The door opened—but it wasn't the old man Xien remembered.
It was an elderly woman.
Seeing Xien standing at the entrance, she looked puzzled. She didn't recognize this young man at all.
"May I ask… who are you?"
A short while later—
After Xien explained who he was and why he'd come, the old woman warmly invited both him and Ryuu inside, seating them on chairs.
"Oh—so it's you, young man. Ever since Hawk came back, he's been talking about you nonstop." Her eyes shone with heartfelt gratitude. "Thank you… truly, for saving my old man. Here—this is something I made myself. If you don't mind, have a taste."
Her extraordinary warmth instantly soothed Xien's earlier anxiety. The first person who had ever reached out to help him… felt different in a way that words couldn't easily capture.
She opened a storage cabinet, brought out homemade pastries, and handed them to the two while praising him kindly.
Though she was old, her movements were nimble. Her hands were rough—but carried a comforting warmth.
For her, the days before had been agony.
Her husband had vanished without warning. Their children had searched everywhere, exhausting themselves—yet found nothing.
When she and her family had finally accepted that her husband was dead…
A near-miracle happened.
A few days ago, when the Adventurers' Guild published the list of survivors rescued by Astraea Familia, she found her husband's name.
She rushed to the sanatorium with her children, trembling with emotion—and saw the man she'd been longing for.
After the joy of reunion, she learned the truth from him:
A child had saved his life.
So she was deeply grateful to those children who had helped them—and especially after hearing about the boy who had saved her husband at the most critical moment.
Every day, she prayed with gratitude for that boy's safety and happiness.
Others might not understand, but to an old woman already halfway into the grave, every moment with her lifelong partner was precious beyond measure.
So when she looked at the young man who had preserved her hope…
Her gaze was even warmer than what she'd give her own grandson.
And to meet him like this today—by surprise—made her happier than she could bear.
"N-no… of course not," Xien hurriedly waved his hands, flustered by the affection. "It's the old man who took care of me."
"What a good child," she said, smiling. "You seem to be doing well—now we can finally rest easy. He hasn't come back from work yet, so… it's a bit unlucky."
Recently, her husband had finally returned to work. He still needed a few steady days to settle back in.
Their children did bring them supplies and money sometimes, but they refused most of it. The kids had their own lives—and besides, the old couple weren't helpless yet. They could still do simple work.
"It's fine," Xien said gently. "I happened to be in the area on duty today, so I came by. Mainly to see if he's been doing well. And… please accept these."
He set down the basic supplies he'd brought.
"It's just a small token. It's nothing to me now—think of it as something that lets me feel at ease."
At first, the old woman didn't want to accept it. But seeing the hope in Xien's expression—and noticing his rather expensive-looking gear—she finally decided that, for his peace of mind, she would take it.
"Well… since you say so, thank you, young man."
After that, they chatted for a while—simple family talk. Xien, with his quick wit, kept making her laugh.
But they still had duties to perform, and it wasn't appropriate to linger. After promising to come visit again when he had time, Xien and Ryuu left under the old woman's fond gaze.
A weight in Xien's chest seemed to lift. His mood brightened considerably.
He hadn't met the old man himself, which was a pity—but he'd memorized the location. There would be time later.
Looking at the smiles of the neighborhood around him, he began to understand why the Familia did this kind of thankless work.
Just like he wanted stories to have happy endings…
What people truly sought was the kind of happiness that let their hearts be calm.
Fate was already cruel enough—yet they still had to suffer persecution from that pack of scum.
Thinking that way, the clash of values—and the enemy line—became sharper in his mind.
Even if only to protect his own inner peace…
Those people had to be eradicated.
That moment of realization made him feel like he'd grown again. He refocused on his work.
He turned his head toward Ryuu.
The elf, as always, remained quiet—eyes serious as she swept the surroundings, confirming nothing was out of place.
Perhaps sensing his gaze, she turned and looked back, confused by the way he was staring.
"What? Is there something on my face?"
"No," Xien said with a sincere smile. "I just… feel like, that day, being the first person I met… was you. And that's really great."
He spoke honestly.
Just like the old couple, the beautiful elf also held a special place in his heart.
Ryuu lowered her head—
Then thwack.
A not-very-hard chop landed on Xien's head.
"Ow."
Xien clutched his head and exaggerated the pain.
"If you know it hurts, then do your job properly," Ryuu said, walking ahead. "Stop spacing out…"
She didn't look back, but for some reason, her always-steady steps seemed… a little flustered.
Xien noticed, and smiled to himself.
"Yes, ma'am. I know I was wrong. I'm coming…"
Up ahead, if you looked closely, you'd see Ryuu's cheeks had already turned red.
For a pure-hearted elf, that honest remark had hit far too hard.
Xien quickened his pace to catch up—
And then—
A fleeting inner sensation flashed through him, and his guard snapped up.
He scanned the surroundings.
Nothing obvious.
He frowned. That wariness—tested over a long time—shouldn't be wrong.
Unless…
There was another reason.
Is my perception still not enough?
Then I'll boost it.
Sharingan—activate.
For the first time in this world, his eyes turned a vivid crimson.
The details around him sharpened. Blind angles became visible. And at last—
A suspicious figure flickered through a cold, narrow side lane and caught his attention.
He moved, and his words reached Ryuu at the same time.
"Ryuu—over there. That kid in rags with the gray bundle. Something's off…"
His speed was already more than enough to deal with a child.
Before the target could even properly react, Xien seized them in a single motion.
"Let go of me, bastard…"
Definitely suspicious.
The reaction was unusually violent—and in a crowded market, they weren't even shouting for help.
Xien didn't give them room to respond.
Using a set of Bajiquan grappling holds to pin them down—absolute overkill for a kid—he tore off the bundle that had triggered his warning instincts and tossed it to the arriving Ryuu.
"Careful. This thing feels dangerous."
Ryuu immediately understood. She took it and opened it carefully.
What she saw made her heart jump.
Inside was a bomb made from firestone, already in a half-armed state.
In Orario, this was contraband.
If it detonated, the blast would be comparable to a high-level offensive magic strike—enough to flatten a small building in an instant.
Even a Level 3 wouldn't survive a direct hit.
If bombs like this were scattered throughout the West District…
The consequences would be unimaginable.
Xien stared into the child's eyes.
There was only hollow hatred—mechanical, self-less, as if the emotion had been installed rather than born.
In an instant, sorrow and unspeakable rage surged from deep inside him.
He'd seen that look before—back in his previous world, through the internet—on children from war zones.
Then the child's identity was basically clear.
And his hatred for those scum rose to another level.
They were using children as human bombs?
Xien knocked the child out with a single strike and handed them to Ryuu.
"The situation is critical, Xien," Ryuu said immediately. "Go back and contact the captain—and notify the Guild…"
Instinctively, she wanted Xien out of the area and to fetch reinforcements, in case more danger was coming.
"No, Ryuu," Xien said, grim. "If you find one cockroach in a room, it means the dark corners are already occupied."
"You mean… don't tell me—"
Ryuu's eyes widened. With that reminder, she understood.
"Yes," Xien said with a bitter smile. "It won't be just this one. And it looks like a coordinated plot. If we spook them, the fallout will be catastrophic."
"Then now…"
"We have to notify the Familia and the Guild as fast as possible. This isn't just one Familia's problem anymore. They need to make a decision at the top and evacuate civilians immediately."
They didn't know where the bombs were, or when they'd be triggered. The enemy was hidden, and they were exposed—hopelessly disadvantaged. This was far beyond what the two of them could handle.
Ryuu understood what he meant.
The fastest person here was her.
Ganesha Familia members—mostly Level 2 at best—couldn't keep up with her speed.
But…
How could she leave him alone in this danger?
"Then you—come wi—"
Before she could finish, Xien cut her off, motioning for her to look into his different eyes.
He intended to dismantle as much of this as possible.
With his "flow state" and the Sharingan, the plan forming in his mind felt highly feasible.
"These eyes are sharp enough. It's my new ability—lets me spot clues. And that warning feeling… you saw it too. I can sense that 'sting.'"
Ryuu gritted her teeth. No time to be shocked at his abnormal ability—only worry for how dangerous what he was about to do would be.
"This is too dangerous, Xien."
The child they'd grabbed would be discovered missing soon. And once that happened, no one could predict what the enemy would do.
"It's fine," Xien said steadily. "Don't forget who I am. If I don't want to die, it'll take effort to kill me. And this is Orario—high-level enemies won't dare show themselves openly. Plus, I've got this gear. I'll be fine. Please—go, now."
Ryuu stared at him for a long moment.
Then she yielded—because time was the most precious resource.
"Understood. Wait for us."
Not good with words, she used only that single sentence to declare her resolve.
By the name of the Gale—she would inform everyone at the fastest speed possible, and return.
"Yes."
Time was tight.
It was time to run.
Two figures burst off in opposite directions at full speed, each carrying a mission that couldn't afford even a second's delay.
Deep in Xien's consciousness, with the system's support, a 3D map of the area began to form—preventing him from doubling back into repeated streets.
His "flow" was like vision through the fog of war. The district became clearer, bit by bit.
But it still wasn't enough.
His "vision radius" was only a few meters—barely enough to cover even the buildings on both sides of the street.
He needed a solution—immediately.
"Orange Cat. Can One Thought: God and Demon enhance Flow?"
"It can, meow. But there should be a time limit—about half an hour, meow."
"That's enough."
Xien smiled.
This dungeon expedition had increased his magic capacity significantly. And there was another point: circulating the breathing method to strengthen his body didn't consume magic.
The only steady drain was the Sharingan.
And that consumption… he could still afford.
No hesitation.
With a shift of will—
One Thought: God and Demon—activate.
"Flow" advanced into "Mind."
At the same time, his breathing method ran, boosting his physical ability.
Xien's speed jumped sharply. He became a crimson afterimage weaving through the streets, and with the Sharingan's dynamic vision, he almost perfectly avoided the flow of pedestrians.
The environment blurred past.
His sixth sense flared fully open as he hunted for any matching threat.
Soon, he found more clues.
A child hiding in a corner to avoid detection didn't even have time to react—only saw a red shadow flash—
Then lost consciousness.
No time to deal with the kid. Xien left the unconscious body in place, seized the bundle, and moved on.
Not just bundles on children—
Even bombs that had already been placed were discovered and confiscated one after another.
As soon as he found them, he handed them off at high speed to nearby Ganesha Familia patrol members.
The situation was urgent, and he didn't wait for their reaction.
All he left behind was:
"I'm from Astraea Familia. Careful—this is a bomb. Dispose of it. Gather people and evacuate civilians—there's an ambush."
Then he vanished again.
Only after he was gone did the Ganesha Familia member truly register what had been shoved into their hands—
And nearly dropped it in panic.
....
My Patreon : patreon/RuneA
If you want to read the novel in advance, you can subscribe for early access. I also have many more novels in my collection that you might be interested in
I upload ten novels a day, with 3 to 4 chapters per title depending on the length. If you're following a particular series, please wait your turn a little
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it