Something of value

In the center of the slum stands the famous market known to those who dwell in it. To some, it is the heart of this infamous place, keeping this settlement livable at some point, and to others, it is the source of their livelihood.

At day time, it is but an ordinary and poorly stocked open space where stalls stand in a circular array but at night, anyone with enough money can buy almost anything not local in the area.

But it wasn't the night market I was aiming for but the specific shop standing near the market. A building with a warm interior and chimney spitting dark smoke into the sky.

"What are we doing here? This isn't someplace you could just enter, you idiot" she claimed as she followed through the door of the smithy along with Nate at her side.

"Calm down, I know what I'm doing-" Some kind of solid wall bumped into me as I walked and upon staring upfront, the wall turned out to be a sturdy man in his apron. His hair was medium and wavy, and he had a short beard which frightened Nate for a second. "Ah… Hi, I'm Cipher."

"And I don't care. We don't have spare change, kid. Leave." he remarked, grabbing a crate filled with broken house tools.

"Wait, I'm not here for—"

"I'm busy, kid. I don't have time for nonsense." he insisted, then glared at our bags. "Go sell your garbage in the junkyard or something."

"Come on, Cipher. Let's just leave this old man." Gabby urged.

"We have Mythril to sell. Buy them or we'll find another shop" I claimed. The man jolted, halting his movement then turned.

"H-Hold on, did you say Mythril, kid?" Surprised, the man almost dropped the crate he had. "Don't mess around kid, Mythril isn't something you can just mine or pick anywhere."

"But I do have one. " I claimed, then took out the necklace I had on around my neck. A tiny ore anyone who doesn't know its value would ignore it as nothing but a mere stone. And I wasn't the only one who had one. "In fact, we three have."

As mine was a necklace, Gabby and Nate had it as bracelets. It was from our very first trip into a dungeon and as commemoration, we took it before the island itself sunk into the sea.

The man's eyes frosted in shock then blazed with amazement at the sight of the three small Mythril ore, and just from his reaction, I already knew he knew the true value of it. "Well, well, well. You indeed have one in your grasp. Where did you get that?"

"Well, as if it matters" he claimed, laughing in such a deep voice before snatching the stones away. "I'll take that for a gold coin each. Sound fair, ain't it?"

"A g-g-gold a piece!? Did you hear that, Nate!? We're rich! We could eat for more than a month without worrying!" Gabby cheered.

"Rich!" Nate cheered as well.

"Quit bullshitting us." I cussed. "The original price for that apiece is at least 3 gold coins. At least give us half, old man"

"Urgh, you little runt! You did your research, huh?" he speculated. "Fine, half of its original's worth. Anything else?"

"Also, I want-" something crashed and the voices outside caught me off guard. The mobs are back, rioting outside and if ever we are to be found, we will be in big trouble. "Crap… Gabby, Nate, hide under the counter."

The man grunted, "Now, who agreed that I'll let your-"

"I'll take the first offer. The ore for 1 gold coin apiece. Just hide them,"

"Well, consider it a deal, Sonny." He ecstatically agreed. "Come on, now, Children. Counter won't hide you properly. To the attic!"

"Wait, what about you, Cipher?" Gabby asked. "Shouldn't you hide as well? Where are you going!?"

"No, they'll only search up the whole smithy and find us here. If I try to distract them and bring them somewhere else, they won't know you two are here." I claimed, heading to the front door.

"And don't worry, I'll be fine. You know I can run pretty fast." I added with a half-hearted smile as I glanced back.

"That's quite risky, kid. But good luck" the blacksmith said, dragging Gabby and Nate to hide.

"No, wait! You mustn't!" Gabby tried to break free but the man wasn't budged at all.

This similar event already happened on another timeline. I made them all follow me just so the two could escape. But everything didn't end well for me. The reason I had those scars all over my body and why it took more than ten years before I was able to see those two again. A similar yet different scene yet it was this very moment.

But the only difference today… I ain't running like I always do.

"I'm here, you imbeciles," I shouted, throwing the bag of broken pieces of equipment on the floor after taking out a sword from it. A broken blade, almost similar to a katana but with the back of its blade in the form of jagged teeth. "Let's dance!"

"Look, he's over there!" one claimed then the rest followed, stopping their activity of trashing the slum market. "Come here, you little thief!"

"Oh, come on. Aren't we all the same?" I asked, dodging the first thug's grapple and using them as platforms to kick the last person into the ground. "Never mind, you guys are still far worse."

Even if my body was of a child, my mind had gone through the years of hardship, endless tortures, and near-death experiences of that monster-plagued timeline.

A group of thugs wouldn't get much hassle.

All at once, the brutes attacked but their slow bulky bodies became their undoing, letting me deal few light cuts each until I slipped to the other side. Some had fallen to the ground from pain while others fled the scene frantically.

I could feel it returning. How I dodge simple attacks and hold the handle of the blade properly, I could sense my muscle memory coming back little by little.

"Shall I use the other side of the blade?" I questioned, rotating my grip.

"Brat!!!" the largest of them all engaged but put a pedal on the brakes as a jagged back of the blade almost touched his neck.

"Tetanus isn't a friendly thing you'd want to have and I doubt its teeth are as forgiving as the real blade. Leave before I change my mind, Drake" A name I'd never forget even in this life. The person who enjoyed torturing me for fun and the cause of most of my vital scars.

If Gabby, Nathan, and I were normal Tomb thieves, these men were criminals. Stealing not just from us but those who are weaker than them. And even to the point, that they've gone from slum bandits to plunderers, abductors, and murderers.

"What are you waiting for? Scram!"

Like a scared mutt, he tucked his tail and left along with his wounded men while the people of the slum market cheered. They too suffered some horrid fate in their hands and hopefully, the little scene I caused should make them think twice about coming back here.

"Thank god, they fell for it." I gasped on my knees, sweating furiously and my body had just met its limits. "Any further than that and I'll be toast."

"CIPHER!!!"

"Oh, Gabby! Don't worry, they won't bother-" Before I could even react, the right side of my cheek was pierced with a thousand needles. I was pissed until I saw her eyes, bulging as tears flowed.

I didn't know what I did wrong. I was able to defeat them, didn't I? Yet the tears she had were telling something different.

"You selfish little idiot! Don't ever do that again!" she claimed.

"I-I won't…"

"Promise it, you dork! Promise it!" she grabbed my worn shirt by the collar with a tight grip.

"Alright, alright! I promise. Geez…" I claimed then her hands suddenly encircled me as she leaned closer to my chest, sobbing nonstop.

"Y-you… You and Nate are the only family I had left… so don't go…" she said, as her tears soaked my shirt.

I became flustered by her sudden action. She usually grappled or wrestled me yet it wasn't the case this time. It was the first time I saw her like this towards me and I couldn't help myself from brushing her head. "Don't worry, I won't go. I won't."

As I caressed her forehead, a black marble slate appeared in front of my eyes, floating in mid-air as if was made of the air itself. And within its gravestone-like surface, two glowing eyes inside an eclipse-like circle stare from the top middle as the center holds the words…

{

The abyss is now gazing back at you. You who see this have shown and become worthy of my power. Heed my instruction and you shall attain what you desire most. Ignore and it might lead to you and your people's demise. Call the abyss and the abyss gaze at you once more.

-Abyssal Dragon

}

"What in the world…"

** initiating character registration **

** Abyssal Dragon System **

Name: Cipher "No surname"

Rank: E

HP: 5/5 MP: 0/0

Str: 2/10 Agi: 5/10 Vit: 0.5/10 Int: 3/10 Magi: 0/0

Main quest: Protect Gaia a.k.a Earth

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