LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 2
“Hmm, is this okay?”
I stood in front of a badly cracked full-length mirror, checking my face.
The old, shabby hood and mask hid my features well.
This should keep me unnoticed.
Satisfied with my handiwork, I nodded.
The reason for my disguise was that I planned to head into town today.
When I’m not acting as the Grim Reaper, I reveal my true identity. However, I intentionally cover my face when I go to crowded places; walking around with my face fully exposed brings too much attention.
There are always those who poke and prod, and some even approach with ill intentions.
“I can’t say I don’t understand their feelings, though.”
Objectively speaking, I have a face that could be described as overwhelmingly cute and charming.
If being young is a flaw, then that’s it. My looks are national treasure level, and it’s bizarre how people are drawn to me.
But no matter how cute I am, I don’t think it justifies the unwanted attention.
At this point, I’m left wondering if there are simply too many dangerous perverts in this world, or if my very presence turns people into creeps.
“Sometimes, I think it’s a blessing that my growth has stalled.”
Currently, my physical growth has halted at that of a young child.
Even though ten years have passed in this world, I haven’t grown an inch.
I’ve tried eating all sorts of healthy food and I never skip my morning exercises, but nothing works. I don’t know the reason.
Still, I occasionally ponder whether the god who sent me here has paused my body’s growth for the sake of peace and safety in the world.
Even now, my looks turn heads.
I can easily envision what would happen if I grew into adulthood. Surely, many would fight tooth and nail for the last remaining flower on the yellow river.
True beauty is a double-edged sword. The term I used to misunderstand now rings painfully true.
Pure beauty is pure evil.
In a peaceful world, it would be an incredible advantage.
But regrettably, in this brutal world, this face is like a brand.
Anyway, if I’ve finished all my preparations, it’s time to head out.
After double-checking myself, I stepped outside my hideout.
And to loosen my stiff body, I stretched my arms high into the sky.
After shaking my tiny hands lightly, I lowered my arms and took a deep breath.
“The morning air is refreshing… or not, I suppose. Not in this place.”
A foul, nauseating stench assaulted my nostrils.
The area was shrouded in deep shadows, making it dark as evening, despite being broad daylight with absolutely no sunlight filtering through.
The reason was simple.
Around me, ruins mixed with various debris formed towering heaps.
And there wasn’t just one of those heaps.
True to the name “mountain of trash,” filth piled up in every corner.
All the garbage produced in this area gets dumped here.
Even now, I pressed my hand to my ear, listening to faint noises from afar. Sounds like someone’s bringing in another truckload of trash.
Honestly, it isn’t the best environment for living.
But since it’s such a place, people don’t lurk around, which saves me from irksome troubles.
While treasure hunting here, I sometimes find usable items.
Sure, some would argue that living in such a place is questionable.
But I’m used to minor inconveniences after spending so long in this world.
As long as I’m alright, that’s what matters.
Once I’d finished loosening my body.
I hopped between the debris towards the town entrance.
◆
As I finally emerged from the garbage mountain, I found myself in the town.
Buildings stacked atop each other, reaching high into the sky.
These clustered buildings made the streets a maze—complex and quite wide.
People refer to this place as the northern outer city, Labyrinthos.
The residents are no strangers to getting lost in these streets.
I don’t know the area that well either. However, I never forget the places I’ve stepped on.
I walked briskly towards my destination.
The deeper I ventured, the more complicated the paths became, and I felt an increasing number of gazes upon me.
It wasn’t because of my face; that’s concealed. It’s simply because a small human is wandering alone.
The outer city gathers all sorts of people.
Losers who have lost everything, dropouts lacking abilities, and fleeing criminals.
It’s a refuge for those who have been cast aside in this world but are doing their best to survive.
It would be nice if everyone could hold hands, laughing and being friendly.
But productive work is practically non-existent in these parts. Naturally, many resort to easy means of survival.
Selling their bodies, stealing from others, you name it.
They bend to stronger foes and wield strength against the weak.
As a city formed by the abandoned, the influence of law enforcement is minimal, creating an environment where crime runs rampant. It’s essentially a lawless zone where only power and cunning matter.
In a place like this, someone who appears weak is basically prey.
At this moment, I feel like I’m dousing myself with spice, inviting all sorts of unwanted attention.
“Hehehe. Is that a lone wanderer? I hope they’re worth something.”
“Even if they have nothing, selling their body would do.”
“No, wait. If they’re wandering by themselves, they might have some hidden strength or ally.”
“Right? What if we mess with them? That could be a big mistake.”
Evil intentions wafted in the air, though the culprits stayed hidden.
Normally, it’d be odd for them to simply wait like this, but their stillness tells me all I need to know.
There’s a variety of people here because all sorts gather.
Those kinds of humans lurk like rats waiting for scraps of leftover food.
Rats are inherently timid, moving cautiously, never acting recklessly.
They’re likely just watching and waiting for the right moment.
Unless they provoke me first, I usually don’t interfere. If they don’t come at me first, I won’t retaliate.
But their lingering around me is certainly annoying.
Usually, they skim along and vanish, but today they seem to be disturbingly persistent.
I feel like I’m being stalked.
I’d rather they just attack me. At least that way, I can show off some skills and knock them out with ease.
I have no choice.
Suddenly, I stopped and scanned my surroundings.
Just then, I spotted some discarded metal debris. I walked over and started rummaging through it.
Found it.
Picking up a sharp, long piece of metal.
I swiftly turned and threw it towards the direction where I sensed someone.
The metal shot through the air with tremendous speed and slipped between the buildings. What followed was—
“AGHHHH!”
A loud scream echoed.
The chaos was palpable, and the lingering presence around me scattered in an instant.
There was no need to exert strength against such people.
With a simple scare, they would bolt like terrified mice.
I dusted off my hands and then resumed my journey.
*
People’s actions yield consequences, and those consequences impact oneself. Thus, one must think carefully before acting.
The reason I’m considering this is—
“Is that you? Did you hurt our kid?”
An orc, towering four to five times my size, blocked my path.
He looked furious, with a deeply furrowed brow.
Around him were his goons, encircling me to cut off any escape routes.
I didn’t understand what the orc was saying, so I tilted my head.
But then one of the goons burst out vehemently.
“Yes, boss! That’s the one! Out of nowhere, this kid attacked us!”
Ah, I see.
I understand now. These punks were the ones who’d been quietly trailing me until now.
Usually, a mere scare would send them scurrying.
But these ones, instead of backing down, reported to their boss.
“How dare you touch someone from the ‘Iron Hand’ without fear! You’ve got guts, fool.”
Huh? What a ridiculous name.
“Hand over everything you have and come along quietly, and I won’t take your life.”
The orc gestured to his right arm. From it came a loud grinding noise.
“What will you do now?”
What to do indeed—it’s such a hassle.
It wouldn’t matter if someone were to die here; no one would know, and even if they did, no one would care.
There doesn’t seem to be anyone watching, so maybe I could just deal a little bit of punishment while exerting some strength.
Just as I prepared to act—
“Doesn’t it look ridiculous for a big guy to ambush a child?”
A voice interrupted the tense standoff.
Everyone’s attention shifted in unison.
Someone stood on the railing of a four-story building.
That person jumped down gracefully and landed lightly on the ground.
She appeared around 167 cm tall, dressed in a flowing black coat, and exuded a captivating beauty.
Her striking red hair flowed down to her shoulders.
Her delicate yet youthful face bore oddly distinctive eyes, and her sharp gaze was enough to send chills down one’s spine.
Her teeth were sharp enough to give an overall wild impression.
The woman walked toward us.
“Who are you? Outsiders should scram!”
Just as a man tried to grab her shoulder, he was sent flying into the adjacent building, crashing into the wall.
With a loud crash, the wall crumbled.
Whoa.
The others appeared terrified, not knowing what just happened.
But I witnessed it clearly.
She slapped the man’s face with astonishing speed.
The moment her fierce aura approached, the crowd around me started stepping back.
“Everyone, stand back!”
The orc momentarily lost focus on me, now standing before the woman.
Even in front of someone much larger than herself, she didn’t flinch.
The orc spoke up.
“I don’t know how you did it, but your tricks won’t work on me. If you want to live, you’d better scram right now.”
The woman didn’t respond. Instead, she raised her hand to intercept.
Veins bulged on the orc’s forehead, and his eyes widened in fury.
Actions of a furious person become simplified.
The orc swung a fist at her.
His fist, said to crush rock, bolstered by mechanical assistance for speed and power, was launched at her.
Yet, she remained unfazed.
At the last moment, she leaned backward to perfectly dodge, then grasped the orc’s wrist with one hand, twisting it effortlessly.
Snap.
“AAAAHHHHH!”
His mechanical arm brutally wrenched away from his body.
The orc fell to his knees, howling in agony.
The woman showed no mercy, gripping the back of the orc’s head and pulling it closely to her own.
She grinned menacingly.
The orc’s face turned pale under her fierce aura.
“If you don’t want to suffer more, get lost right now.”
The orc jumped up and bolt away, clearly panicked. Once their boss fled, the rest of them scattered swiftly.
Well, that was impressive.
The woman turned her gaze toward me.
“Hey, kid, are you okay?”
I nodded in response.
“Yeah, just be careful next time. I might’ve taken care of those bad guys today, but there’s no guarantee I’ll save you again next time.”
After giving a slight bow of gratitude to the woman for resolving my troubles, I intended to continue on my way.
“By the way, kid.”
The woman called out, stopping me in my tracks.
“Do you know this area well?”
I didn’t understand her intentions, but I nodded nonetheless.
Her expression brightened immediately.
“Really?! The truth is, I haven’t been here in a long while and got lost. So, could you help me out a bit?”
I pondered her sincerity, unsure if she was truly lost or had an ulterior motive.
Yeah, it’s definitely a possibility in this town.
If that’s the case, it might be a bit problematic.
This woman seems to be a lot more trouble than that orc.
Though her face is covered by a hood and mask, the sense of annoyance is undeniably palpable as she hurriedly said.
“I swear, I’m not suspicious! I’m just genuinely lost! Please believe me.”
Suspicious people never admit to their own suspicion.
“How can I not look suspicious… Aha! I’ll give you this.”
She pulled something out of her coat pocket.
It was wrinkled, white—was that a cigarette?
She’s offering a kid a cigarette? That makes her look even sketchier, making me take a few steps back. The woman, flustered, quickly put the cigarette back and pulled out something else.
“How about this—”
Wait, what?
She was now holding something that was supposed to be discontinued, said to have 18 flavors—it’s a rainbow lollipop!
How dare she try to lure me with food?!
Even a five-year-old wouldn’t fall for such tricks. How could she expect me, seasoned with experience in struggles, to be fooled by this?
It was laughable enough that I couldn’t help but snicker.
“Did you really like it? But you need to be more careful. Even though I’m tempting you with food, I have to warn you that there are genuinely bad people in this world.”
What? Suddenly realizing, I found a lollipop in my hand.
Wow. Did I really get swayed by a piece of candy?
But it’s unavoidable.
Sweetness is truly an absolute goodness that calms evil and brings happiness.
Even scolding myself for my foolishness, my body felt joy as I raised the lollipop with my tiny hands.
I was bouncing on the spot.
“By the way, I still haven’t introduced myself properly.”
The woman placed her hand on her chest.
“My name is Red.”
What? Red?
Could it be that Red I know?
The shock of this unexpected encounter froze me in place.