Once upon a time, there was a sinister land shrouded in darkness, where the suffering seemed so intense that it could make a stone weep tears of blood. Sorrow, pain, and despair were everywhere, painting a macabre picture, the reflection of a dying land slowly consuming itself. The sky, burdened by all this suffering, seemed to be in eternal mourning, shedding an endless stream of tears like a grieving widow. Corruption and vice had thoroughly infected this world, to the point that the inhabitants of this city knew nothing but fear, cold, and hunger. Despite, or perhaps because of the rain, a putrid stench of excrement and decomposing flesh constantly filled the air. Misery was the ruling force of this society — a hell where prostitution, organ trafficking, slavery, and every kind of vice thrived. It was a jungle where the weak lived worse than dogs, while the strong had some semblance of comfort in the few places that could be counted on one hand.
One such place was an inn that provided hot meals, decent clothes, and a dry bed to its customers. It seemed to be the chosen spot, where the "elite" of the city came to indulge, drink, and partake in all kinds of debauchery. But today, something out of the ordinary was happening in this establishment. Seated at the bar was a young blond-haired boy, alone, who was clearly a stranger. Pale-skinned and with a hardened expression, he had a plate of food in front of him, but he hadn't touched it, lost in thought.
"I can't believe the horrors I've seen since arriving here. How can a place like this even exist…"
He covered his face with his hand, rubbing his temples, trying to clear his mind but with no success. He continued thinking.
"And on top of that, Kaiju sensei had to leave me all alone in this godforsaken hole."
Flashback
"Welcome to Bagalam, kid."
"Don't say it like that, it's creepy."
"Maybe that's not such a bad thing."
"What do you mean?"
"You see, this country is entirely controlled by criminal gangs who commit all sorts of atrocities. Once, I even saw a passerby get disemboweled alive and have his organs stolen. Then, just after, local beggars swarmed his corpse, hoping to find something to eat. Of course, others immediately stripped him of his clothes."
"…"
"So, as you can imagine, security here is nonexistent. Therefore, you have every reason to be afraid."
"Then what are we doing in a place like this?"
"I told you, we're here to gather information."
"Fine, so what are we waiting for?!"
"Not so fast! I'll go look for the information alone; you'll wait for me at the inn in the small town of Katako, at the base of the mountain."
"I really don't like where this is going…"
"Ahahaha… Don't worry, kid. I won't be long; I'll see you in 10 days. Plus, with your current skills, you should manage just fine."
"If you say so…"
*Throws*
"Catch this bag. Inside, there's enough money to last you two weeks."
*Catches*
"Thanks."
"Well, I'm off. Oh, and… One last thing, I'd advise you to brace yourself because what you'll see won't be pretty."
"…"
"Alright, see you later…"
"…"
End of flashback
"(Kaiju sensei, you're seriously downplaying things; this is ridiculous!!!)"
As Nate sat lost in thought, still shocked by what he had witnessed upon arriving in the town, a man with less-than-honorable intentions approached him, seeing him as an easy target.
"Hey there, boy. What are you doing here? Are you lost?"
"No."
"You know, this place is full of dangerous people… It's not the best spot for a defenseless kid like you. But you're in luck, because I…"
"I'm not interested. I wish you well, thank you!"
The man speaking to Nate wasn't willing to take no for an answer and began to insist. Seeing this, the bartender stepped in without hesitation.
"Excuse me for interrupting, but the young man doesn't seem interested in your offer. Furthermore, you should know it's forbidden to try to do 'business' with the inn's clients inside the establishment. So, I'll kindly ask you to return to your table, sir."
Nate then understood why Kaiju had told him to wait here. The bandit returned to his table, muttering under his breath.
"Tssk… You're no fun, old man!"