The sun in Oakshade Town disappeared beyond the horizon as darkness engulfed the night.
The crimson evening sky faded, and the moon and stars adorned the heavens.
"Oh, Owen? What are you doing here at this hour?"
The street lamps flickered as residents slowly retreated to their homes. Steve, a carpenter and a close friend of Owen, recognized his old companion on the way.
"Ah, Steve. I'm going to the hall! That lad Damon hasn't had his dinner yet, so I'm taking these fishes for him."
"Damon? That boy you rescued? In a time when everyone is fighting for food, you're wasting it on some kid you just found?" Steve sighed, exasperated. He had known Owen since childhood and understood his nature well.
Always thinking about others before himself, Owen was a genuinely kind man. Though he never married, he had earned the respect of many struggling to survive.
Looking at his friend—now taking care of a boy he'd found drifting ashore—Steve felt troubled.
"Look, Owen… it's not my place to say this, but as your friend, I hope you live a bit more practically."
He placed his rough hand on Owen's shoulder, his tone turning serious.
"Helping others is good, but you should know when to stop. Food is scarce these days—people are starving. Instead of doing charity, you should store it for yourself or sell it at the market for a good price… instead of wasting it on that boy."
"How can you say that, Steve? That boy can't even sit up properly—let alone walk! You want me to stop helping that poor soul?" Owen's brows furrowed before softening. "I get what you're trying to say, but I can't just leave him alone."
"His condition is serious. Leaving him like that… in this town, with no one to care for him, he wouldn't survive." Owen's voice was resolute.
"Hah…" Steve sighed, shaking his head in defeat. It was impossible to argue with Owen. "As your friend, I can only advise you… I just hope you won't regret this decision."
"I never will," Owen smiled, while Steve simply shook his head.
"So, wanna check on him together?"
"Me? Ah, well—I'm free anyway. Let's go," Steve chuckled, accepting the offer.
Chatting and laughing, the two made their way to the hall. They opened the door wide, expecting to find the black-haired young man wrapped in bandages lying on the bed.
Instead, the bed was empty.
"Damon?"
***
Unaware of their discovery, Damon—draped in a blanket—stood alone in a dark alleyway.
Darkness swallowed the town as he waited patiently for the streets to quiet down.
Seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours, and finally, the streets grew silent.
It was midnight. Though he lacked a watch, he knew the time by the lights—when the last house went dark.
No footsteps. Only the wind.
Stepping out of the alleyway, Damon sighed as he scanned the empty streets one last time.
A faint, translucent screen hovered before his eyes as his creation ability activated.
[Ability To Phase Through Walls]
The bold words glowed faintly under the "Equipped" title.
Steadying his breath, Damon's eyes filled with resolve. He moved silently across the streets, his footsteps soundless.
As he neared the stone wall, he pressed his palm against it and closed his eyes. Black mist spread from the point of contact, enveloping his body as he slowly phased through the solid wall.
Inside the dark room, Damon opened his eyes but could barely see.
He summoned the screen again, typing the ability he needed and replacing the previous one.
[Ability to see in the dark]
The moment he pressed Enter, a warm current coursed through his eyes. When he opened them again, the room appeared clearly illuminated.
A thatched roof, an open forge, hammers, ores, knives, and all kinds of weapons lined the walls.
Daggers, short swords, spears, axes, arrows—each crafted with care.
Damon approached a massive double-bladed axe and ran his fingers along its steel head, assessing the sharpness.
'Normal weapons… no enchantments or attached spells. But excellent craftsmanship. Better than the weapons from the tribe,' he thought as he lifted the axe with both hands.
'Heavy,' he noted. Not unbearable—but too heavy for his current body to employ it in combat.
'Large weapons suit me best. This body is familiar with the movements of an axe.'
Memories surfaced—hunting with tribesmen, clashing with other youths, fighting soldiers and mercenaries who threatened the forest.
The axe had always been his weapon of choice.
Placing it gently on the table, he examined the other weapons—swords, bows, arrows—and gathered them all into one pile.
Fatigue crept in from the exertion. "Sigh… now for the final part."
Summoning his status screen again, he typed the description of a new ability.
[Ability: Emit light that reduces the size and weight of objects in proportion to exposure time]
"Small light!" he thought, recalling Doraemon's shrinking gadget from childhood cartoons.
A soft glow spread from his palm, bathing the weapons in its radiance. Gradually, the pile shrank and lightened until every weapon fit easily in his hands. He placed them all inside his old pouch.
'Konna koto ii na
Dekitara ii na
Anna yume konna yume ippai aru kedo
Minna minna minna
Kanaete kureru
Fushigina pokke de kanaete—oh wait, let's wrap this up first.'
Equipping his phasing ability once again, Damon passed through the wall and vanished into the night—leaving no trace behind.
In this world—or rather, in any world—power and money ruled everything. To survive and travel, he needed both. To fight others, he needed weapons.
After all, he couldn't bring fists to a magical battle.
For security and quick profit, he chose to rob the blacksmith's workshop and secure the weapons.
He had planned to steal money as well, but since most townsfolk took their coins home, there was none to be found here.
Still, Damon wasn't discouraged.
'If I can't find money with the blacksmith… I'll visit the goldsmith next.'
He knew robbery was wrong. But in this world, where he had been tasked to kill the king himself?
'Do you think I care about morals?'
With that thought, Damon set off into the night—marking the beginning of a historic heist that would go down as the greatest theft in the history of Oakshade Town.