Human Hearts Are Treacherous

The smell of blood still lingered on Truth Avenue.

The two hired guards were efficient in their work, calling in cleaners to scrub away the bloodstains and casually dispersing the gathered crowd.

To them, the death of an apprentice with no backing was as insignificant as a stray dog's; as long as someone took care of the mess, they were happy to stay out of it.

Tylen stood by the carriage, watching the guards' retreating figures, and let out a light breath.

The pale blue light on his retina still flickered.

[Emergency Quest: Don't Bully the Youth] [Phase One: Kill Haige (Completed)] [Reward Issued: 1500 EXP, Knowledge Crystal x100]

Tylen was about to pull up the panel to check the details and plan his next route.

Just then.

"Watch out behind!!"

A sharp, piercing scream cut through the air like a whistle.

Tylen's body reacted faster than his mind.

Without a moment's hesitation, he twisted his waist sharply, throwing himself forward into a clumsy but practical tactical roll.

Whoosh!

A gust of foul wind grazed the back of his head.

Tylen caught himself with one hand on the ground, spun around, and dropped into a half-crouch defensive stance.

Where he had been standing, a thug with a face full of scars stumbled and fell flat on his face.

On top of that thug sat a boy in coarse linen clothes.

The boy was clinging to the thug's waist, clearly having thrown himself into the tackle with all his strength.

A sharp clang rang out.

A gleaming, sharp Bone-Cleaving Knife slipped from the thug's hand, bouncing twice on the stone pavement, its cold light glinting.

It was one of Haige's four underlings.

Now pinned to the ground, the thug's face twisted with rage, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Tylen with a mix of regret and greed as he cursed wildly:

"You goddamn dog! I was this close! This close to killing you!!"

Tylen stared at the knife, less than half a meter from where he'd been standing, and a cold sweat broke out on his back, a chill shooting straight to his skull.

Careless.

Truly careless.

He thought killing the bandit leader Haige, cowing the crowd, and dealing with the guards would end it.

He thought the scattered lackeys would scatter like startled cockroaches.

But he forgot—this was a wizard's world that devoured men.

Tylen snapped his head up, his gaze cutting like a blade toward the other three thugs lurking nearby, poised to strike.

"Are you looking for death too?!"

The low growl carried the lingering menace of a fresh kill and undisguised murderous intent.

The three thugs froze under Tylen's icy stare, their planned ambush stalling mid-motion.

They exchanged glances, looked at their failed comrade on the ground, and without a word, turned and bolted into the maze of alleys nearby.

In moments, they were gone.

With Tylen's malnourished frame, he couldn't have caught them even if he tried.

He took a deep breath, forcing his pounding heart to calm.

"Damn it, I really underestimated these bottom-feeders who'd risk anything for money."

Tylen silently scolded himself, his fingers unconsciously rubbing his sleeve.

"Right, these thugs are nothing but ungrateful wolves."

"When Haige was alive, they were dogs. Now that he's dead, they're starving wolves."

"With a chance to curry favor with those rich, powerful core apprentices, why would they be truly cowed just because I killed one man?"

For desperados, the greater the risk, the greater the reward.

Kill him, Tylen, and they could claim the bounty from that young lady Jane, rising to glory overnight.

"I have to be more careful from now on! Even a lion uses full force against a rabbit—I can't afford such arrogant carelessness again."

As Tylen was berating himself, a timid voice spoke up beside him.

"Brother Magnus... thank you for saving us just now."

"Otherwise, my brother and I would probably have been beaten to death by Haige."

Tylen turned his head.

The speaker was a girl who looked fifteen or sixteen.

She wore a gray dress washed until it was nearly white, her face smudged with dust, tear tracks still clinging to the corners of her eyes—pitiful and delicate.

When Haige had charged over with the carriage earlier, it seemed he had been chasing these two.

If he hadn't blocked the way, this pair of siblings would likely have been caught by Haige by now.

"Mm."

Tylen's expression softened slightly as he nodded. "No need to thank me. I should also thank your brother for his warning and help earlier."

If that youth hadn't slammed into him, his skull would probably have been split open by the Bone-Cleaving Knife by now.

Tylen walked over to the thug pinned to the ground.

The youth was already standing up, panting heavily, but he still kept his foot firmly pressed on the thug's wrist, preventing him from lashing out.

Tylen looked down at the thug on the ground, a flicker of killing intent flashing in his eyes.

Yet the thug showed no fear at all.

He lay there, grinning, revealing a row of yellowed teeth, his expression vicious and taunting.

"Heh heh... what? Want to kill me?"

The thug spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, staring at Tylen with contempt.

"You already killed one of Haige's men."

"If you don't want trouble, if you don't want those guards who came and went to drag you into the Black Dungeon, then go ahead and kill me too."

"Come on! Do it! Do you have the guts?"

The thug locked eyes with Tylen, as if seeing right through him.

"You're just some poor bastard here to collect corpses. Don't think I don't know where that pouch of money you gave the guards came from—that was the money they gave you for the body collection!"

"Kill me now, and do you still have the spare cash to bribe those soldiers?"

Hearing this, Tylen's expression didn't change, but inwardly he felt quite helpless.

The thug was right.

Killing Haige earlier had been a "duel" in full view of everyone, an act of "self-defense."

But now, the other party was subdued, with no ability to resist.

If he struck now, it would be an "execution," a murder.

The nature was completely different.

More importantly, his money pouch really couldn't take any more strain.

Those 200 Purple Gold Coins earlier had already been his limit after cutting costs.

Killing another would not only mean paying compensation, but he might also be dragged away for investigation on some random pretext, delaying Mentor Makley's mission—that would truly be a loss outweighing the gain.

Damn street smarts.

These thugs might not understand magic, but they grasped loopholes in the rules and human weaknesses better than anyone.

Tylen took a deep breath, suppressing the killing intent within him.

He bent down, picked up the sharp Bone-Cleaving Knife from the ground, glanced at the youth pinning the thug, and made no move to punish the thug further.

What if these two were in cahoots, putting on a sympathy act?

"I'll remember you."

Tylen's eyes were icy, staring at the thug as if looking at a corpse.

"Get lost!"

The youth restraining the thug silently released his grip and stepped aside.

The thug got up from the ground, dusting off his clothes.

He muttered a curse under his breath, glaring hatefully at the youth for a couple of seconds—this fortune that had been within reach, gone just like that!

Then, filled with resentment, he turned and quickly walked away.

Watching the thug's retreating figure, the youth who had saved Tylen cursed quietly.

"These damned dogs... do they really think we're that easy to push around?"

Then he turned, straightened his disheveled clothes, walked respectfully up to Tylen, and bowed deeply.

"Thank you for your help, Brother Magnus. If you hadn't killed Haige, my sister and I would have suffered badly today."

The youth's tone was sincere, his eyes full of gratitude and awe.

Tylen studied the youth before him.

A golden crew cut, a high nose bridge—though his body was somewhat lean, the burst of strength he'd shown when knocking over the thug was quite impressive.

And he knew gratitude when he saw it, with plenty of guts.

Tylen felt a favorable impression toward the youth who had just saved his life.

In this cold Wizard Tower, camaraderie like this—helping one another—was far too rare.

"Don't mention it."

A faint, warm smile crossed Tylen's face as he proactively raised a hand and rested it on the youth's shoulder, treating him like a friend worth knowing:

"Life's tough for everyone scraping by in the Outer Ring District."

"Speaking of which, why did that Haige target you two? If there's anything you need help with..."

Before Tylen could finish his sentence.

A sudden change occurred.

The moment Tylen's palm touched the youth's shoulder, the boy—who had just been all gratitude and deference—his expression twisted violently.

That gratitude vanished in an instant, replaced by a chilling madness and resolve.

Slap!

The youth lunged forward with both hands, clamping down hard on Tylen's left arm that rested on his shoulder.

His strength was astonishing; his nails even dug deep into Tylen's flesh.

Then, turning his head, the youth screamed hoarsely at the girl beside him:

"Sister! Do it now!!!"

"I've got his enchanted hand pinned! Kill him!!!"

That roar shredded every shred of warmth.

Tylen's pupils dilated sharply.

Out of the corner of his eye, the girl who had stood there looking pitiful and harmless—where was any trace of weakness now?

Her face was twisted and ferocious, her eyes blazing with a savagery far beyond her years.

Whoosh!

From beneath her skirt, the girl drew a Bone-Cleaving Knife she had hidden there, her movements disturbingly practiced.

Without a moment's hesitation, she gripped the knife with both hands, using her forward momentum to drive it viciously toward Tylen's unguarded side!

That strike aimed straight for the kidney—a fatal blow!

Time seemed to freeze in that instant.

Tylen stared at the brother and sister, so perfectly coordinated, at the murderous greed nearly spilling from their eyes.

Shock.

Heartache.

And... a deep, biting cold.

He thought he had found fellow victims, people who would repay kindness with gratitude.

Instead, he had only met two wolves in sheep's clothing.

Their earlier warning, their earlier rescue—it wasn't to save him at all. It was to set up this ambush! To monopolize the bounty on his head!

"How... pathetic!"

The last shred of hope in Tylen's heart was extinguished.

In its place came absolute rationality and ruthlessness.

In the instant before the Bone-Cleaving Knife could pierce his robe.

Hum!

Tylen's right hand was instantly coated with the Magic Thorn Art.

His two lifetimes of experience had taught him to learn from everything: after seeing that thug still ready to ambush, he knew he couldn't trust anyone completely.

So he had instinctively kept a basic guard up against this pair.

"Get lost!"

Tylen let out a low growl.

Then, faster and with more force than the girl, his right arm swung out.

Pfft!

Like a hot knife cutting through butter.

The girl's arms—still gripping the Bone-Cleaving Knife, about to plunge into Tylen's body—were severed cleanly at the elbows.

The severed arms still clutched the knife tightly, flying off under inertia and clattering to the ground with a metallic ring.

Blood sprayed instantly.

"Aaaaaah!!!"

The girl froze for a second, then let out a heart-wrenching scream.

She clutched her severed stump, staggering backward as her face instantly turned as pale as paper.

Piercing screams and spraying blood once again rang out on Truth Avenue.

The passersby who had just dispersed were once again drawn by the commotion.

Only this time, they merely glanced over coldly, their eyes holding little surprise, instead carrying a numb expression of "just as expected."

As if they had long anticipated this kind of plot reversal.

"Sister!!!"

The youth gripping Tylen's arm let out a despairing roar at the sight.

His face was etched with heartache and fury, as if Tylen were the demon of betrayal.

"I'll kill you!!!"

The youth did not retreat in the face of his plan's failure.

He released Tylen's arm, drew a dagger from his waist with his other hand, and lunged wildly at Tylen's throat.

Facing the youth's attack.

Tylen's expression was blank as his right hand sliced through the air in a graceful arc.

Swish!

A flash of cold light.

The youth's right arm, still gripping the dagger, was cleanly severed at the shoulder.

Then, Tylen lifted his foot and kicked the youth hard in the chest.

Unfortunately, Tylen's physical condition wasn't much better than his opponent's.

The youth stumbled back a few steps, then, thrown off balance by the loss of an arm, sat down weakly on the ground.

The battle ended faster than it began.

At this moment.

The youth, now missing an arm, had veins bulging on his forehead from pain, sweat pouring down like rain.

But he paid no attention to his own injury.

Gritting his teeth, he used his remaining left hand to support himself, crawling like a dog with a broken spine toward the girl who was writhing on the ground, wailing in agony.

"Sister... hold on... I'll stop the bleeding..."

The youth tore strips of cloth from his clothes with his teeth, frantically trying to bandage the girl's wound, tears and blood dripping onto the ground.

Tylen stood still, watching this scene full of contradiction and irony.

His brows were tightly furrowed.

"Why do you have to do this?"

Tylen asked quietly, his tone carrying a hint of barely concealed disgust.

He hated seeing this the most.

If you're going to be evil, be evil to the end.

Don't commit murder and betrayal on one hand, while putting on a show of family affection and clinging to life on the other.

Playing innocent? Playing the victim?

Hearing Tylen's words, the youth bandaging his sister's wound suddenly looked up.

His face was pale as paper, but his eyes burned with a chilling hatred and longing.

"Why? You ask me why?!"

The youth roared through gritted teeth, his voice hoarse and shrill:

"Not everyone is like you! Not everyone gets the mentor's favor! Not everyone has magical talent!"

"We bottom-feeders... if we don't fight, if we don't use every means to climb up, we just rot in the mud!"

"Do you know what kind of life we've lived these past six months?"

"Do you know how many beatings I've taken? Do you know how many times my sister has been defiled and abused by scum like Haige in these six months?!"

The youth pointed at the girl beside him, who was nearly fainting from pain, his face full of longing and greed:

"As long as I kill you... as long as I kill you, we can get a sum of money! That lord named Tom promised us!"

"As long as I kill you, we'll have the right to become dogs for those core apprentices!"

"This is our only chance to change our fate! The only one!"

The youth's voice grew softer, as if from blood loss, his gaze beginning to blur.

"As long as we can become the dogs of those young masters and young ladies... we can use our masters' influence to kill everyone who bullied us..."

"Kill them all..."

At this moment, the girl, her face deathly pale, leaned against the youth, staring blankly at the sky, murmuring to herself.

"Brother... I'm tired..."

"I want to go home... I want Mom and Dad..."

On Truth Avenue, people came and went.

Passersby who saw this scene mostly just furrowed their brows, pinched their noses in disgust at the heavy stench of blood, and hurried away.

No one sympathized with the brother and sister.

No one blamed Tylen either.

This was the law of survival in Lion City.

The weak are prey, the strong reign supreme.

Tylen stood in the pool of blood, silent for a few seconds.

Then, he slowly took off his linen robe.

The robe was soaked in the blood of Haige, the young man, and the young woman, its original color unrecognizable.

After removing the robe, it revealed the apprentice uniform underneath—somewhat worn, but only stained with a small amount of blood.

Expressionless, Tylen walked to the roadside, picked up the Bone-Cleaving Knife and daggers scattered on the ground, and tossed them onto his cart.

These were all iron tools, worth a few coins.

Then, he folded the bloodstained robe and pressed it under the bodies on the cart to keep it from blowing away.

Done with all that, he sat back down on the cart shaft and picked up the reins.

He didn't spare another glance at the brother and sister.

Nor did he finish them off.

No one had died yet; with two living people there, he wasn't responsible for what came next.

As for whether the brother and sister lived or died, whether they'd face revenge from enemies, whether they'd bleed out...

He had no interest in knowing.

"Giddyup!"

The old horse lifted its hooves, the cart slowly rolling forward, grinding over the bloodstains on the ground, heading toward the White Cloud Eye Rune Shop.

The sun was still bright, shining on Tylen's young face.

But in those eyes, there was a newfound hardness.

Through today's events, Tylen had truly come to understand the cruelty and madness of this world.

Here, humanity was a luxury, conscience a burden.

Those at the bottom would abandon everything for a chance to be a rich man's dog, even turning their blades on the one who just saved them.

Or rather, that scene just now—Haige, the lackey, the brother and sister used as bait—each had their own schemes, each thinking they could profit from the chaos.

If he hadn't had the experience of two lifetimes, if he hadn't kept his guard up against human nature until the very last moment...

The one lying on the ground bleeding dry right now would be him, Tylen Magnus.

"I'll have to be careful from now on. In my last life, people's malice was mostly behind-the-scenes scheming, after your money. This damn place just goes straight for the knife, aiming for your life..."

Tylen thought to himself, then pulled a piece of hard black bread from his chest and took a fierce bite.

The recent exertion had left him feeling hungry.

It tasted terrible—a mix of sock stench and blood—but he chewed hard.

Because only by surviving could he earn the right to talk about the future.