In the darkness, Axel walked forward alone, unable to sense anything. He had no direction and felt no fatigue. At first, he still remembered everything, but as time passed, he slowly forgot his birth, then his life, and eventually even who he was. He simply trudged forward numbly. He wanted to escape this darkness. He ran forward frantically, desperate to scream, but no sound would come out!
He had no idea how long he had walked. Despair overwhelmed him, and he stopped struggling. He lay quietly in the darkness, his eyes dull and gray. What he failed to notice was that his body had begun merging with the surrounding darkness, little by little, from his feet to his head, as though it meant to devour this outsider who still possessed a different color!
Slowly, ever so slowly, his feet disappeared, followed by his torso and then his left hand. Just as the darkness was about to swallow everything, Axel suddenly felt warmth in his right hand. Numbly, he turned his head to look.
What was this feeling, so familiar yet so strange? And what was this beam of light he was clutching so tightly? Axel wondered in confusion. But the darkness gave him no time to think. It continued relentlessly, determined to consume the only outsider in this world. Gradually, it swallowed the left half of his face. Just as it was about to envelop him completely, a spark seemed to return to Axel's one remaining eye!
Right, what was I supposed to protect? What was it? Axel thought anxiously. Suddenly, an image appeared in his mind. Those were children, gathered around a table in an unfamiliar room, bathed in the setting sun. The table was low and old. What were they eating? The house was shabby too, and there was so little food, but everyone was happy. They were laughing. Yes, they were laughing, and I seemed to be laughing too. Who was that girl beside me? Her gaze was so gentle! It made my heart feel so warm!
Right! That's right! What I wanted to protect was everyone's smiles! And Big Sis's gentle gaze! Axel suddenly remembered everything. He gripped the beam of light in his hand as powerful emotions and yearning for hope burst forth!
"Holy Light! Please grant me the strength to protect everything! I want to protect those beautiful smiles! I want to grow up quickly so I can help Big Sis!" Brilliant light erupted, its blazing white radiance piercing the darkness like the rising sun!
"Welcome back, Tianye Zhihei! Congratulations on becoming a Holy Knight! You will possess the strength to protect hope!"
Still a little dazed, Axel shook his head hard and looked at the great sphere of light before him. He calmed his surging emotions, pressed his right fist to his chest, and bowed his head solemnly. "Praise the Holy Light! May the Holy Light endure forever!"
One after another, beams of light appeared before the great sphere. Li Ming greeted each of them in a kindly voice, and the children responded to the Holy Light with eager, yearning hearts. The harsher their lives had been, the more deeply they understood its importance!
As Ria watched her younger brothers and sisters gradually awaken, the corners of her lips lifted slightly.
The children immediately crowded around her, excitedly chattering about their classes to Ria!
Axel, Rich, Yi Yong, and Enichi had all received the combat class of Holy Knight!
Yui, Shui Sha, Xiao Cao, and the taciturn Shajia had become Priests, a class devoted to spreading the faith!
Xiao Shu and Silver Flower had become Holy Armorers, one of the more powerful support combat classes! They could provide weapons and equipment for Holy Light Clerics while also arming themselves to improve their combat strength.
The most unusual of all was Shui Sha. Her class was Holy Cantors, a rare artistic support class that could provide allies on the battlefield with various enhancements, inspire their hearts, and spread courage!
As her younger brothers and sisters gradually quieted down, Ria said, "Now you all have a seed of hope. From now on, let's work together to grow stronger and spread the hope of the Holy Light even farther!"
"Yes, Sister!" the ten children answered in unison!
"Then let's get some food ready. Starting tomorrow, we'll train hard!"
"Sister, won't we be begging and picking through trash anymore?" Enichi asked hesitantly.
"What do we need to pick through trash for? I've found a better job! From now on, we'll have more money than we can spend!" Ria said, her eyes shining!
Hearing that they would have more money than they could spend, Axel immediately asked eagerly, "Big Sis, what kind of job is it? Can I do it too?"
Ria looked at Axel, who stood a head shorter than her and was as thin as a bamboo pole, and said hesitantly, "Axel, you'll have to work hard and get a little stronger first!"
"What is it? What is it?" Axel persisted, continuing to press Ria for an answer. Rich, standing beside him, also looked over curiously.
Ria answered with utmost solemnity, "Fishing. Punishing evil and rewarding good!" After a full day of immersion in the Holy Light, Ria had already reached level 20. In this little town, as long as she stayed out of the affairs of the ninja villages, she could do as she pleased with her Chunin-level strength!
With such power at her disposal, she intended to make those who still bullied the weak pay, earning some quick money along the way! Then she would use the evildoers' money to rent a decent house in the town center, establish a church of the Holy Light, spread its gospel, and shelter more homeless children. She would also use the Healing Technique to treat the sick and save lives, securing a steady income before spreading the Holy Light throughout the world, step by step!
Within Ria's soul, Li Ming sensed her thoughts and smacked his lips. "A clear plan, and quite feasible too." Oh! He no longer had a mouth. Not being human anymore really was inconvenient!
After a busy round of shopping, Ria also helped her younger brothers and sisters familiarize themselves with their classes. At level one, they only had the Knight Cultivation Method and the Holy Light Meditation Technique for now. They would probably only sense their other skills once their levels increased! As for what those skills would be, that depended on their individual talents!
Ria did not even need to push them. Once the children had eaten their fill, they began training diligently on their own!
Watching beside them, Ria felt immensely gratified! But when she looked away, she suddenly remembered that her purse was completely empty, and another pang of anguish struck her! There was no helping it. Before, she had neither money nor ability, so her younger brothers and sisters had endured hunger between meals. Now they were growing, and they would have to train hard every day. How could they possibly do that without eating enough and eating well?
With that in mind, Ria decided to visit the tavern tomorrow and find out where the largest gang of local thugs was based. She would borrow some money from them while she was at it!
Ria settled her tangled thoughts and slowly quieted her mind, contemplating the power of the Holy Light in silence. She sensed its grandeur, its might, and the vastness of its boundless knowledge!
Although Ria could grow stronger without cultivating, actively contemplating the Holy Light could accelerate the speed at which Li Ming merged with her.
Time passed, second by second. The sun and moon took their turns, and the faint light of a new dawn illuminated the horizon. Several half-grown boys in heavily patched clothes, but looking clean and presentable, jogged down the street in a neat line, silent and breathing steadily. Passersby pointed and commented on their strange behavior.
Axel was leading his younger brothers who were also Holy Knights through physical training, following the Holy Light's instructions. As soon as the sky had begun to brighten, he had eagerly woken his brothers and sisters to start training.
Morning was the best time to begin the day's work. Now that they had finally grasped a glimmer of light, they had to work even harder. Otherwise, how could they live up to their sister's expectations and the Holy Light watching over them?
Looking at the brothers and sisters beside her who were still meditating, Ria did not disturb them. Instead, she quietly put on the gray cloak she had bought yesterday and headed outside. Today might be a day of hard work! she thought cheerfully.
Ria did not go straight to the tavern. Instead, she wandered around town to see whether she could help anyone. Perhaps her luck was good, because before long, she came across three burly men bullying a scrawny young man in a small alley. Without a second thought, Ria strengthened herself with a power enhancement. In a blur, she stepped in front of the young man, caught the fist swinging toward him, and casually drove a heavy punch into the attacker's stomach!
The burly man in the middle instantly went deathly pale. He slowly doubled over, sank to his knees, and passed out! Seeing their boss struck, the other two men angrily swung their fists at Ria. She spun and launched a flying kick at the head of the man on her right. With a thud, he slammed upside down into the nearby wall. Then she turned back and leaped into an uppercut. A crack rang out as bone shattered, and the burly man, still throwing his punch with all his strength, collapsed!
With the job done, Ria dusted off her small hands, then expertly searched the men. Not bad. Fifteen hundred ryo! This trip really paid off. I'm one step closer to opening a church!
Only then did the young man on the ground come to his senses. "Th-thank you!" he stammered.
"There's no need to thank me. Thank the Holy Light! It was all the Holy Light's guidance! May the Holy Light be with you!" Ria pressed her right fist to her chest in a simple Holy Light Salute, then vanished before him. The young man stared in astonishment at her sudden disappearance, then hurried away himself.
As noon gradually approached, the streets grew busier. Ria walked alone toward the liveliest tavern nearby. Before she even reached the entrance, she could hear people inside calling out to their friends. She tugged at her cloak's hood to better conceal her face, then gently pushed the door open!
"What can I get you?" an enthusiastic server hurried over to ask.
"A cup of sake and a plate of pistachios!" Ria said softly, then picked an empty seat by the window.
Before long, the server briskly brought everything she had ordered. "That'll be three hundred ryo!" Ria's little hand gave an involuntary tremble. She slowly took thirty coins from inside her clothes, her heart bleeding.
Suppressing her anguish, Ria idly shelled pistachios and sipped her sake in tiny cupfuls. Though called liquor, it was really little different from a soft drink, with an extremely low alcohol content. In wartime, who had grain to spare for brewing? Most of it was watered down.
Every sip was torture for Ria. If she had spent that money on white-flour buns instead, wouldn't it have bought another feast for her younger brothers and sisters?
Just as Ria was agonizing over it, a nearby conversation caught her attention!
"Do you know Miss Meli?"
"Of course! She's a wonderful person! She opened a clinic here in this little border town, and she barely charges anything to treat us!"
"Ah! I'm afraid she won't be able to keep it open!"
"What happened? Wasn't it doing just fine?"
"You haven't heard? The biggest gang of thugs in town keeps making trouble at her clinic. Apparently, their boss has taken a fancy to her and wants her as his concubine. Miss Meli refused, so they've been causing trouble there every day!"
"What? That's vile! Isn't anyone going to help Miss Meli?"
"How? I heard the gang's boss is an experienced Genin. He's really strong!"
"Ah! If it were just making trouble, that would be one thing. But lately, their boss has run out of patience. He's planning to force her into marriage tomorrow!"
"Disgusting! These ninja think a little strength gives them the right to do whatever they please!"
At that, Ria's calm eyes brightened slightly. Heh, work has come my way. A ninja should have quite a bit of money, right?
Before you continue