Chapter 17 — The Road
The scream echoed through the forest again.
Sharp.
Desperate.
Human.
Zero's eyes lifted immediately.
The forest around them had already darkened beneath the approaching evening sky while cold wind moved through the trees overhead. Dirt roads stretched endlessly ahead through dense woodland toward the eastern transit routes leading to Virel City.
Klaus frowned.
"...Bandits?"
Another scream answered him.
Closer this time.
Then came shouting.
Laughter.
And the unmistakable sound of steel striking wood.
Zero stood silently for half a second.
The Veinforge Art still circulated faintly through his body while dark essence moved quietly beneath his skin like living shadows.
He could hear footsteps far ahead.
Six people.
Maybe seven.
He could hear terrified breathing.
A horse panicking.
A child crying.
His perception stretched unnaturally outward through the forest.
And then—
he heard it.
A woman.
Begging.
Protecting someone behind her.
The sound made something cold twist faintly beneath his ribs.
Not grief.
Not anger.
Irritation.
A mother shielding her child even while terrified.
The image dragged old memories painfully close to the surface.
Mira standing in front of him.
Bleeding.
Dying.
Still protecting him.
THUMP.
The second heartbeat pulsed quietly inside his chest.
Without another word—
Zero started walking toward the sounds.
Klaus blinked.
"...Zero?"
No response.
Zero simply continued forward calmly through the trees.
Klaus stared at him briefly before sighing heavily.
"Right. Of course we're doing this."
Then he followed immediately.
The deeper they moved into the forest, the clearer the sounds became.
Voices.
Men laughing.
Someone begging.
Branches snapped beneath their feet as they approached a small clearing beside the road.
And the moment Zero stepped through the trees—
the scene froze before him.
A merchant carriage had overturned near the roadside.
One wheel shattered completely.
Goods scattered across muddy ground.
Three bodies already lay motionless nearby.
Two guards.
One merchant.
Blood soaked into the dirt beneath them.
Five armed men surrounded the remaining survivors.
Bandits.
Four weaker ones armed with rusted blades and crude spears.
Initial Stage Mortal Rank.
Weak.
But the man leading them was different.
Thicker essence.
Sharper pressure.
A scar stretched across his jaw while essence wrapped around his axe in unstable waves.
Mid Stage Mortal Rank.
The surviving guard knelt near the broken carriage clutching his stomach while blood poured heavily through his fingers.
Still alive.
Barely.
Behind him—
a woman held two terrified children tightly against her chest while another older man tried desperately to shield them despite shaking legs.
The bandit leader laughed while dragging his axe across the dirt.
"Should've handed over the cores earlier."
The older merchant's voice trembled.
"W-we already gave you everything—"
"Not everything."
The bandit's eyes shifted toward the children.
A slow grin spread across his face afterward.
The woman immediately pulled the children behind herself despite visibly trembling.
"Please..."
The bandit leader smiled wider.
And something inside Zero grew colder watching it.
Not because they were weak.
Because even now—
she still stood in front of them.
The same thing Mira had done.
Again.
Another pointless sacrifice.
Another person willing to die protecting someone weaker.
The surviving guard tried standing again.
Yellow essence flickered weakly around his sword.
The bandit leader stepped forward casually—
then buried the axe directly into the guard's shoulder.
CRACK.
The man screamed violently before collapsing again.
The bandits laughed.
One of the children started crying harder.
Zero felt irritation crawl beneath his skin instantly.
The same scene.
Again.
Over and over.
One of the bandits finally noticed them standing near the treeline.
"...Huh?"
The others turned immediately afterward.
One barked out a laugh.
"Two kids?"
Klaus' expression darkened seeing the injured guard.
"...They're just slaughtering them."
Zero's gaze remained fixed on the leader.
Mid Stage Mortal Rank.
Stronger than the others.
Also stronger than him or klaus.
The leader spat toward the ground.
"Bad timing, brats.
Essence flickered around his axe again.
"Leave your valuables and maybe I'll let you walk away."
Silence.
Cold wind moved softly through the road.
Then Zero spoke quietly.
"Which city is closest?"
The bandits blinked.
The merchant family stared at him in confusion.
Even Klaus looked briefly caught off guard.
The leader frowned.
"...What?"
"The nearest city."
Zero's voice remained flat.
"We need directions."
For several seconds—
nobody spoke.
Then the bandits burst into laughter.
One nearly doubled over.
"Kid's brain damaged."
Another sneered.
"Guess we'll kill these two first."
The leader grinned afterward.
"Fine."
He lifted the axe onto his shoulder lazily.
"Nearest city is Virel city."
Then his expression sharpened.
"And you're not reaching it."
Essence exploded outward.
The leader lunged first.
Fast.
Far faster than normal humans.
The axe cleaved downward directly toward Zero's head.
Klaus moved instantly.
Crimson essence erupted around his body as he intercepted from the side.
CLANG.
Steel crashed against steel.
Shockwaves rippled across the muddy road.
The leader's eyes widened slightly.
"How?"
"He is just in the initial stage".
Klaus shoved him backward hard enough to tear through the dirt.
The other bandits rushed forward immediately afterward.
Zero stepped sideways calmly.
One spear thrust toward his chest.
Too slow.
The world sharpened around him instantly.
Veinforge Art circulated naturally beneath his skin.
Dark essence flowed silently through newly awakened pathways.
The spear's movement became obvious before it happened.
Zero grabbed the shaft mid-thrust.
Then twisted.
CRACK.
The bandit's wrist snapped instantly.
Before the scream fully escaped—
Zero drove his elbow directly into the man's throat.
The body collapsed immediately.
Dead.
The remaining bandits froze briefly.
Because the movement hadn't looked normal.
Too precise.
Too efficient.
Another rushed him anyway.
Fear disguised as aggression.
A blade swung wildly toward Zero's neck.
Spatial distortion flickered faintly around his fingers.
The air bent.
Just slightly.
The blade missed by centimeters despite being perfectly aimed.
The bandit froze in confusion.
Zero stepped forward.
One strike.
The man's chest caved inward violently.
Blood sprayed across the road.
The remaining two weaker bandits stumbled backward immediately.
"T-that's not normal—"
"What is he?!"
The surviving merchant family stared in horror now too.
Not relief.
Fear.
Because Zero's face never changed while killing them.
No emotion.
No excitement.
Nothing.
Just stillness.
Meanwhile—
Klaus crashed into the leader again.
Crimson essence erupted violently around his fists now.
Feral.
Aggressive.
The leader blocked barely in time before getting hurled backward several meters.
His eyes widened.
"You're just kids—"
Klaus attacked again before he finished.
Fast.
Relentless.
Every strike carried visible frustration beneath it now.
Not just at the bandits.
At weakness itself.
The leader roared and unleashed a wave of essence outward violently.
The shockwave shattered nearby trees and forced Klaus backward.
Then—
shadows moved behind Klaus briefly.
Large.
Monstrous.
Several surviving bandits paled instantly.
One stumbled backward in terror.
"W-what was that?!"
Behind Klaus—
for one brief moment—
massive crimson eyes appeared within the darkness.
Watching.
Ancient.
Predatory.
Then the image vanished instantly.
Even the merchant family recoiled seeing it.
The surviving bandits looked at Klaus now with nearly as much fear as Zero.
The leader saw it too.
Fear flickered openly across his face now.
Wrong.
Both of these boys felt wrong.
Zero watched silently from nearby.
Then the second heartbeat pulsed quietly inside his chest.
THUMP.
His irritation deepened slightly.
This fight had already lasted too long.
The leader noticed Zero approaching afterward.
Instinct screamed immediately inside him.
Danger.
Real danger.
The bandit turned instantly to flee.
Spatial distortion spread silently around Zero's hand.
The air warped.
Folded.
The leader froze mid-step.
Confusion crossed his face.
Then blood exploded from his chest.
A hole.
Perfectly carved through him.
The body collapsed without understanding what happened.
Silence followed.
Absolute silence.
The surviving bandits dropped their weapons immediately.
One fell to his knees trembling.
"W-we surrender—"
Zero looked at them briefly.
Then toward the merchant family.
Then away.
"They're yours."
The words were directed toward Klaus.
Klaus stared at the kneeling bandits for several seconds.
Then looked toward the injured family behind them.
His jaw tightened slightly.
"...Leave."
The bandits blinked in disbelief.
"R-run before I change my mind."
They fled immediately.
The road finally became quiet afterward.
The older merchant nearly collapsed from relief.
"T-thank you..."
Klaus moved toward the injured guard immediately.
The woman pulled her children closer while staring fearfully toward Zero instead.
One of the children hid behind her completely.
Zero noticed.
But felt nothing about it.
The surviving guard coughed weakly while Klaus helped stabilize the wound.
The older merchant finally spoke again.
"My name is Darien."
His voice still trembled faintly.
"We're heading toward Virel City."
Klaus glanced up immediately.
"Virel?"
Darien nodded quickly.
"It's the closest outer city to the main duke's domain."
Exactly what they needed.
Darien looked between the two boys carefully afterward.
Then more cautiously—
"You two heading there too?"
Zero answered calmly.
"Yes."
Darien hesitated briefly before speaking again.
"...Travel with us until the city."
Klaus looked surprised.
The merchant gave a weak laugh afterward.
"After what I just watched... I think we'd survive longer beside you."
Silence.
Then Klaus glanced toward Zero.
Zero looked toward the darkening forest.
Listening.
Watching.
His Void Perception still stretched faintly through the trees around them.
And somewhere deep beyond the road—
he sensed movement again.
Not bandits.
Something else.
The forest felt restless tonight.
Then quietly—
"...Fine."
Klaus relaxed slightly hearing the answer.
The merchant family visibly did too.
Soon afterward—
the group resumed moving down the road together beneath the fading evening sky.
Klaus walked beside the carriage helping the wounded guard remain conscious.
The merchant children stayed close to their mother now.
But every few moments—
they glanced nervously toward Zero.
Toward the silent cloaked boy walking ahead of everyone else.
Cold.
Distant.
Wrong.
And yet—
the monsters were dead because he had arrived.