Beneath the modern and breathtaking view of a futuristic metropolis, there exist districts that starkly contrast with the word "breathtaking." People refer to them as slums or shantytowns. The streets of these slums are filled with low-status citizens, struggling to survive. Among the dilapidated buildings, there's a pub hidden behind cramped alleys and the city's gutters, its existence a secret known only to its employees and a select group of customers. The hidden place is called Yalea.
The clientele at this pub must be someone other than regular patrons. Anyone who dares to enter for a drink is usually eyed with suspicion by the regulars and often asked to leave after just one. The moment they step inside, they are met with deadly stares, making ordinary citizens wary of crossing the threshold.
But here comes the unusual part: a woman entered the pub. She was draped in a cape that concealed her entire body. The drinkers glared at her as she made her way to the bar, but she seemed undeterred by their hostile looks. When she spoke to the bartender, her voice was calm and soft. The bartender was taken aback, but he masked his surprise with his usual tired expression.
"A service? Yeah, we've got one. What kind?" he asked.
The woman answered quietly. The bartender glanced around, searching for an available mercenary. Within a minute, he shouted a name.
"Hey, Halley. There's a customer for you."
He pointed to a man sitting at the third table—a humanoid with a ponytail and tanned skin. He wore a cropped navy jacket over a black turtleneck and was idly holding a straw in a shot glass, blowing bubbles into the alcohol.
The woman approached him and took a seat across from him. Halley lifted his gaze, observing her closely. He could see her face clearly now; it looked as if she were wearing a mask, with spirals swirling around her features and stopping in the middle to form a hole. When she spoke, the hole shifted with her voice—it was her mouth. Though her hood concealed much of her face, strands of silver hair peeked out.
"Are you available for my request?" she asked softly.
"Well, the bartender called me. I'm your guy now," Halley replied.
"How much is your payment?"
"5,000 Antz, minimum."
"5,000!? You're robbing me!"
"Depends on the job, sweetie. What do you want?"
"I want you to steal an artifact for the sake of my village."
"From your village head?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"No, from the colonizers.
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The woman asked Halley to come with her to her home at the countryside, far away from the metropolis city. When they arrived, he was greeted by the desperate state of the village. The land was parched, and Halley felt as though he had stepped into an unrelenting summer. If he could describe the village in a single color, it would be yellow—the pale sky, stained by three unyielding suns, and the golden sand stretching endlessly beneath them.
The villagers looked haggard and dust-covered. They toiled relentlessly, digging for treasure, scraping together whatever resources they could—gold, diamonds, anything they could offer the colonizers. Some had already collapsed, lifeless bodies scattered on the ground. Others were little more than rotting corpses, ignored by the living, who continued working as if death were a familiar companion.
"It's gotten worse since the new government took control," the woman said quietly. "They turned our green lands into a wasteland."
"There was once greenery here?" Halley asked, his gaze lingering on the remains of dehydrated trees and grass, now buried beneath layers of sand and withered to nothing.
"Who are they?" he continued.
"The colonizers. They call themselves the Black Hound."
"Sounds more like a gang of bandits."
"They are."
"What?" Halley's voice was incredulous, but the woman lowered her gaze. Her silence confirmed the truth.
Bandit groups were no secret. They were roving criminals, taking what they wanted from the weak. The more powerful ones, like colonizers, overthrew small villages and towns to seize control. Once they were satisfied, they drained the place dry of resources and abandoned it to ruin.
It seemed this village had become the latest conquest of a particularly strong bandit group, the Black Hound. And this woman was the only one willing to fight back.
"How long have they enslaved your people?" Halley asked.
"A year," she replied. "They almost forced me into marriage, but I ran. Yet I came back because, I couldn't leave behind the home my father built."
"Built?"
"He was the village head. I'm Narin, his daughter."
"I assume they killed your father."
"Like all bandits do."
They talked as they walked through the crowd. The villagers parted to let them pass, recognizing Narin as the princess of the village.
"So, what exactly do you want me to steal?" Halley asked.
"The water charm of this village. It will restore the nature and water we've lost," Narin replied.
"How?"
"When the charm is placed on its throne, it creates a bridge between the underground world and the heavens, where the nature spirits reside. This will call upon them to return nature to us and drive away the bandits."
"How are they going to drive the bandits out?"
"The nature spirits have their own ways of ridding the land of catastrophe."
"And who are these nature spirits?"
"They are our gods and guardians."
"Can't they come here now and save you?"
"The spirits are bound by the bridge. They cannot ascend to this world without it."
"Sounds not very helpful. Why worship them?"
Narin shot him an instant glare with her eyeless face. Halley realized he'd said something he shouldn't have. He quickly changed the subject to avoid unnecessary conflict.
"Where's the throne?"
Narin slowly relaxed, her glare fading as they continued walking.
"In the Temple of Undine. The throne lies deep within its center."
"What does the charm look like?"
"The charm you seek will appear as a delicate flame. Its soft petals curl outward, like tongues of fire. But be cautious—it's made of glass."
"Petals? Like a flower?"
"What's a flower?" Narin looked puzzled.
They stopped walking after several minutes. Narin turned her head to ask the question, but then she spotted a familiar figure in the distance. Her masked face couldn't reveal her emotions, but her unsteady steps backward made Halley sense something was wrong.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
Halley followed her gaze but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Suddenly, he felt a grip on his arm. Narin bowed her head, tugging his arm with her gloved hand. His confusion deepened, and suspicion crept in, until he finally saw someone approaching.
"Well, hello there, princess."
Halley turned and spotted a man wearing a pterodactyl-shaped mask, rusty and metallic. The man's expression was hidden, but the playful glint in his eyes gave away his intent to taunt.
"Haven't seen you around for a while. Where've you been, girl?"
Narin stayed silent, her fear evident. The man leaned in closer, his beak-like mask almost touching her face, as if trying to provoke her.
"It's been lonely without you at the base. I thought you'd want to take responsibility for your friends in the basement. Or do you not care what happens to them?"
Halley's annoyance grew with the man's taunts. He ignored him deliberately for a moment before stepping forward and shoving a hand against the man's chest, pushing him back from Narin.
"You realize I'm here, right?"
"And who the hell are you?" the man sneered.
"You don't want to know," Halley replied calmly.
The man laughed, his voice dripping with mockery. "So, you ran off and found yourself another guy? What makes him so special, huh?"
He reached to grab Halley by the collar, but Halley's reflexes were faster. In an instant, he caught the man's wrist, twisting it precisely until his smug expression twisted into visible pain. Halley tightened his grip, making the man writhe in agony.
"I could give you fifty different ways to feel pain. How does that sound?" Halley said, his voice cold.
Then he released the man's arm. The guy staggered back, reflexively retreating while Halley remained still, unphased. For a moment, the man considered throwing a punch but hesitated, intimidated by Halley's unflinching gaze. He tried to maintain his bravado.
"You'd better watch your back," he muttered before backing away and leaving.
Narin, still standing beside Halley, was visibly anxious. "This won't end well."
"For him," Halley replied, his words both cryptic and reassuring. The response confused her, but a flicker of hope crossed her mind.
Halley turned to her. "I think that concludes the interview. Let's get you home and start planning."
"No," Narin interrupted quickly. "My home is full of them. Take me to the Temple of Undine instead."
"Wouldn't that be the same situation?"
"They've looted everything. Only the structure remains, and they haven't visited it in a long time."
Halley nodded in agreement and guided her toward the temple. Narin tried to discuss the payment, but Halley waved her off. "Just have whatever you can ready when the job's done."
They parted ways at the temple gates. Narin slipped into the shadows, while Halley prepared for the night ahead. The real work—and the bloodshed—was about to begin.
.
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From the encounter with the man yesterday, Halley had scanned his face and grasped his identity. The man's name was Thurqa, the second-in-command of the Black Hound. For a second-in-command, he had a surprisingly weak presence. Halley wondered how this bandit group could be one of the strongest in the region.
By tracking Thurqa's identity, Halley discovered their base: the village head office. He arrived on the rooftop, ready to ambush the entire group. Narin had informed him that the water charm was located in the library of the head office, along with their stolen belongings.
Halley shot a grappling hook to the third window and threw himself through the glass. He entered the office like an intruder, greeted by the sight of bandit members enjoying their drinks. Their laughter ceased, replaced by shock as they processed the unexpected sight of someone crashing through their window. Halley reveled in their expressions.
Narin had instructed him to steal the water charm and return it to the temple, hoping the nature spirit would save her village. But Halley had his doubts. If the spirits could only be summoned by the charm, their purpose would be limited to restoring nature, not defeating the bandits. It wouldn't change anything; the bandits would still be there. Someone needed to stand up to these bullies, and Halley was determined to do just that.
He sprinted at the bandits, starting his ruthless assault. The members scrambled for their weapons, launching themselves at him in a desperate attempt to retaliate. Halley wielded his blade and handgun, shooting their heads and slashing their faces without concern for the blood that stained him.
He made his way downstairs to confront more bandits. As he descended, they called for backup and alerted their boss. But before they could finish their warning, Halley silenced them with a swift strike of his blade. He exploded heads with every shot he could take, a grim smile playing on his lips as he reveled in the chaos.
Another member rushed to open a door and alert their boss, but Halley smashed the man's face into the floor with his foot. He pulled a grenade from his waist and tossed it into the crowd of bandits pursuing him in the corridor. The loud bang echoed as the building shook, but Halley pressed on toward the head office.
He forcefully kicked open the office door. Two guards stood against him, but they fell dead in an instant. Their boss charged at Halley, a conjoined twin—one side brawn, the other side brain, with the little twin nestled in the front pouch. The smaller twin whispered instructions to the larger one, but all their attacks were predictable. Halley could hear the little twin's commands even in whispers.
In mere seconds, Halley pinned the captain down and forcefully separated the twins. He stabbed the larger twin while strangling the smaller one, as if pulling a newborn from its mother's womb. The umbilical cord connecting the little twin's bottom to the large twin's pouch dangled in the air. Halley gripped it tightly and stared deep into the little twin's eyes.
"Where's the water charm? Speak before I pull you out," he demanded.
"T… the… charm…" the little twin stammered.
Before the twin could utter a word, Halley sensed another presence behind him. He remained still until he heard the ominous click of a gun.
He turned to see Thurqa aiming his weapon. In a split-second decision, Halley used the twin as a shield, and the bullets pierced through the conjoined body, killing the boss instantly. Without hesitation, Thurqa turned and fled, clutching something that resembled a glass flower petal in his hand.
Halley dropped the lifeless captain and sprinted after Thurqa, dispatching any bandits who dared to obstruct his path. He slashed and shot, threw and cut, until nothing stood in his way. But as he reached the gate, Thurqa inexplicably vanished.
Halley rushed to the front yard, where he spotted numerous vehicles speeding away from the village head office, Thurqa among them. They appeared to be making a hasty escape, but their treasure still lay within the office—except for the water charm. Halley could already guess their destination..
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.
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It took Halley considerably longer to reach the temple on foot and via public transportation. He even had to negotiate with the driver to take him there. Upon arrival, he was met by a gathering crowd at the temple. These were no ordinary onlookers; they were bandits, glaring at Halley with deadly stares and mocking expressions. They hurled threats and insults at him for daring to cross them. Halley paid no mind to their bluster and focused on the gate of the central temple.
Suddenly, a man emerged from the door, flanked by his guards. It was Thurqa, and one of the guards was dragging someone Halley recognized—it was Narin. Thurqa held the water charm delicately between his fingers, as if he were about to drop it on purpose.
"I knew you'd come back, Narin's second-in-command. Care for your girlfriend that much, huh?" he taunted.
Narin's mouth was covered to prevent her from speaking. Thurqa raised the water charm higher.
"It seems you're looking for this as well," he mocked.
Halley remained silent, staring unwaveringly at Thurqa.
"Beg me not to drop it. Say you're sorry, and I'll let your girlfriend go."
Still, Halley said nothing, maintaining a poker face that seemed to infuriate Thurqa even more.
"Well, then…"
He let the water charm fall, shattering it into countless pieces. Narin screamed behind her gag, but Halley's expression remained unchanged, further enraging Thurqa. Instead of reacting, Halley turned to Narin with a surprising fact.
"Hey, Narin," he called.
All the bandits fell silent, their eyes fixed on him.
"Your spirit guardian doesn't exist."
Narin was momentarily speechless.
"There's no such thing as a spirit guardian. The source of your village's nature lies within the magic contained in the water charm. It's a water magic stone. The central temple can amplify its magic, creating rain and restoring nature to your people. This is crucial for your village, especially since you live in a place that can dry out in a couple of months without water."
"What the hell is he saying?" one of the bandits murmured.
"You're a primitive who believes that every magical occurrence is the result of a god's existence. Consider that it might actually be the work of physics."
Narin stared at him in disbelief. Thurqa was taken aback, then began to laugh hysterically.
"So what? You're just going to spout nonsense? The charm is ruined, you fool. You can't bring nature back."
"The charm might be ruined, or is it the vessel that's broken?" Halley retorted, prompting silence from the crowd.
"The flower petals are merely the vessel. The real magic stone is the pollen."
With that, Halley produced a colorful stone shaped like a long diamond, glowing like a lamp. Gasps of surprise erupted from the crowd, and even Narin and Thurqa stared at him in shock, unable to believe what they were witnessing.
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Flashback
Halley knew where Thurqa and his men were headed, but he didn't follow them immediately. Instead, he returned to the head village to find a vehicle that would allow him to catch up. As he walked through the hall, he heard faint cries.
It was more like a whisper, but Halley could hear it distinctly. He followed the source of the cries, which grew louder but remained elusive. It wasn't until he looked down that he realized the sounds were coming from beneath him.
He discovered a basement room from which the cries emanated. As soon as he opened the basement door, he was confronted by fearful faces. The inhabitants of the basement were all women and children of the village, or at least that was what Halley assumed from their cries. They took on various shapes; sometimes, it was hard to distinguish between male and female in their alien forms unless you were familiar with their origins. The little ones, however, were unmistakably smaller versions of the aliens.
"Ladies," Halley greeted them to confirm his assumption. They remained silent.
"The bandits are gone; you're free now."
"......… all?" one of them spoke up.
"Yes, I killed them. You can go now."
They crawled up the stairs, curiously checking if Halley spoke the truth. Once they realized they were safe, a flock of women prisoners began to walk out of the basement excitedly. They rushed toward the exit without a thought for the consequences. The children were carried by other women, who assured them they could go home now. As Halley watched the women running to the gate, he noticed one woman moving in the opposite direction.
"Water… Water charm…" she murmured.
"Hey, hold up. The exit is that way," he called after her.
The woman shook her head. She seemed to be holding something tightly.
"The water charm… the vessel…"
"I'm afraid they took it, but I will bring it back. Don't worry," Halley reassured her.
The woman shook her head again, glancing at the object in her hands. Halley leaned in for a better look.
"That's the vessel… the water charm… is…"
Then she revealed what she was holding, and that's when Halley understood.
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The rectangle-shaped magic stone glowed in Halley's hand. He glanced at the faces of the bandits, who were still bewildered by his words. Thurqa and Narin remained silent, frozen like statues. Halley felt irritated by the prolonged dumbfoundedness and decided to take action.
He stormed through the crowd of bandits, who seemed to awaken to reality. Thurqa, realizing the threat, instructed his men to attack Halley.
All the bandits lunged at him, attacking from every direction. They swarmed him until he had no room to move, covering him completely. Thurqa laughed at Halley's apparent defeat, convinced he had won. Narin watched in fear as chaos unfolded. Not only had she failed to save her village, but she had also caused an unrelated person to die in the process.
Amid the disturbing scene, Thurqa and Narin suddenly heard a gunshot. They turned to see one of Thurqa's men collapse, his head exploded. Shocked, Thurqa felt a sudden impact to his own head.
"Aaaargh!"
Behind him stood Halley, wielding the glowing water magic stone. One of the bodyguards released Narin and struck at Halley, but Halley retaliated, blowing the man's head off with his gun.
"Halley!" Narin exclaimed.
As they reunited, the glass petals began to rise up toward the pollen in Halley's hand. He let go of the pollen, and the petals encircled it, re-forming the water charm.
"Looks like the petals are the body," Halley said with a smile, which was echoed by Narin's chuckle.
"You fool! Stop your attack! Can't you see the enemy is right here!?" Thurqa yelled at his men in anger. They suddenly stopped, realizing the true enemy stood before them. They had wasted precious time fighting each other.
Halley threw the water charm to Narin, who caught it but hesitated, unsure of what to do until Halley instructed her.
"Bring it back to the throne! Restore your nature!"
Narin understood and sprinted toward the temple center. Thurqa shouted for his men to catch her, but they were quickly cut down by Halley as soon as he commanded them.
"You're not the strongest guy in the band," Halley taunted.
"I bet I can take your heart out," Thurqa retorted.
"I'd like to see you try."
They charged at each other, engaging in combat. Though Thurqa wasn't a powerful attacker, he was quick enough to evade Halley's strikes, while Halley adeptly dodged Thurqa's bullets.
However, the fight quickly became uneven. A few of Thurqa's men joined the one-on-one battle. One shot an arrow from behind; Halley dodged, but the arrow struck his shoulder. Another bandit slashed at him with a blade. Halley deflected the attack with his real arm, which bled from the wound. Another assailant swung a hammer at Halley's head. Halley seized the hammer and twisted the bandit's arm, crushing his bones in the process.
Thurqa laughed at Halley's struggles but was growing angry as Halley showed no signs of surrender. Frustrated, he left the fight and headed off with his men to find Narin.
Meanwhile, Narin sprinted toward the center of the temple. Hearing footsteps behind her, she quickened her pace, fearing that the bandits had started their search. Upon reaching the gate of the center, she pushed it open and ascended the stairs. The throne of the charm was located at the highest point in the water temple. She placed the charm carefully, waiting for a miracle to happen, her anxiety growing.
Suddenly, the gate was forcefully kicked open. Thurqa and two of his men entered the throne where Narin stood. Terror gripped her as she shielded the charm from their view, but her efforts only elicited laughter from them.
"Give it up; that glass is good enough for home decoration," Thurqa taunted.
"You won't lay a finger on the charm, no matter how much you trample me."
"Listen here, princess. Get tough all you want, but you don't have the power to kill me. That nature you possess won't change your village's situation now. I already own this place—and I already own you. So how about you step aside and let me take back the charm? Old glass like this would fetch a million at an auction."
"No! You've lost. I don't have any authority over you anymore. Halley already—"
Thurqa quickly closed the distance between them, extending his hand to forcefully grab her.
But as his hand touched her, a brilliant glow erupted from the charm's seat. The pollen began to shine brightly, reflecting the petals surrounding it. The sudden brilliance surprised all four of them. Even Thurqa and his men stepped back in awe as the glow intensified.
The charm was enveloped in light, growing larger as if it could fill the entire room. Narin, Thurqa, and the two bandits instinctively retreated, fearing they might be consumed by the radiance.
As the glow swelled to the size of a bowling ball, a blinding explosion of light suddenly burst forth, flooding the room with brilliance. The sound was deafening, resembling the roar of thunder. The shockwave caused Thurqa's men to collapse, while Narin fell back in disbelief.
Then, the charm emitted a beam of light into the sky. Narin was mesmerized by the radiance, which shone like a heavenly pathway. She realized the light signaled the clouds to release rain. After staring in awe for what felt like three eternities, she noticed that even the bandits couldn't tear their eyes away from the spectacle.
Seizing the opportunity, Narin dashed outside. Thurqa quickly noticed her absence and sprinted to catch up. As she reached the temple's outer gate, she saw the clouds darkening. Turning her gaze in another direction, she beheld a scene she had never imagined: stepping outside the temple, a raindrop fell on her shoulder. She looked up, astonished as raindrops began to pour from the sky. Her heart swelled with joy, overwhelmed by the sight of rain falling at last.
Thurqa finally caught up to her, grabbing her by the arm. His men followed closely behind, and he commanded them to seize Narin and pin her to the ground. However, they stood frozen in fear. Then, Thurqa lowered his gaze and saw the same scene that struck terror in them all.
It was Halley, standing among the corpses of bandits, his body smeared with blood and riddled with injuries from head to toe. Yet, he showed no signs of pain. His eyes were fixed on the cloudy sky, watching the raindrops fall upon him, some even landing on his eyes until his vision was obscured.
He looked relieved and at peace.
"HOW DARE YOU?! KILL HIM!" Thurqa roared, enraged. He commanded the last two of his men to eliminate Halley, but they hesitated to approach the man who had slain over thirty of their comrades. The remaining bandits ultimately turned and fled from sight.
"Grrrrr…"
Their betrayal fueled Thurqa's fury. He shoved Narin away, intent on confronting Halley himself. He walked over the corpses of his fallen comrades, rain pouring down over him. He picked up a bat from one of the bodies, advancing on Halley, who stood with open arms, seemingly unafraid of the impending attack.
Thurqa swung the bat at Halley, but suddenly…
DUAARRRR!!!!!
A lightning bolt struck Thurqa, unleashing a torrent of electric fury upon him. The violent surge of electricity consumed him, reducing him to a charred corpse of skin and bones.
Halley stood in shock, and Narin stared, equally astonished.
"It's the nature spirit," Narin said in awe.
Halley shook his head. "That was just a coincidence; lightning can strike anyone."
Though Narin should have been angry at Halley's denial of a higher power, she contained her frustration. To her, he was the hero the nature spirit had sent to save the village.
Finally, the village was safe.
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A celebration was held in honor of the village's newfound freedom and as a gesture of gratitude for the hero who saved them. The villagers presented Halley with an abundance of food and gifts. Among these were the crops they had gathered, initially meant as sacrifices for the bandits. Halley received much more than just his payment from Narin.
As he prepared to leave, the folks insisted on seeing him off. Narin stood by his side as they waited for his spaceship to arrive.
"Who was driving your vehicle?" she asked.
"It's automatic. It can drive itself," he replied.
"That's amazing!"
They exchanged smiles, and the villagers who witnessed this moment erupted into wails of joy, reminiscent of a triumphant whale song.
"Can I know who the woman is that gave you the pollen?" Narin inquired.
"I heard she's a maid who worked for your father."
"I see, so she's the head village maiden."
Halley turned to the crowd. "Ah, there she is"
Narin turned around to find a woman waving her hand excitedly from among the villagers. Dressed in a maid's uniform, she radiated happiness at being mentioned. Narin smiled at her, silently thanking her for her help, then turned back to Halley.
"Looks like you'll be sweeping away," she teased.
"That's my job; I don't stay in one place."
"Will I ever see you again?"
Halley pondered this for a moment. "Maybe; only time will tell."
"Then…"
She stepped closer to him. With her mouth, she planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. Halley was taken aback by the sudden gesture. The villagers erupted into cheers, their joy like the blast of a trumpet.
"As a final thank you," she said, pulling away.
Halley accepted it with a smile. As his spaceship arrived, the villagers helped him load his gifts on board. He took off from the village, bidding farewell to Narin.
After the whirlwind of adventure, it was time for Halley to rest. He had been working tirelessly, and thankfully, the wounds he received during the battle with the bandits were treated during his stay in the village. As soon as he sank into the comfort of his couch, he noticed three missed calls on his holographic display. He sighed and called back the number.
"Halley," a familiar face appeared on the holographic screen. It was the bartender from that hidden club.
"Wassup, Ernie?" Halley greeted.
"...…Who?" The bartender looked confused
"....From Shark Tale…" Halley mumbled, realizing it might be pointless to reference a cartoon he had once watched. The bartender bore a striking resemblance to the character he mentioned.
"Never mind. What do you want?"
"...My name is Myklor. Have you finished your work?"
"Just wrapped up," Halley replied.
"You've got another customer. A bodyguard type this time."
"Can I go tomorrow?"
"He's waiting. Start driving now."
"I just got comfortable on my couch. Can't you give me a little time to rest?"
"Fine, take it or leave it. I'll find someone else."
Halley jumped up quickly, not wanting to lose the opportunity. "Hold up. Where is he?"
And so, another adventure for Halley began.