From Loser to Mighty

Mission: Rescue

Dave stared at the girl in front of him, his hand still holding her wrist. His face, which had been shocked, now turned anxious and concerned. The memory of little Karina in the orphanage was so clear in his mind.

"Karina? Sister?" Dave asked, his voice a little hoarse. "What are you doing here?"

Karina Winter gasped hearing her name. Her beautiful eyes turned angry. "Sister? Don't act like you know me! Who are you?!" She struggled, trying to pull her hand away from Dave's grip.

Dave tried to explain. "Wait, Karina! It's me, Dave! Dave Vogel! From the orphanage! Don't you remember me?"

Karina looked at him from head to toe.

"I don't know you. My little brother is dead!" she exclaimed, her voice high with annoyance and fear. "Who are you, really? You must be one of them! You're from Black Crow!"

Black Crow? The name sounded unfamiliar to Dave. This was the second time he had heard that name.

Dave shook his head, trying to convince her. "No! I'm not from any group!"

Seeing Dave looking foolish and confused, Karina got even angrier. She was sure this man in front of her was lying. This must be a trap! She had to defend herself.

Karina pulled her hand forcefully from Dave's grip. This time Dave let go. Karina stepped back, taking a defensive stance, ready to attack if necessary. She had learned how to defend herself.

"Don't come any closer!" she threatened. "I will fight back!"

Karina began to attack Dave with fast and erratic movements. Dave only dodged, not intending to retaliate. He didn't want to hurt his sister. He just evaded, jumping back, avoiding Karina's punches and kicks.

Karina attacked frantically, her feet stepping back without paying attention to her footing. She stepped on a large rock covered with moss on the riverbank. The rock was slippery. Karina lost her balance.

She cried out in surprise as her body swayed, about to fall headfirst into the shallow water.

Dave reacted instinctively. With lightning speed, he reached out towards Karina, trying to catch her hand, or her body, to prevent her from falling.

Karina, still thinking Dave was an enemy, struggled even more when Dave's hand reached for her. She tried to pull away, avoiding Dave's touch.

Dave's hand didn't manage to grasp Karina's body. All he grabbed was the edge of the shirt Karina was wearing. Due to Karina's struggling and Dave's strong pull, Karina's shirt was pulled upwards.

The tight jeans Karina was wearing didn't help much. The shirt lifted wide, clearly exposing the upper part of Karina's body.

Karina screamed loudly in surprise and embarrassment. "Pervert! You did that on purpose!" She immediately pulled her shirt back down while trying to stabilize herself to avoid falling completely.

Dave didn't do it on purpose. He just wanted to help, but the situation turned messy instead. He had no perverted intentions at all!

Suddenly, from the direction of the forest, hurried footsteps and several people calling out were heard.

"Young lady! Karina!"

Those must be the people looking for Karina. Maybe her bodyguards.

Karina looked towards the source of the sound. This was her chance! She screamed louder, calling for help. "Help! There's a pervert here! He's attacking me!"

The situation was getting complicated. Dave was accused of being a pervert, Karina's bodyguards were coming. Dave didn't want any trouble, especially involving Master Elder and his hiding place in this forest. He had to leave.

Without hesitation, Dave turned around and darted into the forest. With his new power, he moved like the wind. Fast, silent, disappearing in the blink of an eye among the thick trees. Karina was still screaming behind him.

A few moments later, the bodyguards arrived at the riverbank. They looked relieved but also worried seeing Karina.

"Miss, are you alright?" asked one of the bodyguards, breathing heavily.

Karina straightened her slightly ruffled clothes. Her face was still flushed, whether from embarrassment or anger. "I'm fine," she replied, her voice sounding annoyed.

"We finally found you, Miss," said another bodyguard, his face looking guilty. "We're sorry we were late. We lost track of you. Almost that man—"

Karina cut him off. "Yes, you took forever! I was suffering, running away alone! If I wasn't smart at hiding and avoiding them, I would definitely be dead by now!"

The bodyguards bowed their heads, feeling guilty. "We apologize, Miss. We will catch that man who bothered you! Which way did he go?" They prepared to chase Dave.

"Just leave him!" Karina said quickly. "He's already gone. He was just some stupid pervert who happened to pass by! He's not important. Let's get out of here!"

The bodyguards hesitated for a moment, but Young Lady Karina sounded very firm. They finally gave in. "Alright, Miss." They escorted Karina away from the river, back the way they came.

From his distant hiding place, Dave heard the entire conversation clearly thanks to his sharp hearing. Bodyguards? Running away from whom? So Karina was indeed being chased by someone. And those perverted young men weren't the main threat to her. Who was trying to harm his sister? And did it have anything to do with Black Crow?

Dave waited until the sounds of Karina's group completely disappeared in the distance before he moved. He couldn't go back to Karina now. He had to find out more. About Black Crow, and why they were targeting his family.

He turned and ran back to Master Elder's house. He still had the medicinal ingredients he bought at the market.

When Dave arrived at the wooden house, he immediately opened the door. As soon as he stepped inside, a broom flew towards him.

"Where have you been? Took you long enough!" Master Elder exclaimed, apparently the one who threw the broom.

Dave managed to dodge the broom easily. "Ouch! If that hit my head, I'd have a huge lump, Master Elder!" Dave protested.

Master Elder snorted. "Your own fault for taking so long. Problems on the road, eh?" He stared at Dave intently.

"No problems at all," Dave replied quickly.

"Hmm," Master Elder squinted his eyes. "Been peeking at a woman bathing, have you?" he accused.

Dave was startled. "No!" He hadn't peeked at anyone!

Master Elder smiled mysteriously. "I can smell it, son. The scent of river water, and... a little bit of a woman's fragrance."

Dave's eyes widened. Was this old man a fortune teller? How could he know just from the smell?

Master Elder chuckled seeing Dave's reaction. "Not a fortune teller, son. When you reach a high level of skill like mine, your sense of smell will eventually be sharper than a wolf's. Even the smallest scent can be detected."

Dave clicked his tongue in admiration. This hermit's knowledge was truly extraordinary.

Dave handed over the bag filled with medicinal ingredients. "Here's the order, Master Elder."

Master Elder took the bag. "Good. Now I'm busy with this potion. You go on, continue your training."

While watching Master Elder start mixing the medicines on the table, Dave remembered what had just happened with Karina. He needed to know.

"Master Elder," Dave called. "How strong am I now?"

Master Elder didn't turn around. "How should I know? That's for you to find out. Just train yourself. Test your limits."

Dave was silent for a moment. Inside, he still felt scared. For years he had been used to being an easy target, beaten, abused. That feeling of fear was still there, deeply rooted in him. Fighting, resisting—that was new to him.

Master Elder, as if hearing Dave's thoughts, spoke again. "If you're afraid, you'll die easily. This world is harsh. Great power comes with great danger. You must be brave enough to face anything."

Dave tried to convince himself. Master Elder was right. His body was different. He wasn't weak anymore. This was proof that he could be safe. He had to be brave. For himself. And for his sister.

"I will teach you how to make medicine to cure various diseases someday," Master Elder suddenly said, changing the topic. "The art of medicine is one of the most important skills. Later, it will be very useful to you. With your strength and this medicinal knowledge, you will become a Medicine God!"

Dave nodded. Medicine God? Sounds cool, but all that was on his mind right now was one thing: his family. His sisters.

While helping Master Elder grind some medicinal ingredients, Dave ventured to ask. "Master Elder, have you ever heard of the Black Crow Group?"

Master Elder's movements paused for a moment. His face tightened. He turned towards Dave, his gaze sharp. "Where did you hear that name?"

Dave told him what he had overheard in the market, and then what Karina had accused him of.

Master Elder sighed heavily. "The Black Crow Group... they are an evil group. A group of highly dangerous mercenaries and thieves. For years, they have been hunting and killing the heirs of great hermits. Heirs who possess special destinies."

Dave listened intently. "Heirs of great hermits?"

"Yes. Legend has it, there are several families that have inherited the potential to receive great knowledge and power, just like you," Master Elder explained. "They are the targets of Black Crow."

"I've heard that those heirs were hidden in various places to protect them from Black Crow," Master Elder continued. "But many failed. Some of their hiding places were found and destroyed."

Suddenly, a thought struck Dave. The orphanage. Burning down. 15 years ago. His sisters.

"But they were burned in an orphanage?" Dave asked, his voice hesitant.

Master Elder looked at him. "An orphanage? Where?"

"Rainbow Orphanage," Dave replied. "It happened 15 years ago. The orphanage burned to the ground. Many children died."

Master Elder was silent for a moment. Then his eyes widened slightly. "15 years ago, Rainbow Orphanage. I did hear rumors about that. It was said that one of the heir families hid their descendants in that orphanage."

Dave was stunned. So the orphanage where he grew up was one of those hiding places? And that fire wasn't an accident?

Master Elder continued, his voice low. "That fire wasn't an accident, son. It was the work of Black Crow. They wanted to make sure no heirs survived. But it is said, the seven descendants are still alive. They managed to survive despite the danger."

Dave was shocked again. Seven descendants? His seven sisters! They survived?

"They hid their identities," Master Elder continued. "Scattered, living separately, trying to live normal, safe lives."

Now everything made sense. Why Karina was in this village, being chased. Why she accused Dave of being from Black Crow. Because they were indeed in danger! And Black Crow was still hunting them!

Cold anger filled Dave's chest again. They burned down an orphanage, killed many innocent children just to hunt his family. And they were still hunting them!

Dave looked at Master Elder with a determined gaze. "Master Elder," he said, his voice steady. "Teach me all your knowledge. Everything you know. The art of fighting, the art of medicine, everything."

Master Elder narrowed his eyes, seeing the seriousness on Dave's face.

"I will save my seven sisters," Dave said. "I will protect them from Black Crow."