NOVEL NEXT Chapter 22: MONEY
Author: Boring chapter up ahead.
The full moon hung high, casting a cold, silver radiance over the wild expanse below. Its light spread like liquid metal, spilling across the rolling sea of grass and brush that stretched unbroken to the horizon. Shadows deepened under the moon's gaze, black pools against the silvery landscape, while crickets sang in restless, rhythmic bursts, and an owl's haunting call echoed through the stillness of the night. Suddenly, a shadow flickered across the terrain, moving at a speed that defied the natural order. It darted in silent leaps, fluid as water and just as silent, leaving the night unbroken in its wake—as if the world itself held its breath.
The shadow was Yuto, wrapped in worn black leather armor from Shadow Veil, the best armor that he had, also the only decent one. His purpose was simple but urgent: to fill his empty wallet, not with money but with books, mana stones, and resources. Last he checked—it was a barren, dust-ridden void, haunted only by the occasional fly. He prowled the night, eyes narrowed, hunting for a vulnerable target—a small base or hideout to raid, a place to gather enough resources for himself and Yuki.
His journey tonight had already brought him to one hideout, but it was empty, stripped of all worth. The stale scent of dust and ghostly remnants of past conflicts lingered there, yet he left it behind, undeterred. Moving westward, he set his sights on a farm where Shadow Veil cultivated fire herbs, low-level plants that grew quickly in the right condition.
As he drew closer, the air thickened with warmth. The temperature crept up—from 20 to 21, then 22, and finally to 25 degrees. A slow, steady heat pulsed from the earth, and Yuto came to a halt, feeling the ground breathe beneath him. Before him, a vast, steep valley sprawled, its depths plunging into unseen shadows below.
With a whispered incantation, a faint magic circle flickered to life around his hand, checking for any signs of life below. After checking and confirming there were, he leaped high into the air, defying gravity with ease, then hurtled down—a shadow plunging toward the valley's depths like a meteor.
()
The guard's heart hammered as he stood alone by the massive iron gate, its ominous presence leading even further underground. Silence wrapped itself around the valley, a quiet more dangerous than any battle cry. This farm was no ordinary place—it had become a possible battleground, it's every shadow a suspect, its every night a watchful vigil.
Gripping his spear tightly, his fingers numb from hours of keeping guard, he remembered the rumors. Stories from the front lines flooded his mind: entire fortresses razed to the ground, warriors returning broken and haunted, bearing scars as proof of relentless battles. They spoke of a hell-like place where hundreds died each day, with thousands more injured.
As he stood there, he thought of his family—far away and safe, he hoped. He imagined his little sister's innocent smile, his mother's comforting presence—what he fought for. His pay was a pittance, barely enough for them to live a decent life, but he clung to it for them.
A small flickering light appeared at the top of the valley, barely more than a firefly's glow. Narrowing his eyes, he strained to make out its source. A shadow beside the light shot upward, launching high before plummeting back down in his direction, closing the distance in an instant.
BOOM.
The ground exploded under the impact, bypassing the gate's barrier in a single, blinding strike. Rocks, some the size of a man's head, hurtled through the air. The guard barely managed a gasp before he was engulfed in the shrapnel and the crushing shockwave.
Yuto stood in the settling dust, a quiet satisfaction on his face. He'd bypassed the barrier and entered the farm before it could fully activate itself. Saving him ten to twenty minutes.
As he moved into a darkened passage, the faint sound of hurried footsteps echoed from up ahead. He paused, his relaxed hand turning into a hand knife. In the shifting shadows, the outlines of several guards became visible, weapons drawn, and at the ready, their faces taut with fear. They were here to guard the farm's precious stores, but tonight, that loyalty would come at a high cost.
The guards tensed, eyes fixed on him. The first one lunged, spear aimed at Yuto's chest. But Yuto sidestepped, twisted the spear, and with brutal efficiency, swiping his hand knife through the man's stomach. The guard crumpled with a strangled cry, his intestines falling to the ground as he fell to the ground.
In a blur, Yuto moved to the next. One guard swung his sword, but Yuto anticipated the clumsy move, ducking low and sweeping his legs. As the guard fell, Yuto's hand struck with swift brutality, his face splitting open right through the nose as he died.
The remaining two guards hesitated, panic in their eyes. Two of them charged, hoping to overwhelm him, but Yuto's movements were as smooth as water. He sidestepped one, slicing his throat in a single, clean motion, then turned to face the other. Blocking the guard's hasty strike, he drove his elbow into the man's face, then stabbed downward, through his chest, straight through his hearth, ending his life.
In moments, the corridor fell silent. Yuto shook the blood from his hand and scanned his surroundings, ensuring no further threats lingered.
He pressed on through the darkened halls, the torchlight casting his shadow longer and darker as he advanced, killing all who stood in his way. Soon, he found his quarry—a vain man known for his cunning and greed. The farm's manager, pale and trembling in the dim torchlight, backed away as Yuto approached.
"Please," the man stammered, raising shaking hands in surrender. "I can give you money, information—anything. Just spare my life."
Yuto's face was unreadable as he wore a face mask. He slowly took it off, displaying his handsome features that are borderline supernatural, with a light smile. "Manager. It's me, Yuto."
The manager blinked in recognition, his panic melting into a shaky smile. "Yuto, I—I didn't recognize you at first," he stammered, forcing a laugh. 'It's been such a long time since we met. I did not recognize you; you grew into such a handsome lad' from his forehead, beads of sweat rolling down in droves.
Yuto walked closer to him, with the manager retreating two steps every time Yuto took one; before long, he reached the wall. His back reached the wall as his expression changed from a forced smile to one of despair, with his eyes dimming, and his body turning rigid. 'Pls, spare me, pls.'
Yuto stopped when he was five steps away, looking at him in the eye, he asked with amusement clear in his eyes. 'Why would I spare you? Give me a reason.'
Hearing it, a flicker of hope ignites in the manager's eye as he stops shaking. With a trembling voice, he says. ' I can lead you to the vault.'
Yuto's smile vanishes as his expression changes to calmness. 'And why would I trust you that you won't lead me into a trap?'
Manager's expression turns a bit bitter as he racks his brain for a way to survive, thinking of ways like throwing the magic parchment in his inner pocket at Yuto, or continuing to stall time until the rest of the guards come and escape using the time frame. With every second he stalled, he thought of a way, but the next second all of it seemed unrealistic, useless and impossible. In the end, no matter what he does or what he tries, he can't escape, for there is no ultimate class in this farm or the surrounding area.
His expression returns to despair as he, in a last-ditch effort for his survival, tries his luck. "Umm. Remember that regeneration potion I gave you? When you were badly injured."
Yuto's expression changes back to a smile. 'Good enough.'
Hearing it, the manager's eyes light up, and his body stops shaking. As he relaxes with tension leaving his body. His body relaxes as he leans against the wall.
'Lead the way.' A sudden voice jolts him back to the reality that he did not fully escape from this predicament. He slowly got up, walked towards the corridor on the left, and after taking a few turns, going about two kilometers, bypassing the core farming area along with the security office they came to the vault, imposing vault door with magically enhanced iron, he turned his head, slowly towards. 'Umm, Will you really spare me ?'
Yuto looked him in the eye for a few seconds, and then he gestured for him to proceed, taking this as a sign that as long as he did what Yuto said, he would survive. He walked towards the door, when he got close he opened it by entering a code and getting scanned. When it opened, row upon row of herbs and quite a bit of cash greeted Yuto. The manager turned around, looking at Yuto. To see if he will let him live. Yuto looks towards the manager with a knowing smirk. 'You can take a bit and go.'
Managers face turns red in excitement, for he has escaped. Since he already opened the vault door, he did not have value anymore, but for Yuto to say that he could take a bit and go, prompt him that he might really escape. With excitement clear in his eyes. 'NO, no, I don't need any; this is yours; I won't take any.' he hurriedly said before turning around to leave.
When manager's back was turned, Yuto's lips twisted into a smirk. As he, in one swift motion, Yuto thrust his hand forward, driving it through the manager's spine, before pulling it out. The man gasped, his face contorted with shock and anger, before slumping lifelessly to the floor.
"You forgot one thing when you said that excuse," Yuto murmured. "That potion was mine. And everything else you took was too."
Without a backward glance, Yuto stepped over the manager's corpse and headed towards the vault, his footsteps echoing through the vault.
(30 minutes later)
Yuto could be seen flying out of the valley with a large bag filled with resources he had gathered. In a few seconds, he exited the valley and flew back to the spot where he had jumped. He landed on the ground with a thud and pulled out a piece of paper covered in names and locations. With his finger glowing blue, he swiped a line from the text that read "Low High class, Low-Class Fire Herb Farm," erasing it before tucking the paper back into his inner pocket. "Six more to go," he muttered with a smirk, then turned and flew toward his makeshift base to store what he had taken.