Caelum walked up to the counter calmly. He dropped a few items onto the wooden surface with a light clink—two coin pouches and three potions.
He looked at the stunned woman behind the counter and gave her a disarming, almost boyish smile.
"For the damages," he said casually, voice warm and low.
The woman stared at him for a second, as if unsure whether she heard him right. Then she looked down at the items and her breath caught in her throat.
A coin pouch overflowing with silvers and the second with golds, plus a minor healing potion, a full-strength booster, and a rare-grade stamina vial—just lying there like trash.
She blinked rapidly.
That was… worth fifty times the price of that old wooden table he'd broken.
Maybe more.
"I—uh—thank you," she stammered, then quickly swept everything into her drawer like a starving woman grabbing a loaf of bread.
She wasn't stupid. These kinds of things didn't fall from the sky. And more importantly, she wasn't about to reject an offering from a Blackwatcher who could split skulls without blinking.
As she locked the drawer, her fingers trembling slightly, she forced a smile.
"I've finished preparing your mission," she said quickly, regaining a bit of her composure.
Caelum gave a small nod, then raised his hand lazily. The level five mission badge that had been resting beside the register snapped up into the air and flew into his palm.
It pulsed now.
A slow red glow flickered from its center.
Mission active.
Once the task was complete, the glow would shift to green. That was the only way the mission was considered fulfilled by the timeless zone.
Caelum slipped the badge back into the inside of his coat, ready to turn.
But the woman cleared her throat awkwardly.
"Actually… there's a small problem."
He turned his head slightly, one brow raised. "Problem?"
The woman's smile stiffened, and she rubbed her hands together nervously before speaking.
"Well, the mission… um… it was only activated because I matched it with a team slot."
Caelum's brows slowly drew together.
"I didn't tell you to add a team."
The woman laughed awkwardly. "Yes, yes, I know. But… well… the system wouldn't allow the mission to process unless the mandatory condition was met. It required a team, and, um, I sort of… filled in the additional slots automatically."
Caelum exhaled slowly through his nose.
It made sense now.
His mission was classified at level five—an extreme risk, even for experienced battalions. Of course it would require multiple fighters. The system wouldn't let a lone person take such a task.
Even if that person was him.
He rubbed the side of his temple briefly before giving her a quiet nod. "Where's the team then?"
The woman gave a thin smile—part helpful, part nervous.
She then cleared her throat and stood a little straighter.
"Everyone," she called loudly, her voice cutting across the heavy silence in the guild, "the young Blackwatcher here needs a team for his level five mission. Who among you is willing to join?"
Her voice echoed through the hall like a death sentence.
Silence followed.
The response was dead quiet.
Everyone had seen what had happened moments ago. Everyone had seen the way Caelum moved, how easily he shattered bones, how carelessly he ended lives.
Even though the mission was important, nobody wanted to walk beside him.
What if they said the wrong thing?
What if they asked the wrong question?
What if they breathed the wrong way?
No one wanted to be the next man whose skull ended up on the wooden floor.
The murmurs began to grow—low whispers, short glances, feet shuffling backwards.
One of the men at the far side shook his head. "Forget it, I'm not dying today."
"Who'd volunteer to go with that?" another muttered.
"You saw how he smiled while he did it. Like it meant nothing."
"I got kids, man."
"No way."
Even the most hardened mercenaries stayed rooted to their chairs.
But then—just when it seemed like no one would step forward—a soft voice rang out from the back.
"I'll go with him."
All heads turned.
A young girl, probably around nineteen, stepped forward from the corner near the mission board.
Her movement was steady, not rushed. She wasn't wearing thick armor like the others—only a tight black and green leather tunic that hugged her body and emphasized her long legs. Her boots clicked lightly on the floor as she approached.
Her hair was dyed a soft green, the strands tied loosely into a low braid that swayed gently with her steps.
But it wasn't just her appearance that drew attention.
It was the feeling she gave off.
Life.
She felt like blooming flowers, spring wind, fresh earth.
A direct contrast to the deathly air that clung to Caelum.
When she came to a stop beside him, her green eyes met his for a moment—curious, calm, unafraid.
She smelled like wildflowers in the morning dew.
Caelum blinked once.
Even he was caught off guard.
She didn't look nervous. Didn't reek of fear. Her presence was… steady. Soft, but firm.
She nodded once at him, and he gave a small nod in return.
No words passed between them.
The woman behind the counter exhaled sharply, relieved. Someone had finally stepped up.
The room was still as stone when another voice, rough but steady, cut through the heavy silence.
"We'll like to go with you," the man said.
All eyes turned.
It was the man who had been sitting with his little boy—the same one who had predicted what would happen to the two that challenged Caelum. He stood slowly, pushing his chair back without rush, his large hand gently resting on his son's shoulder.
The child clutched the side of his father's tunic, his small eyes filled not with fear, but wonder.
Caelum turned his gaze toward them.
He didn't say anything at first. His eyes simply drifted from the man's lined face down to the boy's wide eyes.
The child looked up at him with innocent curiosity. No judgment. No caution. Just that pure, unfiltered way children see the world when they're still too young to lie.
"We?" Caelum finally asked, the corner of his mouth twitching in a mixture of amusement and confusion.
The man nodded, unflinching. "Anywhere I go… he goes." He laid a hand on his son's head, ruffling his brown hair. "I want him close, I need to teach him the cruelty of this world before I die."
Caelum stared at him for a moment, then down at the boy again. He didn't understand what kind of father would willingly bring his child into a dangerous mission, but at the same time… he understood the logic.
Being apart could be more dangerous than being together.
After a breath, Caelum nodded. "Alright."
Whispers broke out immediately.
Another two figures stepped forward next. They walked side by side, tall and broad. Nearly identical.
Twins.
"We're in too," one said.
"If you're fighting for this town, then it's only right we stand with you," the other added.
Their words struck a quiet blow through the room. A wave of guilt rippled across the faces of those who still sat idle, too afraid to move.
The shame was obvious.
One by one, heads dropped.
These people had waited weeks for protection—prayed for help, cursed the heavens, and now that it came, they recoiled.
And yet it was strangers, a flower-scented girl, a child and father, and two warriors, who stepped forward.
Caelum glanced at the woman behind the counter.
"Is the team complete?" he asked.
The woman—still surprised by the turn of events—nodded quickly, her lips spreading into a smile. "Yes. The mission is active. You may proceed."
With no more words, Caelum turned and led the group toward the wide entrance.
The girl with the green hair walked beside him, her footsteps light and quiet.
The man and his boy followed a few steps behind, the twins flanking their sides like silent guardians.
When the guild doors creaked open and Caelum stepped outside, a wave of air brushed his pale cheeks.
The entire town had gone quiet.
The streets were empty. Doors were shut. Windows were shuttered—but behind every crack, every curtain, eyes peered out.
Word had already spread.
The Blackwatcher was here.
People pulled their children inside, whispered hurried prayers, and locked their doors. But still… they watched.
They stared at the pale boy walking at the front of the group.
Even with his simple clothing, he stood out. His presence was loud even in silence.
Dark hair.
Pale skin like he hadn't seen sunlight in years.
Eyes that looked at everything like he'd already seen it burned to ash.
And then there was the sword.
Still sheathed.
Most of them had never seen a Blackwatcher in person. The tales they'd heard had always sounded like legends—beings born from magic and darkness who walked alone and killed without hesitation.
But now they were seeing one for themselves.
And he wasn't a man.
He was a boy.
Handsome. Cold. Silent.
A walking contradiction.
As they walked down the street, a silence followed them like a shadow. No one spoke. No one stepped out. It was as if the town itself held its breath.
And then—just as they turned the corner past the apothecary—something small tugged at Caelum's coat.
He didn't flinch.
The girl raised a brow.
The twins stopped mid-step.
The father turned around instantly—and when he saw what had happened, his heart nearly stopped.
His son.
The boy had left his side without a sound and was now walking beside the Blackwatcher, tugging lightly on his coat with a small hand.
The man's eyes widened in fear.
His mouth opened to shout—but he froze.
What if the boy annoyed him?
What if Caelum thought he was being grabbed? What if—
Even the green-haired girl had stiffened. Her eyes narrowed slightly as her hand hovered near her waist where her dagger sat.
The twins looked between each other with grim expressions. They knew what Blackwatchers were. They knew what they could do.
Everyone had stopped moving.
Everyone but Caelum.
He slowly turned his head and looked down at the boy.
The boy looked up at him—still curious. Still unafraid. He had the kind of face that didn't understand what danger truly was.
Then—before anyone could stop him—Caelum reached down and lifted the boy gently with one hand under his arms.
He brought the boy up to eye level.
For a moment, everything froze.
He stared at the boy.
The boy stared at him.
No one breathed.
Then Caelum reached forward and gently touched the boy's cheek with his gloved fingers.
"So soft," he said softly.
The father nearly collapsed from relief.
The girl blinked, her eyes softening.
The twins exhaled at the same time.
Everyone relaxed.
The tension that had gripped their hearts began to melt.
The boy gave a small laugh, clearly pleased.
And Caelum… for the first time in a very long while, smiled.