The world outside felt different.
Sunny stepped out into the open air, feeling the warmth of sunlight against his skin.
> "I finally got out… but…"
He frowned.
Where he had been, time crawled. Every second felt like an hour, every day like a month. To him, it had been two long years. But here—only three or four days had passed.
His legs felt heavy, exhaustion gnawing at his bones.
> "I'm tired. I need something to eat… and drink."
The nearest place was a dimly lit tavern at the edge of the city. Inside, the smell of roasted meat clung to the air, mixed with the sharper scent of fermented spirits. A menu was pinned to the wall, old and worn, its letters fading—but one drink caught Sunny's eye.
It wasn't ordinary.
They said if you drank it, you wouldn't feel hunger for three or four days. The only catch—it didn't actually nourish you. Your body would still weaken without real food, the way a predator might hide its scent before a hunt.
Sunny leaned back in his chair, sipping slowly. His mind drifted to his next move.
> "I can't do this alone… I need someone. Someone strong enough to be useful—but not so strong that they can't be controlled. A mid-bounty would do."
---
Far away, in the grand hall of a secluded clan, a voice echoed in anger.
The clan elder was speaking, his words sharp, almost venomous—but the young man before him stood motionless, his expression unreadable.
Hair red as a lotus in full bloom.
Eyes like the depths of a black abyss.
Hands relaxed, almost peaceful.
A face bright like a star—yet one that cared for no one.
The elder's voice cracked with frustration.
> "Shen Luò! Listen to me! You cannot do this. They are gone. Forever."
Shen Luò's eyes did not waver.
> "Nothing in this world… or even in the heavens… is truly gone. There must be something—someone—who can bring them back. I've committed more crimes than I can count. My bounty is already mid-tier. I've lost too much to give up now."
A single tear fell—not one of weakness, but of inevitability. The look of a man who knew there was no other road left.
---
Back in the tavern, Sunny set down his cup.
His thoughts and Shen Luò's words seemed to overlap, as if carried by the same current of fate.
> "I don't have another option either…"