6. Herbs, Smiles, and Hidden Scars

Ryu was walking back toward the village from the jungle. His face was completely calm, as if he had just returned from a light walk—not from fighting a high-level monster.

As he reached near the village gates, he saw people peeking out from behind their doors.

Children had gone quiet, and some women were pulling their kids back inside their homes.

Ryu looked up at the sky and said softly,

"Did I take their food away, that they're so scared?"

A soft voice came from behind him.

"No… they're not scared, they just don't understand. You did something for them they couldn't even dream of."

Ryu turned around. A girl was standing there.

Her long green hair shimmered lightly in the sun, she wore a simple brown leather dress, and held a small herbal pouch in her hand.

There was no fear in her eyes—only curiosity.

Ryu looked at her and smiled.

"You?"

The girl straightened a little and said,

"My name is Elira… I'm the herbalist here."

Ryu gave her a slight smile in return.

"Herbalist? Hm… from your voice, I thought you were a philosopher."

Elira's eyes sparkled slightly, and she gave a faint smile.

"And you… you're strange. You don't seem like a hunter at all."

Ryu shrugged and said,

"I feel like I'm just a tourist."

Elira looked at him for a few moments, then softly asked,

"That… creature… it was human, wasn't it? I heard it say your name."

Ryu looked at her for a moment. His face remained completely calm, but a hidden depth shimmered in his eyes.

Then he replied with a playful smirk,

"You're a herbalist, not a detective. Better to focus on your plants."

Elira let out a small sigh and went quiet, but the curiosity in her eyes still lingered.

Ryu simply shrugged and walked toward the village.

By evening, the village had calmed down. Ryu was sitting on an old wooden bench, sipping a local drink.

His face looked completely relaxed, as if the chaos in the village had nothing to do with him.

Just then, the sound of galloping horses and people screaming came from afar.

Elira came running to him, out of breath, and immediately said,

"Did you hear? Bandits are here! If no one does anything, they'll destroy the village!"

Ryu spun his cup and looked at her with a slight smile.

"And you want me to do something? All of you already fear me."

Elira said sharply,

"Fear doesn't mean hate… Please."

Ryu looked at her and stood up with a small smirk.

"Alright then… let's see what today's entertainment looks like."

At the village gate stood a large man—around 6 feet tall, tribal tattoos on his chest, and an old scar over one eye.

His name was Gorak.

Behind him were ten or twelve men, holding weapons and terrorizing the villagers.

Gorak roared,

"Listen up, people! Hand over your food and gold, or your homes… will burn!"

Ryu slowly walked forward and stood in front of Gorak. His face was completely calm.

"Heard your dialogue… but your acting is a bit weak."

Gorak angrily stepped toward him and shouted,

"And who the hell are you? Get out of my way!"

Ryu smiled softly and said,

"Me? Just a tourist. But your show is getting boring, so I thought I'd make an entrance."

In his rage, Gorak raised his hand to strike Ryu.

But Ryu simply snapped his fingers.

The ground beneath Gorak suddenly cracked, and he crashed to the floor.

His men panicked and started backing away.

Ryu said casually,

"Whoa whoa… your 'loot the village' show hadn't even started yet."

He spun his hand, and a small golden ring formed in the air.

All the bandits were lifted into the air, as if tied by invisible ropes.

Looking at them, Ryu smiled and said,

"Alright, rehearsal's over. Now leave, and don't ever come back."

Gorak, trembling with a mix of fear and anger, just nodded.

Ryu lowered his hand, and all the bandits ran away in terror.

The village fell silent. People began stepping out of their homes.

There was still fear in their eyes, but some also showed gratitude.

Elira slowly walked up to Ryu and said,

"You're weird… but maybe not as bad as people think."

Ryu looked at her and smiled,

"I try to be bad, but people never give me the chance."

For the first time, Elira smiled openly in front of him and walked away.

Ryu simply sat back on the bench and looked up at the sky, murmuring softly,

"This game… is already starting to feel complicated."

Far in the sky, for a brief moment, a small black crack flashed—

as if someone was watching from there.

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— TO BE CONTINUED —