Out of the eight paint balls Tyron threw, Emrys managed to dodge six. But the downside was that the Gray Phoenix Guild had used up all their chances, making them the first participants expected to finish this competition quickly.One hundred points were taken from Emrys and transferred to Dao Daishin’s team, giving them a total of two hundred points.Emrys was annoyed, but he wanted to calm himself because there was still a long time left in the competition. He couldn’t blame the others for targeting him—he had the highest points in the event.From the moment he was given the privilege to join the Guilds Event and became the target during the first competition, he had never left everyone’s attention until now.They were ganging up on him. He no longer knew if the situation was still fair, but perhaps this was better than hiding and being afraid of everyone who disliked him.Emrys sighed, closed his eyes, and lifted his face to the sky. Regretting what he had done wouldn't help. Whethe

“And you really expected they would accept you once you proved you were strong?”Emrys scratched the back of his head and looked at the wolf with a forced smile. “You’re right. But… I guess I was wrong.”“What’s the real reason you wanted to become a traveler?”“To… lift my clan out of poverty. But… I don’t think I can do that anymore since I’m going to die.”“Hm. In that case, you actually have two reasons for wanting to be a traveler.”The boy frowned. “Two?”“You want to help your clan rise, but you also want people to accept you for who you are. And to make that happen, you’re forcing yourself to get close to people who don’t even want you around. Tell me… which matters more to you? Honor or freedom?”Emrys fell silent as he thought about his answer.“Ah.” He grinned and answered proudly, “Honor, of course!” The wolf sighed at his response.“That’s exactly why you keep losing.”“What do you mean?”“In this world, where power rules, a noble person is useless if he has no strength t

“Don’t worry, I’m not an opportunist like the others.” Lopra took Jin’s hand, placed the heavy pouch of money on his palm, and smiled at the boy. “Take care on your journey. Look after that kid. Jin Dui.”“But this money—”“It’s not a bribe. It’s simply gratitude.”With that, Jin had no choice but to accept the money before following Emrys.“Do you still have food, Jin?”“I didn’t bring any.”“But you ate breakfast already?”“Of course.”“I didn’t.”“Am I your mother?”“I’ve been hungry for a while already.”“When we reach the mountain, go find a rabbit.”“Seriously? You really didn’t bring any food?”“I told you, none.”“Are you trying to die?”“Do you want me to kill you? You’re not listening.”As the two boys walked farther and farther away, Lopra secretly smiled while watching them set out together.“Where is that Jin Dui going?” Laugro Revis was suddenly behind Lopra.“He’s probably escorting Emrys home.”Laugro laughed and turned back toward the institution. “As far as I remembe

He reached the gate of their town, not caring about his heavy breathing as he ran past the shattered entrance.Almost nothing was left.With the massive crater in the center, it no longer looked like the Skull Howler he had known and grown up in.And when he saw the bodies lying everywhere, Emrys fell to his knees on the cracked ground and screamed as he cried. He released every ounce of pain in his chest.All the mixed agony he had been trying to hide overflowed completely, and at that moment, he would have preferred to die rather than feel this kind of suffering.He punched the ground repeatedly, his forehead pressed against it. He wanted to thrash and rage, but his body wouldn’t follow. He didn’t have the strength to stand on his trembling legs. Even his punches were weaker than a child’s.His cries were louder than the strength left in his body.When Jin caught up to him, he didn’t know how to help or comfort him.He himself was shocked by what happened. He saw bodies everywhere—s

“Emrys!” Jin stood up and blocked his path. “Listen to me. Listen! You can’t defeat her. Do you hear me? Do you understand? Look me in the eyes and listen carefully. She’s too strong, Emrys. Too strong. And in your condition right now, the revenge you’re planning is impossible. You’ll just die like the rest of them.”Emrys leaned on Jin’s shoulder because his legs were still too weak to support him. He looked at Jin and gave a faint smile that didn’t reach his eyes as he whispered, “I’m strong, Jin. Do you understand? I can beat her. I’m strong. I can defeat her.”His knees finally gave out, and he collapsed again—but Jin caught him and knelt down, supporting the unconscious boy who had passed out from exhaustion.From the darkness, Emrys woke up again in a dimension he had visited before.And he was no longer surprised when he turned and saw the giant wolf staring at him seriously. There were so many meanings in that gaze, as if the wolf didn’t need words—one look was enough for Emry