The humiliated bandits hurried out of the bar. They had no idea what they had done.

"Freeze..." Suddenly an eerie voice rang out.

"Fuck you!" One of the thugs shouted.

Whoooooooosh.

,m The temperature in the bar dropped dramatically. Everyone looked at the man in the long cloak, a coldness and an aura of death emanating from him.

"Well... Looks like even in such a quiet place, there are idiots who don't appreciate life." Cursed Swordsman muttered as he drew his sword from behind him.

His powerful aura came down on the bandits, then they realized they had made a big mistake, none of them wanted to anger such a man.

Cursed Swordsman swung his sword and the icy blade headed for the bandits.

"Wait!"

The bandits tried to resolve things without using force, but it was too late. The ice blade sliced them in two. The bandits' heads fell on tables nearby and startled the visitors.

"Sorry about the mess, here you go." Cursed Swordsman said as he tossed the old man a bag of coins, "The beer was really good, see you later."

The visitors were shocked. They didn't blame the swordsman, the bandits themselves were to blame for what happened, but they didn't expect the situation to take such a turn suddenly.

"Come again. Next time the beer is free!" The old man shouted.

"Sure. A good place always has a proper owner." Cursed Swordsman walked out of the bar.

'I thought he used to be softer, but I guess I was wrong.' Wain pondered.

Wain kept his eyes on Cursed Swordsman. After the bar, he headed toward the Elder, his path lay toward a large building in the center of the village.

Cursed Swordsman frowned. He could feel someone's eyes on him, someone clumsily following him. So, he decided to go into a dark alleyway and disappeared.

After a while, a boy came into the alley. He looked around with a puzzled face and then flinched when someone touched his shoulder.

The boy turned around, behind him stood a tall man with a cruel expression on his face.

"Kid, what the hell are you following me for? Decided to play spy?"

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to..." The boy trembled with fear.

"Calm down. I noticed you a long time ago, I just wanted to talk to you. Okay?" Cursed Swordsman smiled.

He wanted the boy to calm down, but his smile was unnaturally creepy, and it frightened the boy even more.

"Please don't kill me!" The boy shouted as he bowed low.

"Shit! Don't yell so loud. I just want to know why you were following me!"

"Really...?" The boy asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, don't be afraid."

The boy nodded.

"Did you want to ask me something?"

"No." The boy shook his head, "I want you to teach me how to fight! You handled those bandits so easily. It was incredible! I want to be like you!"

'What the hell is this little rascal talking...? Cursed Swordsman muttered inwardly.

He thought the boy was just a beggar, but that request was extraordinary.

"Kid, have you been to the bar?"

"Of course not. Only adults are allowed in there, don't you know that? I saw your fight from the street!"

"Well... And you want to be as strong as me too?"

"Yes! I want to learn from you! Please!" The boy bowed again.historical

"No. That's out of the question." Cursed Swordsman replied sharply.

"What? Why?"

"I don't take apprentices. Moreover, do you even know how to hold a sword? You're too young to take up swordsmanship. You have to grow up first, and then you can determine your own path."

"Is age such a big barrier! I think you can succeed at any time with effort!"

"Huh, maybe you're right, but it still doesn't change anything." Cursed Swordsman shrugged, "I'm not at liberty to tell you what to do, nor are you at liberty to tell me. If you want to do fencing, go ahead, but it has nothing to do with me. Goodbye."

"Wait!" The boy exclaimed.

He wanted to stop him, but the Cursed Swordsman disappeared before his eyes.

...

"Damn, I thought I could get some rest here while I did the mission, but I couldn't even get a proper beer to drink as some annoying kid was accosting me." Cursed Swordsman muttered grudgingly.

He walked toward the Elder. Many villagers cast glances at him, he stood out strongly from the crowd.

The guards of the main building did not stop him. They knew why the swordsman had come here, the Elder had already informed them.

"For a village, you have quite a few guards. Are the monsters that dangerous?" Cursed Swordsman asked.

"Of course, monsters are dangerous, but the problem is quite different." The Guardian said as he opened the door, "The Elder will tell you more about that. Come on in."

Cursed Swordsman nodded and stepped forward.

The Elder was a short old man with a long white beard. He sat on a plush cushion and smoked a pipe.

He looked at Cursed Swordsman and smiled broadly.

"Swordsman, you've finally come. Did you get my message?"

"Yes. Tell me what needs to be done. Are the monsters so strong that you can't deal with them yourself?" Cursed Swordsman said as he sat down on the big couch.

"Actually, we can handle most monsters, but not their leader. The Azure Mantis King is too powerful, he could destroy an entire village on his own." The old man exhaled a puff of smoke.

"Why hasn't the monster done it yet?"

"It waits for something. You came just in time, tomorrow, there will be a full moon, and the monsters will attack. At that time, a very rare flower, the Moon Lotus, will bloom in the village. If the Azure Mantis absorbs it, it can evolve immediately. That is their main goal."

"Wouldn't it be easier just to destroy the Moon Lotus? Are you really willing to put the lives of the inhabitants at risk for the sake of preserving the flower?" Cursed Swordsman frowned.

"Yes, and don't give me that piercing look. The Moon Lotus helps our village survive. Its roots are the best fertilizer for our fields, and each petal costs a fortune to help this village grow. Everyone needs to make sacrifices sometimes."