Under A looming red sky cast an eerie glow as a crimson moon hung above. The rumble of pounding footsteps echoed through the desolate landscape. A pack of corrupted wolves raced toward a barely-functioning, half-destroyed Metabus. Inside, three individuals clung to survival.
"Faster! They're catching up!" a man with a claw mark on his neck screamed in panic.
"I'm trying! The engine is damaged!" shouted another man, covered in wounds. "Why are we even listening to her?!"
"Shut up and step on it!" the claw-scarred man barked.
With a thunderous roar, a giant lycan—almost eleven feet tall—leapt forward, leading the charge. A barely alive man with a missing arm threw an unconscious boy, Lucas, into the arms of the claw-scarred man.
"Hold the boy!" he cried.
Summoning his last strength, the one-armed man stood, bow in hand and an arrow clenched between his teeth. Drawing back, he infused the arrow with the last flicker of his mana and fired, striking the giant lycan in the eye.
"Harrah!" the lycan sneered, howling in rage.
Instantly, two even larger lycans dropped from a nearby mountain. They were the parents, previously observing their child's first hunt. Seeing it injured by a human, they now intervened, landing in front of the Metabus.
The one-armed man cursed under his breath. He realized he had made things worse.
Despite his condition, he used his teeth and remaining arm to ready another arrow. Though drained of mana, he strained and managed to infuse it with a faint trace.
"Coroules, stop! Don't do it!" the driver yelled. "You're almost out of mana. If you fire that shot, you'll go into backlash! I'll find a way to drive around them."
But Coroules knew they had no time. Determined to protect them, he released the arrow and collapsed to the floor of the vehicle.
"Coroules!" both the driver and the claw-scarred man screamed.
Coroules hoped the shot would create an opening. He was wrong. The lycan devoured the arrow mid-air. Its enraged eyes glowed as it pounced onto the Metabus.
SPLASH.
A bucket of water soaked a sleeping man, waking him with a gasp.
"Get up, Naran!"
A drunken man with the strong stench of alcohol lay in a pile of junk. Two children tried to rouse him.
"He's really drunk again," a girl with golden-blonde hair muttered.
"Yeah. Mister Coroules would be angry," a little boy with grey hair and doll in hand added.
"Another round on me," Naran murmured.
"Get the bucket, Louie!" the blonde girl ordered.
"We already poured water on him. It didn't work," shoyo protested.
"That doesn't count! That was just a splash. This time we'll use everything!"
"I'm coming! It's just really heavy,"A red boy with amber eye's replied, dragging a full bucket.
"Now how do we pour it?" the blonde girl asked.
"Simple. Lebia, Shoyo, it's time for 'Waking Up a Piece of Shit 101'. First, pour all the water on the idiot!"
He dumped the entire bucket on Naran.
"Hahhh!" Naran gasped, jolting upright.
"See, Shoyo? I told you it would work!" Lebia said proudly.
"You little brats! I'm going to get you for this!" Naran growled, chasing the kids.
"Run! Don't let the ugly monster catch you!" Louie shouted.
Laughter echoed. From a distance, a man watched them.
"Coroules, what are you doing here? Weren't you getting Naran?"
"Quiet, Ji Ung," Coroules replied. "Look—they're happy."
"Yeah, that guy's actually good at something: caring for the kids."
"After the Roar Gang incident, I thought they'd be too scared to come out. But Naran's... different."
A voice interrupted. "Mister Coroules! The people from the Roar Gang are here!"
His expression turned grim as he followed the caller.
"Naran,wait, wait I'm hungry," little Shoyo said.
"Me too," echoed the others.
"Little brats doesn't deserve food." Naran said
"Please were starved." They all shouted
"Alright, I'll see what I can do. You guys eat grass, right?"
"No, you big dummy!" Louie replied.
"Sand, then?"
Lebia giggled. "No! We eat food."
"Alright. Let's go to Ceno's place."
TARAAAAH!
Gunshots rang out.
"What's that?" Lebia asked.
"Probably the gatekeepers dealing with those wolves trying to get into the fortress," Naran replied.
"Wolves are bad," Shoyo said sadly.
Patting his head, Naran replied, "They're bad, but they make good meat."
"I thought eating Wiren meat wasn't good?" Lebia asked.
"Not all Wiren meat is bad," Louie chimed in. "Only the corrupted ones. Their parts can be used to make medicine, weapons, or even as mana boosters." Louie said with a proud look on his face
"Someone's been studying," Naran said.
"Of course! If I want to join you outside the gates, I've got to know this stuff."
"You're not strong enough," Shoyo said.
"Yeah! You have to be like Mister Coroules or Uncle Ji Ung!" Lebia added.
"What about Naran? He's not that strong, but he still goes." Louie added
"Yeah, because he's good at finding stuff—even your underwear if it's right in your face."
"Okay, I'm not that weak," Naran retorted.
"Uncle Ji Ung says you're weak as hell and only good at driving," Lebia said.
"I'm also a pretty good fighter. I just don't fight all the time."
"Food!" Shoyo cheered.
"Fine, fine. Let's go."
DING DONG.
"Ceno!" Naran said, opening a restaurant door.
An old man with an eyepatch frowned. "What do you want this time?"
"Ceno, my man! I just came to say—"
"No. Out. Your 'I's always cost me credits. Last time, I nearly went bankrupt!"
"What do you mean? I didn't do anything!"
"You started a fight with Roar Gang members!"
"Fought them? Yes. Started it? No."
"You provoked them!"
"Come on, old man. Let bygones be bygones."
"No. Out. Now."
"Good morning, Grandpa Ceno!" the children chorused.
Naran whispered, "I got a plan."
"For what?" Louie asked.
"To get you food. We play the emotional card."
"What's that?" Lebia asked.
"Emotional blackmail."
"That's not nice," Shoyo said.
"Do you want pancakes or not?"
"Good morning, Grandpa Ceno!" they all greeted.
"Kids? You came with Naran?"
"Yes! We haven't eaten in days!" Louie said.
"Shoyo's almost fainting!"
Shoyo played along, pretending to collapse.
"See, Ceno? I'm here for them."
Sighing, Ceno relented. "Fine. Just this once."
"Pancakes, please!" the kids cheered.
While eating, Naran overheard a conversation.
"Did you hear? Captain Coroules fought someone from Roar."
"No way. Sounds like he and his team are next to be sold."
Naran turned to Ceno. "Is that true?"
"Yeah. He fought the tax head from Roar Gang. Now you all owe more credits or face being sold."
DING DONG.
Two Roar Gang inspectors entered.
"Inspection time," one said, heading to the back with Ceno.
The kids talked about going to Naran's junkyard to get parts for their castle.
"You guys are building a castle?" Naran asked.
"Yeah! A little one," Shoyo replied.
"I'd love to see it."
Suddenly, Shoyo shouted, "He stole my pancake! He's a thief!"
"What did you say?!" the inspector growled, lifting Shoyo.
"You little shit!"
Before he could strike, Naran stepped in, pulled Shoyo away, and shoved the man back.
"Hitting a kid doesn't make you look tough."
He realized this might bring more trouble for Ceno, so he backed off—but the kids didn't.
They threw plates and food.
"You big mongrel! Ugly donkey! Broke-ass thief!"
"Guys, stop!" Naran tried to calm them, but the damage was already done.