Yuvraj didn't even realize when night had fallen as he kept walking.
A sharp pain throbbed in his legs…
and from within, he felt completely empty.
He didn't even know where he was going.
He wanted to cry…
but he couldn't.
Because here… people would only laugh at him if they saw him like that.
He hadn't eaten anything since morning.
Yuvraj thought to himself—
"How will I pay my sister's school fees… my mother's hospital bill…?"
"The house rent is still unpaid…"
"There's not even any food at home…"
He slowly closed his eyes.
"I don't care about myself…"
"But my little sister… that poor girl… she'll have to sleep hungry again today…"
As he walked, his eyes, against his will, grew moist.
"In this world… I'm the only one she has…"
Ever since the monsters attacked this world…
it had become a cruel and merciless place.
As a porter, he used to earn enough money
to somehow manage his sister's fees and his mother's hospital expenses.
But now—
He had no job.
And the few that were available… paid so little
that he couldn't even survive properly.
The truth was—
Since the monsters appeared,
jobs in this world had almost disappeared.
Now, every human had to shed blood just to survive.
Only the powerful lived comfortable lives…
and people like him didn't matter to them at all.
In this world now—
Only Seekers were worshipped like gods.
Yuvraj's steps slowed.
"No… this world was always like this…" he thought,
"I was just the one who believed it was good…"
"To survive here… every day…
you have to kill yourself… and your dreams…"
"I already killed my dreams long ago…"
"But I wanted my sister to study… to fulfill her own dreams…"
"But maybe… even that won't happen now…"
Suddenly—
His eyes widened.
A spark lit up within them.
His mouth slightly opened.
He was completely shocked.
Right in front of him—
Lay a bundle of cash.
His heart began to race.
"With this money… I can buy food for my sister today…"
"I can pay my mother's hospital bill…"
Without thinking for even a second—
He picked up the money.
But—
That was his biggest mistake.
A girl saw him.
And the very next moment—
She started shouting loudly—
"Thief! Thief!!"
Hearing her voice, people around began to gather.
The girl was extremely beautiful—
big eyes, fair skin, soft lips… and long black hair.
She was wearing a blue dress.
The crowd kept growing.
Seeing this, Yuvraj panicked.
His hands began to tremble…
the same hands holding the bundle of cash.
Sweat formed on his forehead.
His throat went dry.
Soon, a crowd surrounded him.
Everyone looked at him with hatred and anger.
Yuvraj was completely terrified from within.
He couldn't understand what to do.
Then—
Hearing the noise, the girl's boyfriend arrived.
He was a Seeker.
He had just returned from a dungeon with his team after killing monsters.
He looked young—
broad shoulders, slim waist, a well-built chest…
his body shaped perfectly like a "V".
His physique looked as solid as iron.
He looked at his girlfriend—
Fake tears shimmered in her eyes.
Rage surged inside him.
"Who dared to make my girlfriend cry…?"
He looked ahead—
In the middle of the crowd stood a thin boy…
dirty clothes… a bag on his back…
and money in his hand.
That boy was—
Yuvraj.
Without thinking—
The Seeker stepped forward and slapped him hard across the face.
SLAP!!
Blood burst out of Yuvraj's mouth.
His teeth broke… and he collapsed to the ground.
He hadn't eaten properly for days…
That single slap was enough to leave him half-dead.
Darkness filled his vision.
His ears went numb—
only a sharp ringing sound echoed within them.
With a trembling voice, Yuvraj said—
"I… I found this money on the ground…"
But—
No one believed him.
The next moment—
The crowd started beating him as well.
Kicks… punches… slaps…
Attacks came from every direction.
Crying, Yuvraj screamed—
"I didn't steal anything!"
"I didn't steal the money!!"
But his voice—
Was drowned in the noise of the crowd.
Then—
The Seeker stepped forward again to hit him.
But his girlfriend grabbed his hand—
"Don't dirty your hands by hitting this filthy boy…"
"People here will deal with him…"
"Besides… in this world now, police and government barely exist…"
"And whatever remains… only supports Seekers…"
"No one will care about this boy…"
The Seeker looked at his girlfriend—
Her beauty calmed his anger.
"But, dear… your money—"
She interrupted him—
"Forget it…"
"Those money bills have already been dirtied by his hands…"
"Let's leave this place…"
The Seeker nodded.
And then—
He left that place with his girlfriend.
And behind them—
Lying in a pool of blood…
Surrounded by the crowd…
Yuvraj…