29- Greed

Five years ago...

At the top of the mountain, Yassin watched two people train.

The two fighters were evenly matched, exchanging attacks with relentless precision. Yassin observed them with a seasoned eye, stepping in only to correct their mistakes.

He spoke calmly.

“Sam... you’re rushing in too much. Don’t let your excitement cloud your judgment.”

Sam blocked an attack from Noel and leaped backward.

Yassin shifted his attention to the other fighter.

“And you, Noel... you think too much. Don’t try to predict every possibility. Focus on what is most likely to happen. In a real fight, a single moment of hesitation can bring everything to an end.”

The two nodded silently.

After another round, they asked for a break.

They sat before Yassin, drinking water, when he looked at them and said,

“You two are like fire and water.”

Sam asked,

“What do you mean?”

Yassin answered,

“One of you acts before thinking, while the other thinks until the chance to act has already passed.”

He gave them a faint smile.

“Perhaps one day, you’ll learn how to become a formidable duo. But first, you must overcome these weaknesses.”

The two nodded, then resumed their training.

---

As evening approached, their training finally came to an end.

Sam was resting in the river while Noel returned to the cabin.

As soon as he drew near, he caught sight of Yassin through the window.

He stopped and hid behind the wall.

Yassin stood before his closet, while small golden sparks drifted around it.

He opened it and removed several ancient scrolls, then returned them a few moments later and closed the door.

The golden sparks vanished, and Yassin left the cabin.

Noel waited until he was gone, then entered cautiously.

He quickly opened the cabinet...

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But there was nothing inside except clothes.

He searched through them one by one, but found nothing.

Suddenly...

“Looking for something?”

Noel froze.

He slowly turned around.

Yassin was standing behind him.

Noel swallowed nervously.

“No... nothing. I just wanted to change my clothes, but I forgot to bring any with me, so I thought I might find something that fits.”

Yassin stared at him for several long seconds without saying a word.

Then he closed his eyes and spoke calmly.

“Go ahead... Wear whatever you want.”

Noel breathed a sigh of relief.

But before he could leave, Yassin stopped him.

“Noel.”

Noel turned toward him.

Yassin spoke in a tone Noel had never heard from him before.

“I warned you both not to do anything without telling me.”

Silence filled the room.

Then he continued,

“If you disobey my orders again, I will end your training immediately... and I will reclaim what belongs to me.”

Noel nodded quickly.

“Understood.”

---

After leaving the Mountain Hill, Noel told Sam what he had witnessed.

Sam did not hesitate for even a moment.

“We’re going back tonight.”

Noel shook his head.

“Yassin warned us.”

Sam smiled.

“And that’s exactly why I want to know what he’s hiding.”

Noel remained hesitant, but eventually gave in.

---

Night fell.

The two secretly returned to the cabin.

Everything was silent.

Sam raised his hand, and a transparent aura spread around Yassin’s room.

Noel whispered,

“What did you do?”

Sam answered,

“A barrier that blocks the detection of energy.”

He smiled confidently.

“Even Yassin won’t be able to sense what’s happening outside it.”

They approached the cabinet once more.

They searched through it patiently.

Suddenly, Sam said,

“Found it.”

Noel moved closer.

There was a small circular symbol hidden behind the clothes, almost impossible to notice.

Noel examined it for several moments.

He could not understand its meaning.

After a while, he said,

“Wait... I have an idea. It might work.”

He took out the golden symbol that allowed them to enter the mountain hill.

It transformed into golden particles and drifted toward the engraving.

The carved lines began glowing one after another until they formed a complete circle, with smaller circles intertwined within it.

A faint sound echoed...

The wall of the cabinet slowly opened.

Behind it was a small golden compartment filled with ancient scrolls and documents.

Their eyes widened, and the two began reading the scrolls rapidly.

The Great War...

The techniques of the Golden Warrior Kiji...

How could he separate the Spirit World from the Human World...

Techniques neither of them had ever encountered before.

They set aside whatever they could understand and returned the rest to its place.

A mixture of astonishment and insatiable curiosity appeared on their faces.

Suddenly...

The cabinet slammed shut, and the golden light vanished.

An angry voice came from behind them.

“What are you doing?!”

The two turned around in fear.

Yassin stood before them, his calm expression completely gone.

He spoke in a low voice, yet it was more terrifying than a shout.

“You disobeyed my orders.”

He took a step forward.

“And you didn’t stop there... You made a mistake that regret will not save you from.”

The two instinctively stepped back.

Noel asked,

“Why are you hiding all of this?”

Sam added,

“What do you know? Who are you, exactly?”

Yassin answered without changing his tone.

“There are truths... that no one should ever know.”

His golden aura suddenly erupted, and his fingertips began radiating intense light.

“Before I throw you out...”

He raised his hand toward them.

“...I’ll make you forget everything you saw tonight.”

A chill ran through their bodies.

But in the next moment...

Yassin’s body suddenly trembled.

His eyes widened, and he dropped to one knee.

He began resisting the pressure, struggling to stand, then looked toward them.

Noel had raised his hand.

“Quick! Let’s get out of here!”

The two turned and rushed toward the edge of the mountain.

In the blink of an eye...

Yassin appeared before them once again.

Despite his condition, he stood firmly.

He looked at them.

“Did you really think that would be enough to stop me?”

Silence fell.

Then he continued,

“Surrender. I don’t want to hurt you.”

He appeared before Noel and seized him by the neck.

“You will return to your former lives.”

Then he continued calmly,

“You have three choices.”

“You can hide your powers and live an ordinary life until the end.”

“Or you can continue fighting enemies, and I will assist you whenever necessary.”

His tone changed.

“But if you choose to become my enemies... I will not hesitate to kill you when we meet again.”

Sam looked at him resolutely.

“What if we stop you right now... and take all that information with us?”

In the next moment, small purple energies appeared around Yassin.

They transformed into chains that pierced his arms and shoulders.

His golden aura disappeared.

Yassin was stunned by what he saw.

“Void chains? Impossible... When did he learn...”

Sam smiled.

But the instant he did...

Blood suddenly burst from his nose and eyes.

He screamed and collapsed to the ground in pain

Noel immediately rushed toward him, carried him over his shoulder, and flew using his dark blue aura.

The next moment...

The purple chains shattered into fragments.

Yassin prepared to pursue them...

But he stopped.

He could not release his energy.

He looked up at the sky for several moments, then followed their retreating shadows with his eyes.

He closed his eyes and said to himself,

“I hope... their greed doesn’t lead them to a path with no return...”