"I'm here. Don't lose hope." Young Varian said while shielding the young Sia behind him.
In front of them was a large mantis. It was not a magic beast but a Level 0 monster.
There were animals that mutated due to aura but weren't strong enough to make it to the Level 1.
Such monsters were Level 0s.
Young Varian and Sia were facing such a foe.
They both looked to be around 14 years.
Young Varian's physique was refined, showing the signs of his arduous training. The gauntlets he wore were not star treasures and had many scratches on them.
Sia held a black sword. Her hands were shaking, and there were tears in the corner of her eyes.
There was a long cut across her hand. The pain caused her to cry out, and she tried to suppress it.
"Sia." His voice sounded.
She looked at his back and stopped trembling.
His shirt was torn in half. There were multiple cuts on his hands and back. However, he stood straight and glanced at his target with a firm gaze.
"I never killed any monster. I thought killing was bad. But…" He looked at the monster in front of him and clenched his fists.
"To protect someone more important, it's ok to sacrifice some things." He said and dashed to the monster.
Screech!
The mantis lifted its blades.
"Come." Varian reached the large creature and raised his hand to attack.
Swish!
The blade cut through the air and aimed for Varian's neck.
He ducked, and the next moment; he jumped.
"Die!"
He swung his fist with all his strength, and his gauntlet crashed into the head of the mantis.
Crack.
"Sreech!"
The mantis staggered back and screamed. Its head was injured, but it was not dead yet. However, the severity of the injury was so high that it collapsed.
Young Varian landed on the ground and panted.
He stretched his arm and muttered, "To protect, if I must kill, then kill I will."
Varian watched everything in silence and confusion.
'My first kill?'
'What happened to my memory…'
He shifted his gaze to Sia.
Her golden hair was dirtied with dust, and she had many bruises on her arms and legs.
'She must be fighting as well.'
"Sia, close your eyes." Young Varian said.
"N-No. I-I will not backdown n-ow. I want to help you f-ight." Sia was trembling, but walked up to him.
Her eyes were looking at the mantis that was shaking its head.
Young Varian glanced at her injuries for a moment and then back at the collapsed mantis.
"Alright." He smiled at her.
"Yay!" Sia's lips curled up, and she pumped her fist.
"Then let's kill it together." He proposed.
"E-h?!" Sia staggered back and covered her mouth.
Looking at the grotesque creature's head, and its blood flowing down its injuries, she had an urge to vomit.
"N-no." Her head shook like a rattle's tail.
Young Varian sighed at her antics. "We were just searching for a place to train and encountered this thing."
He walked towards the mantis and continued, "One day, we have to face Abyssals. I was thinking about this all the time. Some creatures you have to kill."
He then pointed to the long cut on her arm and said, "Especially since it injured you."
He raised his fist and—
Bang!
Crunch!
The mantis head was crushed to meat paste.
Sia saw its head blown into pieces and the juices splattered all over.
"Vomit!" She threw up and closed her ties.
She tried to forget the scene but couldn't. It was imprinted in her mind and refused to budge.
'Vomiting just for this. Tsk. It's true that young people have no experience.' Even though he was almost dying a few moments ago, Varian felt light-hearted seeing the scene.
As a response,
"Vomit."
Young Varian also threw up.
'Hey! Aren't I supposed to be mentally stronger? What happened to all the talk?' He questioned.
Sia couldn't vomit anymore. She looked at Varian and realized he too just finished.
After cleaning themselves up, they walked out of the abandoned warehouse.
"I was just accompanying you." Varian suddenly spoke.
"In what?" Sia glanced at him and covered her mouth.
"In throwing up of course." Young Varian raised his hand and declared like it was natural.
"Pfft." Sia laughed and said, "Yes, sir. I'm very grateful."
"You better be." Young Varian nodded with a serious face.
"Haha. " Then they both laughed together.
As they exited the neighborhood, their laughter died down.
Sia looked at her own injuries and saw his injuries. Then she pouted and asked. "Why are you not afraid?"
Young Varian gave her a bewildered look. "Of course I am afraid."
"But you don't yell in fear."
"I yell inside."
Sia glanced at her feet and said. "I don't like the pain. It hurts. I feel like I am the weaker one and dragging you down."
Young Varian stopped. Sia, too, stopped and looked at him.
He patted her and said, "I cried a lot of times from pain. You're not the only one."
He pointed to the injuries on his body and grinned. "Each of these is hurting like hell. Especially the one that almost sliced my chest open."
"But my training hurts even more." He laughed out loud.
Sia rolled her eyes at him.
'Honestly, what kind of madman was I?' Varian face palmed himself. But he couldn't deny the optimism.
Without knowing, he too was being influenced.
Young Varian held her hand and started walking.
"Hey, why?" Sia questioned, but didn't stop him.
"Why? You're still trembling." Young Varian pointed to her trembling body. She still hadn't gotten over the experience.
Sia blushed and shook her head.
"It's alright. I hope that one day you will be a brave awakener fighting along with me." He chuckled.
Sia's face brightened.
"I will do my best."
"Then stop trembling." He replied.
"Excuse me." Sia looked at him in the eye.
"N-nothing." Young Varian looked nonchalant.
'....'
"I might never be able to be like you." She whispered under her breath.
"Stupid!" Young Varian shook his head and said.
"Never lose hope. Say 'I will never lose hope.'"
"I will never lose hope."
As they walked into the distance, the scene crumbled and Varian found himself facing the fanatical rats.
This time, his eyes had something other than despair.
"I will never lose hope."