Gray thanked the old woman in a hoarse voice.

It was the first time since he was a child that he spoke to a human other than a guide.

"Say thank you, I didn't do anything."

The old woman looked at the young man, and Gray's huge hands trembled.

The old woman saw this, leaned forward slightly, and grasped her rough, still trembling hands.

"Even though I'm older now, I've prayed for people in the past. If you will allow me, I would like to pray to the Goddess for you. ”

Warmth came from the wrinkled hands.

That trace of warmth soothed Gray's hesitation and fear, soothed his inner impulses, and gave Gray the courage he had never had.

After a brief silence, he confessed his greatest fear to the old woman.

"Is there still a value for a hateful killing machine like me?"

Gray looked at the old woman with a mixture of pain and despair.

The old woman seemed to be taken aback.

In fact, Gray was also very worried in his heart, he was worried that the old woman would abandon him and treat him with contempt when she knew her true colors.

But contrary to his expectations, the old woman did not let go of her grip on her hands, and seemed to be more determined.

The old woman said, staring into Gray's eyes.

"Young man, I am not qualified to judge you, only God and you are qualified to judge your own worthiness in this world. And now you should focus on how you should live in the future, with what attitude you should live, as long as you live harder in the next life with a kind heart, the goddess will illuminate your path and guide you. Youth, you just have to live. ”

The warm but resolute envelopment of Gray's despair like sturdy armor disappeared little by little like a broken eggshell.......

On the other side, there were numerous loud noises around the wooden house.

The shadows, who had tracked their tracks in search of the escapees, finally found the place.

They were looking inside the house, looking for the best moment.

Sensing the danger, Gray quickly confirmed the position of the blade.

The enemy clearly saw that he had disarmed himself and could storm the cabin at any moment.

Gray said quietly to the old woman,

"Find a place to hide."

"What's wrong?"

"They're coming towards me, grandma, you can't be involved, find a place to hide!"

The old woman nodded and disappeared from view, and Gray quickly moved to the blade of his arm.

Almost at the same moment, the windows and doors of the wooden house were broken at the same time, and black figures poured in.

The shadows stabbed at Gray in unison, and Gray moved backwards with swiftness, dodging the enemy's powerful attacks.

The black figures mingled, and the cabin was suddenly in shambles.

"Ahh

Out of nowhere, the old woman's scream was heard.

Gray fended off the enemy's onslaught as he struggled to turn to the source of the screams,

A shadow spotted the old woman in hiding and struggled to pull her out.

Gray, who had no time to breathe, immediately ran to the old woman.

Gray slashed at the shadow of the woman who was controlling him, and crouched down to confirm the unconscious woman's state.

Suddenly, there was a pain in his arm, and the shadow who had been cut to the ground fought back against Gray with his last breath, stabbing the short knife in his hand into his arm.

Gray pulled out the dagger, but the paralyzing toxin on the blade had spread from the wound.

"Oops!"

The body suddenly stiffened.

In order to protect the old woman, he desperately stood up and faced the shadows surrounding him, but he still could not withstand the effects of the medicine and fell to the ground.

The shadows tied Gray up, and the cabin that had once warmed him faded into the night.

Gray was recaptured by the heralds and returned to the black cell, where the guide had been waiting for a long time.

Seeing Gray reappear in front of him, the guide hypocritically welcomed.

"Come here, my cold and beautiful weapon, I'm so happy to see you come home."

Gray looked with hatred at the culprit who had been forcing him to look like this for so long.

"That look reminds me of the first time you were here, but you didn't expect to give in."

The dark blue mask slowly approached him.

"In order to make your spirit completely subordinate to me, the cost of investing in you is several times higher than other resources, and other managers in the organization have suggested that you be terminated outright. It is true that the gains and payouts are a bit uneven, but I have never given up on you, and it is a very interesting thing to constantly conquer you who are resisting. ”

Gray struggled with the smiling face in front of him.

"But even after all this time, you still haven't been able to completely submit to me, and even now, the seeds of resistance are still buried in your heart, and I have thought for a long time how to completely destroy your so-called will."

The guide made a gesture, and a figure was forcibly dragged in.

Gray immediately recognized her, it was the old woman who had helped him.

Although frightened, he did not appear to be injured.

In order to reassure the trembling old woman, he nodded slightly towards the old woman.

"I heard that this old woman stayed with you all day. Thank you for taking care of my weapons, old woman. ”

The guide thanked the old woman who was sitting on the ground.

"This rusty sword will be reborn into the strongest weapon because of you."

Before the guide could finish speaking, the heralds injected an unknown liquid into the back of Gray's neck.

The drugs that are forcibly injected into them spread through the blood vessels throughout the body.

Soon, Gray felt the pain of being scorched by the fires of purgatory.

Everything in sight turned into a raging flame, and everything heard was mixed with a strange curse.

Unable to stand it, Gray knelt on the ground, clutching his hair, and screaming.

The guide recited incantations around him that he could not understand.

Gray, bound by his spell, gasped and powerless.

In the process of struggling, a sentence kept flooding into his mind.

"Kill her! Kill her! Kill her! Kill her! ”

The old woman watched all this blankly.

The pain of Gray has long been unable to describe in words, only that everything here is too miserable and cruel.

The old woman could not imagine how much pain Gray had endured, and she remembered Gray's lonely and sad inquiry.

"Is there still a value for a hateful killing machine like me?"

Only then did she understand what mood Gray was in when he said this.

At first, I didn't know what Gray was carrying, so I gave him self-indulgent comfort, and the old woman blamed herself. As long as she could save this wretched soul now, even if her own sacrifice could alleviate the pain, she felt that it didn't matter if she was alive or not.

The old woman hurriedly got up, and spread her arms between the guide and Gray.

But the Guide, as if he had anticipated such a thing, was waiting for the moment, and immediately shouted at Gray:

"Gray, kill this old woman with your hands!"

In an instant, the screaming stopped, and there was a brief silence in the room.

The black silhouette, which was kneeling on the ground, slowly stood up and grabbed the arm blade next to it.

The dark shadow's eyes glistened with pain and madness.

The guide shouted again in ecstasy:

"Gray, now is the time to cut off your last flaws, cut off your last trace of mercy, and destroy the enemy in your heart!"

Without any resistance, the black shadow staggered in front of the old woman and slowly raised its arm.

The old woman looked at Gray calmly, tormented by pain, tears and blood streaming from his face.

In the last part of her life, she wanted to pray for Gray's poor soul.

The old woman clasped her hands tightly in front of her chest and bowed her head.

“......”

A shrill sound of air currents echoed through the room, and then it seemed as if something had fallen.

The old woman stopped praying and opened her eyes.

It wasn't you who fell to the ground.

Gray looked down at the guides and heralds who had fallen to the ground in strange positions.

The master and his subordinates, who had dominated him for a long time, were finally killed by his own dog before he could leave a last word.

Their final fate is nothing but emptiness.

The old woman walked over to Gray to check on his condition, still in pain and hallucinations.

The old woman grabbed him by the hands and said, "Go, go back." ”

Gray carried the old woman on his back and ran down the passages he had walked hundreds or even thousands of times.

Out of nowhere, the shadows slashed at him again and again with swift movements.

Gray annihilated all the shadows and opened one cell door after another.

Just like their old selves, the kidnappers ran out with a grunt and ran outside.

After making sure that all the children had run out, he brought down the surrounding campfires.

The flames spread along with the pillar, and the entire space was instantly plunged into a sea of fire.

A black, choking black smoke filled the space.

While the shadows chasing him lingered in the smoke, Gray and the old woman ran to the exit.

The exit is open,

From between the open doors, you can feel the warm sunlight and a comfortable breeze.

All the things that have been experienced here during this time have passed by like a marquee.

Just like that day, he still can't recall where he should go back, but now he is completely different, and he already has someone by his side who can hold a clenched hand and lead him to the light.

Finally, he untied all his bonds.

Gray and the old woman returned to the cabin, and in order to repay the old woman, he helped the old woman rebuild the cabin.

The old woman provided shelter for Gray, who had nowhere else to go, and they lived together like mother and child.

He lived each day in peace, and his spirit gradually recovered.

As much as he has been brainwashed for a long time, it will take him a long time to return to a normal life.

Although the road was not easy, the old woman was always by his side to provide material and spiritual help.

As if to compensate for those dark years, his happy memories gradually increased.

His deep hopes of finding his lost loved ones are also beginning to sprout.

After some time, Gray can finally muster up the courage to face his dark past.

After a long period of persuasion from the old woman, he made up his mind to use his "talents" to help people.

He had placed equipment and weapons on the table that he hadn't used in a long time, things that were as familiar as his siblings.

The metal wrapped in white tulle can still feel the heavy murderous aura.

He stroked the blade gently.

The life that was deprived by the arm blade will never return, and the sins committed will not disappear. And as a price, he will never be able to change back to his childhood kindness.

But from now on, if you forge your good will in your arm, protect important things, and help others, your sins will be washed away a little bit.

Just then, Gray saw an announcement that a mercenary group from a nearby village was recruiting mercenary groups.

There is no question of the past, as long as it is a capable person, no matter who it is, it will be accepted.

He felt that joining the mercenary group was a good opportunity to use his strength.

The next day Gray left the old woman and left the warm cabin.

Tied his arm blade around his waist, he walked towards the village of Kuhan.

Although he doesn't know what the future holds, he is well prepared for whatever is to come.

When Gray opened his luggage, Gray saw the note left by the old woman.

"Although I used to be a priest, the goddess is the one who can heal your heart, you haven't found that goddess yet, Gray, come on and live!"