The Thing That Shouldn’t Exist

They walked slowly to the shrine.

Everyone was quiet. Shocked. Not because Ren had saved them—but because of how he did it.

He lost control. For a moment, he wasn’t human anymore.

But deep down, they all knew he just wanted to protect the people he cared about.

The shrine was half-ruined from the chaos, but it was still standing. They reached it and sat in silence, catching their breath. The aftermath of war left its weight on all of them.

Melissa focused on healing the ones who were hurt—cut, bruised, burned. She worked quietly, draining her mana faster than usual.

"You should rest, Melissa," Alex said, watching her with concern.

"I just want to help," she murmured, her hands glowing as she kept channeling magic. Her voice was soft, but steady.

The elder sat near the edge of the shrine, watching Ren.

"Now I understand what you were saying, young man," he said finally, his voice low, thoughtful.

Ren, who’d been silent until now, met his gaze. His eyes were searching—like he was hoping for answers he didn’t even know he needed.

"But I thought your race was extinct," the elder continued. "How are you standing here right now?"

Ren blinked. "What do you mean... race?"

"Where did you come from?" the elder asked gently.

Ren hesitated. He couldn’t tell them the truth—about the other world, about how he didn’t belong.

"I… I lost my memory," he said quietly. "I don’t remember anything before I woke up in a field near the village where our guild is."

The elder narrowed his eyes, nodding slowly. "So… some of you still exist after all."

"You know something about this?" Ren asked.

"Yes," the elder said. "But I always thought it was just an old story. A myth. The kind we tell kids when teaching them about strength, bravery, and what it means to stand for justice. I didn’t know I’d ever meet one."

Everyone leaned in.

They were finally getting answers.

"I heard these tales when I was a child myself," the elder began. "The story goes back even before our ancestors… before the time of the Great Mage Exo. That’s how far it reaches."

"It was said there was once a warrior race so powerful… so terrifying in battle… that whichever side they chose in war would always win. Their bodies didn’t bleed. They didn’t break. They were unkillable. Just like what I saw today."

He turned to Ren.

"Not once in your life… did you bleed, did you?"

“The only time I’ve ever bled was the day I woke up in that field,” Ren said. “A goblin stabbed me… but after that, no matter what happened—I never bled again.”

"Maybe you were still adjusting back then," the elder said. "The legends say their bodies were forged not by magic… but by their will. Their willpower was so strong, it could bend steel."

Kazuma frowned. "But if they were that strong… and that invincible… why don’t they exist now?"

The elder looked at them all, then smiled faintly.

"That’s the most interesting part."

"Despite their terrifying strength, that race was said to be the kindest of all. They never fought for greed or power. They only chose the side they believed in… the side they felt was right."

"They only fought for justice. For freedom. For their beliefs,” the elder continued, voice heavy with memory. “But over time… those values started disappearing from the world. People became greedy. They killed for gold, for power. That warrior race never needed any of that.”

"And being the strongest race to ever walk this world… they didn’t fall in battle. They just faded. They stopped taking sides. Stopped fighting. Eventually… they stopped caring."

His eyes darkened, almost sorrowful.

"I told you their strength came from willpower, didn’t I? That same will… was also their weakness. When they lost the will to fight for a world that no longer believed in justice… their bodies followed. The strength left them. Their race disappeared—not in war, but in silence."

The group was quiet.

“I’ve lived a long, long life,” the elder said. “But never once did I meet someone from their bloodline. Until today. So maybe… maybe their descendants still exist. Hidden. Waiting. Not showing their power, because they know what this world would do—turn them into weapons for someone else’s war."

The weight of those words hung in the air.

Kazuma broke the silence.

"Ren… you might be one of them. Maybe you just lost your memory."

Rachel was still listening silently.

Ren looked down at his hands, thinking. It made sense in a way—but deep down, he knew something they didn’t.

He wasn’t from this world at all.

So how could he be one of them?

He finally spoke.

"But I don’t remember anything. Not really. And if I am one of them… how would I ever find my family? If nobody’s even heard of them?"

"It’s hard to grasp," the elder admitted. "Even for me."

Then he turned toward Rachel, voice low.

"But I know someone who might have answers. Someone close to you. Someone who’s been searching just like you."

Rachel blinked.

"My dad? Why would he know anything about this?"

"Yeah, what does her dad have to do with Ren’s past?" Melissa asked, confused.

The elder nodded slowly.

"Did he ever tell you what he was looking for on this journey? Why he came here? Why he sought this village?"

The silence that followed said enough.

Rachel’s eyes widened as the pieces started fitting together.

Her dad was chasing the same legend.

But why?

They had a reason—Ren’s body, his powers. But what was her father’s reason?

The elder sighed.

"I’m an old man. I’ve lived long, but I never traveled far. My duty kept me rooted here. But your father… he was different. He would travel to the ends of the world for his research."

“And… you might get all the answers in the letter he left you,” the elder said, glancing at the paper Rachel still held.

Rachel looked down at it, slowly.

She hadn’t heard from her father in six months.

And now… this letter was the only thing that might tell her where he was. How he was. What he’d been searching for.

The elder gave them a final nod.

“I’ll leave you all alone for now. Rest here. And… thank you. For saving this village. I never got the chance to say it before.”

He turned, his voice soft.

“I still have duties. I have to check on the others… make sure everything’s alright.”

He bowed and walked out of the temple, leaving the group in silence.

They were alone again.

So many answers… and yet even more questions had been born.

And the only thing that could take them further—was the letter Rachel held tightly in her hand.

To be continued...