Before Tang San could answer, a voice cut in from the side.
"My, my. Such bold words from a child."
Both turned toward the speaker. A tall man in a brown travel cloak approached, carrying a merchant's pack over his shoulder. His eyes were sharp, and though he smiled pleasantly.
Old Jack's face brightened. "Ah, Mr. Cain! You're up early."
The merchant—Cain—smiled faintly. "Of course, Elder. I just happened to overhear your conversation." His gaze shifted toward Tang San. "Boy, you do realize it's bad luck to refuse prayer to the Angel Goddess on such an auspicious morning, don't you?"
Tang San turned to him, his eyes calm but unreadable. "Bad luck? I don't believe in that."
Cain chuckled lightly, his tone playful yet carrying a strange undercurrent. "Children who don't respect gods often meet unfortunate ends."
Old Jack frowned at the merchant's choice of words. "Now, now, Mr. Cain, don't scare the child."
But Tang San said nothing. He simply looked up at Cain for a moment , eyes like a calm abyss , before turning away without another word. There was something about the man's presence that irritated him, though he couldn't tell why.
Tang San was about to leave when he heard Cain speaking in low voice, carrying the weight of memory."...You know, a year ago, I was present at a place called Nilew Village."
Old Jack blinked, curious. "Nilew Village? Never heard of it."
Cain smiled faintly, though his eyes looked distant. "You wouldn't have. It's a small, quiet place — barely a few dozen families. Nestled not far from the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest. Peaceful… or at least, it used to be."
He paused. His gaze turned unfocused, as though staring at something far away — a memory he'd rather not revisit.
Then his tone shifted, soft and distant."The soul beasts attacked it…"
----
[Flashback]
The morning sun had barely risen when the first screams tore through Nilew Village.
"Help me!""Run!!""Take the horses—run! Soul beasts! A whole pack of them!"
Panic spread faster than wildfire. Villagers carrying their children fled through the narrow dirt paths, while the distant rumble of hooves and roars echoed through the forest's edge.
Cain, then a traveling merchant, had been loading his wagon when he saw the first of them — a pack of wolf-type beasts, each radiating killing intent. Their eyes glowed crimson, their bodies wreathed in faint soul energy.Even the weakest among them were at least a thousand years old.
He didn't think. He grabbed a nearby child , a boy no older than eight , and hoisted him onto the back of a galloping horse.
"Go!" Cain shouted, slapping the horse's flank. "Run and don't look back!"
The boy's terrified cries faded into the distance as Cain turned again, desperate to help.Near the center of the road, a man was trapped beneath a collapsed wagon. A massive wheel pinned his legs, and he screamed in agony.
Cain rushed forward, straining to lift the wheel."Hold on—! I'm—almost—!"
Then came a deafening crash.
A shadow loomed.Something huge descended.
BANG!
Cain was sent flying across the dirt road. His ribs cracked, his vision blurred, and one eye went dark. He coughed blood, forcing his head up — and froze.
Towering over the wreckage stood a gigantic black-furred gorilla. Its eyes glowed like molten gold, and every breath it took shook the ground. The air reeked of blood and decay — this was a thousand-year-old soul beast, a brute born in the Star Dou forest.
The man under the wheel screamed once more.Then the gorilla raised its hands and brought them down.
CRACK.CRUNCH.The man's body was reduced to pulp, his blood spraying across Cain's face.
Cain trembled, trying to crawl away, but his legs refused to move. The gorilla turned toward him slowly, lips curling into something that almost resembled a grin.
'So this is it...'Cain thought bitterly, his mind flashing through images of his wife, his daughter, his unfinished journeys. So this is where I die...
He closed his eyes. The sound of the beast's heavy footsteps grew nearer.Then—
SHHKKK!
The air filled with the stench of burnt flesh. The sound of something tearing echoed across the silent ruins.
Cain opened his remaining eye in shock.
A crimson, fur-covered arm had burst straight through the gorilla's chest. Flames licked along the wound as the massive beast let out one strangled roar before collapsing with a thunderous thud.
Behind it stood a man with hound-like features — amber eyes, ears slightly pointed, his body cloaked in the faint glow of soul power. His face was grim, his hands still wreathed in steam from the attack.
The man extended a hand toward Cain. "You're lucky. A few seconds later, and you would've been a smear on the ground."
Cain grasped his hand weakly, feeling warmth flow back into his limbs.
"I—who are you?" Cain rasped.
The boy smiled faintly, half of his face hidden by a mask. He opened his mouth showing sharp canines. "Lu Ping. Soul Elder, rank thirty-two. Martial soul — Fire Hound."
As Cain looked around, more figures descended , fifty in total, their white and gold armor gleaming under the morning sun. Each carried a radiant emblem of a six-winged angel on their chestplates.
"The Angel Corps…" Cain whispered, awe in his voice.