1181: A Dying Beggar

A Dying Beggar

"Geh!" Feeling a sharp pain in his lungs, Krune woke up with a start, about to habitually move when he realized that he lacked the strength to do so.  0

His vision was hazy. His body was heating up while a ringing sound constantly resounded in his ears, preventing him from thinking about anything. On top of that, an intense stench of blood, urea, and other things emanated from him, causing him to throw up.

But even with all of that, all he did was open his mouth. There was nothing in his stomach to throw up, not even bile. 

"Hah…haaah…what…is this?" He wheezed, unable to even talk much, barely observing his body to think a little. 'I cannot feel my lower body, my lungs are burning, I think I have a fever, and most of all, it seems I haven't eaten anything for days.'

A helpless, dying beggar!

That was his first suffering. Had he possessed a healthy body, any amount of suffering could be regarded as a type of hardship that could be overcome eventually. Or at least, time would heal the scars. 

But, to a weak, frail person like him, it was impossible.

Krune observed his surroundings, noticing that he was leaning on a massive wall that spanned five meters in height, layered with green jade to give it a grandiose aesthetic. 

The jade wall spanned almost a hundred meters in length, outlining a mansion within. His current position was situated beside the mansion's entrance. 

Standing in front of the gate were four guards, each donning expensive-looking armor with imposing physiques. With a single glance, it was apparent that they were the guards of an important family. 

The roads were wide, paved with cobblestone of various colors, creating various designs on it. There was the design of flowers, mountains, rivers, and so on. 

Currently, the guards stood tall, erect in their demeanor, not even displaying the slightest hint of carelessness. 

But from time to time, they communicated in sign language, stealthily to not get into trouble. Occasional glances were swept past Krune before some clicking sounds resounded.

Suddenly, a couple of pedestrians moved past the entrance, shuddering at the imposing manner of the guards and the prestige of the family they were guarding. 

Then, their eyes naturally trailed over Krune, the beggar that destroyed the aesthetic of the place with his awful appearance.

Immediately, looks of disgust and contempt were evident on their faces as they gazed at Krune. 

For a moment, no matter how nonchalant he was at the expressions of the passersby, even he was affected. It was because he had never done anything to be placed in such a situation. 

He had always gone by in his ways, never doing anything beyond necessary. He couldn't call himself righteous, but he never veiled himself with the hypocrisy that the so-called men of justice and righteousness wore. 

'Damn…them!' Krune was pissed at the passersby. His cloudy eyes turned sharp for an instant when he was startled by the events that happened next. 

Among the pedestrians, there was an eight-year-old, a cute little girl sporting a twin ponytail. Her expression was soft, one full of smiles. She had been holding her mother's hand, giggling from time to time. 

Her smile cheered the faces of the others, causing them to feel enlivened by her presence, affected by her enthusiasm. 

Suddenly, her head swerved around, noticing the glare from Krune. 

She then looked at her mother and asked, "Mom, that beggar is hungry. Can we feed him a little?"

"You shouldn't, child. You might catch some disease if you get near him." Her mother hurriedly grabbed hold of her shoulders, warning her.

"However, father taught us to be kind and benevolent," the child said before her eyes lit up as she continued. "Mother, I know what to do. Can you give me a fruit?"

"Fine." Her mother sighed before taking out a piece of fruit from her basket that resembled an orange at first glance. Then again, it was purple in color, a common fruit in their city. 

The girl grabbed hold of the fruit, taking a couple of steps forward before throwing the fruit with all her might. It made a tiny arc in the air as the fruit landed on the road and rolled towards Krune, hitting his legs before stopping. 

"Nicely done!" Her mother immediately praised her for her action before the group moved along.

The scene shocked Krune. After all, it wasn't the child's innocence but rather the twisted way of upbringing that allowed her to express her kindness in such a manner. 

Just as he thought of it, another thought resounded in his mind.

What if he really had a disease? One that was contagious. 

Her actions would make sense, then. And besides, she had still given him something to eat. As he thought as such, Krune suddenly realized that his right hand was holding the fruit now, with a part of it already in his mouth. 

He hadn't even realized his actions, beginning to eat the fruit, not caring about the extent of dirt it had accumulated from rolling on the ground. After all, the area around him wasn't exactly neat, forming a sharp contrast to the rest of the cobblestone road. 

It seemed he had been around enough to permanently stain the part of the area. 

'What the heck?' Krune was unable to form any reaction as his mind seemed to be overwhelmed from hunger. 

And as he was eating, the guards suddenly stomped on the road loudly, parting to the side before saluting. "May you have a prosperous evening, Madam Su!"

"Why is this trash still polluting our prestigious locality?" Suddenly, a cold, arrogant voice resounded before a carriage exited the manor. 

It was being pulled by a massive beast that spanned a height of three meters and a length of five meters. It was adorned with jewelry, dressed in an armor of sorts as protection. A single glance at it was enough to prove that it was a terrifying beast. 

But now, it was being used to pull a carriage. As for the carriage itself, it was plated with white gold, shimmering with luxury as various crystals were decorated further atop. Even the windows of the carriage were created using these crystals.

'It seems the body I'm inhabiting and this lady share some history?' Right as Krune thought as such, intense pain assaulted his head as countless memories surfaced, causing him to choke on the fruit he was eating, soon collapsing to the ground. 

pqdm.com