. I don't know what would happen should the kidnapper come after us, me in particular.

What the...

"Ow!"

Something rammed into me from the back. I toppled over only fo find Terrance the kidnapper on top of me. It wound be a lie if I claimed to be a brave, right now I was more chicken than anything. The man was angry, no furious! He got on his feet and began a plethora of booting and stomping and several raw words left his mouth. I could only cover my head and testicles, any other place could recover after some time. Under the relentless attack I was facing I could hear the robotic voice of the Planer System .

System: Quest, Finding The Lost Orphan has been completed.