Become A Character Who Dies Within Three Chapters

Julia was a beautiful young woman with long black hair and emerald-like green eyes. She also had three younger siblings—two boys and a girl—all between the ages of five and ten. Except for the eldest, who could help a little, the others seemed to rely entirely on her to raise them.

The hardships of life made her look worn-out, with faint wrinkles gathering at the corners of her eyes. Many rumors circulated, claiming those three children weren't her siblings but her own: whispers, mockery, idle talk.

Truly, even when life was this cruel, the people hiding away here still managed to find ways to sneer at and trouble one another. Or perhaps life had ground them down so much that cruelty had become second nature. If their lives were happier, who knew if their characters might have been kinder? But clearly, they too always dreamed of such a day. Unfortunately, it was nothing more than empty wishful thinking.

Aside from Louis and Julia, many others were already awake at this hour. Even though the sky was still pitch-black, they lit candles or lanterns to see the road ahead.

Today was dump day. That's right—garbage trucks from the central city would arrive, carrying leftover food, scraps that could be resold or repaired, and sometimes even clothes. After all, the concept of "trash" for the rich was entirely different from that of low-class citizens like them.

For many here, even their homes seemed patched together from the junkyard.

Louis lowered his gaze. He knew he couldn't change anything, but whenever his thoughts wandered, he couldn't help but feel suffocated by this world. This cursed system of class division needed to disappear—someone had to…

Clatter, clatter, clatter…

At that moment, the rumbling of wheels echoed. A massive transport truck, its cargo bed more than three meters tall and over five meters long, slowly rolled in. Every week, it came here, hauling trash, yet the low-class citizens treated it as a gift, a promise of a full meal.

And truth be told, there were good things inside. The computer at Louis's home had been scavenged from this junkyard about three weeks ago.

"Lucian, hurry up."

Julia's urging voice brought Louis back to the moment. The truck had already driven away, leaving behind a mountain of garbage. The townsfolk immediately swarmed it, scrambling through the piles like a colony of ants. Julia and her brother were no exception.

Most of the people were skin and bones. Even those who looked plump weren't healthy, their fat born of poor nutrition rather than abundance.

None of them seemed to notice the stench of the dump—or perhaps they did, but the will to live outweighed disgust.

Just then, Julia got into a dispute with another woman—they had spotted the same set of clothes. But Louis clearly saw Julia find it first.

He was about to step in when a mocking voice rang out behind him, followed by the sharp sound of something slicing through the air.

Louis quickly leaned aside to dodge, then turned his head only to see Felix swaggering over. With his short brown hair, tall build, and cold, sharp expression, Felix looked downright intimidating. He sneered:

"What's wrong, young master? Don't want to get dirty? Right, people like you could never be the same as us."

Louis honestly couldn't understand Felix. In what way did he look like some pampered young master?

"Some people are born only to be slaves. That's why, when they look at others, everyone seems like a young master to them." Louis said flatly. His words immediately made Felix explode with rage, his eyes bulging, steam practically rising from the top of his head.

Ignoring him, Louis walked toward Julia. After all, Felix was always like this—loved to pick fights with his mouth but never raised a hand. Truly an enigma Louis could never figure out.

"I clearly saw it first! You whore, let go if you don't want to get beaten!"

The woman spat insults, saliva flying, looking ready to throw punches.

She was large and heavyset—if she really struck, Julia would be at a considerable disadvantage. Julia's younger brother, Addy, kept tugging at the woman's arm, but his thin frame had little strength.

Just then, Andy's eyes suddenly lit up. At the exact moment, the large woman was pulled away.

"Don't bully the weak. Julia clearly picked it up first." Louis said calmly, his expression polite—or at least, that's how he felt.

"What do you want, brat? Useless trash. That filthy slut's the only one who'd ever want you!"

The woman no longer fought over the clothes, but her mouth never stopped spewing curses. Julia lowered her head slightly, her face reddening, looking embarrassed and cornered.

Louis frowned, about to say something, when Felix suddenly rushed forward and kicked the woman into the garbage pile.

"Shut it! If you're not looking for stuff, let others look!"

Louis: "…" This guy seriously had no concept of respecting women, honoring elders, or even basic decency. That woman could've been his mother!

But the truth was, Felix was effective. Though the woman shrieked angrily, she didn't dare do anything more and quickly scurried off.

"What are you staring at! Get lost!"

Felix was like a mad dog, ready to bite anyone in sight. After kicking the woman, he immediately turned to bite at Louis instead.

"Pathetic waste. And yet you still love playing the hero, ha ha."

With that, he brushed past Louis, deliberately slamming his shoulder hard against him, making Louis stumble slightly.

Louis was speechless.

"Lucian, thank you," Julia said softly, her eyes glistening with tears, full of weariness and shame.

She had endured so much. To feed her siblings, she was willing to do anything. Her life had been bound to them, so much so that she thought nothing else could ever hold meaning again. She thought she'd long forgotten what shame even was. Yet, faced with Louis, the words of that woman came back to her, stirring an emotion long buried.

Louis shook his head. He glanced at Julia, then at Felix's retreating, and suddenly said:

"Do you think maybe Felix has a crush on you?"

Julia: "?"

Louis felt his theory was perfectly sound: "Don't you see? His mouth may be foul, but he always acts righteously. Maybe the last time he picked a fight with you, it was to get your attention!" After all, young punks often have trouble catching the eye of the one they like. To Louis, Felix was just like a baby chick.

Seeing Louis's serious expression, Julia couldn't help but find it funny. She shook her head and said, "Of course not. By the way, aren't you looking for anything?"

Louis shook his head. "No, I'll help you find some clothes for Mina and Nana."

Julia nodded and thanked him, while Andy muttered from the side, "Brother Lucian is so nice. Don't worry, Sister Julia, I'll grow up to be just like him! Then I'll be able to protect you!"

The ten-year-old boy was far too thin, his belly slightly protruding, and his cheeks sunken. Yet his eyes shone startlingly as he spoke of a bright future, as if the harshness of this era had never crushed him.

Louis couldn't help but recall the morning he'd woken after the chase with the two Aurellans.

Those children, too, had radiant, innocent eyes. Even after storms and hardships, they still had people shielding them, giving them everything good, granting them hope to move forward—no matter how hazy and unclear that future might be.

Julia blinked away her watery eyes and patted Andy's head. "That's right. Andy will definitely grow strong, like a hero."

Hearing this, Andy puffed his chest proudly and searched the trash with renewed vigor, eager to find something "good."

Louis watched the siblings without saying a word, only helping them look for things.

By the time the sun rose high, the crowd finally dispersed. No matter how "precious" the pile of trash seemed, it couldn't hide the truth of what it was. The stench that rose, mixed with sweat, was truly revolting.

Julia glanced sideways at Lucian, seeing his tall back ahead of her. His hands were full of things, muscles bulging, yet his stride remained calm and steady. Whenever she went with him, she rarely had to carry anything herself. He always looked so clean. Even standing among them, with his clothes just as worn, he took none of their foul smell.

Julia bit her lip, suddenly wishing only to return and bathe.

They passed through the empty lot and finally entered the slum street. The road ahead was so covered with sewage and dust that it had turned black, with tiny trickles of water seeping out from unknown places.

On both sides of the road stood wooden shacks, patched with tattered cloth hanging everywhere.

Now and then, a taller or multi-story building could be seen now and then, but they were all old structures, most dilapidated beyond repair.

"Careful!"

Just then, a voice suddenly shouted from above the street. A man hurriedly chased after his cart, which was piled high with clothes and scraps. His frail body looked like it could be blown away by the wind, which was probably why he couldn't pull the cart over the slight slope.

Louis quickly shoved Julia and Andy behind him, but at that exact moment, a figure suddenly darted out from an alley, rushing straight toward the main road!