[ARC 1] Chapter 8 – The Monster from Black Iron

The city of Black Iron was a town where people from all over the country staked their dreams upon. Once a city known for smithing, it had become a city for adventurers to gather to stake their dreams of becoming legends.

After all, it was the nearest city where the Moon Tear had fallen. Animals that had once been peaceful, mutated and evolved into monsters. They were dangerous, but the prize for killing them were worth the risk.

While dreams were one side of the of city, the darkness of the city covered the fallen ones. Children from adventurers were regularly abandoned in the slums of the city. The fragments of the crushed dreams were abandoned here.

Twenty years ago, a couple had abandoned a boy in these slums. The boy did not know how old he was, but he was old enough to stand up and walk. Though his parents were terrible people, they did hand him one last kindness, they gave him a parcel of food. Enough for three days.

Just like a babe separated from its herd, the older children circled around him like hounds.

“What do you have there?” The oldest and ugliest had asked him.

“Food. Piss off,” the boy said.

The oldest blinked. Then his face turned a deep scarlet. “You have some mouth for someone tiny. Your new here, so I’ll let it go. But there is a toll in these parts.”

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He looked back at his boys, and they snickered.

“Piss off. Looking at your face is like looking at my grandma naked,” he said those words in an innocent tone. The boys looked at each other, unsure if he knew what he was talking about.

The oldest though grew even more furious. He made a grab for the package.

“Give me that!” He yelled. “I’m going to fucking kill you!”