The morning sun broke over the rooftops, casting long shadows as the marketplace stirred to life. The scent of fresh bread and roasting meat filled the air, mingling with the distant clang of a blacksmith's hammer. But none of it reached me — not really. My mind was already on the road ahead.
Yoon-Hee stood beside me, sharpening her sword with slow, deliberate strokes. The sound of metal against stone was a familiar rhythm — one that kept us steady when the world threatened to spin out of control.
Today, we'd take on a bigger bounty. And if we survived it, we'd finally have enough to move our family out of that tiny, broken house.
"You ready?" she asked, sliding her blade back into its sheath.
I nodded. "Always."
---
The bounty office was busier than usual. Warriors crowded around the board, voices raised in heated arguments. The most dangerous jobs paid the most — and everyone was hungry.
But when we stepped in, the room went quiet.
The Ironfang Duo had that effect.
I scanned the board, eyes locking onto a notice near the top. A Crimson Fang Brigand Captain. Infamous, deadly — and worth more than every other bounty combined.
"Taking this one," I said, tearing it down.
"Suicidal," someone muttered behind me.
Yoon-Hee just smiled. "They always say that."
---
The trek to the brigands' hideout was long and treacherous. We moved through dense forest, the air thick with the promise of violence. Every step brought us closer — and every step reminded me why we were here.
For my father, who worked his hands to the bone.
For my mother, who deserved more than endless worry.
For Seol-Ah, whose power was still sleeping — but wouldn't stay that way forever.
And for Yoon-Hee, who had no family left but us.
---
The fight started fast and brutal.
Bandits poured from the trees, their weapons gleaming in the dappled sunlight. But we were faster.
Yoon-Hee moved like water — every step flowing into the next, her sword an extension of her will. The Azure Lotus Scripture danced around her, and the air grew colder with every strike.
I met them head-on. The Primordial Ascent Manual demanded perfection, and I gave it everything I had. My blade carved through flesh and bone, each strike heavier, faster — unstoppable.
By the time the captain appeared, the ground was littered with bodies.
He was bigger than the others, his armor stained with blood and his eyes burning with rage.
"You shouldn't have come here," he growled.
"Too late for regrets," I said, raising my sword.
The fight was over in moments.
---
We returned to the city bruised, bloody — and victorious. The weight of the coin purse was a promise in my hands.
It still wasn't enough.
But it was close.
---
That night, we sat around the fire with my family. My mother's laughter filled the air, and my father's face softened in a way I hadn't seen in years. Even Seol-Ah smiled — though the glint of silver still flickered in her eyes when she thought no one was looking.
"We'll buy a new house soon," I promised. "One with space. And light."
My father's hand gripped my shoulder — steady and strong. "You've done enough," he said.
But we both knew that wasn't true.
Not yet.
---
The next morning, the bounty board whispered a different story.
The Infinite Ascension Tower had opened another floor. And this time… no one had returned.
We weren't ready. Not yet.
But we would be.
One bounty at a time.