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"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" a stern voice rang out.
A young woman with short blue hair stepped forward from the crowd, glaring at the n.
"The Ganesha Familia?" The thug-like adventurers instantly scowled, looking as if they had just cursed their own rotten luck. "Let's go."
They turned and fled without a second thought. Lucian didn't feel particularly disappointed that his chance to show off had been ruined. He had long passed the phase of wanting to preen and posture in front of crowds. But still... did they really think they could just walk away? If it hadn't been him standing here—if it had been a helpless girl alone—who knew what those degenerates would have done? When it ca to scum like this, Lucian was very vindictive.
" Curse of Confusion, " Lucian murmured under his breath, his lips barely parting.
A subtle ripple of ntal power dispersed into the air, coalescing into invisible marks that shot forward and latched onto the fleeing thugs.
"Magic?" The blue-haired girl, who appeared to be in her early twenties, walked over. "It seems I unnecessarily interfered."
"Even so, I'm incredibly grateful," Lucian replied with a warm smile. "People willing to step up for strangers in trouble are a rare breed these days. eting soone so noble makes even the disgust of having those maggots appear before fade away."
Amused by his eloquent phrasing, the girl's stern expression softened.
"I am Shakti Varma, a mber of the Ganesha Familia."
"I'm Lucian, from the Hephaestus Familia."
"And I'm Talvi, from the Bheara Familia!" Talvi chid in, staring at Shakti with wide, curious eyes.
"A forging Familia mber..." Shakti blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected soone from a crafting faction to casually toss out a silent spell to teach those thugs a lesson. "That magic you just used...?"
"It's a curse-type spell," Lucian explained easily. "It won't take their lives, but they'll be plagued by agonizing nightmares for the next few days."
As for whether there would be long-term side effects like irreversible nerve damage—well, Lucian genuinely didn't know, nor did he care.
"I see," Shakti nodded in understanding.
Just then, a tiny figure trotted over. It was a little girl, roughly six or seven years old, bearing a near seventy-percent resemblance to Shakti—especially the matching short blue hair. It was obvious the sisters had been out together. Shakti must have left her sister at a safe distance to prevent her from getting caught in the crossfire if a fight broke out. Seeing that the danger had passed, the little girl finally approached.
"This is my little sister, Adi," Shakti said, affectionately patting the girl's head. "Say hello, Adi."
"Hello, big brother, big sister. I am Adi Varma, a mber of the Ganesha Familia," Adi said, offering a deep, incredibly polite bow.
To join a Familia at such a tender age... it was highly likely the sisters were orphans. Right now, Shakti was acting more like a mother to her than an older sister.
"Hello, little Adi," Lucian said, his expression softening as he crouched down and gently offered his hand.
Adi placed her tiny hand in his, and they shook. It was small, soft, and chubby. When he let go, Talvi eagerly crouched down as well, shaking Adi's hand with equal enthusiasm. So cute! "Here, a present for you," Lucian said. After a mont's thought, he pulled a small gift box from his [Material Reserve] and handed it to the girl.
Adi looked up at Shakti, seeking permission. Shakti hesitated for a mont but eventually nodded. While accepting gifts from strangers in Orario was usually a terrible idea, Lucian and Talvi didn't feel dangerous. Talvi's pure, innocent aura was impossible to fake. Receiving her sister's approval, Adi took the box and bowed again.
"Thank you, big brother!"
"You're very welco," Lucian smiled warmly, standing back up. "This child is adorable. Her mind is pure; I'm sure she'll grow up to be a very gentle person."
"Thank you for the complint," Shakti replied, offering a faint smile. "But rather than just being gentle, I hope she grows into a powerful warrior with unbreakable convictions."
Only the strong could survive. Having had her life destroyed by monsters once before, Shakti understood this truth better than anyone. In this world, a peaceful and happy life was a pipe dream without the strength to protect it. That was exactly why she had beco an adventurer—to ensure she could protect her little sister.
"Fair point," Lucian nodded in agreent. "There's a massive difference between having no sword to draw, and having a sword but choosing not to use it."
"Well said." Shakti carefully chewed on his words, her eyes lighting up with realization.
Even Adi's eyes sparkled. Though young, she was highly intelligent, and the profound phrase etched itself deeply into her mory. With Talvi and Adi's innocent synergy, and Lucian and Shakti bonding over a shared sense of justice, the group hit it off perfectly, feeling as though they had t far too late. Ti flew by, and soon the sun began to set. It was ti to part ways.
"Miss Shakti, if you ever need any weapons, co find at the Hephaestus Familia. I'll make sure you get a fair price," Lucian said, slipping in a quick advertisent at the end.
"I will," Shakti nodded firmly.
She genuinely ant it. While so crafters loved to overcharge their acquaintances, Orario's dedicated blacksmiths rarely pulled such stunts. If word got out that they ripped off their friends, their reputation would be ruined. Besides, she was only a Level 2 adventurer. She didn't need high-end gear yet, so even if she got overcharged, the loss wouldn't be catastrophic. She would just treat it as a tuition fee for a life lesson. More importantly, after spending the afternoon together, she felt Lucian was a stand-up guy, soone well worth befriending. He exuded a gentle, confident aura and clearly possessed a wealth of knowledge.
"Goodbye, Brother Lucian! Goodbye, Sister Talvi!" Adi blinked her large, adorable eyes and waved enthusiastically.
"Goodbye, little Adi," Lucian and Talvi replied with synchronized smiles.
Once they returned to the Ganesha Familia compound, Adi presented the gift box, staring up at Shakti with sparkling eyes.
"Go ahead, open it," Shakti chuckled, leaning in with equal curiosity.
When the lid popped off, it revealed a strangely shaped tallic object.
"What is this?" Adi asked, looking to her sister for answers.
Shakti was just as puzzled. She had never seen anything like it. She had assud it would be candy or a simple toy.
"This is... a Magic Stone? And a trigger?" Shakti mused, carefully picking it up.
Crossbows existed in this world, so the concept of a trigger wasn't entirely alien. The device was compact, perfectly sized for a child's hand to easily reach the firing chanism. A Magic Stone was slotted securely into the magazine area, protected by a layer of transparent, highly durable material to prevent the fragile stone from shattering upon impact.
"Want to try it out?" Shakti asked, handing it back.
Adi thought for a mont, aid the barrel at a nearby water cup on the table, and pulled the trigger. Thwip! A thick, blindingly fast blast of white webbing shot from the muzzle, violently slamming the cup against the wall and gluing it tightly to the stone.
"Whoa! That's amazing!" Adi's eyes widened in awe.
"A Magic Item!?" Shakti gasped in shock.
This wasn't just a toy—it was a highly functional, engineered Magic Item! If sold on the market, a tool like this could easily fetch over a million Valis. It would bankrupt her just to buy one! It lacked lethal power, but its binding capabilities were phenonal, making it the absolute perfect self-defense tool for a child.
" It seems we've t soone truly extraordinary, " Shakti muttered, recalling Lucian's calm, confident deanor.
He was refined, intelligent, and possessed an aura that completely set apart from the usual crude, brutish adventurers. Was this her reward for trying to do a good deed? Recalling his parting words, she realized they would definitely have the chance to interact again. A genuinely pleased smile crept onto Shakti's face.
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