Chapter 4 STRANGER

"This batch of goods is all of the good quality. We hit the jackpot! "

A tall yet skinny man loudly said while he looked at the cage. The cage was full of livestock, such as sheep and goats; there was even leather piled over the top of the enclosure, but these people didn't bother about it as they looked hungrily at the food.

Boyou is a shepherd at his family's farm. Although their farm covered hundreds of hectares of land, this was considered small because Knox is an extremely large continent that can accommodate various nations with over millions of people, with 30% of the population being farmers. Boyou brought all the animals to get into the barn. When a raid happened last night, countless villagers died at the hands of these raiders while protecting their belongings. He couldn't understand the reasoning behind the sacrifice and thought maybe they were more materialistic than him.

In the last 15 years, the people of Knox were still plagued by a shortage of living space, which was getting fewer and fewer, causing an unending war for survival, and Boyou is just one of the many people that fell victim to one of these wars. While Boyou was contemplating his life, something happened. A ruckus occurs outside the cell.

"Snakes! There are so many!"

One of the raiders was surprised and grabbed the part where he'd been bitten by the snake. The tall and skinny captain instantly took action, grabbed the machete, and chopped the man's leg below the kneecaps. Excruciating screams reverberate in the desert, making other members feel distressed.

Boyou looked outside of his cell and saw the raiders being disorganized. He immediately noticed the man screaming while holding his leg with the missing foot. Blood was gushing everywhere, and Boyou became nauseated and felt like puking, but he kept himself from doing so. He wanted to know what was happening outside.

"Oh no! Snakes!"

Boyou saw countless snakes slithering close to him from a distance, and they surged like a wave. He never knew that snakes could behave like packs! The raiders protect themselves using cold weapons, such as blades or daggers. The captain quickly realizes his gun's uselessness and decides to forgo it to use his machete to ward off the snakes. The leader saw his members slowly dying one after another from the venom in front of him, causing his eyes to be bloodshot from vexation.

"Ha!"

The leader slashed with his sharp machete and killed the snake that leaped into him. His bloodshot eyes moved, and he noticed someone walking towards them from a distance. It was an extremely pale white boy with long black hair, and although the Captain was a little bewildered because of the ongoing slaughter, he could see the strangeness in this kid just from a glance. He was walking without footwear in the scorching sand of the desert, and he was pale white beneath the burning sun, and most of all, there was something on his shoulders. Looking at the boy, the captain knew he could get a good price for this kid if he traded him to slave traders, but he was not in the mood right now and wanted to vent his frustration. This boy had the most impeccable timing.

Boyou witnessed the raiders give in to their faith, but surprisingly, the captain lived. From his feet, it was evident that he successfully defended himself, unlike his inexperienced members. Not long later, Boyou noticed the raider captain was glancing somewhere, and he also dragged his eyes and saw someone walking toward them.

"Kid, I don't know where you came from, nor do I want to know, but since you're already there, I want you to come here."

The Captain looked at Zedric and said threateningly, but unexpectedly, he noticed something unusual about the kid other than his appearance-the boy's behavior towards him makes him baffled. He killed so many people in his entire life that he lost count, and no matter when or from whom, anyone who faces him while releasing his bloodlust will be terrified and always have a similar look akin to prey. But this boy in front of him is not reacting and just continues walking until he reaches the cell where Boyou is.

Boyou looked at the boy strangely and noticed the snakes on Zedric's shoulder; his eyes went wide.

"Wai!"

Boyou sprawled and hurriedly distanced himself from this strange boy, but it seemed he wasn't interested in him as his attention was only on the livestock.

"Hiss!"

The snake on Zedric's shoulder got down, and when Boyou saw this, he almost peed his pants.

"You..."

A shadow loomed from behind the boy. The Captain of the raiders had enough of watching. The captain already had this suspicion, and when he sees the two snakes quietly following the youngster, he immediately realizes who is to blame for the deaths of his men. Even if the boy were innocent, however, he would still perish. The leader's height gave him lengthy limbs and a greater reach, and his agility was unaffected by his size. For the typical individual to engage him in a death struggle would undoubtedly be fatal.

Zedric is watching his pets leave his shoulders and appears unaware of the stranger standing behind him. Boyou, who is already terrified, quickly notices the enormous man raising his hand with a machete and inadvertently cautions the youngster.

"Dodge!"

But the machete descended more quickly. Zedric's neck was the target, but something happened before it touched the young man's fair flesh. The machete abruptly stopped just before arriving at its objective. The captain was sure of the force he used in his strike. Because when the machete stopped, his brain appeared to experience malware and struggle to grasp what had just happened. What was more shocking to him was a hand firmly holding his machete.

While grasping the back of the machete in his palm like steel pliers, Zedric, whose body was just as tiny, appeared to be bursting with strength. When the Captain finally realized what was happening, he immediately drew his weapon, but no matter how he struggled, the young boy's grip on the machete would not budge. When the leader saw the warped machete, he finally gave up and let go. His chest trembled.