He who Bends Time-Chapter 66 - responsibility

"Look, these are the candies you like," Henry said, kneeling down and showing a generous handful of colorful sweets. "I’ll give you all of them if you answer a few of my questions."

The little girl’s eyes lit up with delight at the sight.

"Ah..."

At that moment, Henry also noticed the other children inside the carriage staring at him with wide, hopeful eyes—like a pack of curious puppies.

"Of course, you have to share them with the others, okay?" he added quickly, sensing a sugar frenzy might break out.

"Okay," the girl nodded eagerly.

Henry gave her a warm smile, then asked his first question.

"First of all... where are you all being taken?"

The girl’s expression shifted, and her voice lowered.

"I... I don’t know. The bad guys kidnapped me and my friend from our village. After that, I only remember them putting us into this carriage and dragging us around."

Henry’s brows furrowed.

"So you’re telling me you don’t know anything? Not where you’re going, not who these people are, or what they want?"

The girl nodded solemnly.

Just then, another voice spoke up.

"I heard something..."

Another child stepped forward from the group, having overheard the conversation.

"Oh? What is it?" Henry asked, turning to them.

"I heard one of the bad guys talking to someone else. They said there were more people like them... that they would ’follow the same path’ or something like that."

"Hmm..." Henry fell silent, the weight of the words settling in his mind.

"So... these thugs aren’t acting alone. There’s a whole group behind this. A coordinated operation... kidnapping children from villages in the Upper World?" He clenched his jaw, his thoughts darkening.

"Whatever their goal is—it can’t be anything good."

Henry’s gaze slowly drifted over the group of children who had emerged from the carriage.

There were about fifteen of them, all seemingly within the same age range—young, frightened, and clearly exhausted.

"I guess I have to take responsibility for what I’ve gotten involved in," Henry thought grimly. "I can’t just leave them here. But... where should I take them? And what am I supposed to do with them afterward?"

A new, unexpected problem had arrived—one far more complicated than anything he had anticipated. With a sigh, Henry fell deep into thought, trying to find a solution.

----------

Fight!

Fight!

Fight!

The roars of a wild crowd echoed through the air. On the stage, two figures stood ready—one of them was Octo, facing off against a large, muscular opponent.

"Arghh!"

Fueled by the cheers of the audience, the hulking man charged at Octo. With a leap and a clenched fist, he struck Octo hard in the chest, forcing him back several steps.

"Ugh!"

Octo stumbled and fell against the metal fence enclosing the arena. Sweat streamed down his face, and his hands trembled as they glistened under the harsh stage lights. A fresh bruise marked his cheek, still swelling from a recent hit.

"Damn it... how did I end up like this?" he muttered under his breath.

---

Hours earlier...

Octo had been in an antique shop, attempting to rob an old man.

Thud!

Grabbing the old man by the collar, Octo threatened him to hand over everything he had. But instead of fear, the old man responded with a sudden punch—straight to Octo’s face.

The force of the blow sent Octo flying back. He smashed through the wall behind him and crashed to the ground outside, landing in a dazed heap in the alley. It was a quiet area—no witnesses, no one to see his humiliation.

Only the old man, taking his sweet time, slowly approached Octo as he lay on the ground.

Octo, still dazed, pressed a trembling hand to his cheek in disbelief. freewebnσvel.cѳm

"This... this is pain. I’m injured," he muttered, startled by the unfamiliar sting and the swelling texture forming across his face.

Before he could stand, the old man’s foot came down hard on his chest. The sheer weight of it was more than Octo could handle, pinning him firmly to the ground.

"Well, look at that. You survived the first blow," the old man said with a slight smirk. "Means you’ve got some strength. Let’s see just how much."

Without warning, the old man raised his cane and brought it down on Octo.

Whack!

One strike. Then another.

And another.

The cane slammed against Octo’s body again and again in rapid succession, each blow harsher than the last. Octo screamed—not in anger, but in panic and agony.

Only when his voice broke from screaming did the old man pause.

Then, without a word, he grabbed Octo by the collar and dragged him back into the shop. Once inside, the beating continued.

"Trying to rob me? Take this, you miserable lowlife!"

Whack!

"And who exactly were you planning to protect me from, huh?"

Whack!

"Remember this well—never mess with an old man like me!" the old man barked between strikes.

Octo sobbed, curled up on the ground, begging for mercy.

"I swear! I’ll never steal from an old man again! Never!"

But his pleas fell on deaf ears.

The cane kept falling.

Ugh...!

Ah... damn...!

"My body... feels like it got crushed..." Octo groaned, barely able to move. His entire body throbbed with pain from the relentless beating.

When the old man finally stopped, Octo lay there, bruised and broken. Despite the agony, he turned his head slightly to glance at the shattered cane on the floor nearby.

"Thanks for breaking," he muttered weakly. "If you hadn’t, that old man probably wouldn’t have stopped..."

"Bonded body modification magician."

The old man’s voice came from just beside him as he sat down next to Octo.

Octo nodded, like a scolded child.

"So, what specific field do you modify?" the old man asked casually. "As far as I know, there are types that enhance hardness, some that shrink or enlarge their body parts, and others with more niche traits."

"I... I specialize in sharpening," Octo replied, his voice hoarse.

"Oh? Fitting for a street thief," the old man said with a snort. Octo didn’t dare respond to the jab.

"But until now, you didn’t use that specialty, did you?" the old man continued. "You endured all my strikes with nothing but your raw physical strength."

Octo gave a small, embarrassed nod.

The old man looked him over, silent for a moment before speaking again.

"With that kind of strength, why turn to robbery? You could’ve entered the arena, made a name for yourself. You’d have enough fame and money to live however you pleased."

Octo remained silent, his eyes cast downward.

And after a moment He answered.

The source of this c𝓸ntent is fr(e)𝒆novelkiss