Boom!
Boom!
Though the island was engulfed in the chaos of gunfire and explosions...
To Arthur, this level of artillery was hardly worth mentioning.
Weaving his way through the war-torn landscape, Arthur finally arrived at a dark crimson hill, the earth dyed by blood and flames. There, he found a lifeless body—one of the slaves who had escaped from the Red Line.
Arthur had been the one to help him flee, and the man, unaware, had brought all the treasure back here.
Unfortunately…
Though he had escaped the Red Line, he still met his end on this island.
Arthur glanced at the corpse once and then calmly dispelled the Wind King's Barrier before him.
Fwoosh—
In an instant—
A mountain of treasure burst forth, glimmering and glittering, so overwhelming that it could drive anyone mad with greed.
Arthur scanned the massive hoard, opened his mouth, and unleashed a terrifying suction force. All of the treasure was swallowed in one gulp, stored away within his stomach.
In fact—
His Red Dragon's Stomach was nearly full. That alone showed just how vast the treasure truly was.
"Ahh..."
Exhaling a puff of thick smoke, Arthur muttered,
"Other than being unable to store living beings, the Red Dragon's Stomach is definitely a top-tier storage ability."
He didn't have a system inventory, but thanks to a 40% awakening of his red dragon bloodline, he'd gained this ability. Not a bad trade at all.
But then—
Arthur turned his head and smirked.
"Hey, kid. What are you staring at over there?"
A small figure cautiously poked his head out from nearby. A boy, no more than five or six years old, with golden hair and a muscular build, clad in a soldier's uniform.
However—
There was nothing childlike about him. His entire presence reeked of the battlefield's madness.
There was no doubt.
This kid had grown up on this war-torn island. More accurately, he had likely been raised from birth as cannon fodder—maybe even trained as a minesweeper.
Arthur pondered briefly, and soon pieced together the boy's background.
"..."
The boy stared at Arthur for a long time before speaking in a raspy, yet youthful voice,
"You... are you from the Ferguson Empire too?"
"No," Arthur shook his head. "I just left some treasure here a while back. Now I've come to retrieve it. Kid, are you interested in this treasure?"
"Hmph!"
The boy shook his head with complete indifference.
"I have no interest in treasure at all. But! If I kill you… I can offer this treasure to my captain's squad and earn a medal!"
His eyes burned with madness, determination, and desperate longing. Clearly, that medal was everything to him.
"Oh?"
Arthur hadn't cared at first, but now… he was intrigued.
This boy really was something else. That look in his eyes, that willpower—those only came from someone who had grown up on the battlefield.
To him, medals were a symbol of honor. Fascinating.
Especially in this vast ocean, where most people wouldn't think that way.
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
Suddenly—
A horde of children charged out from the shadows.
Some had pistols.
Some clutched bombs.
Their combat style was a chaotic mess, but their physical strength far surpassed that of average adults.
It made sense.
Any child soldier raised in this kind of hell needed to be monstrously strong just to survive.
And surviving to this point was proof enough—they were all uniquely gifted.
They all rushed toward Arthur in a frenzy, including the boy standing in front of him.
"Die!!"
BOOM!!
BOOM!!
A barrage of explosives detonated around Arthur, engulfing him completely.
But for Arthur, it was like a warm breeze.
These regular bullets and shells couldn't even scratch his skin.
"Tch."
With a touch of exasperation, Arthur moved.
Slash—!
Slash—!
He struck with one hand, his palm slicing through the air.
A wave of sheer force engulfed everything nearby.
In a flash, all the attackers were slain.
All except—
The boy right in front of Arthur.
When Arthur first arrived, he had already sensed the presence of these kids lurking nearby. He just hadn't cared. If they only wanted to observe, he would've let them be.
But since they attacked…
Arthur wasn't someone who left loose ends.
Except—
This boy intrigued him.
He reminded Arthur of someone. Though he couldn't be certain yet, one thing was clear—this kid's talent far exceeded the others. His strength was monstrous for someone so young.
"A genius..."
"That guy—!"
"Run!!"
"Run!!"
"Leave him behind!"
"Just run!!"
Though those young soldiers were trained for madness, they weren't fools.
Seeing the massacre, they immediately turned tail and ran, abandoning the boy who had charged in first.
"What?!"
The boy's eyes widened in disbelief.
His comrades—his childhood companions—had all betrayed him.
He couldn't comprehend it. Not at his age. Not after all they'd been through together.
Clang!
Arthur raised his hand and casually blocked the boy's whip-like kick, speaking calmly:
"In their eyes, you're more of a monster than a comrade. To them… you were just a tool. Kid, I'll offer you this chance..."
"Do you want to become my knight?"
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