My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

Chapter 1178: Chapter 1179: The Weak Forgive

There had never been a feeling like this in her heart.

Ranar couldn’t understand what it was or even what was happening. For a moment, she was certain her eyes were deceiving her.

Her knees had slammed hard against the ground when the barrier descended, yet she barely felt the pain. Her golden eyes remained fixed on Gunter.

It wasn’t only Gunter.

The two female adventurers stood outside the barrier as well, completely unaffected.

Gunter calmly accepted a pouch of Zeni from a man dressed in expensive clothes. The man was bald, with a long scar running across his head, and his eyes remained fixed on Ranar as another layer of magic slowly formed around them.

The barrier hardened, encasing Ranar and Ric inside a transparent glass-like dome.

The oppressive gravity disappeared, allowing Ranar and Ric to breathe again.

Ric’s expression turned cold.

He stared at Gunter without saying a word.

Gunter approached them and stopped on the other side of the thin barrier separating them.

”This barrier was created using the magic core of a sixth-rank monster. Even you can’t break it.”

Ranar stared at him blankly.

”Why?” she muttered, her voice barely audible.

Gunter’s expression remained indifferent.

”Why? Because I need money, and selling you was easy.”

Ranar’s lips trembled.

Gunter looked directly into her golden eyes.

”How naive do you have to be? All that nonsense you said about forgiveness. I certainly hope you can live up to it now, kid.”

Ranar’s eyes slowly widened.

Gunter’s gaze hardened.

”Forgiveness is what weak people use to cope with the fact that they can never obtain justice.”

His fingers tightened around the pouch of Zeni.

”I forgave the people who slaughtered my village. Know why?”

He gave a bitter laugh.

”Because I couldn’t do anything about it.”

Ranar’s eyes began to burn as tears welled up.

”That’s forgiveness.”

Her chest tightened.

She didn’t understand why.

It wasn’t the barrier.

It wasn’t even the betrayal itself.

It was the fact that Gunter had been kind to them.

He had protected them.

He had guided them through the mountains.

He had become angry on their behalf when the bandits threatened them.

So why?

Why had he done this?

Gunter noticed the tears gathering in her eyes but showed no sympathy.

”Yeah. It stings, doesn’t it?”

His voice became quieter.

”Your first betrayal always does.”

He turned his back on them.

”This is the real world.”

He paused for a moment.

”One last piece of advice.”

His gaze shifted slightly toward Ranar.

”Survive.”

With those words, Gunter walked away.

Ric’s fists clenched.

He suddenly stepped forward and slammed his fist against the barrier.

Bang!

The barrier barely trembled.

”I’ll kill you!”

Bang!

”I’ll kill you, bastard!”

His fists struck the barrier again and again, his eyes burning with rage.

”You’re less than human! You’re a beast!”

Gunter didn’t even turn around.

He simply walked away with his payment, followed by Gia and the other female adventurer.

Ranar lowered her head.

Tears finally rolled down her cheeks.

She still couldn’t understand.

Gunter had taught them so much during their journey.

He had shown them the safest paths through the mountains.

He had warned them about dangers.

He had even risked himself to protect them.

Then why?

Why had he done this?

”What a young and beautiful specimen.”

A deep voice suddenly echoed through the chamber.

Ranar slowly raised her head.

The bald man with the long scar was staring at her.

”A young lady from outside the barrier, already at the fourth class advancement.”

His lips curled into a satisfied smile.

”You’ve come a long way from home, Ranar Grey.”

Ranar’s head snapped toward him.

Her eyes narrowed.

”You know who I am?”

The man chuckled.

”Don’t be so surprised.”

He slowly walked around the barrier.

”A ten-year-old girl at the fourth class advancement. There is only one person in the entire world who fits that description.”

His smile widened.

”Your fame has spread farther than you realize. Especially since you’re the successor of the illustrious Seras Blade.”

Ranar’s hands clenched.

The man then turned toward Ric.

He held the young boy’s spatial ring between two fingers.

”As for you...”

His eyes narrowed with interest.

”I have no information about you. However, it seems you have quite an extraordinary background.”

He examined the ring.

”A pager with a billion Zeni spending limit.”

His smile became wider.

”Someone out there loves you very much. They must be incredibly wealthy...”

He paused.

”And very powerful.”

His eyes gleamed with greed.

”What a catch.”

Ranar gritted her teeth.

”If you know who I am, then you should know who you’re messing with.”

The man laughed.

”Damon Grey, of course I know him.”

He spread his arms.

”His name has reached even our little city.”

He leaned closer to the barrier, his smile becoming colder.

”But we don’t care.”

Ranar’s heart sank.

”Your father. Your grandfather. The entirety of House Brightwater.”

He tapped the barrier with one finger.

”They have no power beyond the mountain barrier.”

His smile widened.

”They could send thousands of troops here for another pacification campaign, and we’d welcome them.”

Ranar bit her lip.

For the first time, doubt crept into her heart.

Would her father really come for her?

Even if he wanted to, could he?

He couldn’t even enter the mountain barrier.

And now she was trapped deep inside the Anarchy City.

The distance between them felt impossibly vast.

The man slowly turned his attention back to her.

His expression softened into a disturbing smile.

”You really are quite a pretty little thing.”

He looked her over.

”I’m sure the City Lord would pay a fine price for such an offering.”

His smile became wider.

”If he likes you, perhaps you’ll become his lady.”

Ranar’s body stiffened.

Beside her, Ric’s expression became terrifyingly cold.

Bang!

He slammed his fist into the barrier again.

This time, tiny black holes appeared around his fist.

Blood immediately trickled down his fingers.

Ric didn’t stop.

”As for you...”

The bald man looked back at him.

”I’ll find a use for you.”

When he left, the room went completely dark.

Ric immediately began punching the barrier over and over again. His fists struck the transparent surface with dull thuds, his expression twisting with frustration as tiny black holes appeared around his knuckles and blood began to drip from his hands.

”Quick, help me.” He called to Ranar.

She remained sitting on the floor, her head lowered.

She slowly shook her head.

”It’s pointless. I can’t break that... it’s too powerful...”

The other children remained quiet. None of them seemed surprised by what had happened.

After a moment, the fat beastkin boy spoke.

”That’s Razor Head, a slave merchant. He picks off people and trades them like merchandise. The stronger people in the city crave glorious conflict and war, so they want pacifications to happen.”

He lowered his head slightly.

”The city feeds on their madness and rage, and it makes them stronger.”

Ric narrowed his eyes, his fists slowly tightening.

He didn’t care about any of that.

”Why did Gunter sell us like that? I just don’t understand why anyone would betray a friend.” Ranar whispered, shaking her head as tears gathered in her eyes.

”I do.”

The merman boy answered her, crossing his legs.

”Money... money is worth a lot even in this city, but it’s not as great as fear. Why should he risk his skin for you? That’s Anarchy City. There are no friendships here.”

His expression remained calm as though he were explaining something obvious.

”Only subjugation and strength. If your group falls, you either bow to the one who wins or die.”

When he said that, Ranar suddenly realized something.

”Is that why you two were following Ric and me... because we beat you?”

The children all began to nod as if it were simply a matter of fact.

In their eyes, Ranar and Ric weren’t their friends.

They were simply their bosses.

”You didn’t see us as friends...” Ranar whispered, her voice trembling.

”Yes. You said to call you boss number one.” The younger girl spoke.

Ranar lowered her gaze.

Right.

That was true.

But Ric and Ranar had merely been playing, like all children did.

These children didn’t see it that way.

In their world, there was no playing.

Ranar’s lips began to tremble. She tried to hold herself together, but the tears finally spilled down her cheeks.

”I... I just wanted a friend. How did it lead to this?”

Her shoulders shook as she buried her face in her hands.

”Daddy... I just want to go home...”

Ric stared at her for a moment.

He was scared too.

After all, he was only eight years old.

But instead of saying anything, he moved closer and sat beside her. He reached out and gently patted her head.

The gesture reminded Ranar of Lilith.

That was how Lilith would rub his head whenever he was scared.

Ranar turned toward him, and the moment she saw his face, she could no longer hold herself back.

She leaned against his chest and began to cry.

Ric hesitated before wrapping his arms around her. He gently rubbed her head, copying the same gesture Lilith had always used on him.

He really wanted to go home too.

”Don’t be scared. My master will find us. He never, ever gives up.”

Ranar’s sobs slowly became quieter.

”Right...”

Ric suddenly straightened, wiping his own eyes before forcing a smile.

”Never give up. That’s what Master would do. He’d never let his enemies have the last laugh, so neither should we.”

Ranar wiped her tears with one hand and looked at him.

Ric raised his thumb proudly.

”Did you forget you’re the strongest girl your age? You may be cute, but your whole body is a weapon.”

He gave her another thumbs-up.

”Let’s screw them overrrrrr!”

Ranar stared at him for a moment before a small smile finally appeared on her tear-stained face.

Then she chuckled softly.

”That’s a bad word.”