The man known as sylzao

20 years ago, when Hadon was just another of the 20 states in the 20th country of Belto, I was just clocking 20 years old.

Pretty ironic, isn't it?

I was brought up in the Poor Districts, where the smell of sickness and depression hung like a cloud, mixing with its people's poverty.

Every day was the same - someone fell ill, their families couldn't afford treatment, and they died. Wooden shacks for houses and littered streets, spoilt with muck and filth, as a living environment wasn't helping the problem.

Nobody cared what happened to us, not the others in Hadon nor the foreigners who came from distant lands, watching us live like bottom feeders and die like insects.

My parents were no exception, leaving me in this cold, empty world when I was just 8 years old. Their souls rest in peace, wherever they are.

I strained for my daily bread, hands bled from hard labor, marks and bruises adorned my body like ornaments, yet I didn't give up. I never knew where my next meal would come from, but neither did I steal nor kill to get it.

My dream since then was to become a successful hunter, reaching heights where I could help those who endured like I did.

Now I clocked 20, about to be enrolled in Furthenbur Magic Academy, 2 states away. My dream of becoming a successful hunter was at my fingertips.

A sense of uncertainty turned my stomach, tapping my fingers against the lobby table, sweat drizzling down my face despite the chilling AC. Others took note of my expressions as weird.

Then, a female voice called my name to the front desk, snapping the thoughts out of my head. My body staggered to reach there, as if dumbbells were tied to my legs. When I reached there...

"Sylzao Hagi?" A red-haired woman asked, blowing bubble gum behind the glass. Her furnished suit and posture mocked my raggy appearance, but what ticked me off most was her cold glare and sharp glasses. Peak aura farming, in my opinion.

"Yes, I am he!" The words stumbled from my mouth.

What the hell was I thinking when I said that?

The woman stamped a white envelope, her precision reflecting her experience, before sliding it towards me, darting her eyes to the exit, signaling me to leave the queue.

I steeled my trembling hands, swiping the paper from the desk before dashing towards the exit. The other applicants wondered whether I'd run mad or something.

When I reached outside, the paper felt heavier on my palms, my heart beating as if about to burst out of my chest. Sweat leaked throughout my body as my quivering hands tore open the seal, removing the paper inside.

For over an hour, I couldn't glance at it. Everytime I tried, my blood pressure felt like it shot up until I firmed. What I saw was written in bold letters.

(Dear Mr. Sylzao, we are... And thus, your admission was accepted. Congratulations, we hope to see more of you in the future.)

At first, my gaze froze at the paper for a few seconds, narrowing my eyes in disbelief, my mouth wide open. My body still like a statue, I literally couldn't move when I read it.

"Yes, baby!" I burst out in joy, frolicking up and down the entrance, shouting and leaping uncomfortably, as if I were mentally ill, causing discomfort to those around.

But I didn't care. That one moment was the best I'd felt in a long time, until...

"Hey, you dumbass, what the hell are you doing, causing a ruckus at the entrance!" A nagging female voice broke my excitement.

She came along, my friend, the main reason I could barely bear the brunt of my heinous sins till now.

"Huh, who the hell are you?" I replied, turning my demeanor thuggish to intimidate.

"My name's Urane Mintugakye, and from now on, I'll be your senior, unless you'd like to get expelled," she leaned forward, shooting a fierce glare that pierced my confidence.

I really didn't like her at first. Everything from the suffocating smell of her strong citrus perfume to her neat looks and attractive features pissed me off.

Not to mention, she used her seniority to torture me with punishments, as if she had it out for me, though the feeling was mutual. I couldn't get her back, despite my best efforts.

Urane even tricked me into making her my legal guardian. I was stupid for thinking I signed a petition to help orphaned puppies, but then again, I didn't read the documents, so...

From the streets, she took me into her lavish house outside of campus. The color choice and design had me awe-struck before turning me into a servant, burdening me with chores.

But that's a story for another day.

Urane graduated earlier than I did, climbing up the ranks steadily, becoming a successful hunter. I braced myself too, cutting my rest to reach her heights.

After 6 years, I was about to complete my course, after which I could start earning an honest living as a hunter. But there was still one barrier that stood between me and my graduation.

"We'll clear the people in Hadon and extract the priceless Ora resting beneath their land," a sketchy, deep voice reverberated through the cloaking darkness.

The Ora they talked about were purple crystals with dim glows, capable of enhancing magic potency, regardless of a person's Mz, and it rested mainly in Hadon, almost impossible to find anywhere else.

I had already been entangled too deep in a scandal. At first, I thought I was working as an intern in a private hunter's guild, unknown to me, I stood amidst criminals and psychopaths.

I was already in too deep. All I could do was remorse quietly, watching them plot on stealing Hadon's main source of income, unable to reach out to anyone. I could feel their surveillant eyes wherever I went.

Nightmares flooded my dreams until my nights became sleepless, playing music because the eerie silence, merged with my room's pitch darkness, felt like a presence lurked behind me, creeping through the floors to snuff out my flame.

Hiding beneath my blanket, clenching to the mattress tightly as I shivered, my thoughts deteriorating.

Days passed, and I stopped leaving the house, ceasing my studies as well, living off the provisions Urane left me, using the allowance she sent monthly to order from the net. My bones and arms softened from being idle, the fear of leaving home increasing with the days.

After 2 years, Furthenbur tried to reach out. The clerk discovered the existence of a student after stumbling upon a few documents. This student repeated his last year twice, being absent throughout.

I didn't have any parents, not friends, for them to reach out to, except for the contact details of my one guardian.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Who is it!" I shot up from my bed, breaking out in a cold sweat.

The littered floors were mutilated with used packs of junk food and unwashed cloth. The house reeked worse than a gym locker.

"It's me, Urane. Open up."

I hesitated at first, then my mind flashed, reminding me the house wasn't mine, so I grit my teeth, strengthened my nerves, and pulled the door open.

The odor of her home first invaded her nostrils. The wretched smell slapped her cheeks, the pain stinging. Her insides felt like they would pour out as liquid.

She shifted her gaze towards me, paying me back with a quick slap that struck my face, sending me flying across the room. I remember my body ached so bad after that.

"I want an explanation now," she demanded from me, crossing her arms. The air around seemed toxic. "Or I'll beat it out of you."

Out of cowardice, I spoke, explaining my predicament to her as best I could, trying to control my soaked eyes. The weight of my burden felt like it crushed my bones.

Urane's face twisted, but I couldn't discern whether it was out of confusion or disgust. Either way, she grabbed me tightly, like a mother would her child, stroking my weary head.

"I'm sorry for not even trying to find out what you were doing in these past 4 years," she whispered. "I blame myself for this, and because of that, I'll help you as best as possible." Her words gave me warmth, assuring me of hope.

I briefed her on their plans and explained why it took them so long to commence it, hoping she'd come up with a solution.

"I have an idea," her expression lit up. "We'll have to erase Hadon from the world map."

"Huh?!"

"Think about it, the people involved with this operation are mafia, politicians, terrorists, and large guilds. Hadon is built above a mineral resource so rare, it's almost a myth. These people won't hesitate to use genocide to accomplish their goals, and from what I've seen, they will. And with ease too, they possess military-grade weapons capable of wiping countries with the blink of an eye."

"So, what does that do with wiping it off the map?" I shrieked, still left in disarray, trying to piece things together.

"I'm a mage, so I'll just use the Ora to amp my magic and teleport them somewhere safe, as discreetly as possible. It shouldn't be too hard since Hadon is top 3 for having the worst Hunters and Defense on Earth," she shot up from her couch with a confident grin. "We can save your people!"

'She's not wrong. I'm probably the only body from Hadon to enter Furthenbur, that's why the Nobles and Chiefs were so against it. Their wealth comes from strategic business, not battle,' my thoughts rambled.

But we were too late. The story of Hadon being attacked by an S-Rank beast spread like wildfire, but I knew it was a cover-up story. Worst of all, the operation, which claimed the lives of many, was because of me.

Because I revealed the locations of all the secret entrances and exits in Hadon.

Because I traded my one insignificant life for the lives of many.

Because I was a coward, scared of death, that's why I revealed my people's secrets at knifepoint.

But I didn't know things would turn this bad, this soon.

Urane swiftly summoned a portal, her chant's laced with the moment's urgency. Its ocean-blue color took over the living room as it swirled open.

Urane shoved me from behind with an enraged force, tightening her jaws, her muscles strained, rage oozing from her eyes before leaping in too.

In a flash, my view darkened from the bright color, crumbled rocks poked my face, my head was kissing the sandy floor. Rising from the stumble, my gaze met a horrific sight.

Right before me were corpses littered on the road, the sky had darkened from the smoky ash as a result of the burning structures. Breathing air through the nose was almost impossible.

My people barely held their own, but no one came to help, much too coordinated. I got the feeling the neighboring states were involved as well. Every government wanted our share of Ora.

My veins bulged where I stood, teeth sharpened like fangs, eyes widened, glaring at the ruins with a burning rage. I felt like a part of me died that day, as if I wasn't myself.

"Black, where's the closest supply of Ora?" Urgency filled Urane's tone, covering her face from the dust and embers.

"Just keep walking straight and curve to your right. You'll see a small tree there. Destroy its stump, and you'll find a hole... Once you enter it, teleport Hadon as quickly as possible," I replied, my voice calm yet menacing. "Leave the rest to me."

Urane followed my instructions to the letter, her body tensed in haste, though I noticed her breathing became sluggish.

"Wait, is that Sylzao I see?" A familiar voice rang in my ear, but not the kind I'd like to hear.

A man strolled in, clenching a sword in his hand. "You should have stayed away, like we told you. We're not going to spare your life twice, unfortunately," he grinned, squinting his eyes mockingly through the smoke, his lackeys chuckling behind.

All the memories of my struggles flooded through my clear thoughts, mixing with the small flame of malice burning within, colliding with my Mz. The reaction felt like a thunderstorm within me.

I turned towards them, my face calm yet expressionless, cracking my fingers one by one. "Do you know what it means to be so scared you feel like your insides are being gouged out?"

"How would I? Not everyone's a coward like you," he leaned backward, bursting into a mocking laughter, his armed men following his lead.

"That's only because you haven't experienced true fear."

My voice shriveled dangerously, the animosity I contained for years gushed out like a violent wind, its structure invisible to all, including me.

A sudden numb feeling came over them, widening their faces as though in shock, their weapons slipping out of their hands like iron through grease.

And then, they began to hallucinate, depictions of horrific deaths and painful sensations spreading through them, stretching a pleading hand towards me, but I snubbed.

I don't know what happened. All I did was stand, and they fell flat on the floor, breathing their last breathes of air before passing on.

I alone killed all the attackers, but even with that, the damage was done.

Urane used a forbidden spell to isolate Hadon into a separate dimension, rewriting their memories as well. Though she boosted her magic's capacity using the Ora stones, the spell came at a price, demanding several years from her age.

As for me?...

CLANK!

I dug graves for all 500 men whose lives were lost because of my cowardice. It didn't matter whether they were from Hadon or an attacker; everyone deserved a respectable resting place.

CLANK!

I didn't sleep.

CLANK!

I didn't eat.

CLANK!

My hands bled, but I didn't stop.

I strained my muscles, tensed my body until it nearly collapsed in one of the graves, but even then, I didn't stop.

When I finished, I asked Urane for one more favor, to help me lie to my own people, so they wouldn't find out about my greed.

Since then, it felt as if a brick wall rested between me and Urane, barely showing the affection we once shared with each other.

At least the respect people had for me, and my new position in the ranks, filled the hole she left... or at least that's what I told myself. Because of that, I built up a whole persona just to keep lying to myself every day, but now...

"I don't think I have to worry about that anymore," sylzao's head fell below his shoulders in shame, his voice cracking.

Yadohabi leaned in closer to usher in his last remark, "Sylzao... You are a fool."

"That's something I already knew," he replied.

The Elders slammed their hands against their wooden table in rage and disgust. Sylzao's words were like soiled ink on a white shirt, leaving them questioning their reality.

Even then, they were far more composed than Sylzao, as expected, once the truth came to light.

But even then, things were far from clear. Their puzzled heads needed more answers, but not at that moment, after the reappearance of Urane.

Till then, they acted as a system, deciding on a verdict as judges. Hyosung wasn't the one being tried, as the Impera processed one more case.

"Sylzao Hagi, you've been charged with impersonation, infiltration, mass murder, terrorism, and the use of dark arts to alter memories. Your trial will be carried out tomorrow, after the appearance of your accomplice, Urane. Till then, you'll be locked beneath Sylza, at the prison."

"The Impera is adjourned. Yadohabi, please escort this traitor to his cell!"