The road beyond the town stretched far and quiet. The stone path slowly turned into dirt, and the noise of the town faded behind them.
Ren walked in front, his steps steady. Anna followed closely, holding the edge of his shirt so she wouldn't get lost.
It didn't take long before they reached the edge of the forest road.
A cold wind brushed against their faces, and the shadows of the leaves swallowed their bodies. Anna remained quiet, but Ren could hear the hesitation in her footsteps.
"Are you scared?"
Ren asked while walking without turning back. Anna followed behind him.
"Y-yes," Anna replied softly, clutching the hem of Ren's shirt tighter.
"Why are you scared?"
"B-because… it's my first time leaving the town."
Ren slowed his steps slightly. The wind rustled the leaves above them, making soft whispering sounds.
Ren glanced slightly to the side, though he still didn't turn fully toward her.
"The first step is always the hardest," he said calmly.
Anna looked down at the ground as she walked, watching her small feet step over roots and stones.
"What if… something bad happens?" she asked quietly.
"Something bad will happen," Ren replied honestly. "The world isn't gentle."
Anna's grip on his shirt tightened again.
"But," Ren continued, his voice steady, "don't worry. I can handle anything."
Anna looked up at him, her eyes wide and uncertain, but a small spark of trust had begun to grow.
"I… I believe you," she whispered, still holding his shirt tightly.
Ren didn't say anything. He kept walking, his steps calm and steady, leading her deeper into the forest.
The sunlight faded as the trees grew taller and thicker, casting long shadows over the dirt path.
Birds chirped quietly in the distance, and the wind carried the scent of earth and leaves.
For Anna, every step was both frightening and exciting. She had never been outside the town before, but walking behind Ren made her feel… protected.
Ren glanced at her briefly, noticing her small hand gripping his shirt. A faint warmth stirred inside him, though his face remained calm.
"Keep close," he said softly. "And don't let go."
Anna nodded, her fear easing a little as they continued forward together.
"Wait. How old are you?" Ren asked.
Anna started counting on her fingers, her little brow furrowed in concentration. She wiggled each finger as she counted carefully.
"One… two… three… four… five… six!"
"Six! I'm six!" she said, raising her hand proudly, her eyes shining with excitement.
Then suddenly, Anna became embarrassed by what she had said. She lowered her hands and looked down.
Ren stared at her for a moment, a small smirk appearing on his face. He reached out and patted her head gently.
"You're older than I thought," he said softly.
Anna's cheeks flushed red, and she hugged herself tightly, feeling shy under Ren's gaze.
"I-I… I'm not that old!" she mumbled, glancing up quickly, then looking away again.
Ren chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Don't worry, six is still very young. But you're strong for your age."
Anna's eyes widened a little at his words. "S-strong?" she asked, her voice small but curious.
"Yes," Ren replied firmly. "Strong enough to survive and keep standing."
Anna nodded slowly, feeling a little braver as they continued down the forest path.
The trees swayed above them, and the wind whispered softly through the leaves, carrying a quiet sense of freedom for the two walking together.
Having someone with him wasn't so bad after all. It felt strange, but… kind of nice.
As they went deeper into the forest road, the wind changed. A strange scent filled the air, like rusted metal mixed with dead grass.
From behind the trees, eyes watched them, as if preparing to ambush.
Ren had sensed it from the beginning. From their first step into the forest, he had felt the presence of people with hostile intent.
He simply ignored them. He wanted Anna to understand that the world could be cruel for the weak. It was a lesson—this world they belonged to was not simple or kind.
One by one, armed men emerged from where they were hiding. Swords, spears, and bows glinted in the dim light. They surrounded Ren and Anna like wolves closing in on their prey.
"So you finally show yourselves," Ren said calmly.
"Hahaha!" their leader shouted, gripping a massive axe. "Young man, if I were you, I'd kneel and beg! Then I'll kill you without pain! Hahaha!"
The men around Ren and Anna burst into laughter, their voices echoing through the forest.
Anna froze, her small hands trembling as she grabbed Ren's shirt tightly.
Ren stayed silent, he wasn't worried about the men, he was worried about Anna.
He wondered how it felt—like a small rabbit waiting for death while wolves circled around.
Ren let out a soft sigh.
He knelt in front of Anna and took a piece of cloth from his bag. Gently, he wrapped it over her eyes.
Anna flinched slightly. "M-Mister…?"
"This is how the world works," Ren said calmly. "If you're weak, the strong will devour you. Remember that."
The bandits laughed louder, thinking he had given up.
Ren slowly stood up. "Anna, right?" he said calmly.
Anna lifted her head toward where his voice came from and nodded.
"Stay still here. And cover your ears."
Anna did as Ren said. She covered her ears tightly and sat down on the ground.
Then Ren's eyes shifted to the leader. He walked slowly toward him, calm and unbothered. This felt like nothing to him. The only thought in his mind was how many coins he might get from this.
"Hey! Are you out of your mind? I'm an Expert Stage!" the leader yelled, spreading his arms. "And they're Disciple Stage! You think you can take all of us?"
"Expert? Disciple?" Ren replied, confused. "What… is that?"
"Hmm… doesn't matter," Ren said calmly. "You're all going to die here.
The leader froze for a moment, his confident grin faltering. A chill crawled up his spine.
He glanced at his men, who were confident and smiling, ready for battle. The leader shook his head, thinking he must be imagining things.
"We are many… so why do I feel fear?" he thought, his eyes returning to Ren.
Then suddenly, an explosion echoed through the forest. The leader froze, shock crossing his face as he shifted his gaze toward the sound.
A headless man collapsed to the ground, blood scattering over the leaves and trees.
A man nearly the explosion with a sword, barely alive, fell to the ground, his face twisted in fear and shock.
"Arghh!!!" he screamed.
The leader stood frozen, disbelief in his eyes. Then his gaze returned to Ren, burning with rage as he gripped his axe tightly.
"You… what did you do! I'll kill y—"
Before he could finish, another explosion ripped through the forest. But it wasn't just one, explosions erupted side by side, echoing like thunder.
The ground trembled as the explosions echoed again and again. Blood covered the ground, flowing between the roots and soaking the leaves. The air smelled thick with iron and death.
One by one, the men fell, their bodies lying motionless on the forest floor.
The leader's hands trembled as he looked around. His confident army was gone in seconds. He dropped to his knees, his face filled with fear and terror.
Only silence remained.
Ren continued walking toward him, stepping through the chaos. His expression was calm, almost bored.
There was no weapon in his hands. No sign of effort, and not a single emotion showed on his face for the dead men around him.
The leader's breathing became heavy and uneven.
"T-this… this is impossible…" he muttered, his voice shaking.
Ren stopped just a few steps away from him. His footsteps were soft, but to the leader, they sounded like the footsteps of death itself.
"You said you were Expert Stage?" Ren asked calmly. "Is that supposed to impress me?"
When the leader saw Ren standing right in front of him, pure terror filled his eyes ,he quickly looked around, trying to find his axe.
Then he saw it.
His axe was lying on the ground, right beside Ren.
Ren followed his gaze and noticed the weapon. He bent down calmly and picked up the axe.
"This is yours?" Ren asked, holding it up and observing the blade carefully.
The leader trembled, unable to speak. His throat felt dry, and no words came out.
Ren looked at the axe for a moment, testing its weight in his hand.
"Too heavy," he muttered.
He swung the axe lightly once, then lowered it, his eyes shifting back to the leader.
The leader flinched under his gaze.
"P-please…" he stuttered, his pride completely gone. "Spare me… I have gold… I can give you everything…"
"Gold?" Ren said quietly. "I was going to take it anyway."
The leader's face turned pale when he heard that. He felt panic rising and began laughing nervously.
"Ha… haha… hahaha!"
Ren raised the axe, preparing to swing.
"This is the price of hunting the weak," he said calmly.
With a simple motion, he swung the axe. After the strike, he threw it, covered in blood,
the leader fell to the ground, his head rolling like a ball across the dirt.
The forest grew silent again. The only sound was the wind rustling through the trees.
"Was I too brutal?" Ren muttered.
Then he heard Anna speak. She was still sitting, covering her ears.
"M-Mister… w-what happened?" she asked innocently.
"It's over. They're all left now," he replied.
Ren bent down and started collecting the pouches from the leader and the others. Some were scattered on the ground, and even his shoes were covered in blood.
He finished gathering all the pouches from the dead bodies.
"Hmm… quite a lot," he said, examining the coins inside.