Julian didn't flinch away from Leonhart's towering fury. Instead, his trembling shoulders slumped, and he fell heavily onto his knees, staring at the damp mud floor with a hollow, vacant look in his eyes.
"Yeah," Julian whispered, a tragic, broken sigh escaping his lips. "That would be merciful, after all."
Kairo froze, his analytical detachment cracking for a fraction of a second. Wait... what? He ran the psychological metrics through his head, expecting defiance, bargaining, or deeper deception. He hadn't expected complete, total resignation.
"At least it will help these kids and my family to survive," Julian muttered, his voice dropping into a flat, monotone whisper. He clutched his own arms, his fingers digging into his skin as if trying to crawl out of his own biology. "I just wish... I just wish I wasn't beautiful. In this land, because of how I look... they did things to me. Things I can't even say to you."
The heavy silence of the subterranean bunker grew suffocatingly dense.
"At least if I die by your hands, I will be forgotten," Julian continued, a single, clear tear cutting through the grime on his cheek. "That's the best thing that can happen to someone like me. I'd rather you torture me to death so that all my sins are washed away before the end."
Leonhart's raised fist trembled, the righteous heat of his anger suddenly transforming into a profound, aching pity. The warrior's son slowly lowered his hand, his jaw clenching as he knelt down to match the ten-year-old's eye level. "Just tell us everything you know," Leonhart said, his deep, masculine voice softening with a solemn, unyielding vow. "I will personally make sure that they never force you to do those deeds again. You have my word."
Julian looked up, a faint, incredibly fragile smile gracing his face. "Well... let me confess what they truly do here."
The children in the shadows held their breath, listening to the hollow voice of their self-appointed jailor.
"The first thing you need to understand is their terror," Julian stated, his eyes locking onto Kairo's cold, calculating gaze. "They actively look for good-looking children—but more importantly, children with genuinely kind hearts. When they find them, they burn them alive in the fire pits. They are entirely paralyzed by the fear that a child of prophecy will enter this land and tear down their structure."
Kairo nodded slowly, mentally logging the political parameters. A regime ruled by structural paranoia. Typical for tyrants.
"Second," Julian gasped, his breathing turning shallow and ragged. "The obsession with beautiful faces isn't just cultural. In the Land of Lust, physical beauty grants tangible strength and heightened magic prowess. The more alluring an individual is, the denser their mana core becomes. They are planning to conquer the entire world using this aesthetic magic... and they are being guided by a genius. There is a genius contractor, or perhaps a spirit, who is actively pulling the strings from the shadows."
Kairo stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "Do you know his identity? Do you know him?"
"No," Julian whispered, shaking his head weakly. "I don't. But he is the real mastermind. He appeared only yesterday, and he has already fixed so many systemic flaws in this land. He is beyond a genius. Even within their corruption, he somehow managed to drastically reduce poverty, fix the food distribution problems, and optimize their infrastructure. I don't understand the logistics of what he did..."
Leonhart placed a comforting hand on Julian's shoulder. "You're only ten. It's fine. Even we don't fully understand the complexities of state politics."
"About... about their magic prowess..." Julian started, but his voice was suddenly cut off by a violent, convulsive spasm. He doubled over, coughing up a thick, dark spray of blood that splattered across the dirt floor.
His internal organs were failing—the delayed, lethal toll of whatever the regime had forced upon him.
"Kairo... Leonhart..." Julian croaked, his vision clearly fading as he reached into the folds of his tunic with a final, agonizing effort. He pulled out a worn, leather-bound diary, its pages dense with hurried handwriting. "I have sacrificed myself here. Take this book. It was given to me by my father before they took him... it explains the fundamental mechanics of the Land of Lust's magic. But... don't rely on it entirely. Trust your own eyes."
Kairo knelt down, his cold demeanor completely dropping as he gently accepted the blood-stained manual from the dying boy's hand.
"Thank you, Julian," Kairo said, his voice ringing with a deep, absolute seriousness that vibrated through the stone room. "Because of your sacrifice, we will avenge your death. Do not worry about a single thing anymore. You didn't do those bad deeds out of malice; you were forced into a corner. Your debt is paid."
Julian sank back against the mud wall, his breathing slowing to a final, peaceful rhythm. A genuine, serene smile settled onto his young face.
"Thank you..." Julian whispered, his eyes closing for the last time. "...for giving me the death of a brave person."
The subterranean sanctuary fell into a profound, unbroken silence. Leonhart stood up slowly, his eyes burning with a quiet, terrifying resolve as he looked toward the reinforced roof. The parameters of their mission had just changed. They weren't just escaping anymore; they were going to dismantle the entire system from the roots up.
Kairo cracked open the worn, leather-bound diary. The handwriting inside was shaky, written in a frantic script that practically bled desperation onto the yellowed pages.
"Please help my sisters and the other young children too. The people of this nation have crossed all limits of decency; they have normalized their corruption entirely too much. They make a joke out of the suffering of innocent children, laughing while the vulnerable break, hoping the world will simply forget them. If you read this, please do not get distracted. Self-belief and discipline—and more importantly, your unyielding obsession to destroy them—are your only shields against the comfort they will try to provide you. The fundamental weakness of the Land of Lust's magic is the exact opposite of desire. To suppress your own desires is the ultimate superpower here."
Before Kairo could even process the tactical implications, the translucent blue interface of the system flashed violently in his peripheral vision, ringing with a sharp acoustic alert.
[ WARNING: SYSTEM ALERT ]
The denizens of this territory possess a passive sensory trait known as [Desire Spark]. They can instantly read, track, and manipulate your innermost desires. My professional advice? Get the hell away from here as quickly as possible.
Kairo nodded grimly, the blue light reflecting in his cold, twelve-year-old eyes. He closed the book with a sharp snap and turned to the subterranean crowd. "Everyone, listen to me. Follow my lead closely. Leonhart, make sure you stay at the very back of the line to guard the rear. I need absolute concentration to carve a path out of here."
Leonhart snapped his hand to his forehead in a crisp, military salute, a grin breaking through his exhaustion. "Aye, aye, Captain!"
The hundreds of rescued children, feeling a sudden surge of hope in the dark bunker, mimicked the gesture perfectly. "Aye, aye, Captain!"
A short, rare laugh escaped Kairo's throat. But as his gaze drifted back to Julian's lifeless form, his expression hardened once more. He raised his left hand, channeling his compressed earth magic. The dirt beneath Julian smoothly rose, wrapping the boy in a seamless, protective stone sarcophagus, before burying it deep beneath layers of heavy, unyielding rock.
"I will come back here again," Kairo whispered to the stones. "And I will build you a grave worthy of your sacrifice."
Turning toward the solid rock wall ahead, Kairo raised both arms. The system interface updated rapidly, superimposing a glowing, grid-like map over the dirt.
Calculating safe trajectory... To completely evade the detection radius of the [Desire Spark], the excavation must maintain a minimum depth of forty meters below the surface. Adjusting structural integrity parameters now.
"System," Kairo muttered in his mind as the earth began to part before him, "scan the rest of the book and index the enemy's abilities."
"Aye, aye, Captain!" the text box flashed.
Kairo let out a long, exhausted sigh. "Seriously? You too?"
As Kairo marched forward, his mud magic parting the earth ahead into a clean, reinforced tunnel while simultaneously collapsing and sealing the path behind them to erase any physical trace, a long list of scanned data began scrolling down his vision.
[ ENEMY ARCHETYPES & LOW-TIER SPELLS DETECTED ]:
Rank F – Desire Spark
Ability:
Can sense strong desires within a few meters.Knows if someone desires wealth, love, revenge, fame, etc.
Rank F – Charming Presence
Ability:
Slightly more likable than normal people.Conversations flow more easily.First impressions are improved.
Rank F – Temptation Whisper
Ability:
Can subtly encourage a desire that already exists.A greedy merchant becomes slightly greedier.An ambitious knight becomes slightly more ambitious.
Psychological Theme:
People usually don't need new temptations; they already carry them inside.
Rank E – Eyes of Longing
Ability:
Can identify what a person currently wants most.
Examples:
Recognition.Love.Revenge.Status.
Psychological Theme:
Most decisions are driven by hidden motivations.
Rank E – Reflection of Desire
Ability:
The user instinctively knows what appearance, attitude, or personality will make a target more comfortable.
Psychological Theme:
People trust those who reflect their values.
Rank E – Sweet Poison
Ability:
Compliments and praise become unusually effective.
Psychological Theme:
Most people underestimate how much praise influences behavior.
Rank D – Craving Mark
Ability:
Places a hidden mark on a target.The target gradually thinks more about a specific desire.
Example:
Wealth.Success.Love.Recognition.
Psychological Theme:
Repeated thoughts slowly become obsessions.
Rank D – False Fulfillment
Ability:
Creates a brief illusion showing the target what they desire most.
Examples:
A lost loved one.Becoming king.Achieving revenge.
Psychological Theme:
People are often manipulated by the possibility of obtaining what they want.
Rank D – Scent of Attraction
Ability:
Draws attention naturally.Crowds notice the user first.Conversations often revolve around them.
Kairo blew a stray strand of hair out of his eyes, mapping out counter-strategies for every single spell. "A lot of tricky, psychological garbage... but thank you, System. You actually deserve a kiss for guiding me through this mess."
The blue text box immediately vibrated, displaying a small, highly animated blushing emoji.
"Aww, thank you! But I am a man."
Kairo's face twisted in horror. He practically barked aloud, "Hey! Don't make me gay!"
Leonhart, who was keeping a sharp eye on the children at the back of the dark tunnel, blinked and called out, "What is 'gay'?"
"Nothing! Nothing at all, keep moving!" Kairo yelled back, his ears burning.
The system's text rippled mischievously.
"Should I explain the concept to Leonhart? Technically, I can unlock a specific toggle that will allow you to passively attract men. Given the cultural parameters of this land, it would actually be an incredibly efficient infiltration tool."
"No, thank you. Absolutely not," Kairo thought back, his mental voice dripping with venom. "Just give me the logistics. System, how long is it going to take for this tunnel to reach the boundaries of the forest?"
"Two days."
Kairo stopped dead in his tracks, his heart dropping. "Wait, what? Two full days of digging this deep?"
The screen flashed a laughing emoji.
"Nah, just chill, I was kidding. You can go outside right now. You've been running and maintaining this excavation for over an hour. You are clear of the immediate grid. You can construct your base right above this coordinate."
Kairo exhaled a massive breath he felt he'd been holding since 2012. "Alright, everyone. Let's go get some fresh air."
A collective, joyful cheer erupted from the hundreds of children behind him. "Yeah! Finally!"
Leonhart walked up to the front, wiping a thick layer of sweat from his brow, his armor clanking softly. "Finally... God, I was about to become as skinny as a stick because of the intense heat radiating from that earth magic. Good job, Kairo."
With a final, precise manipulation of his mana, Kairo transformed the end of the tunnel into a neat, winding stone staircase. One by one, the massive group ascended, emerging from a hidden, brush-covered ridge right outside the immediate jurisdiction of the outer walls.
The cool night air rushed into Kairo's lungs, crisp and clear. He stepped out onto the grass, turning around to look back at the grand, sweeping silhouette of the crimson-and-white city. The spires gleamed flawlessly beneath the starlight, and the antique lamplights made the cobblestone paths look like gold.
It was an architectural masterpiece. A paradise to the untrained eye.
Kairo crossed his arms, his twelve-year-old face settling into a dark, unyielding expression of pure, calculating resolve.
"The road to hell," Kairo whispered, his voice cutting through the quiet rustle of the leaves, "always looks good."