The journey began with only a limited amount of money—around 5 Reo.
Haruto, Leo, and Ryuk walked quietly through the forest. The forest was calm, almost eerily so. Birds perched on high branches, and small animals peeked at them from a distance, observing cautiously.
After an hour of walking, they reached a small local restaurant tucked along a worn path. The three entered, their eyes scanning the interior.
Ryuk, carrying 5 Reo as well, combined with Haruto's 5, gave them a total of 10 Reo. They approached the counter and ordered food for themselves. The total cost came to 3 Reo for the food, with 1 Reo each for Haruto and Ryuk. They would also have to pay for Leo's meal, as he had no money.
"Hey, didn't you teleport here many years ago?" Ryuk asked curiously. "Why don't you have any money or something?"
"When I teleported, I lived in the forest," Leo replied proudly. "That's why I can't use money properly. I don't even know much mathematics."
"That means whatever money we earn from hunting will only be divided between me and Ryuk," Haruto said, his voice calm. "If we gave money to Leo, he might lose it, and with our limited funds, we can't afford that risk."
"Sure, I have no problem with that," Ryuk replied, shrugging.
"I don't care about money," Leo said simply. "I just want to fight the strong."
"By the way, Haruto, I've never seen you show any emotions," Ryuk said. "You always stay so calm."
"I never show emotions," Haruto replied evenly. "I have never cried, I have never smiled, and I have never shown anything on my face."
"Not even when you were born?" Ryuk asked, intrigued.
"According to my parents, yes. I never showed anything from the day I was born," Haruto replied without hesitation.
Soon after, their food arrived. Haruto ordered some plain meat, Ryuk got noodles, and Leo—true to his appetite—ordered fifty rice balls. He began eating as if he hadn't eaten for ten whole years, shoving rice into his mouth frantically. Plates were smashed and rice scattered across the floor as he ate in complete chaos.
Unfortunately, those were the restaurant owner's favorite plates. Seeing them destroyed, the owner became extremely angry and moved to confront Leo. Haruto and Ryuk quickly intervened, apologizing and trying to calm him.
The owner, still fuming, shouted curses at Leo, his voice cracking with rage. "I dare you! I will send you straight to hell, you pig!"
Even after the staff intervened and calmed him down, Haruto and Ryuk had to pay for the destroyed plates. The total cost came to 7 Reo, leaving the three of them completely penniless.
Ryuk groaned in frustration. "We shouldn't have brought him. He only creates problems."
"It's not like that," Haruto said calmly. "He might create some problems, but at least he can fight alongside us."
"That's fine, but what do we do now? We have no money," Ryuk muttered.
"We will hunt animals and eat them," Leo replied casually.
"Shut up, you pig," Ryuk shouted.
Haruto, ever the strategist, spoke up. "Right now, we need a jackpot. We have to defeat an animal that has very high value."
"But how will we find such an animal?" Ryuk asked.
"When we were in the restaurant, I asked the staff where we could find a bar," Haruto said. "I know there's one nearby."
"And what do we do in a bar?" Ryuk asked, puzzled.
"In the bar, we can find groups of hunters," Haruto explained. "We can team up with them and locate high-value animals to hunt."
"Oh, so let's go. We have to move now," Ryuk said.
As they walked toward the bar, Haruto thought to himself: I don't have any rituals. I need to get them as soon as possible. He glanced down at his gloves, making sure everything was in place.
After some walking, they finally reached the bar and entered. At first, they sat quietly, observing. Haruto analyzed the room, noting where hunters might be found, while Ryuk spoke with the bar owner, asking about possible hunts.
After a while, a group of thieves burst in, demanding money from the owner. When he refused, Ryuk tensed, ready to attack—but Haruto raised a hand. "Stay calm. We don't know their power."
One of the thieves activated a ritual. For a moment, his eyes locked on Haruto. Suddenly, he saw something impossible—two clocks and multiple wheels hovering around Haruto's head, along with a strange, unexplainable energy flowing through his body.
The thief screamed in agony.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
In his mind, he was transported into a different world—everywhere, clocks and wheels rotated endlessly. A flood of information overwhelmed him, far beyond what a human could process. In the real world, his body aged rapidly. Skin turned brittle, joints creaked, and he collapsed as a skeletal husk. The thief was dead.
The remaining thieves froze in shock. Even Haruto, Ryuk, and Leo were stunned, unsure of what had just happened.
Ryuk leaned toward Haruto, whispering in disbelief, "Did you do that?"
"I swear, I don't know what just happened," Haruto replied evenly, his calm face betraying nothing.
The group, assuming Haruto was responsible, fired their weapons. Haruto dodged effortlessly. Suddenly, a gust of wind tore through the bar, scattering the thieves. Seven figures appeared, one wielding a staff. The wind attack had come from them.
The staff wielder activated a ritual that put every thief to sleep. Soon after, kingdom army soldiers arrived, arresting the thieves. Haruto watched with silent admiration, finally turning his gaze toward the mysterious figure who had intervened.