Hans frowned as he observed his enemies.
There were a total of eight children, and just like what the boy had just said, these children were really crazy.
And the protagonist hated fighting crazy people the most.
Simply because he had absolutely no way of predicting their movements.
But fortunately, Hans’ enemies were just a bunch of children.
Moreover, the protagonist was really strong.
With a smirk, Hans started cracking his knuckles.
"I don’t want this battle to drag on, so I’ll end it quickly."
Question: How to end a battle quickly?
Answer: Just defeat the leader.
Like a gust of wind, Hans immediately rushed past all the unimportant people, charging straight to the kid he believed was the leader of these bullies.
Surprised by the protagonist’s superior speed, the leader unconsciously took a few steps back.
And the moment he panicked was also the moment he left the game.
Not caring that his opponent was just a child, Hans directly punched him in the stomach.
"Bad children need to be beaten before they can become good."
Gritting his teeth to suppress the pain, the leader still tried to curse the protagonist once.
Hans raised his eyebrows, looking displeased.
"Kid, it seems like you still need to be taught a lesson, huh?"
Then, without giving the leader a chance to react, the protagonist directly punched the brat in the stomach repeatedly.
Although each punch only used less than 1/5 of Hans’s strength, the damage they inflicted on a child was not to be underestimated.
"Argh!!!! It hurts!!!"
Furthermore, each punch was faster than the previous ones.
Leaving the brat completely unable to resist.
In the end, after more than 30 seconds of torture, the leader finally fainted from the pain with a mouth full of foam.
Panting for a while, Hans then smiled kindly, and turned his gaze to the remaining brats.
"What? Do you want to be the next one to get punched?"
Almost immediately, all of them shook their heads.
"In that case, take this brat with you and go."
Without wasting any more time, the remaining children instantly dragged their leader away.
’...Honestly, it feels quite satisfying.’
After making sure that everything was fine and all the bullies were gone, Hans had the time to check on the situation of the two brothers.
The protagonist knelt down, his expression and demeanor had changed.
From menacing to gentleness.
"Are you two okay? Are you seriously injured? Do you need to go to the hospital?"
As he asked, Hans glanced at both of their bodies.
Apart from a few scratches, there was nothing too serious.
"Thank you for helping us..."
The older brother continued.
With a gentle smile, the protagonist patted both of their heads.
"Haha, it’s fine. I’m just doing a good deed to accumulate virtue."
Then, Hans’s expression quickly became serious.
"So, what happened? Why were you two bullied?"
Collin hesitated, but then, when he saw the protagonist’s clear eyes, he felt as if he was ready to reveal everything to this person.
"...A few weeks ago, I found them bullying another kid, and my righteous blood rose, so I rushed out and fought them."
Hans asked, even though he had roughly guessed the answer.
Collin smiled bitterly.
"And ever since that day, I became the target of their bullying and anger."
"...Haven’t you ever thought about fighting back?"
"...Of course I did, but unfortunately I couldn’t do anything."
"They were just kids, and their crime wasn’t murder or anything like that. They also threatened to kill my little brother and grandmother if I did anything stupid..." ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ɴovelfire.net
Hans let out a long sigh.
Obviously, there was a reason why Collin couldn’t fight back.
But fortunately, this kid didn’t think about committing suicide.
Then, Hans stood up, squinting his eyes in the direction where the bullies had just disappeared.
The protagonist knew very well that what he had just done could only solve the problem temporarily, and couldn’t last for too long.
Surely, tomorrow, or not long after that, Collin would be bullied again.
He was not the type of person who saw death and did not save.
Hans was the type of person who would pull out the grass by the roots, eliminating all the potential disasters.
"But what should I do?"
The protagonist rubbed his chin, his eyes thoughtful.
At that moment, Collin’s immature voice rang out once more:
"Brother, can I ask you for a favor?"
Collin stuttered a little.
He was definitely wondering if he should ask the person who had just helped them for help.
Understanding what Collin was thinking, Hans immediately gave a reassuring smile.
"It’s okay, just say it."
"...I-I... want to become stronger to protect the people I care about..."
Collin paused, taking a deep breath.
"So... can you help me?"
For a moment, the protagonist paused.
Then, the next second, Hans’ eyes flashed with joy.
This was exactly what the protagonist needed to do.
In order to deal with those bullies, to teach them a lesson they would never forget, Hans just needed to train an enemy for them. And this person had to be especially strong.
The protagonist glanced at Collin, evaluating him from top to bottom, from every aspect.
Eventually, Hans uttered a short sentence:
"Kid, you have talent."
In a training area, the knights who had sworn to serve the kingdom of Dicathen were still training hard under the scorching heat.
And not far away, observing everything, were Hans and Collin.
"Do you know what the fastest way to become stronger is, Collin?"
And the boy obediently replied:
"Effort? Or is it natural talent?"
The protagonist laughed.
Then, he pointed at the knights.
"Do you know why the knights who shoulder the military burden of this kingdom are still training diligently regardless of the weather?"
Collin asked in confusion, not quite understanding the meaning of Hans’s question.
The protagonist did not show any anger when hearing those words.
"Because they have a reason to fight. And that reason is noble and great enough for them to overcome any obstacle on the path to achieving greater power."
"To put it simply, in order to become stronger, what you need most is to understand the reason you pick up your sword, and face your enemy."