[Present]
Today, Ace headed toward the pill marked in the River Flow City's outer region. As for his destination, it was an Alchemy shop, where he wanted to buy alchemy pills for Alina's affliction.
Ace bought two alchemy pills with eight gold coins from a famous alchemy shop. Since he knew little about the pill market after asking around, he found this shop and bought pills from there.
Now, he is only left with one gold coin after he purchased a rundown hut in the slums for one gold coin. Nevertheless, he was determined to save his little sister, no matter the cost.
In a hurry, little did Ace notice shimmering contempt in the shop owner's eyes when he bought those two pills. After Ace left, the shop owner's lips twisted upwards, and he smirked scornfully.
---
After feeding Alina that 'Black Alchemy Pill,' Ace let her rest for the night.
Early in the morning,
Ace wasn't able to sleep because of anxiety. He has been like this for the past three days now. He checked Alina's condition for the tenth time again, but to his dismay, little Alina's condition was not even slightly improved.
Ace assumed something was wrong with those Black Pills because before selling his old house, he inquired about these alchemy pills and knew just how great the effects of these pills made by alchemy were.
These pills can even heal the disease much worse than his sister's, but this pill was still not working on her. He was skeptical that even the alchemy pills would not work on Aline like other medicines.
Perplexed, Ace went back to the pill market again. However, this time, he went to another not-so-famous, small pill shop in the outer region pill market.
This little pill shop was more humble than the last pill shop he visited yesterday. So, with some uncertainty, he went inside. Inside, seemingly in his sixties, an Old Man sat in a long chair behind a small counter. He had short white hair & a long white beard on his wrinkled face.
When the old man saw Ace's skinny appearance and the tattered clothes on his body, he instantly knew he was a poor kid. However, the old shop owner has a kind nature, so he didn't chase him away.
With a warm smile, he asked, "Little brat, what do you want?"
Seeing the old man's easygoing smile and somewhat friendly way of speech, his tightened nerves loosened a bit, and he spoke attentively to the old shop owner, showing utmost respect.
"Sir, yesterday I bought these alchemy pills from a famous alchemy shop near here for my ill sister. But it hasn't taken effect on her after the whole night. Can, Sir, please inspect this pill and guide me if it's not what she needs and requires some other pill?" As Ace requested, he took the remaining black pill out of his pocket and showed it to the old shop owner.
The old man smiled kindly after hearing Ace's little request, which was nothing at all. He took the black pill from his hand and seriously examined it. The old man took a little whiff, and his expression stiffened instantly.
He looked at the black pill gravely first and then at little Ace, who was nervously waiting there with both hands clenched together.
'Sigh...' The Old Man sighed in pity as he looked at Ace and felt quite bad for this poor little boy.
When Ace saw the old man's heavy expression, his heart nearly jumped out of his chest because he knew something was wrong.
After a moment of silence, the old man said gloomily, "This is a 'failed pill,' meaning it has neither the healing nor curing properties whatsoever. Simply put, it's just a piece of trash."
When Ace heard this, he thought the world around him had turned dark and nearly lost his sentience. But he forced himself to remain composed because he knew that old fat-faced bastard had duped him, and the most hateful part was he couldn't do anything about it, so there was no point in fuming and burning his blood.
He couldn't afford to fall into depression at a time like this when his sister's condition was still unknown.
'That fat bastard!' Ace cursed that fat shop owner millions of times in his heart since he couldn't do anything to him other than curse silently and keep the hatred in his heart.
Ace took a deep breath and suppressed his boiling rage in front of the old man.
This old man was very kind to him. He appraised the pill and asked nothing from him. Because Ace knew if someone else were in the old man's shoes, he would've kicked him out of the shop when he asked that kind of question or had asked for a remittance.
Because no one wants a poor commoner like him to step into their shops, mostly wealthy merchants, this was especially the case in the pill market. They all disdained the poor and ordinary people like him.
"Sir, thank you for your kindness. I'll remember this favor in my heart."
After sincerely saying those words to the old man. Ace bowed deeply and asked with a pleading but determined tone, "Can, Sir, tell me what kind of pill I need to cure my little sister's illness!"
Ace wanted to know what kind of pill would cure his sister's condition and, most importantly, its cost!
Since he had already lost the money, he wouldn't be getting it back, even if he reported it to the city guard post, so he had to raise the money by another method.
The old man becomes astonished and moved by Ace's determined eyes and firm mindset. "From your description, your sister's illness resembles 'Nerve Cold Illness.' Unfortunately, it's a rarely seen condition, so you need a 'Nerve Heating Pill' to cure it. Which will cost you. 1 Ruby Coin!"
(1 Ruby coin = 100 gold coins)
When little Ace heard the opulent cost of this Nerve Heating Pill, he nearly fainted there.
'It's too damn expensive!'
Even if he had ten gold coins, he would've still been missing 90. It was an unimaginable amount for an ordinary person like him, even if he sold himself!
Ace pursed his lip and asked while clenching his teeth, "Sir, Can this pill really cure my sister's illness?"
The old man nodded solemnly after seeing Ace's firm resolve. If it were some other commoner, he would have fallen into despair after hearing the price of one ruby coin.
The old man replied sternly, "I stake my Gale Galos name on it!"
When Ace saw the old man, Gale's solemn expression, he was somewhat relieved.
After expressing his gratitude, he bid farewell to the old man Gale and left his alchemy shop in a hurry.
While Ace was on his way back to the slums, he saw that fatty bastard's shop and even saw that Fatty. He was astutely smiling ear to ear while counting gold coins.
'I hope you'll suffer heaven's retribution!' Ace ground his teeth in hatred and cursed the bastard Fatty more vehemently in his heart. He wished he could plunder that shameless Fatty's gold coins.
While cursing and thinking about stealing from that fatty bastard, he reached his home,
Ace opened the hut door when he saw Alina trembling even more while sniveling. Her condition has somehow worsened.
Ace rushed to her side and quickly hugged her tightly. He felt like he was holding an ice block when he hugged her; he was terrified!
Alina was feeling icy cold when she suddenly felt warmth and immediately knew her big brother was back. A weak smile bloomed on her pale face, and she felt slightly better.
Ace's eyes were now filled with tears when he saw Alina's weak smile, and he thought skeptically with despair.
'Life has always been extremely unfair to me. First, it took My parents, then My Grandparents, and now even Alina is going to leave me like them?'
"NO!" Ace cried out loud, subconsciously.
He muttered in amuck, "I didn't want anyone dearest to me to leave again!"
His voice soared, "I want to fight against this unfair life, I want to fight against this unfair corrupted world, I want to even fight against this damn unfair, blind HEAVEN!"
In the end, there was nothing but bitterness and grievance left in his heart.
"If I had the power, I'd fight you all who wanted to embezzle from me!"
His mind was in chaos after seeing Alina's peaceful yet lifeless expression, and it reminded him of those icy bodies of his grandparents all those years ago. All the grievance, pain, and loneliness that had been hidden deep inside his heart for all those years poured out like an unstoppable waterfall.
Right when he was anathematizing and impugning the unfairness of everything, a bizarre thought surfaced in his mind like a lightning bolt. It was an extremely silly thought. It was so foolish and preposterous that he laughed with tears streaming from his eyes.
He thought,
'Everyone is stealing from me. What If I have a power that can help me steal from anything, even Heaven itself!!?'
'Even if I would become a criminal of Heaven, even if I would become a criminal of Ages, I would still steal from you all if it means prosperity of my dear ones!'
'I would steal everything from this life, these detestable people, and this unfair High-Heaven!!!'
---
Abruptly, the golden sky of the Golden Sky World became pitch black, and everything fell into darkness with not a speck of light left. It was like the darkness was paying a personal visit to this World!
This sudden blackness alarmed every race in the World. Everyone thought a calamity was going to occur.
Precipitously, inky lightning clouds formed in the back sky.
One could even hear deafening thunderclaps, but there wasn't any trace of lightning, or it was also black. No one knows.
Nevertheless, It was a panorama of doomsday!
This scenario alarmed every top Expert of the Golden Sky World.
The inky clouds form a vast dark hole!
No one knows what that huge thing was, but everyone only has one thought: 'A catastrophe was about to descend!'
However, out of everyone's expectation, a single Dark Blue lightning descended with a rumbling thunderclap.
Booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooommmmmmmmmm....
A thunderous boom echoed everywhere across the World.
Something even more absurd happened after that: the Dark Blue Lightning didn't fade like regular lightning and instantly bolted toward a specific direction like a shooting star. Still, it was more evident for everyone to see in this pitch-black darkness. It was as if this dark blue lightning had a life of its own.
It turned into a dark blue streak, and it was so fast that it disappeared in a flash.
This sudden turn of events gobsmacked everyone observing because after that beam of lightning vanished from everyone's view, the dark sky and clouds returned to normal as if nothing had happened.
No one knows what that strange lightning was, but since it was a world of cultivation, they instantly think it was a Heavenly Treasure that fell from Heaven!
Some Top Experts of every race headed toward the light's direction. But the light was so fast no one could catch or chase after it.
Its last direction was towards the Human continent, the Azure Wind Continent.
Top Sects of the Azure Wind continent were included in all this, and when the experts of the ancient sects realized the dark blue light was coming in their direction, they immediately became happy, but they also couldn't catch up with that beam of dim blue lightning.
It swiftly disappeared towards the lower-level lands while others were still wondering where it went.
---
Meanwhile, in River-Flower City, within the slums area, after an outburst of his pent-up emotions, Ace finally calmed down and felt light-headed. But he felt pretty ridiculous after thinking of his absurd notion of stealing from Heaven.
'No one can steal from Heaven.' Ace chuckled meekly with despair.
---
A streak of dark blue lightning swiftly entered the River-Flower City sky.
Its direction was shockingly towards the slum area. It was so fast that no one noticed its arrival. In a flash, it entered the slums; its target was a rundown hut with holes in its roof!
It stopped and hovered above the hut roof as if it was observing the little boy inside who was lamenting with despair while holding a delicate little girl in his embrace.
Suddenly, the streak of dark blue lightning bolted down on the little boy's head!
Its trace of existence disappears like it never existed.
The little boy was none other than Ace!
He was just about to go out to look for a way to gather a Ruby coin when he suddenly felt he was hit by a scorching sledgehammer and felt his head being split apart.
He wasn't able to endure the excruciating pain and fainted on the spot. The last thing Ace remembered before blacking out was hearing a melodious yet static voice in his head.
"[The initialization has begun...]"