Rain poured endlessly over the village streets.
Cold wind moved through the narrow roads while muddy water flowed beside the stone pathways.
The villagers quietly walked under umbrellas made from stitched animal skin and tree bark.
But suddenly, many of them noticed a strange man walking through the rain.
The man wore a dark cloak soaked by water.
And on his face—
A strange black mask shaped like a tiger's mouth.
The sharp teeth carved into the mask made his appearance feel unnatural and intimidating.
Some villagers lowered their heads instantly.
Some whispered quietly to each other.
"Who is he…?"
"He doesn't look normal…"
"An adventurer?"
"No… more dangerous…"
Yet nobody dared to ask him anything directly.
The mysterious man continued walking silently through the rain.
His name was Verl Ouzen.
No longer a slave.
No longer a helpless victim.
Now…
He was a free adventurer.
As Verl walked through the village, memories slowly returned to his mind.
The old Verl.
The innocent and emotional boy who cried easily.
The shameless but cheerful boy who tried to smile even during suffering.
That version of Verl was gone now.
The current Verl felt colder.
Sharper.
More empty.
After wandering for months, Verl finally registered himself within the Nightglass Covenant as an unofficial adventurer.
But even after gaining freedom…
The scars inside his heart never disappeared.
The rain became heavier.
Verl glanced toward a large wooden building filled with loud noises and music.
A bar.
Without hesitation, he entered.
The moment he stepped inside, warmth and noise surrounded him instantly.
The atmosphere was chaotic.
Adventurers shouted while drinking alcohol.
Some laughed loudly together.
Some argued over cards and gambling.
Others sang terribly while being completely drunk.
A few suspicious people silently observed everyone from dark corners.
The smell of alcohol, meat, and smoke filled the entire room.
Verl calmly looked around.
Then suddenly—
A scream interrupted the noisy atmosphere.
"Please!"
"Someone help me!"
Verl turned his head.
A young boy was being crushed beneath the boots of several adventurers.
One man grabbed the boy's hair violently while another punched him in the stomach repeatedly.
Yet despite the boy begging desperately for help…
Nobody interfered.
Nobody cared.
Some people simply looked away.
Others continued drinking like nothing was happening.
Verl silently clenched his fist.
Then suddenly—
The door of the bar opened again.
The entire atmosphere instantly changed.
Silence spread throughout the room unnaturally fast.
Even the drunk adventurers immediately became serious.
A woman slowly entered the bar alongside several bodyguards.
The adventurers beating the boy immediately lowered their heads respectfully.
Verl quietly observed the woman.
She looked young yet carried overwhelming authority.
Her luxurious clothes and jewelry clearly revealed noble status.
She calmly sat on a chair and crossed her legs arrogantly.
Her name was Genevieve De Manfort.
A powerful businesswoman deeply connected to politics and underground organizations.
Not only intelligent—
But extremely dangerous.
Verl noticed the atmosphere around her carefully.
Nobody dared to meet her eyes directly.
Meanwhile, Verl quietly sat at another table and ordered a glass of beer.
As the bartender prepared the drink, Genevieve suddenly kicked the boy's head downward.
Then she rested her foot on his head like he was garbage.
"Stop crying, you bastard," she said coldly.
The boy trembled violently.
"Please…" he cried weakly.
"Someone help me…"
At that moment, something inside Verl reacted.
The scene felt painfully familiar.
Too familiar.
Like seeing his old self again.
Verl slowly stood up.
The noisy bar became silent once more.
Then Verl spoke calmly:
"Hey."
"You woman."
"Stop this and leave him alone."
"You're being cruel."
The entire bar froze.
Nobody expected someone to openly challenge Genevieve.
Genevieve slowly turned her head toward Verl.
For a moment, she simply stared at him.
Then suddenly—
She smiled slightly.
"Wow…" she said softly.
"I appreciate your courage."
"I'm honestly surprised someone still has the courage to interfere with me."
Her smile slowly disappeared.
"But courage and intelligence are not the same thing."
Then she glanced toward one of her bodyguards.
"Right Hand."
A tall man stepped forward immediately.
His name was Esen Maxhall.
One of Genevieve's strongest bodyguards.
A massive man with overwhelming physical pressure.
Esen cracked his knuckles slowly while staring at Verl.
"Mam," he said calmly.
"Should I break every bone in his body?"
"I dislike interference."
Before Genevieve answered, another man beside her spoke with disappointment.
"Mam, what about me?"
"I also want to break him."
This was Rudrian Harlech, the Left Hand of Genevieve.
Unlike Esen's brutal appearance, Rudrian looked calm and elegant.
But the dangerous aura around him was even sharper.
Genevieve waved her hand lazily.
"No, Rudrian."
"Esen is enough."
Then Esen slowly walked toward Verl.
Every step felt heavy.
Verl immediately sensed the difference between them.
The pressure flowing from Esen's body was monstrous.
Still…
Verl refused to step backward.
Esen stopped directly before him and smiled slightly.
"Kid," he said.
"I'll give you a chance."
"Attack first."
Verl's instincts screamed danger.
His mind immediately questioned itself.
"Can I really fight this monster?"
But before he could think longer—
Esen spoke again.
"This is your only chance."
"Attack me."
"Otherwise…"
"I'll attack you."
Verl clenched his fist tightly.
"No running…" he whispered to himself.
Then suddenly—
Verl launched himself forward with a flying kick.
But Esen casually stopped the kick using only one hand.
Verl's eyes widened instantly.
"How…?"
Esen smiled.
Then with terrifying strength—
He grabbed Verl's leg and threw him across the room.
BOOOOM!!
Verl crashed violently into the wall.
Wood shattered everywhere.
Pain exploded through his body instantly.
The entire bar became silent again.
Meanwhile, the beaten boy secretly looked around desperately.
"How do I escape this situation…?"
But Genevieve noticed his expression immediately.
She suddenly kicked him hard in the stomach.
"You shameless bastard," she said coldly.
"A man tried to protect you…"
"And instead of worrying about him…"
"You're thinking about escaping alone?"
"That's disgusting."
Then she turned toward the adventurers.
"Continue kicking him."
The adventurers obeyed instantly.
The boy screamed in pain again.
Why was Genevieve so angry at him?
Because the boy was not just anyone.
He was her younger brother—
Aris De Manfort.
Or rather…
Her former younger brother.
Aris once betrayed the De Manfort family and tried escaping with a massive amount of family money.
After being captured, the family completely disowned him.
Especially his mother.
Her philosophy was absolute:
"A betrayer is no longer family."
"Betrayers do not deserve second chances."
Aris hated her deeply for those words.
But his hatred eventually became something worse.
One day, Aris secretly returned to the family palace.
When he found his mother alone…
He attacked her.
The attack critically injured her.
And while she bled helplessly on the floor—
Aris felt satisfaction.
But before he could kill her completely, Rudrian arrived and saved Genevieve's mother.
Seeing more people approaching, Aris escaped immediately.
And from that day onward—
Genevieve personally swore to destroy her own brother.
The tavern had become silent.
Only the sound of rain striking the wooden roof echoed through the bar.
Verl struggled to breathe as blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. His body trembled after Esen's brutal attacks, yet he still forced himself to stand.
Across from him, Esen Maxhall cracked his neck lazily.
"You still haven't given up?" Esen asked with amusement.
Verl clenched his fists.
His entire body screamed in pain, but his eyes remained fixed on Aris De Manfort—the terrified young man being beaten by the adventurers.
Esen sighed.
"What a waste of time."
He stepped forward and drove his fist directly into Verl's stomach.
"GHHK—!"
Verl crashed onto the floor instantly.
The tavern shook slightly from the impact.
Some adventurers laughed nervously while others avoided looking at the scene entirely.
Genevieve De Manfort rested her chin on one hand as she watched coldly from her chair.
"Esen," she said calmly, "kill him already."
Her sharp eyes narrowed.
"I know you're enjoying this, but we didn't come here to play with insects."
Esen smiled faintly.
"Understood, Lady Genevieve."
He rolled his shoulders and looked down at Verl.
"Give me five minutes."
But then—
Verl slowly stood up again.
Blood dripped onto the floor beneath him.
Esen's expression changed slightly.
"You can still move?"
Verl's breathing was rough.
His mind flashed through countless memories.
Chains.
Hunger.
Humiliation.
Pain.
Cruel laughter.
A lifetime of suffering.
Compared to that…
This pain was nothing.
"I've suffered far worse than this…" Verl muttered.
Esen's eyes widened slightly.
Then, unexpectedly, he smiled.
"That's impressive."
The tavern became quiet again.
Esen pointed at Verl.
"You still refuse to run away."
"You tried protecting someone you don't even know."
"You're either brave… or stupid."
He stretched his arms casually.
"Fine. I'll give you one chance."
The atmosphere became tense.
"If you can land a critical hit on me, I'll let you leave alive."
Genevieve glanced toward Esen but said nothing.
Verl lifted his head.
"If I hit you… you won't kill me?"
Esen nodded confidently.
"Yes."
"But if you fail…"
A dangerous smile appeared on his face.
"I'll crush every bone in your body."
Verl lowered his eyes.
"…Understood."
Then suddenly—
He reached into his coat.
A small crystal cube appeared in his hand.
Esen frowned.
"What is th—"
CLICK.
The cube activated.
BOOOOOOM—!
A massive blue magical chain exploded outward like a storm.
The chains shot across the tavern at terrifying speed.
"What?!"
Esen's eyes widened in shock as the chains wrapped around his arms and body instantly.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Rudrian was captured next.
The surrounding adventurers were bound before they could even react.
Even Genevieve herself was restrained by the glowing chains.
"What is this nonsense?!" she shouted coldly.
The entire tavern froze.
Blue chains covered the room like a prison.
Only Verl remained untouched.
Esen struggled violently, but the chains refused to break.
Genevieve's expression darkened.
Verl stared at them quietly.
Then he spoke.
"Sorry, Esen."
"If I seriously injured you… your master and your friend would never let me escape."
He looked toward Genevieve and Rudrian.
"So this was my safest option."
Esen narrowed his eyes.
"You tricked me."
Verl gave a tired smile.
"Maybe."
He stepped backward toward the tavern door.
"But if I didn't do this…"
"You would've captured me easily."
Rain poured heavily outside.
Verl looked at them one final time.
"I'll repay this humiliation someday."
Then—
He ran into the storm.
The tavern remained trapped in silence.
Thirty minutes later, the chains finally disappeared.
CLANG!
The magical restraints shattered into glowing fragments.
Genevieve immediately stood up, fury radiating from her body.
"Hah…"
Her cold voice echoed through the tavern.
"What was that cube?"
Esen and Rudrian lowered their heads instantly.
"We apologize, Lady Genevieve."
"We failed to protect you."
Genevieve closed her eyes briefly before answering calmly,
"No."
"This wasn't your fault."
Her gaze turned toward the broken tavern entrance.
"That boy used an unknown artifact."
A faint smile slowly appeared on her lips.
"And honestly…"
Her eyes gleamed with interest.
"That cube was extraordinary."
"It restrained all of us at once."
She tapped her finger against the table.
"I want it."
Then suddenly—
SMACK!
Genevieve kicked Aris across the floor violently.
Aris cried out in pain.
"You useless disgrace," she said coldly.
Meanwhile, far away beneath the rain-covered streets—
Verl continued running.
His chest burned.
His body ached.
But for the first time in years…
He had escaped with his own power.