"Kid, did you lose your memory?" Evans asked, his eyes filled with surprise.
"Yes, that's right… However, I've gathered some information about this world from a few people," Liam nodded wearily, confirming the question.
Evans stroked his chin, looking at Liam with suspicion.
"Hey... Liam."
"What?" Liam turned to face Evans. But immediately, a punch flew through the air, narrowly missing and crashing into his face, causing him to fall to the ground. He painfully got up, feeling the sharp pain spread through his nose. He wiped the blood dripping from it and, with a hint of anger, said:
"What the hell was that for?"
"Oh... Sorry... That was just a test," Evans frowned, deep in thought.
"It seems like he really lost his memory."
In their previous encounters, Liam didn't even utter a word. But now, he could talk to Evans quite naturally. If not for this familiar face, Evans would have thought this was someone else entirely. Perhaps this was the real Liam if he hadn't grown up in that family. However, there were many disadvantages to this. Evans shook his head and added:
"The reflexes ingrained in you by the Carter family still remain, but your actions afterward... In a different situation, you would have definitely died."
Hearing this, Liam sighed deeply, lamenting his fate. He thought to himself:
"If I still had the old memories of this body, maybe I wouldn't be in such a miserable state…"
Seeing Liam's desperate expression made Evans rather amused. It was the first time he had seen so many emotions on Liam's face. Clearing his throat, he said
"Still… You're lucky. I'm a supervisor from the Smith family. My work is quite unique, so I can help you a bit... Now, take off that headband."
Following Evans' instructions, he removed the cloth wrapped around his forehead. Then he looked up and saw Evans slowly pulling out a coin-like object, a finely crafted blue medallion with a glowing point in the center.
"What is this?" Liam asked curiously, his eyes fixed on the symbol.
"That's the Nyx mark… It's one of the things that distinguishes the great families from the rest of the world." Then, Evans immediately pressed the medallion to Liam's forehead. The mark began to glow, sending a brilliant light into Liam's head. He felt a cooling sensation, followed by a strange set of memories flooding his mind, causing him to clutch his head in pain.
"These are the basic memories of martial arts and weapon usage... It'll save you quite a bit of time. Kids in this world have to familiarize themselves with martial arts and weapons from a very young age before they level up... But in our family, it's different," Evans added.
"However, the downside is that you'll need to practice a lot to retain these memories. It depends on your capability before they completely fade from your brain."
Liam, still holding his head, tried to stabilize the influx of memories. He then looked at Evans with a mixture of confusion and gratitude.
"Why… are you helping me?"
"Haha… Why, you ask?" Evans chuckled as he recalled the past.
***
"The winner is Lady Oliver," Evans signaled for the match to stop. He then looked at the boy who had been beaten beyond recognition. The boy's body was now covered in bruises and swellings. Slowly, the boy dragged himself out of the main building amidst the mocking laughter and sneers of the Smith family members.
"Who is that Carter family kid?" a young man nearby whispered.
"I don't know, but he always comes here and makes a fool of himself."
"Look at that black tattoo. He's probably just a cripple... If he had a red tattoo, the result might not have been so bad."
"Even a red tattoo wouldn't change the outcome... Lady Oliver is a once-in-a-millennium genius. I heard her potential score was SS level," another young man responded.
"How can that be? You can't even test potential until after leveling up…"
"Hmph… You're underestimating our family too much," the nearby young man scoffed coldly.
Evans, standing nearby, sighed. "I hope that boy doesn't come back next time..." But against his hopes, the boy continued to return, time and time again.
"The winner is Lady Oliver..." Now, Evans frowned as he watched the Carter family boy. The boy, once again battered and bruised, dragged himself out of the Smith family's main building amid more sneers and jeers.
"Damn it… Is this kid a masochist? This is the 50th time already…" a nearby young man grumbled.
"If it weren't for the inter-family agreements about sparring between generations, this kid wouldn't even dream of coming here…"
Tired of watching the boy constantly getting crushed, Evans approached him just as he was about to leave the castle and said:
"That's enough, kid. You should give up. What makes you so stubborn?"
But instead of a response, all Evans received was a blank, lifeless gaze. The boy said nothing and simply walked away...
"Haizz… Those Carter family kids are always masochists…" Evans sighed.
And so it went, until the 100th time. Then, one day, the boy stopped showing up to challenge anyone. So much so that everyone in the castle felt like something was missing over the weekend. When Evans went to the Carter family to inquire, he learned that the boy had fled the life-or-death trial. Evans was surprised. He never thought the stubborn, masochistic boy he'd seen would give up like that to save his life. Evans felt both disappointed and relieved, knowing the boy would live…
***
"You could say I'm in a good mood today, so I helped you," Evans laughed.
"You're so irresponsible... You must not hold a high rank in that family," Liam said, judging Evans with a scrutinizing gaze.
"Alright… Anyway, head to the academy. That's the place where all the kids in this world are trained, with clear rules that are never broken," Evans said, slightly frowning.
"I know, why are you talking so much?" Liam replied.
"What? Important things need repeating," Evans retorted.
"And finally… Stay away from anyone from the Carter family until you get to Riverside Academy."
Liam furrowed his brows but didn't ask any more questions, as he could already guess the reason. He nodded in agreement.
"This is where we part. Though I'd like to guide you further, my next destination is far from your journey," Evans said as he saw James approaching from afar.
"Thanks…" Liam nodded.
Evans looked at Liam for a moment, smiled slightly, and then they parted ways.
James, walking past Evans, approached Liam curiously and asked:
"What did you and that guy talk about?" He then tossed a black ring toward Liam.
"Ah… Just some casual questions and a few other things," Liam replied with a smile as he caught the ring and examined it closely.
"Is this the space ring you were talking about?"
"That's a mid-tier space ring… Let me show you how to use it," James said, brimming with excitement after buying a ton of items, oblivious to everything else as he began explaining the ring's usage to Liam.