Deka Vael
Deka was born into a noble family.
It was a happy household where he often bonded with his mother, father, and older brother.
The Vael family was well-known for their achievements and good deeds.
Because of their kindness, they secretly took care of Verdant slaves.
Among them was an elderly woman named Mirna.
She has taken care of Deka since birth.
However, tragedy struck.
One day, Deka's parents were found dead in their room, their bodies covered in blood.
His brother was taken away by unknown individuals.
Deka was only ten years old when his family was torn apart.
When the townspeople learned about the Vael family's kindness toward Verdant slaves, rumors spread quickly.
Deka once tried to play outside with other children, but he was met with punches instead.
"Don't come near us again!"
"You might drag our parents into your misfortune too."
As Deka walked home barefoot, his face bruised and swelling, he overheard whispers in the streets.
"Hey, isn't that the kid from the Vael family?"
"Have you heard? His family was killed because they treated the Verdant well."
"Verdant people are cursed. If you associate with them, you'll be doomed too because they defied God."
Deka heard every word.
As he stood there, another kid approached him.
He looked up and recognized her.
It was his classmate, the girl he secretly admired.
Their eyes met, but he quickly lowered his head in shame because of his appearance and the rumors surrounding him.
"Ahm, De—"
But before she could finish speaking, her parents pulled her away.
"Stay away from him! Do you want us to die too?"
Her mother even kicked Deka before walking away.
Downcasted, Deka returned to his family's mansion, only to find it completely abandoned.
Everyone was gone. Except for one.
Mirna.
She had remained to take care of Deka, knowing that no one else would.
The Vael family's mansion had been raided because they had been hiding Verdants.
Many were captured, while a few managed to escape.
Only Mirna returned, choosing to stay in the ruined mansion once again.
"Welcome home, young master," she greeted.
Deka clenched his teeth in anger as he glared at Mirna.
Without a word, he stormed into the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and pointed it at her.
"Because of you, Verdants, my mother..."
His voice trembled as tears fell from his eyes.
"And my father... they died because of you!"
"No, young master, they didn't die because of that. They were mur—"
"Shut up!" Deka screamed.
Hatred boiled inside him. Everyone in town was saying the same thing.
"The Verdant people are the reason his family was ruined."
He wanted to stab Mirna to take out his rage on her.
But his hands wouldn't move.
No matter how much he hated them, he couldn't bring himself to kill.
His parents had raised him with kindness, and now that kindness held him back.
Overwhelmed, Deka turned and ran.
He ran and ran until he was far away.
He wanted to be alone, without hearing the words of other people, and seal himself away from the world.
One week passed.
Then three weeks.
Then a month.
He became a beggar, growing weak and thin.
He stole food and scavenged from the trash.
He did anything to survive.
One day, as he was scavenging. Someone approached him and asked with a deep voice, "Hey, kid, what's your I.D.?"
Deka froze in fear.
He looked up and saw Gorvex and his group towering over him.
Immediately, he showed it to them.
"A barrier-type?" Gorvex muttered, noticing Deka's I.D. ability. A smirk crept onto his face.
"Take him. He'll make a good shield against the beasts."
Once he became part of the clan, Gorvex approached him.
"You're the son of Niko Vael?"
Deka's eyes widened.
This man knew his father.
"Your parents died because of the Verdant," Gorvex continued. "We are Slave Hunters. Change your fate and give your parents honor by enslaving the Verdants."
Deka clenched his fists, his mind in turmoil.
Then, slowly, he nodded in agreement.
And so, the Mad Clan took him in.
His barrier ability was extraordinarily strong even when his Barrier Manipulation was still at rank "F."
Deka was gifted.
His abilities advanced three times faster than the average person.
While most took 40 to 50 years to reach rank "B," he was already progressing at an alarming rate.
Because of this, whenever the Mad Clan's division under Second encountered unexpected beasts or needed to imprison Verdant slaves, Deka was essential.
His barriers made everything easy.
Yet despite his talent, fear gripped him.
He feared beasts.
Every time he faced one, his instinct was to shut his eyes even though he didn't want to,
Deka was often thrown into danger, and forced to create shields to protect the others whenever a beast appeared.
Even enslaving Verdants.
He couldn't bring himself to hurt them even though he always wanted to try.
Because of this, he was often mocked, insulted, and bullied by others in his clan.
He tried to quit.
But every time he attempted to leave, fear consumed him.
Others had tried before, and they all ended up dead.
Running was not an option in the Mad Clan.
Once you quit, they would hunt you forever.
It felt like he was trapped in an endless darkness, with no hope of ever being free.
But…
—
Deka was running wildly when an image of Gil flashed in his mind.
Gil, who had saved him and let him escape from the Basilisk.
"Why did you save me?"
For as long as he could remember, he had been nothing more than a human shield for others.
But now, for the first time since his parents' death, someone had actually saved him.
Someone from the very people he had been taught to enslave.
Deka ran back.
Another image surfaced.
Villagers laughed, smiling, welcoming him as one of their own.
They were laughing with Gil. And he felt like he had a new big brother.
"Even if it's not me, the other villagers would still save you, just like I did."
Those were Gil's words.
Deka's pace quickened, his heart pounding.
"I want to… protect them!"
As he reached the battlefield, he raised both arms at the level of his chest.
[Dome Barrier!]
A massive barrier expanded like a dome, enclosing all the Verdant villagers and himself within its protective walls.