Novice Protection Period? I Don't Need It

Here, his rules are the only rules.

Whether a six-year-old child who enters Slaughter City can make it out alive depends entirely on his own fortune.

As for "looking after him"?

The King of Slaughter leaned back against his stone chair, eyes closed, the smile on his lips still lingering.

If a six-year-old child can last three days, he's lucky to be alive.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Slaughter City.

The entrance.

Luo Yun stood before a massive iron gate. It was tightly shut, with a dark red light seeping through the cracks.

He did not know where his father had gone, nor did he know what lay behind this door.

He only knew that the God Trial had said "clear Slaughter City," so he would start right here.

The iron gate creaked open.

Dark red light surged from behind the door, drowning him like a tidal wave.

The light carried a heavy scent of blood, mixed with alcohol, sweat, and the stench of something rotting; it hit him in the face, thick enough to make one retch.

Luo Yun did not move.

He stood there, eyes fixed on the world behind the gate without blinking.

It was a massive city.

A city built deep underground.

Above, there was a rock dome that seemed to have no ceiling.

The city was filled with buildings; some were made of stone, some of wood, and others looked as if they were cobbled together from bone and leather.

The streets were narrow, and fighting and killing erupted everywhere.

People died at every moment.

The air was thick with the smell of alcohol, blood, excrement, and some indescribable spice, all blended into a dizzying, nauseating stench.

Luo Yun stood there like an anomaly.

He wore a clean black robe, his hair was neatly tied, and there was not a single scar on his face.

With fair skin, delicate features, and cold, clear eyes, he stood at the entrance of that filthy, bloody, and insane city.

Just then.

A scantily clad attendant walked out from behind the gate.

The woman was in her twenties, wearing a qipao that barely covered her body, revealing vast stretches of skin and curves.

Her face was heavily made up, her lips painted a bright, vivid red, and her eyes lined with thick black kohl, making her look both seductive and gaudy.

She swayed her hips as she walked up to Luo Yun and looked down.

She froze instantly.

She had seen many newcomers.

Burly men, fierce bandits, and murderous evil soul masters.

But she had never seen a six-year-old child, let alone one who looked like this.

That face was too beautiful.

That aura was too... out of place for someone who should be here.

The attendant was stunned for a few seconds before snapping back to reality, clearing her throat, and forcing a professional smile.

"Little brother, are you a newcomer?" Her voice was cloyingly sweet, as if coated in honey.

Luo Yun glanced at her without a word.

The attendant didn't mind; she reached out, intending to take Luo Yun's hand.

Luo Yun calmly moved his hand behind his back.

The attendant's hand froze in mid-air, her smile stiffening for a moment before she retracted it as if nothing had happened and turned to walk inside.

"Follow me," she said.

"For the next 24 hours, as long as you stay by my side, no one will touch you. This is the novice protection period."

Luo Yun followed behind her, stepping through the iron gate.

The gate closed slowly behind them with a dull, thunderous boom.

The Inner City.

The streets were even more crowded, noisier, and more insane than at the entrance.

People were everywhere.

Some were drinking, some were gambling, some were brawling, and others were doing unspeakable things in the corners.

The air was thick with the pungent stench of alcohol and blood, and the ground was covered in stains.

Stains of wine, stains of blood, and stains of things unknown.

Luo Yun followed behind the attendant, walking at a steady, measured pace.

He noticed that everyone around him was watching him.

Their gazes swept over his face, over his body, and then lingered back on his face.

It wasn't the look one gave prey; it was something more repulsive—a lewd, predatory appraisal of a plaything.

"Yo, where did this little pretty boy come from?"

"He's just a little thing, hasn't even grown his hair out yet, hahahaha!"

A coarse voice rang out from the side.

Luo Yun turned his head to see several burly men sitting at a roadside liquor stall, each holding a large bowl of wine, their faces bloated with fat and reeking of alcohol.

The one who spoke was bald, with a scar running from his forehead down to his chin; his eyes were filled with lewdness as he stared at Luo Yun.

"That little face, tsk tsk tsk." The bald man licked his lips, his voice loud enough for the entire street to hear.

"I've been in Slaughter City for three years, and this is the first time I've seen such a fine little thing."

A bearded man next to him chimed in, "Brother Scar, you're not wrong. This little guy is better looking than those women. Look at that skin, white as tofu."

"Hahaha!" The bald man laughed, "Tofu? I think I'll taste this piece of tofu tonight!"

The men laughed together, their laughter crude and wanton, prompting others nearby to join in the jeering.

The attendant quickened her pace and whispered to Luo Yun, "Don't pay them any mind. They're just trying to provoke you into making a move. If a newcomer acts within 24 hours, their protection expires. Just endure it, once 24 hours have passed..."

Luo Yun stopped in his tracks.

Before the attendant could finish her sentence, she felt the small figure beside her come to a halt. She turned back to see Luo Yun standing in place, head tilted, watching the men.

His expression remained unchanged.

There was no anger, no fear, not even a hint of any superfluous emotion.

He simply looked at them as if he were looking at a few dead men.

The bald man noticed Luo Yun's gaze, and instead of backing down, he became even more emboldened. He stood up, clutching his wine bowl, and swayed toward Luo Yun with a few unsteady steps.

"Little one, don't be in such a rush to leave." His voice was laced with mockery. "Come, have a drink with us brothers. By the look of you, you must have just arrived, right? Don't worry, we'll take good care of you."

The bearded man stood up as well, grinning to reveal a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"That's right, we'll take care of you—take real good care of you."

Luo Yun looked at him, the corners of his mouth curving slightly.

The arc was so faint it was almost imperceptible.

But the attendant saw it, and a sudden, ominous premonition welled up in her heart. She reached out to pull at Luo Yun.

"Little brother, don't..."

Luo Yun had already moved.

The Moon Eclipse Sword manifested from his palm, its purple-black blade appearing exceptionally cold under the dark red light.

Destruction Thunder crackled along the edge of the blade, emitting a faint, sharp snapping sound.

Luo Yun gripped the sword and walked toward the men, his pace steady and unhurried, his boots striking the stone floor with a crisp sound.

The attendant panicked, chasing after him, her voice hushed, "Are you crazy? If you act now, you'll lose your protection! There are so many people here, you alone..."

"Not needed."

Luo Yun's voice was soft, but cold.

The attendant froze.