After enduring brutal mental trials, Shun began to feel the raw surge of new power coursing through his body. Myria watched him with keen, almost amused eyes, while Noct — the mischievous black rabbit — chuckled endlessly, poking fun at him. Yet this time, Shun didn't bother to react. A quiet maturity had begun to settle on his face.
On the first day after sealing the contract, Noct ordered Shun to spend the entire day training in basic magic. At the same time, Myria agreed to let Shun learn more about this world through the ancient knowledge she possessed.
When Shun asked to borrow a book, Myria offered a thin, sarcastic smile.
-"Oh, so you've finally grown curious about this rotten world?"
She handed him a thick, dust-covered tome, filled with histories of countless races: Elves, Orcs, Dwarves, Slimes, Firefolk, Icefolk, Birdfolk, Rabbitfolk, Bonemen, Undead, Dolls, and countless others too many to name....
-"Don't expect fairy tales," Myria warned, her tone sharp. "Inside is only the brutal truth — a world where slavery, oppression, and bloodshed are the very foundation."
Shun gave a silent nod, feeling the heavy weight of the book in his hands. He understood—if he wished to change anything, he needed to understand it first.
Noct snickered from the side, rolling around:
-"Careful, kid. By the end of it, you might just want to burn the whole world down."
Later, Shun decided to leave the camp alone, book in hand. As he wandered through the gloomy forest, he pondered everything he had read:
"If elves are corrupted, why wasn't Elias? Why do some orcs speak with reason? How can skeletal beings become knights? There are too many contradictions in this world."
Lost in thought, Shun suddenly caught sight of a young girl perched lightly on a tree branch. A small spirit — a young fairy, her gentle, bright eyes carrying a trace of frailty.
-"Who are you?" Shun asked.
The girl smiled softly.
- "I'm Mye, just an ordinary spirit. My mother said I didn't have to work today."
Shun frowned.
- "Work? What kind of work?"
Mye lowered her head, her voice growing quiet.
-"I don't really know… We spirits are the lowest caste. We have to serve men from all races. It's… the only way to survive here."
A sharp pang twisted in Shun's chest.
-"Can I meet your mother?" he asked gently.
-"Of course, come with me," Mye replied cheerfully, flying ahead to guide him.
Soon, Shun arrived at a bustling yet grim place — the infamous "Red Light District of Races."
Awkward laughter echoed through the streets, women from all races dressed scantily, forcing smiles to survive another day. Shun clenched his teeth, fury boiling in his chest as he walked deeper.
Following Mye through the maze of misery, Shun suddenly stopped. Before him lay a discarded corpse, blood dried and pooled beneath her, deep lacerations carved into her flesh. It was Mye's mother… brutally murdered by a violent customer.
Mye collapsed to her knees, eyes wide in shock, a heart-wrenching cry breaking the heavy silence of the forest.
Mye collapsed to her knees, her translucent wings trembling as if they might shatter. Her once-innocent wide eyes were now filled with confusion and terror. She didn't cry out loud at first; instead, she trembled, stammering each word as if her mind refused to accept the brutal truth before her.
-"No… Mom… no… no, it can't be… Mom can't… Mom said… today she would rest…" — Mye's voice was hoarse, each word slicing through her throat like a knife.
Her small hands shook as they touched her mother's cold body, fingers gently stroking the pale skin, where deep wounds still oozed dark blood. Mye clung to the lifeless form, burying her face in her mother's chest as sobs finally burst forth, uncontrollable and raw.
Her cries were not the noisy wails of a spoiled child but guttural sobs that tore through her chest, her whole body trembling violently. Her small wings drooped, her tiny hands gripping her mother's corpse, ignoring the dried blood that stained her skin.
-"Mom said… we only have to endure… only have to obey… Mom said she would live longer… Mom said… Mom said…" — her broken sentences poured out, each one a knife twisting deeper into Shun's heart.
Shun stood there, fists clenched until his knuckles bled, witnessing an innocent soul being mercilessly crushed by this cruel world.
He heard nothing but Mye's sobs echoing through the blood-soaked streets, like a mournful hymn for the forgotten souls.
Shun's fists trembled violently, rage coursing through every fiber of his being. Once again, the merciless cruelty of this world struck him like a dagger to the chest.
-"This world… just how rotten is it… really?"