CHAPTER 143: CHAPTER 143: OLD MAN

Chapter 143 – Old man

"Is it worth it?" Kaden asked as he crouched down, looking directly into the old man’s eyes.

The old man didn’t respond immediately, he just stared with tired, wise eyes, observing Kaden in silence, as if trying to read something in him.

He noticed the serious and confused look in Kaden’s face... his confusion about why someone would still cling to life... even while clearly being so tired of it.

The old man slowly detached his gaze from Kaden and began to stand—painfully, awkwardly, but with resolve. Each movement made his bones rattle and creak, causing his frail body to fall over again and again.

But still, he didn’t speak. He didn’t ask Kaden for help. He simply tried. And after minutes of quiet struggle, he finally managed to stand and slowly walked toward the deeper part of the alley, where the darkness and filth were heavier, and sat down silently.

Kaden watched all of it without a word. He had expected the old man wouldn’t talk.

But instead—

"Why?" the old man said, his deep black eyes locking onto Kaden’s crimson ones.

"Is it worth it, you ask? Is it not for you?" he asked, making Kaden tilt his head slightly in confusion.

Was life worth living, even in this state?

Kaden looked around, the alley was his answer. Spit. Urine. Feces. The ground was stained with dried blood showing clearly it wasn’t the first time the old man had been beaten.

The old man’s clothes—if you could even call them that—looked like random strips of rags stitched together just to cover some parts of his body and protect what little dignity he had left.

His hair was matted, dirty, and unkempt. And with Kaden’s perception, he could even see small, almost invisible worms crawling in it.

Taking in the full picture, Kaden genuinely couldn’t understand how living like this could be worth it.

The old man saw his thoughts clearly, even if Kaden hadn’t voiced a single one. He smiled, revealing yellow, cracked teeth.

"You... you don’t hold life in high regard, do you?" he asked with a grin, like someone who saw more than he should.

Kaden frowned. "I do hold life in high regard. But I’m just perplexed by your state. You clearly don’t want to live. Your very actions and attitude prove it. So tell me, given all that, why cling to life?"

"If you don’t plan on changing your situation... why are you still here?"

Kaden was genuinely curious. There was no mockery in his tone, only honest confusion. And because of that, the old man decided to answer him.

"Why, you say?"

"Wouldn’t that be a sacrilege to my very family, to my mother, even to my god—to throw away this life so beautifully crafted?"

"We were just a simple seed inside our mother’s body, but look at us... standing, living, unique in our own way."

"Don’t you find that... beautiful? Awe-inspiring?"

Kaden was stunned.

"So knowing all this, how can I give up this life... my life? I don’t like it, so what? I will not end it myself..."

"...because I have no right to do so, when this life was gifted to me by my late mother—who bore me for more than nine months, with pain and love," the old man added softly.

Kaden stood there, his eyes widening slightly. The man’s words touched something deep inside him—something he didn’t know was still there.

A frown slowly formed on his face, but Kaden said nothing more.

He had only wanted to understand. And now that he did... he would move on.

He sighed softly, feeling something heavy in his chest, but chose to ignore it.

He reached into his spatial ring and took out a Rare Rank health potion, a few golden coins, and some food and water.

He placed them gently into the old man’s hands, whose eyes widened in surprise.

Kaden smiled softly.

"Thanks for your insight," he said simply, before his body blurred and disappeared.

Leaving behind a silent, shocked old man.

He looked at the items Kaden had given him, quietly, then—slowly—a smile crept onto his face.

"What an interesting child..."

He paused. Then that smile turned peculiar.

Weird, even.

"...What an interesting Warborn."

...

Kaden appeared outside Waverith. There, waiting for him, was a black horse with glowing red eyes—the one that would carry him to the east of Darklore.

"Well, that’s the plan. Hopefully you’ll survive the distance, big boy," Kaden said as he gave the horse a soft tap, making it nod as if understanding.

He smiled, then mounted.

Immediately, the horse began its journey eastward. Kaden, meanwhile, took out a map to study his path.

He examined it carefully. The roads were mostly manageable except for a few small forests scattered here and there.

’As long as I stay careful, everything should be alright. I’ve got enough food for a year, thanks to my mother, and even tents to rest each night,’ Kaden thought, evaluating the route ahead.

After making sure he hadn’t missed anything, he focused back on the road. He activated his perception fully, ready for anything.

The journey toward the east would take about a week or two, depending on how fast the steed ran.

But not wanting to tire it too quickly, Kaden planned to use its full speed sparingly.

Hours passed, and the distance between him and Waverith widened more and more. So far, he hadn’t encountered a single beast. Not even a traveler.

"Well, this is my lucky—"

Kaden abruptly stopped as his senses picked up something ahead.

Roughly one kilometer.

Presences.

And many of them.

He slowed his horse’s pace and carefully approached.

There, on the road, stood a group of figures wearing mismatched clothes that looked like rags and gang uniforms—crudely armed, with feral expressions on their faces.

One bulky man with dirty blond hair and black eyes stepped forward, eyeing Kaden like a fresh meal as he licked his lips.

He raised his arms and pointed his greataxe at Kaden.

"Pretty boy, need me to draw you a picture of your situation?"

"Submit. Hand over all your belongings, the horse—and come with us. Or else..."

His voice dropped near the end, and the men behind him smirked with disgusting delight.

Kaden watched them silently. He could already tell, most of them were Awakened rank, only a couple had reached Intermediate.

These were the kind of men who, out of fear—or just lack of ambition—chose not to return to Fokay.

A ragtag group of bandits ambushing travelers instead for a living.

Kaden shook his head, finding them pitiful.

He sighed softly, then...

"Let’s do some warmup, shall we?"

—End of Chapter 143—