****(POV)

The ground is hard, the beatings are harsh, punches and kicks are raining down on me. This is what happens when you are alone in the world. The world doesn't care, it fucks you up.

It especially screws people my age. I'm too old to appear innocent and too young to be considered useful. I can hear their jeers as they happily attack me.

"Take that you rat!"

"Go back to the cave you came from!"

"You worthless scum!"

I simply lay there taking it all. I may be weak, I may be just a simple vagrant as they call it, but I won't give them the satisfaction to see my pain. After a few minutes, they get bored of it. Violence toward someone that doesn't react is no different than beating a rock, it feels pointless.

I can't help but sigh as I slowly get up. My legs are trembling, I almost fall back down but I persist. Then I try my best to remove the grime covering me, how many times have I done such action recently? Too many.

Whenever I get to a village it's the same. The adults ignore me and the kids happily beat me. My weakly-looking body makes it so they don't particularly want to hire me for any kind of job. Believe me, I've tried. Not having power or family in this world is the fastest way to get abused.

One would think that people would have better things to do than try to pick on little old me, right? Apparently not. They feel that every day may be their last. Somehow violence makes them feel in control.

We live in peculiar times. There is a veil of normalcy almost hiding what lies beneath. In a typical village life is as it always was, the difference is that anyone can come to destroy it on a whim.

Before the war there used to be a semblance of order and the righteous faction would hunt the villains. Now, they are all either hiding or gone warring.

It doesn't help that we all know clearly that in these troubled times anyone may simply decide to get rid of innocent weaklings for fun. Many "righteous" guys are probably blaming their deeds on the evil factions too.

Recently I'm starting to think that the typical villagers do deserve such an atrocious fate. They don't have any issue letting their children venting all their emotions on the pitiful travelers. Retribution will come hopefully.

I simply drag my weary body by the roadside, hiding in a shrub. This simple act is a balancing game too. Too far from the road and you get attacked by monsters (yes I've seen some). Too close and you get attacked by travelers.

I feel like this whole endeavor of mine is utterly pointless. I'm just roaming from village to village akin to a ghost. I am still wishing for a safe haven, but I know it probably won't happen. People fear strangers.

I'll keep the despair for tomorrow. I can feel my stomach rumbling akin to a beast that hasn't been fed for eons. In fact, I don't remember the last time I ate. The hunger too, I will keep for tomorrow. I may not have any hope, but I refuse to simply curl up and die.

The sweet darkness claims me as I fall deep asleep. Sadly soon enough I'm woken up. I can hear shouts.

"Where is that rat?"

"How about we check this way?"

"I can't wait to test this on him!"

This is bad news! Whatever they have in store for me will no doubt be painful. I know very well that I can't outrun them. There are around 20 kids, there is no chance for me to run away. Instead I simply perfectly still and pray.

I pray that they do not find me here. I pray that this bush keeps concealing me. I pray that they soon get bored of it and simply decide to head home. I even pray that bandits appear out of nowhere and make short work of them.

I'm not even praying to any god in particular. I know it useless. All these enlightened ones preach about the boundless generosity of the god they revere but really only the top echelons ever get concrete benefits. For the small people like me, all that remains are scraps, or not even.

I can feel the cold air, I can feel the itchiness caused by the bush, I can hear lots of people rushing about. They are like bloodhounds, not letting go of their prey. I'd appreciate it if I wasn't the one being chased, however.

The shouts are coming closer and closer. But still, everything is fine. They are searching blindly. They probably will give up soon. They probably….

"Guys! I've found his tracks! He can't have gone too far!"

"As expected of the son of a hunter, great job!"

"This is going to be so fun hahaha!"

Why the hell are they wasting their effort to hunt me when they could be trying to hunt game! It's not like they are rich either. Perhaps their parents told them not to go too far away from the village?

*Crack*

Right next to me I hear the sound of a twig getting broken. I'm not breathing, I'm not moving, I'm just waiting. At this point, I'll need a miracle not to get completely trashed once more. As much as I'm good at tolerating the pain there is only so much my body can take.

"That's weird, it seems to be leading here."

"Yeah, where did he go?"

They are ALL there. Please just go away, please just….

*Rustle*

That's when the bush I'm in starts moving. Before long hands appear, then finally a face. The kid looks at me, grinning like some evil demon, before shouting happily.

"Guys! I found the prey! Hahaha!"

I violently get dragged out of my hiding spot. There they are, with the same sadistic smile. This is the goddamn worst. Hopefully, I'll be able to at least walk tomorrow.

"You were real tough earlier, weren't you?"

"Look what we got! This will be so fun!"

"I wonder if you'll scream this time around."

That is when I notice it. There is a small ray of light that reflects on an object that one is holding. I can see the cold steel, they have a meat cleaver. Oh god, I'm screwed! I do try to deescalate it: "*sigh* I know a game that's way more fun for you guys instead."

But of course, they decline instantly.

"Oh, no. We're good. Opening you up piece by piece will be so fun!"

Guess today may very well be my last day in the Earth realm. Life sucks, truly. Can't say I had a good run but at least I never cowered, not that it helped me.

But just as I'm resolved for my end, I hear the sound of trotting, and then I see the face of my assailants change drastically. Their features are twisted in fear. What is it now?...