The Av looked at Arya with a questioning gaze. "Are you sure, sir? You want both bottles of blue liquid medicine? We only have two left."
Arya nodded. "Yes."
"Before we proceed, you need to make the payment, sir. Please scan this code, and once the transaction is complete, you'll receive the items."
Arya took out his phone. He knew he couldn't see, which was why he relied on his voice system for transactions. "Hey, Roi, scan the code and pay 24 million NP."
The AI assistant in his phone responded instantly. "Understood, sir. Scanning the code now. Processing the transaction… Done. 24 million NP has been transferred."
The AV checked the confirmation, then nodded before heading to the back. Moments later, he returned with a small box and carefully opened it. Inside were two bottles of glowing blue liquid.
Arya picked up the box and turned to leave. Before he could step out, the AV smiled. "Thank you for visiting us, sir. Please come again."
As Arya stepped outside, he looked down at the box in his hands, feeling an unfamiliar sense of satisfaction. But then reality sank in. If he never reached S-rank, he would never be able to afford something like this again. Not even a single bottle.
He clenched the box tightly. "Normal people can never afford this… 24 million NP… That's 240 million NS. Even if they worked their entire lives, they wouldn't be able to earn that much."
For the first time in a long while, he felt a pang of guilt. Once, he had been like them—powerless, struggling, unable to grasp things that only the strong could obtain.
As Arya walked forward, someone suddenly ran into him at full speed. They collided, both tumbling to the ground.
Luckily, Arya held onto the box tightly, keeping the medicine safe.
They scrambled to their feet, and the stranger quickly apologized. "Sorry! I was in a hurry!"
Arya dusted himself off. "Why are you rushing?"
The man glanced around, still breathless. "The Assassin Soldiers found a monster! They've announced that they're going to kill it."
Arya's brows furrowed. A monster… in the city?
"Where?" he asked.
"In the middle of the city!" the man shouted before running off to see the battle.
Arya, however, didn't follow. He tightened his grip on the box. I don't have time for this. Right now, I need to get to Aisha.
Meanwhile…
Aisha was sleeping when a sudden crash jolted her awake.
The front door of their house was kicked open, the sharp noise echoing through the silence.
A group of Assassin Soldiers in matching black suits and pants stormed inside, moving with precision. Their heavy boots thudded against the wooden floor as they spread out, searching every room.
Aisha's heart pounded. Who are they? Why are they here?
She reached for her communicator to call Arya, but—no signal.
Her breath hitched. They cut the connection…
Panicked, she ran to her door, locking it from the inside. But she knew it wouldn't stop them for long. Are they here for me?
Then a terrifying thought hit her. What if they're here for Arya?
Tears welled in her eyes. He's blind… If they take him—
She pressed her hands over her mouth, stifling a sob as she listened to the soldiers outside.
"There's a hidden passage here."
A sickening crack filled the air as they shattered the bookshelf, revealing the secret entrance.
No… no, no!
She heard them splitting up, checking the kitchen. Empty.
The bathroom. Empty.
Then they reached her door.
"Someone's inside."
The next moment, the door burst open.
Aisha stumbled back, her legs shaking. "Please… don't take me! Don't kill me! I just want to see my brother!"
The soldiers didn't listen.
One grabbed her wrist, yanking her forward. She struggled, but they were too strong. A sharp slap stung her cheek, making her vision blur with tears.
"No! Let me go!"
Her screams filled the house, but no one came to help.
They dragged her away.
Meanwhile, in the middle of the city…
A massive crowd had gathered in the streets, whispering anxiously as they watched the commotion unfold. Assassin Soldiers had formed a blockade, pushing back the onlookers while clearing a path.
A fleet of black vehicles arrived, their engines roaring through the tense silence. Soldiers stepped out, their movements disciplined and cold.
Then, the back doors of a large transport vehicle swung open.
Aisha was inside.
Her small frame was barely holding up, her body covered in cuts and bruises. Blood dripped onto the cold metal floor, staining it as she trembled. Thick ropes bound her hands behind her back, digging into her skin.
With no hesitation, the soldiers threw her out of the vehicle.
She hit the ground hard, coughing as pain shot through her ribs. The impact left her gasping for breath, but the soldiers didn't care. They dragged her forward by the rope, treating her like an animal.
Aisha struggled weakly, her voice hoarse. "Please… help me…"
But no one moved.
Instead, the watching crowd threw rocks at her.
"Kill the monster!" someone shouted.
More voices joined in. "Kill her! Kill her!"
Tears streamed down Aisha's face. Why? Why are they doing this?
She flinched as another stone struck her arm. Her vision blurred with pain, but she could still see the hatred in their eyes.
The soldiers yanked the rope again. She fell forward, scraping her knees against the rough ground. But they didn't stop. They kept pulling, forcing her to move.
"Brother…" she sobbed, her voice barely a whisper.
Then louder. "Brother, where are you? Please! I don't want to die!"
She screamed his name.
But Arya wasn't there.
They dragged her into the center of the square, where a raised platform stood tall—a wooden stage with a single noose swaying in the wind. The crowd gathered, their voices a mix of anticipation and hatred.
A man stepped onto the stage from the side, his presence commanding silence. He stopped beside her, looking down at her trembling form before suddenly driving his boot into her stomach. Aisha gasped, her small body collapsing onto the wooden planks, blood dripping from her lips.
The man turned to face the crowd. "I am in charge of this city," he declared, his voice echoing across the square. "It is my duty to protect all of you. As long as I stand here, monsters like this will never be allowed to harm our people!"
The crowd erupted in cheers.
"Kill that bastard!" someone shouted.
"End the monster!" others echoed.
The man raised a hand to silence them. "Do not worry. I will rid this city of every last one of these creatures. No one can hide from our Assassin Soldiers."
Aisha's body trembled. She slowly lifted her head, her voice weak and broken. "Please… please don't kill me. I just want to see my brother…" Tears streamed down her face. "I'm not a monster… I swear… please…"
But the man didn't listen. His expression remained cold as he delivered another brutal kick, sending her sprawling.
"Creatures like you are not human," he spat. "You're nothing more than an animal. If I let you live, my people will begin to doubt us. They must trust in our strength… and fear us."
Without hesitation, he gestured to one of the Assassin Soldiers. "Take her to the rope."
A soldier grabbed Aisha's frail body and forced her to her feet. Another man stood beside the noose, waiting. He slipped the rough rope around her neck, tightening it as the crowd roared in approval.
Aisha stood there, her hands tightly bound behind her with rough rope. Her small body trembled, covered in cuts and bruises, blood slowly dripping onto the wooden stage. She was weak—too weak to fight back.
She slowly lifted her head, her blurred vision scanning the sea of people before her. She knew the truth—no one here would save her. No one except her brother.
But he wasn't here.
Instead, the crowd hurled stones at her, their hatred piercing deeper than any wound. One struck her face with a sharp crack, pain exploding in her skull. Her vision darkened for a moment, her body swaying.
Through the dizziness, she whispered, her voice barely above a breath. "Brother… please… help me."
Tears mixed with the blood on her face as she cried out again, her voice breaking. "You promised me… You said you would come!"
Her breath hitched, panic surging through her. "Brother… where are you? Please, take me away from here. They're going to kill me. I don't want to die!"
But the crowd only laughed, their jeers drowning out her desperate pleas.
And still, her brother did not come.
Meanwhile, far from the square, Arya finally reached home.He didn't notice at first, but as he approached the door, he realized it was slightly open. His heartbeat quickened.
He knew that when he left the house, he had closed the door and locked it from the outside.