Chapter 9: The Weight of a Promise
The wind felt heavier than usual as Rhaizen continued walking along the dirt road. His clothes were torn, burned, and stained with dried blood. His breathing was steady, but his body hurt everywhere. The fight with the First-Rate Warrior from the Crimson Fang Sect kept replaying in his head. The moment he stopped that fatal punch. The moment he stood back up even when his legs wanted to give out. The moment he finished the man with his Crimson Flame Fist.
Rhaizen knew one thing after that battle—
he had crossed a line he could never return from.
He was no longer just a boy running from the past.
He had stepped into the world of warriors… and enemies.
The road in front of him stretched long, with short grass on both sides and a few tall trees providing shade. The forest behind him felt like another world. The silence, the beasts, the training, the calm, the danger… that place shaped him. But he couldn't stay there forever.
He now had a goal.
"I will go to the next town," Rhaizen said softly. "I need food, information, and maybe a place to rest. My body won't last if I keep pushing like this."
He looked at his right hand—black and red aura lightly flickered around it. When he focused, he could also convert it into fire, but he saved that for emergencies. With everything that happened, he needed to be careful. He could still feel the energy drain from using Crimson Flame Fist. If he used it too much, he would collapse again.
"I need to improve my control," he muttered. "If I want to survive, I can't be careless."
He continued walking.
Hours passed.
The sun moved higher. The air grew hotter. His legs felt weaker. His back pulsed with pain from the slash wounds he received earlier.
But Rhaizen didn't stop.
His master once told him, 'A warrior stops only when he is dead. If he can still stand, he moves. If he can still move, he fights.'
This memory kept him going.
---
A Sudden Warning
A broken cart appeared ahead on the road. One wheel was snapped clean off. The wooden boards were cracked. Supplies were scattered everywhere. And next to it was a dark red stain.
Blood.
Fresh.
Rhaizen stopped walking. A bad feeling crawled up his spine. He looked around—the road was quiet, too quiet.
He crouched, touching the ground lightly. Footprints. Many. Different sizes. Drag marks. Someone had been dragged away. And there were signs of struggle—a broken blade, a torn bag, and crushed dirt.
"Bandits…" Rhaizen whispered.
Not just simple ones. The pattern was too clean. Too fast. The attack happened recently, maybe less than an hour before he arrived.
He saw something else—fabric. A torn piece of clothing. It was small… maybe from a child.
Rhaizen clenched his teeth.
Crimson Fang Sect again?
Or another group?
He couldn't ignore this.
Whoever was taken might still be alive.
He followed the tracks immediately.
---
Bandit Ambush
As he moved deeper into the small forest next to the road, voices echoed between the trees.
"Quit crying, kid!"
"Boss said bring him alive!"
"If he bites me, I'll break his arm!"
Rhaizen hid behind a tree, carefully peeking.
He saw five men. All armed. All wearing red cloth around their arms.
Crimson Fang bandits again.
One of them held a boy, maybe eight years old, tied with rough rope. The boy struggled, but his face was swollen from crying and fear.
Rhaizen's jaw tightened.
He stepped out from behind the tree.
The nearest bandit turned.
"Huh? Who the—"
Rhaizen's fist slammed into his face before he could finish the sentence. The bandit flew back, crashing into a tree.
The remaining four flinched.
"Damn it! Another one!? Kill him!"
But Rhaizen didn't rush. His body still hurt, and he needed to save his strength.
The first bandit charged with a sword. Rhaizen dodged to the side, grabbed the man's wrist, and twisted hard. The sword fell. Rhaizen planted his knee in the man's stomach, then hit his chin with a fast punch. The man dropped like a stone.
"You bastard!" another shouted, swinging a thick club.
Rhaizen raised his forearm, blocking the hit. The impact hurt, but he held strong. He pushed forward and punched the man in the ribs. The man gasped, stepping back in pain. Rhaizen finished him with a kick to the chest.
The last two bandits stepped back, realizing they were outmatched.
"Wait, wait! We can talk—"
Rhaizen didn't let him finish. He stepped forward and grabbed the man's shirt, lifting him slightly.
"Where is your group?" Rhaizen asked, voice low and cold.
"T-the main camp… deeper in the forest… please don't kill—"
The other bandit tried to run, but Rhaizen threw the man he was holding and knocked the runner down. He punched him once, knocking him unconscious.
The child stared wide-eyed, frozen.
Rhaizen walked toward him and knelt down.
"It's okay," he said gently. "I'm not here to hurt you."
The boy trembled but didn't pull away. Rhaizen cut the rope binding him.
"What's your name?"
"L-Leo…" the boy said, wiping his face.
"Leo. Are your parents in the cart?"
Leo shook his head quickly. "N-No. They… they got taken by the bigger group. T-they said… they said they wanted to sell us."
Rhaizen's heart tightened.
He couldn't walk away now.
"I'll help you," he said firmly. "Stay close behind me."
Leo sniffed. "Really…?"
"Yes. I promise."
---
The Main Camp
After fifteen minutes of walking, Rhaizen saw smoke from a campfire. Then he heard laughter—rough, mocking, loud.
A bigger group. Maybe fifteen. Maybe more.
Rhaizen hid behind bushes and counted. Twenty. All armed. And tied to a pole in the middle were Leo's parents plus two other travelers.
Rhaizen clenched his fists.
Twenty bandits…
He was injured…
His Qi was low…
But he had to protect them.
There was no other choice.
He turned to Leo.
"Stay hidden. No matter what. Don't move unless I tell you."
Leo nodded nervously.
Rhaizen took a deep breath.
He stepped into the open.
One bandit noticed him.
"Hey! Who the hell—"
Rhaizen didn't wait. He sprinted forward and slammed his fist into the man's helmet. The metal bent, and the bandit collapsed.
"INTRUDER!"
The entire camp erupted.
Rhaizen moved fast.
A sword swung at his head—he ducked and elbowed the man's stomach.
Another stabbed at him—he twisted and kicked the attacker's knee, breaking it.
Three bandits tried to surround him at once. Rhaizen backed away, then suddenly dashed forward and tackled one of them. He rolled, grabbed a fallen spear, and used the handle to block two attacks before sweeping their legs.
But there were too many.
A heavy punch hit his back. Another blade cut his arm. He gritted his teeth and kept moving.
A tall bandit with scars across his face stepped forward.
"So you're the one who beat our First-Rate Warrior," the scarred man growled. "Not bad for a nobody. But you're bleeding. And you're tired."
He raised his axe. "Let me end you."
Rhaizen straightened his stance.
He could feel his energy draining. His vision blurred a little. But he didn't back down.
The man rushed in with a wide swing. Rhaizen blocked with his forearm, pain shooting through his body. He punched the man's ribs, then the chin, but the bandit hardly flinched.
"You're weak," the man said, smirking.
Another hit slammed into Rhaizen's stomach, knocking him back.
Rhaizen fell to one knee.
Leo, hiding behind the bushes, covered his mouth to stop himself from crying out.
Rhaizen placed his right hand on the ground.
"I didn't want to use this…" he whispered. "But I can't let them die."
The scarred man walked closer.
"What, giving up?"
"No."
Rhaizen stood up.
Black-red aura burst out around his arm, burning brighter than before.
The man stopped.
"What—"
Rhaizen's eyes sharpened.
He pulled his fist back.
Crimson Flame Fist.
Fire wrapped around his hand like a burning glove.
Then he punched forward.
The fire burst exploded, hitting the scarred man square in the chest. The shockwave threw multiple bandits off their feet. The leader's armor melted at the center, and he crashed into a large tree, knocking it down.
Silence filled the camp.
Every bandit froze.
Rhaizen's arm shook. He could barely stay standing. That attack drained almost everything.
But he forced his voice out.
"Leave," he said. "Or I will burn the rest of you."
The bandits looked at the fallen leader… then at Rhaizen's smoking fist… and ran. They didn't even grab their weapons.
Within seconds, the entire camp was empty.
Rhaizen exhaled heavily, almost falling, but he held on.
He cut the ropes holding the prisoners.
Leo ran to his parents, crying loudly.
Rhaizen watched quietly.
He felt relief wash over him.
This time…
He saved someone.
This time…
He made a difference.
He stepped away silently, ready to leave before they crowded him with thanks.
But someone grabbed his sleeve.
It was Leo's mother.
"Please… thank you," she said, voice shaking. "If you didn't come… we would be…"
Rhaizen shook his head. "You don't have to thank me. Just stay safe."
Leo held his hand tightly.
"Will I see you again?"
Rhaizen smiled a little. "Maybe someday. When I become stronger."
He looked at the sky.
He now had another reason to grow stronger—
there were too many enemies like the Crimson Fang Sect.
He continued walking toward the next town.
A new chapter of his path had started.