Dex opened his eyes slowly, The morning sunlight seeped through the gaps of the wooden window, illuminating the small room where he stayed.
He felt something different today,
There was a strange sensation in his chest, warm, yet unfamiliar.
Last night he received his first card.
Now the card had fused with him, and somehow, he knew exactly what to do to use it, The knowledge came just like that, flowing into his mind without needing to learn or ask.
The Wind: allows the user to control the wind.
Dex took a deep breath, trying to feel the power.
He imagined a gentle breeze surrounding his palm, and truly, a light gust appeared, messing up his messy hair.
'Haa, Yet what good is this power, after all I have no one left'
Dex stared at the reflection in the cracked mirror in the corner of the room, his face still pale, hollow black eyes.
Dex rose, tied his sword to his waist, and went downstairs.
The streets of Lumiran were already crowded, Merchants opened their stalls, children ran around laughing, and the smell of baked bread drifted from one of the shops, That morning Lumiran felt more alive than when he first arrived.
But as he walked, Dex saw many starving beggars, from children to the elderly.
"Even here there are still so many suffering from hunger" For Dex who had seen the behavior of those greedy nobles, seeing the starving children made him even angrier.
Dex stopped in front of a small child sitting in the corner of the street, his hands trembling as he held an empty bowl.
The child looked at him with almost lifeless eyes, a gaze too similar to his own reflection in the mirror that morning.
Perhaps because people were used to this situation, they passed by without caring
Dex reached into the small pouch at his waist, taking out the remaining copper coins, the leftover money he took from the soldier he killed.
He placed them in the child's bowl without saying anything.
The child looked at him in shock, then bowed deeply. "T-thank you, sir"
Dex did not answer, He just walked away, leaving the child behind.
But with every step he took, his steps felt heavier than before.
Dex looked back, the spot where the child sat earlier was now empty, even though it hadn't been long since he left, which made Dex curious
He looked left and right, trying to see where the child went, But the street was busy, full of people passing by, There was no sign of the small child with the empty bowl. "Strange" Dex muttered softly.
Before he could think further, someone bumped hard into his shoulder, almost making him lose his balance.
Dex nearly fell, but his reflexes were quick enough to steady himself. "Hey!" he snapped, turning around.
The one who bumped into him was a large man, with a long scar on his left cheek, His clothes were ragged, but there was a dagger tucked at his waist.
The man looked at Dex with a crooked smirk. "Sorry, sorry, didn't mean to" His tone did not sound apologetic at all.
Dex narrowed his eyes, Something was wrong, His hand reflexively touched the small pouch at his waist, and his heart stopped for a second.
Empty, His money was gone.
Dex immediately glared at the man. "Return it"
The man raised an eyebrow, pretending to be confused. "Return what?"
"My money" Dex's voice was cold, his hand already touching the hilt of his sword.
The man chuckled, then stepped back while raising both hands. "Hey, hey, you can't just accuse people, kid, I don't know what you're talking about"
Some people around them began to watch, But no one dared to approach.
Dex stepped forward, eyes locked on the man. "I won't repeat it, Return it"
The man stopped laughing, His smirk faded, replaced by a cold stare. "What? You want to fight in the middle of the street?"
Dex took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, The money wasn't much, but it was all he had left now.
When Dex released his hand from the sword hilt at his waist, the man turned and walked away with an annoying expression.
Dex could only watch him leave, taking all his money, he couldn't cause trouble when he had just arrived in this town.
Dex continued walking, passing merchant stalls until he reached a small plaza.
In the center stood an old fountain that still flowed, though its stone was covered with green moss.
He stopped there, washing his face with cold water.
When he lifted his head, his reflection appeared on the water surface, hollow eyes with an empty expression.
Dex stared at his reflection for a long time. "What am I actually looking for here?" he whispered to himself.
His mother's hometown. That was his reason for coming. But now? He didn't know what to do.
Look for his mother's family who might not even be alive?
Or just look for a reason to keep living?
A faint sound of crying was heard, from the narrow alley to his left.
Dex turned, The alley was dark, narrow, with stacks of wooden crates and trash on both sides.
He approached, and when he reached the end of the alley, he saw it.
The small child from earlier, being pushed harshly against the wall by two city guards.
Their uniforms were ragged, the emblem on their chest faded, but the short swords at their waists still looked sharp.
"How much did you get today, huh?" snapped one guard, his voice rough and threatening.
The child trembled, holding the small bowl tightly. "O-only a little, sir, please don't, my little sister is sick at home"
"Don't lie!" The guard kicked the child hard, knocking him to the ground.
The bowl fell, copper coins scattering on the wet ground.
The second guard laughed while picking up the coins one by one. "Look, look, not bad at all, Enough to buy one bottle"
"Give it back" the child cried, reaching for the coins but his hand was kicked away by the first guard.
"Shut up! You think you can live on these streets without paying taxes?" the guard shouted, raising his foot to kick again.
"Enough" The cold voice made both guards turn.
Dex stood at the mouth of the alley, his hand touching the hilt of his sword. His eyes sharp, staring at both guards without blinking.
The first guard frowned. "Who are you? This is none of your business, kid. Leave before you get hurt too"
Dex stepped forward slowly. "Let the boy go. And return his money"
The second guard sneered. "Did you hear that? This kid thinks he's a hero"
He spat on the ground, then drew his short sword. "Listen, boy, This is our territory, All beggars here pay taxes to us. If you don't like it, you can leave, or I'll cut your tongue so you can't talk again"
Dex stopped a few steps from them. "Last warning" he said softly, but his tone was cold as ice. "Let him go, Or you two will be the ones who get hurt"
The first guard clicked his tongue, then drew his sword as well. "Arrogant brat. Fine, if you're that eager to die"
He stepped forward, swinging his sword.
Dex reacted quickly, drawing his sword and blocking the strike.
But as their swords clashed, something strange happened, The guard's sword suddenly glowed red, and an overwhelming force pushed Dex back several steps.
Dex almost lost his balance, his eyes widened.
The guard grinned. "Surprised? You think you can fight us with just a normal sword?"
In the guard's hand, a card appeared, floating in the air with a dim red glow.
[Blade Force] Rank: E Type: Attack
The second guard also summoned his card, glowing with the same light.
[Iron Fist] Rank: E Type: Attack
Dex swallowed dryly, This was his first direct fight against card users.
And even though their cards were only rank E, the power they emitted clearly surpassed normal humans.
Unlike the three men Dex killed before, this time he was fighting opponents who could use their cards.
Dex tried to attack with a wind sphere.
But the first guard swung his sword again, this time faster, stronger.
Dex blocked it, but the impact was so strong his arm went numb.
Before he could react, the second guard already moved from the side, his fist wrapped in red light flying toward Dex's stomach.
BANG!
The punch slammed into Dex's body hard, It felt like being hit by a large wooden log, Dex was thrown, his back hitting the alley wall hard, His sword nearly slipped from his hand.
"Argh" Dex groaned, blood running from the corner of his mouth.
His chest felt crushed, His breath ragged.
The first guard walked closer, laughing. "That was just one hit, kid. You still want to continue?"
Dex tried to stand, his hand trembling as it held the sword.
But his body was too weak, His knees nearly hit the ground. 'Damn, I can't win'
He only got his card last night, He hadn't even tried using it in a real fight.
Meanwhile these two guards, even with just rank E cards, were already used to using them.
The second guard stepped forward, raising his fist again. "Enough playing, Now you'll learn not to meddle in other people's business" The punch flew.
Dex tried to dodge, but his body was too slow.
BANG!
The second punch hit his jaw.
Dex was thrown, his body hitting the ground hard, His sword flying several meters away.
His vision blurry, His ears ringing.
He felt the wet ground on his cheek, blood dripping from his mouth.
"Hahaha, Foolish brat!" The first guard kicked Dex's ribs hard.
Dex groaned, his body curling in pain, "This is your lesson" the guard said while crouching beside Dex.
The guard grabbed his hair roughly. "In this world, power is everything, Without a strong card, you're nothing but trash" He slammed Dex's head to the ground again, then stood up.
"Let's go, Let this kid regret his stupidity"
Both guards laughed as they walked out of the alley, taking all the coins they stole from the child.
The child had already run away in fear since the fight started.
Dex lay alone on the wet ground, his body hurting everywhere.
His breath heavy, His vision still blurry.
'Damn' he thought bitterly. 'Damn it'
He tried to move his hand, but the pain stabbing his ribs made him groan again.
Minutes passed in silence, No one came by, not even the child returned.
Dex could only lie on the ground until nightfall.