In the middle of a busy street, a man in an extravagant outfit walked by.
He strode with an air of arrogance, his gaze disdainfully scanning his surroundings, when suddenly he felt someone clutching his leg.
Looking down, he saw a dusty-faced beggar boy.
The boy's frail limbs seemed like they could be blown away by the wind.
His tattered clothes revealed several holes, making him look utterly pitiful.
"Get away! Beggar!"
The man scowled in disgust, kicking the beggar hard.
The beggar fell to the ground like a rag doll, landing with a dull thud.
Before the beggar could get up, the man impatiently spat on the ground and sneered.
"Disgusting beggar, such an eyesore."
Two towering bodyguards behind the man immediately stepped forward and mercilessly beat the beggar.
The sound of fists and kicks blended into the noise of the street, yet none of the onlookers dared to intervene.
Moments later, the beggar was thrown to the side near a trash bin, his body curled up in a pitiful state.
Without even glancing back, the man continued his proud march forward.
After the man disappeared into the crowd, the beggar slowly got up from the ground.
Despite his face being covered with bruises and scratches, he gritted his teeth and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.
A cunning gleam flashed in his eyes, and a sly smile tugged at his lips.
He opened his palm, revealing that during the chaotic moment, he had stealthily stolen an exquisite wallet from the man's pocket.
The man's wallet was now firmly in the hands of the beggar, Elric.
Elric quickly stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and quietly disappeared into the crowd, heading towards the slums.
Navigating through the run-down alleys, Elric eventually reached a dimly lit corner, the heart of the slums.
He moved swiftly, passing through a few dilapidated tents and muddy ground, his eyes locked onto an old beggar named Toby sitting ahead.
Toby had lost his left arm long ago.
His clothes were in tatters, his face caked with grime, and he reeked of an unbearable stench.
He leaned listlessly against a wall, his eyes empty, as if he had lost all hope in the world.
"Toby, look what I've brought!"
Elric approached, proudly waving the wallet in his hand before handing it to Toby.
Toby frowned slightly, cautiously looking around.
Only after confirming that no one was nearby did he carefully accept the wallet and quickly open it.
Inside were twenty silver coins.
Toby's eyes lit up, a rare smile appearing on his face.
"Elric, you did well."
Toby whispered.
"With this money, we can finally leave the slums soon."
Toby spoke quietly, his gaze drifting over the silver coins, as if imagining the day they would escape their current misery.
Elric stood silently to the side, listening to Toby, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
He had lost his parents at a young age, so young that he couldn't even remember their faces.
If it weren't for Toby taking him in, he would have likely died in some dark alley, just another forgotten soul in the city.
To Elric, Toby wasn't just a benefactor—he was like the only family he had left.
Elric lowered his head and looked at the jade pendant hanging around his neck.
It was his only possession, something he had worn since he could remember.
The pendant was made of interwoven milky white and dark green hues, smooth and fine, clearly valuable.
He had thought about selling it before, knowing it would fetch a good price, enough to get them out of the filthy slums.
But every time he mentioned it, Toby would sternly stop him.
"This pendant cannot be sold."
Toby would always say this, but never explained why.
Toby held Elric's hand as they walked to a broken-down tent.
The tent was so tattered it could hardly shield them from the elements, but it was their only refuge.
Toby skillfully moved aside the garbage piled next to the tent and led Elric inside.
The interior was dimly lit, surrounded by piles of rags and miscellaneous items.
Toby bent down and uncovered a ragged cloth, revealing an old wooden chest hidden underneath.
The chest looked like it had been used for many years, with worn corners bearing the marks of time.
Toby carefully opened the chest. On top was a pile of old clothes, placed there to hide its true contents.
He gently removed the clothes, revealing a collection of copper coins and a few silver coins at the bottom of the chest.
This money was what they had painstakingly saved over the years through theft, trickery, and begging.
Elric watched as Toby cautiously poured the twenty newly acquired silver coins into the chest, the coins making a faint metallic sound as they landed.
The two exchanged a glance and began counting the money in the chest carefully.
"In total, there are thirty-one silver coins and one hundred and five copper coins."
Toby muttered softly, and Elric nodded in agreement.
They counted the coins over and over again, ensuring there were no mistakes before closing the chest and covering it with the ragged cloth once more.
"With this money, we'll be able to leave the slums soon."
Toby murmured to himself.
His eyes grew moist, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably.
Years of hardship in the slums, countless struggles and failures, had finally culminated in this heavy flood of tears.
Seeing this, Elric was about to offer comfort when suddenly they heard a commotion outside the tent.
The sounds of people crying and explosions filled the air, with an atmosphere of fear and panic enveloping the area.
Toby's face changed drastically.
He quickly grabbed Elric's hand and said, "This is bad! A gang war!"
He pulled Elric along and hurried out of the tent.
As soon as they emerged, they were greeted by the chaotic scene of the slums.
People were fleeing in panic, desperately trying to escape the impending disaster.
Elric looked up and saw two gangs violently clashing not far away.
The streets were filled with the sound of energy blasts and explosions.
Glowing energy rampaged through the air, buildings were shattered, and flames erupted as thick smoke billowed up.
Waves of shock shook the ground, and the entire slum seemed to be caught in an apocalyptic disaster.
Toby held Elric's hand tightly as they darted through the crowd.
The streets of the slums were packed with terrified people, all pushing and shoving to escape the chaos.
Elric stayed close behind Toby, his heart pounding, his mind overwhelmed by the confusion around him.
Just when they thought they were out of danger, a blinding flash of psychic descended from the sky, landing nearby.
With a deafening explosion, a group of people was instantly blown away by the shockwave, and the air was filled with the stench of blood, with droplets splattering everywhere.
The blast's force swept toward Toby and Elric, hurling them through the air before they slammed into a wall behind them.
Toby hit the ground hard, spitting out a mouthful of blood, but he still held Elric tightly, shielding him from harm.
Elric, protected by Toby, was unharmed, but Toby's blood splattered onto his face.
The warm blood trickling down his skin filled Elric with sudden terror.
"Toby!"
Elric cried out.
He desperately shook Toby's body, but Toby's face had already turned pale, and his breathing had become weak.