Zivko's eyes glowed a faint blue as he was going to predict Adelard's movements.
However, Adelard was in the same position the entire time. He just had his arms crossed with an annoying smile drawn on his face.
That meant Zivko had to make him do something, otherwise his Calculation would prove to be utterly useless.
He furrowed his brows as he sprinted — boosting himself using an air spell.
Adelard dodged to the left, getting out of Zivko's punch. Zivko quickly turned using his small body which gave him an advantage over Adelard in speed.
There were also disadvantages. As soon as Zivko turned, he realized Adelard was going to try and kick him using his foot covered in metal.
Zivko instantly jumped backwards, unable to use any more spells due to his small mana pool.
His Soul Mechanism, however, was keeping up abnormally. It was like it didn't even need the mana.
The eyes of the crowds widened as they gasped, surprised that Zivko was able to get close and dodge Adelard, a powerful man that led fifty other strong men.
Zivko gasped for air as he rushed forward once more, this time without using any spells.
Currently, Zivko had two advantages. His true nature being a Blank, and he held a speed advantage over him.
Adelard was just another Normal.
There were also disadvantages. Adelard was grinning, seeing Zivko. It seemed like he was done with an analysis of his own.
He raised his leg, then kicked it at the dirt floor. Due to that, large pieces of the dirt got into Zivko's way as he was rushing towards him, making him stop by sliding his feet on the floor.
Some of the dirt got into one of his eyes, making him unable to predict and estimate while also a disgusting feeling swelled up within him as he felt the dirt in his eyes.
He stopped on his feet, then rubbed the dirt off his eye. Then, he looked to face Adelard.
Adelard was already right in front of his face, his large fist of metal pointed at Zivko's face.
Zivko stumbled backwards, trying to move out of the way as quickly as possible.
He realized he just made a blunder that was going to cost him a lot.
It was too late. His fist hit Zivko's face, a sound of bones cracking was heard clearly throughout the place.
Zivko fell down on the ground, his face no more than battered.
As he laid down, defeated, on the ground he heard multiple voices ridiculing him.
Some were sarcastically shouting at him to get up, others were mocking him for the first time he let his rage take over.
Zivko tried getting up, but he was unable to do so. He looked down, half his body still down on the ground.
His lower jaw shaking, he muttered, "I will kill you all…" He paused for a moment as his voice grew louder, "No matter what—"
Before having the chance to continue, he grunted out of pain after Adelard walked up to him and kicked him in his stomach, throwing him in the distance.
One more time, Adelard stepped closer and kicked the child again, he was being tossed around.
The crowd went silent, realizing Adelard was dead serious. Forget the deal, Adelard was already going to end his miserable life.
Zivko's head was aching, blood rushing up his throat.
Another time, Adelard kicked him, throwing him into a broken, ancient stone wall that broke down over time.
His head hit the wall, making his consciousness start fading away. One eye open, he looked at Adelard, his murderous intent leaking out.
Even while he was in such a state, he still managed to utter these four words:
"I… will kill you."
The child had forgotten how to say anything else, these were the only words that kept echoing in his mind. Each day, he was haunted by that scene which he still doesn't accept.
He knew he had to accept reality eventually, but he didn't.
Adelard looked at him, his usual face nowhere to be seen. "You want to kill me when you look like this? You thought you could do something because you're a Concept holder?"
He leaned down slightly, staring into Zivko's ruined face, covered in bruises and dirt. "You're weak. I didn't even use a weapon, let alone a spell."
Zivko's head was tilting left then back up, to its original position. He was fighting his whole body just not to lose consciousness.
Adelard raised his metal fist to strike Zivko a last time, before putting it downwards after a second of meaningful thinking.
He said something, but Zivko couldn't quite catch it. He was already lost.
***
He was in his hometown, his mother cleaning the floor while shouting at his siblings to stop causing such a ruckus in the home.
The sunlight poured down into the room from one of the windows which were open, the sounds of birds chirping and his mother's relaxing voice calmed him.
He was staring at the scene in front of him like he hadn't seen anything like it before.
"Zivko? Are you alright?" The mother asked, taking notice of the child dazing at the room.
She got up, then moved closer to him. She raised a single hand and put it over his head, then said in a soft, motherly voice, "I'm always going to be here for you."
He was still in a daze. Seeing his mother in front of him, comforting him, and his siblings in the distance playing around, the living room being poured with sunlight and a nostalgic atmosphere…
A single, long, meaningful tear ran down Zivko's face, as he bitterly tried to raise the corner of his lip, anything to get a smile.
He blinked. All of a sudden, he was leaning down on a broken stone wall, his head tilted left on his shoulder.
The corner of his lip twitched as it fell downwards. A single tear, a despairing tear, formed in his eye then ran down his cheek until it fell on the ground.
"Mom…" He silently cried out.
His hometown was destroyed, his family murdered, his friends gone.
Lost in a distant, strange land, he was alone. He was by himself atop this hill and the stone wall he was leaning onto, countless kilometers away from his home.
He wasn't even able to cry. He had already exhausted himself.
He stood back on his feet, his face full of emotion, but none at all. Using his right hand, he tightly gripped his left arm which ached the most, most likely it was broken.
It had been only around an hour since Adelard and his party had left.
What would he even do now? He couldn't possibly follow them. He'd just end up dying in the middle of the way.
After quietly thinking, he thought of something unexpected.
The Forsaken Lands of the North were his only option, the mana waves radiating from the Dungeons spoke to Zivko.
It was his last chance to become stronger and take his revenge on Adelard.
He was destined to die. If that was the case, then he could at least try going into a place no one would have dared stepping into. For the last time. For his dream.
Maybe in the Forsaken Lands, he could finally die right. Zivko would be able to see his mother and family again.