OVERPOWERED BOUNTY HUNTER

The wind carried the scent of blood and smoke. Seol-Yeong wiped his blade clean with a steady hand, his face cold and impassive as the last of the bandits fell. Another bounty completed — another step closer to lifting his family out of misery.

Beside him, Seo Yoon-Hee exhaled softly, lowering her own weapon. The two of them had grown stronger, sharper — but they both knew they were still far from where they needed to be.

As they turned toward the distant village where they'd collect their reward, a voice called out behind them.

"Wait!"

The boy who approached couldn't have been much older than Seol-Yeong. His robes were tattered, but they were embroidered with symbols of a long-lost noble house — the House of Tianren, wiped out decades ago. His presence was striking, his hair a pale silver that caught the sun, and his eyes burned with defiance and pride.

"My name is Tian Hyeon," the boy declared. "Heir to the Celestial Tyrant's Edict — and I want to join you."

Seol-Yeong's eyes narrowed. He had no interest in anyone slowing them down. "We don't need more people," he said flatly.

"You will." Hyeon's voice was confident. "You're strong. But if you think you can stand at the peak of this world alone, you're a fool."

Before Seol-Yeong could retort, the Primordial Ascent Manual in his bag pulsed. A strange warmth spread through him — a reaction it had never shown before. And for a fleeting second, he saw it: the image of a three-headed dragon, bound in golden chains, rising behind Tian Hyeon.

Fate.

Seol-Yeong hated the word — but the Primordial Ascent Manual didn't lie.

"Fine," he said at last. "But if you slow us down, you're gone."

A grin spread across Tian Hyeon's face. "You won't regret it."

And just like that, the path ahead shifted — and the first of their true companions had joined them.

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