Hans threw a stick, one could say it was a stick that was perfect down to the smallest detail, to Collin.
Of course, the boy picked it up, but he was looking at it as if he was looking at some strange object.
Ignoring the puzzled look in Collin’s eyes, the protagonist then pointed at the scarecrow right next to them.
"Now, cut it in half with one strike."
That was the boy’s first and only reaction upon hearing those words.
At first, if Collin felt a little puzzled, now, he felt like he was an idiot.
A very predictable reaction.
Cutting a scarecrow in half was not something that was too difficult.
But cutting it in half with just one slash was almost impossible.
Especially since Collin was just a child, and could only use this humble wooden stick.
"I understand what you’re worried about, Collin."
Understanding the boy’s concern, Hans couldn’t help but smile at his cuteness.
"And that’s why I’m here."
"So what should I do now?"
Even though the protagonist acted like a con man, Collin had always placed 100% trust in him for some reason.
As ordered, the boy could only see darkness now.
"And think carefully about why you want to become stronger."
"To protect the people important to me. My grandmother. My younger brother."
An answer that didn’t require much thought.
It seemed that the reason the protagonist and this kid wanted to gain greater power was the same.
What was this called? ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ NoveI(F)ire.net
Great minds think alike?
"Now, think back to your happiest memory."
Collin doubted whether he had such a thing.
His life was always stuck in darkness.
Almost every day, Collin’s body was exhausted from doing hard work, just to earn a little for his beloved family.
"Wait... I think I just thought of it."
Collin’s happiest moment.
It was true that every day was a challenge for him, but, when he returned home, most of those hardships would completely disappear into nothingness.
"Grandma, little brother, I’m home."
And the first thing that caught Collin’s eyes was the happy smiles of the two people he loved the most.
"You are home? Great. Come in and have dinner with us."
...It was always like that.
The two of them always waited until Collin came home before starting the meal, no matter how late it was.
"Big brother, are you tired today?"
And his little brother would definitely immediately give Collin a tight and warm hug, then start to massage his back to dispel his fatigue.
Even though he had experienced this scene thousands of times, Collin always had the same feeling.
"Thank you... for everything..."
— Then, remember the faces of those who bullied you, who made your life even more difficult...
Hans’ voice rang out.
And Collin, still with his eyes closed, instantly frowned.
How could he forget the faces of those trash?
Whether Collin wanted it or not, those faces were always present in his mind, along with what they had put him through.
Those bullies had beaten him mercilessly, no matter how much Collin begged.
And every time the kid went to hand out flyers, those bastards would rush out from nowhere, and without a word, tear the flyers into a hundred pieces.
Sometimes, they even pissed on his house and threw rotten eggs.
Worst of all, every time they did those things, they would laugh with glee.
The laughter of demons.
It was as if seeing others suffer was the greatest joy for those bullies.
— Are you willing to kill them?
Now, Collin hesitated a little.
— It seems like it’s not enough.
The protagonist said, his voice containing a bit of disappointment.
— Collin, now, think about the scene of those bullies slaughtering your family.
The scene began to change.
Collin, who had just finished a long and tiring day of work, stood in front of the usual wooden door, but had no intention of entering.
For some reason, the boy felt that something was wrong inside.
He only knew that he absolutely must not enter.
But... Collin’s hand automatically went to the doorknob.
And then, the door opened.
There was no greeting or smile.
The entire house was dark, and there was an extremely unpleasant smell.
Collin called out, his voice trembling.
And of course, no one answered.
"...Where is everyone?"
The boy took a step inside.
Only to realize that he had just stepped on some kind of liquid.
And following the trail of blood, the kid found himself in the middle of the house, where two corpses were stacked on top of each other, and both of them had been severely disfigured by hundreds of knife cuts.
Even so, Collin could still recognize them.
It was his grandmother, and his younger brother.
"Oh, you’re back, Collin?"
The leader’s sarcastic voice rang out beside him.
Currently, he was now truly no different from a demon.
With a sinister smile stretching from ear to ear, and a body covered in blood.
"How do you like my gift, Collin? Are you satisfied?"
Holding the knife that was still dripping with blood, the leader approached the boy, not knowing that Collin’s mind had completely gone blank from grief and resentment.
Blood began to flow from the corners of Collin’s eyes, accompanied by the sound of grinding teeth, as if sparks could shoot out at any moment.
Without realizing the danger, the leader replied:
"Because they annoy me."
Collin had to kill him.
Collin had to chop him into a million pieces.
Collin had to give him the most painful death.
Picking up a sword that appeared from nowhere, the boy immediately charged towards the leader.
And then, a slash was launched.
Hans clapped his hands, smiling with satisfaction.
That scarecrow was cut in half.