Danjin

There are many dangerous areas near Jinzhou — the Dim Forest cloaked in towering trees; the Whining Aix's Mire shrouded in unending fog; and the Wasted Metropolis, where shadows hide unknown dangers.

Generally speaking, people would always steer clear of such dangerous places. Even on those rare occasions when they have to pass through these places, they do so carefully and try their best to hide themselves.

However, there was one girl who didn't follow this unspoken rule. The girl, clothed in vivid red, strolled through dangerous streets with an air of ease. The bright jade pendant she wore danced to the tune of her light footsteps.

Naturally, this alluring appearance made her a prime target for predators.

A bandit approached her under the guise of offering help, and asked why she was wandering alone in this desolate and treacherous place.

"I'm looking for someone," the girl answered.

"Wow, small world! I hardly see anyone around here. Funny enough, I actually saved someone recently and they're at my place. Maybe it's the person you're looking for? Want me to take you there?" The bandit eagerly offered.

The girl studied him thoughtfully, pondering for a moment before finally giving a timid nod.

Pleased with this response, the bandit immediately led the girl to his camp.

They veered off the main roads and soon found themselves in a desolate place, shrouded in dense fog and overgrown with vegetation. Eerie cries echoed from the depths of the forest — was it a child's wail or a cat's scream? No one knew the answer.

The bandit, stealing a glance at the girl, worried that his prey may be scared off by the bloodcurdling ambiance.

However, she still wore a calm expression with no trace of fear on her beautiful face.

"Stupid chick," the bandit snickered to himself.

As they approached an old iron door at the end of the path, intermittent whimpers could be heard from behind it. The girl pushed the door open and inside, they found a trembling and battered little girl.

"Is this the one you're looking for?" asked several bandits with wicked grins, surrounding the girl.

"Exactly!" replied the girl with a bright smile.

Amidst deafening screams and agonized moans, crimson blood splattered everywhere... And so began a brutal slaughter that hushed even the evening glow.

Uncle Wei the blacksmith had a strange customer one day.

It was a young girl, who looked puny and quiet. Her request, however, was rather unusual: she asked him to repair a broken sword.

"What happened to it?" Uncle Wei furrowed his brow and inquired. He was no stranger to repairing all kinds of damaged weapons; still, he couldn't help but wonder what could have caused such significant wear on this blade.

In his mind's eye, Uncle Wei conjured up an image of a formidable big man wielding the sword with immense power, slashing through whatever stood in his way without mercy. By no means could he relate this image to a slender girl like her.

"Sorry, I may have hit them a bit too hard... I didn't mean it..." the girl answered, her embarrassment evident. "Is it difficult to repair?"

Uncle Wei stared at her in disbelief. He examined the rolled edge with his callused finger and replied, "...No worries. I'll give it a go."

With precision and skill, Uncle Wei heated the blade until it glowed and struck it forcefully with his hammer. Sparks flew, but the blade remained unyielding. Years of expertise guided him as he inspected and stroked the damaged metal, contemplating each blow. In a moment of clarity, he discovered the problem.

"The blade is exceptionally hard but lacks toughness. Its center of mass is off now, and it has a special frequency. It's difficult to repair and sharpen with traditional tools."

"If you wanna get it repaired," Uncle Wei continued, "you'll need some really hard gray chalks with a good amount of Tacetite. But they're not easy to get, only found in a dangerous place, with a lot of rock cliffs! Don't get your hopes up, kid."

"You mean the Desorock Highland, right? Please give me some time. I'll be back soon."

With those words, the girl dashed out like the wind, leaving Uncle Wei confused and the rolled blade forgotten.

She returned shortly after, carrying a big piece of gray chalk with ease.

"Is this enough?" she asked, surprising Uncle Wei with her quick return from the dangerous Desorock Highland.

"Absolutely!" he stammered, amazed at her speed. How did she make it back so quickly?

The girl smiled, and cute dimples appeared on her face — a faint red spot could be vaguely seen on one of her dimples. Was it a mole? Or was it... something else?

Every food vendor in Jinzhou knows Danjin. After the rain, when the sun peeks through and the air is thick with humidity, they all set up their stalls. It's a symphony of clanging pots and sweet smelling syrup. That's when Danjin shows up, handing over a neat stack of Shell Credits for her favorite snack: two pieces of Loong Whiskers Crisp. She always puts one in her pocket first, and then eagerly breaks apart the other, savoring each piece like it's a precious gem.

A food vendor lady noticed Danjin always came alone and couldn't help but feel sorry for her: Even the cheapest snacks in Jinzhou, like Loong Whiskers Crisps, seemed so precious to this girl. Wanting to spread some kindness, the lady started giving Danjin extra snacks popular with girls her age — from pretty Rock Sugar to fluffy Dreamy Floss, and more. At first, Danjin would always refuse, because she felt uncomfortable accepting someone's generosity without a good reason, and because her wallet was running on empty from constantly repairing her weapons.

However, the lady insisted it wouldn't be trouble to let Danjin have some more sweets for free, as she always prepared extra snacks for her sweets-loving younger sister back home, who was approximately Danjin's age. Touched by this genuine kindness, Danjin eventually nodded and accepted the extra snacks.

From that day on, every time the vendor lady gave Danjin extra snacks, a mysterious gift appeared on her stall. Rock sugar brought a Pearl Leaf, while Dreamy Floss resulted in a Caltrop. These herbs were crucial in easing her younger sister's panic disorder, which she hadn't even told Danjin about.

Maybe sooner or later, her younger sister would be able to leave the house by herself, and enjoy the freshly made Loong Whiskers Crisps with Danjin.

Danjin is indeed traveling in the wild to look for someone.

She is looking for revenge.

One vicious group of bandits was kidnapping children for sinister purposes. Years ago, they slaughtered Danjin's entire family. Her younger sister, a girl with a kind soul, opened the door for them out of sympathy, only to welcome the bloodthirsty blades that claimed her family's lives.

The culprits already met the wrath of Danjin's sword, but even after many years, similar tragedies continued to occur. The evil persisted. It seemed like an impenetrable barrier, preventing anyone from escaping their grasp. Day after day, month after month, new tragedies emerged as other evildoers continued their reign of terror. Danjin knew she had to find the root and eradicate it once and for all to stop the cycle of pain and suffering inflicted upon the innocent. She would not rest until justice was served and peace was restored.

Danjin decided to make herself the bait. She travelled through treacherous terrain looking all innocent and defenseless, wiping out one hideout after another while hunting for more clues.

Hidden throughout the wilderness were these camps, blending into the natural surroundings. With precision and thoroughness, she scoured every inch of each campsite, uncovering vital details amidst the blood-stained haystacks and dilapidated structures.

Her efforts paid off when she discovered that all the camp vehicles had passed through a specific location: where the bandits had been ambushing innocent victims.

Hiding in the tall weeds, Danjin nibbled on a Loong Whiskers Crisp, her eyes glued to the foggy crossroad.

For seven days she had been waiting at this crossroad, stopping any suspicious vehicles that passed by. She refused to give up hope of catching those bandits, no matter what.

Finally, eerie headlights and crunching wheels broke through the dense fog. The wheels' creaking almost drowned out a faint whimper, but it didn't escape Danjin's ears.

Emerging from her hiding place, Danjin approached the vehicle.

She recited the lines she prepared with a perfectly practiced timid voice: "Excuse me... I'm lost. Could you please give me a ride?"

Eliminating all evil is a daunting task. That foggy crossroad had turned out to be merely a transit point, but Danjin wasn't discouraged. Small progress is still progress, and besides, she had rescued some kidnapped children along the way. After escorting the children to the Patrol Station, Danjin sighed in relief and decided to return to the city for some much-needed rest.

She strolled down the decorated street illuminated by vibrant festival lanterns and warm lights. The moon shone brightly above, adding to the enchanting atmosphere of the night.

Many years ago, on a similar moonlit night, her family shared precious moments together. Her mother had prepared a table full of mouth-watering dishes, whereas Danjin's younger sister happily presented two pieces of Loong Whiskers Crisp, one for herself, and one for Danjin.

"B-Big sister, this is for you..."

Her reminiscing was interrupted by a small voice. A younger girl held out a piece of Loong Whiskers Crisp, speaking to Danjin timidly. The treat was sprinkled with Dreamy Floss and colorful candies that fitted the festive vibe perfectly. The vendor lady, wearing a warm smile, gestured for Danjin to take it.

Danjin's legs took her closer to the stall, and it seems there is a new face working at the stall today.

"Thanks to your herbs, Xinxin can leave our house now. Since it's been safer recently, I decided to take her out to get some fresh air."

"It's the first time she ever dared to talk to a stranger since her recovery. Maybe this is the blessing of fate?"

Indeed, Danjin thought to herself. This little girl named Xinxin was one of the children she had rescued during one of her raids. The girl seemed to recognize Danjin, too. She took off a lantern decorating the stall and shoved it into Danjin's hand.

"C-can we... set it off together?"

Danjin nodded, and the three of them set off the lantern into the night sky. The lantern soared, carrying their wishes along with it, joining the thousands of other floating lights in the velvety night.