Under the faint light of the scattered sparks, Zhang Yong's eyes looked like dark pools of fire, his pupils sharp as a predator's.
Huo Qiangda roared, trying to shake off this feeling, and charged forward again. He unleashed the Bear Specter once more, aiming directly at Zhang Yong's head!
Before Huo Qiangda could realize what was happening, he felt a terrifying pain in his left side!
His body was thrown sideways in the blink of an eye. Zhang Yong's arm was a sharp claw.
"I can now understand why the Soul Masters admire Beast Spirits. This physical enhancement ability is amazing, and this is just a partial enhancement since it's not my own spirit. But who cares," Zhang Yong laughed coldly.
Huo Qiangda groaned in pain as he slowly got up, pressing his side where blood seeped from the deep wound made by Zhang Yong's claws.
His eyes blazed with anger, but within that anger, his gaze was tinged with traces of tension.
"This... is impossible!" he muttered under his breath, while the Wild Bear Specter behind him roared again, but this time, its roar was filled more with caution than rage.
"You can still stand? Good, let's continue then." Zhang Yong said it calmly, but it carried a tone of absolute dominance.
Huo Qiangda couldn't bear this humiliation. He shouted powerfully, blood boiling in his veins. His body suddenly swelled, emitting violent waves of bloody energy as his muscles began to expand even more.
He charged forward, swinging his massive arm, aiming a blow capable of crushing rocks at Zhang Yong's head!
Of course, the Path of Strength wasn't for everyone. After all, who would sacrifice dazzling, powerful techniques for mere muscle skills?
But that was also Huo Qiangda's flaw. Every attack of his had to be close-range, and he couldn't use any other attacks besides Beast Specters. That's why it was considered just a sub-law and looked down upon.
Whoosh!
The moment the blow was about to land, Zhang Yong disappeared from his spot.
In a flash, he appeared behind Huo Qiangda, his gold-scaled hand piercing the air with terrifying speed.
Boom!
Zhang Yong struck with his fist directly into Huo Qiangda's back, causing an explosion of air that sent him tumbling violently across the ground.
"Agh!!"
Huo Qiangda's body hit the ground, shattering rocks and rolling for several meters before stopping. His breath was ragged, his body trembling.
Despite his beast-like strength, he couldn't match Zhang Yong's terrifying speed.
He lifted his gaze towards Zhang Yong. He felt that Zhang Yong's gaze carried contempt and held no fear or awe.
"You helped me open my eyes, so allow me to thank you, Huo Qiangda!" Zhang Yong appeared before Huo Qiangda and kicked him directly in the face, sending him flying through the air.
For a moment, time seemed to stop. Huo Qiangda felt weak for the first time... he felt like a nobody... again.
My memories float in my mind, flowing like an unstoppable river, as if refusing to be erased...
"Haha! My strong boy!"
My father's voice echoes clearly in my ears, as if I'm hearing it now... his hearty laugh, his hand holding me high as if I were the most precious thing in this world.
I was just an ordinary child, with no exceptional qualities. I wasn't the smartest, nor the strongest... just as I am now.
But everything changed when I turned five.
Crack!
A bone broke, and everyone fell silent.
I didn't realize what had happened until I saw the boy in front of me screaming in pain, his arm twisted in a strange way. I didn't mean to hurt him... I didn't even know how I did it!
But the looks from the people around me held nothing but fear...
Their whispers were etched in my head:
"He's a monster!"
"He's inhuman!"
I returned home, fear gripping my little heart. I sat silently before my father while my young mind tried to understand.
"Dad, am I a monster?"
I asked in a soft voice, looking at the ground, as if afraid to look into his eyes and see the truth I was running from.
My father didn't hesitate. He reached out and patted my head, his voice warm as always:
"Of course not, my son... you're just strong."
But I wasn't convinced. I stared at him and said in a confused voice:
"But... just because I'm strong, I don't want to hurt others. Does becoming strong mean hurting people?"
My father smiled, but behind that smile, there was something different... something profound.
"No, there are those who are strong and hurt others, but I don't want you to be like them." He looked at me gently. "I want you to be the one who protects others from them."
His words were carved into my heart. I was young, but I believed them completely. "Okay, Dad! I'll protect you and Mom!"
I laughed innocently, like any other child. I didn't know... that this day would be the last day I heard my father's voice.
I stretched my hand towards him, jumped into his lap, and wrapped my arms tightly around his neck. I never wanted to let go.
But his body suddenly went limp...
I felt something wasn't right. Did Dad not want the hug? Could it be that he was lying?
"Dad?"
I retreated a little, looked at his face... it was pale, his eyes wide open, a look of terror frozen on his features...
His neck was twisted in a horrifying way.
I realized the truth.
I had killed him.
Outcast
From that day on, everything changed.
I became a curse. Everything I touched shattered, and everyone who approached me quickly distanced themselves, as if I were a deadly plague.
At first, I didn't understand. I thought it was just a misunderstanding, that everyone would calm down after a while. But their looks were clear... looks of disgust and fear.
"He's a monster... he killed his own father with his bare hands!"
"Even his own father wasn't spared, what if he kills us all?"
"We must get rid of him before it's too late!"
But what broke me the most wasn't the words of strangers... it was my mother's voice.
That night, I was hungry, scared, shivering from the cold. I went to her, believing that she, at the very least, would hug me as she always did.
But when she opened the door, she stepped back. Her gaze was filled with terror.
"Get away, you monster!"
I stood frozen. I didn't understand... Mom? I'm her son, why is she looking at me this way?
I slowly stretched my hand towards her, but she screamed, stepped back, as if I were a monster about to attack her at any moment.
"M-mom..."
"Get away!" My mother slapped me for the first time in my life. I held the spot where she hit me. I couldn't believe any of this. This must be a nightmare, a nightmare that would disappear.
Yet, her gaze erased any possibility of that. She looked at me as if I were no longer her son, but just a nightmare she needed to wake up from.
I was what needed to disappear.
That day, I realized I no longer belonged to this place.
So, I ran away.
I ran away from home, from the city, from the people who no longer saw me as human.
Survival
Surviving wasn't easy.
I was a child in a merciless world.
Hunger was my constant companion, and cold was my relentless enemy.
I stole food when I couldn't find work, but I received beatings when I was caught. Yet, I didn't kill anyone, even though I easily could have.
I was strong... but I didn't want to become the monster they said I was. I wanted to hold onto my father's words despite everything. To protect everyone. Maybe... then they would accept me.
And finally, when I turned twelve, I found work in a small tavern.
I was just a servant. I washed dishes, cleaned floors, and endured daily insults.
"You bastard! You broke the plate, do you know how much it costs?!"
"You idiot, work faster, or I'll throw you out into the street!"
I received slaps, kicks, but I endured.
I didn't want to betray my father's memory.
I didn't want to become a killer...
One night, I was walking in the dark streets of the city, counting the few coins I had earned from the day's work, when I heard screaming.
"Run! There's a rampaging monster!"
I raised my head. I saw people running frantically, screaming, pushing each other in an attempt to escape.
Amidst the chaos, I heard another voice, the voice of a panicked mother: "My child! Someone, save my child!"
I looked towards the source of the sound and saw a little boy fallen on the ground in the middle of the stampede.
His body was trembling, his eyes wide with terror, but he couldn't move.
And yet, people passed by him without a glance.
They saw him... but they didn't care.
Then, amidst the dust, a terrifying creature appeared...
A Fire Bull monster.
Its eyes glowed red, its horns were ablaze, emitting a suffocating heat into the air.
It raised its hoof, kicked the ground, and charged directly towards the little boy.
I didn't think. I moved instinctively. I ran with all my might, stood in front of the child, stretched out my hands, and grabbed the monster's horns.
The heat pierced my skin. I felt it burning my hands. My flesh began to melt. The pain was unbearable, but it didn't matter.
The bull began to push me back. Its strength was immense, but I didn't let go.
Immediately, I stomped my back leg on the ground and pushed with all my strength, lifting the bull into the sky.
My muscles spasmed as I lifted the huge monster above my head. I felt its heat searing my skin, but I didn't care. In that moment, all I saw were the child's eyes wide with fear, that fear I knew so well, that I had lived with every day of my life.
"I won't let you!" I shouted, then threw the monster with all my might.
Boom!
The Fire Bull crashed into one of the buildings with force, causing it to collapse on top of it, the walls shattering under the weight of its massive body.
Silence reigned over the place. Dust flew, smoke spread, and people froze in their places, looking at me with wide eyes, a mixture of astonishment and terror filling their faces.
The child was still sitting on the ground, staring at me with eyes full of astonishment.
But before I could say anything, I saw his mother rush towards him, hold him in her arms, and quickly move away from him, not even daring to look at me.
Then the whispers began...
"He lifted a whole monster with his bare hands..."
"His hands were burning, but he didn't even scream..."
"Is he really human?"
I looked and couldn't believe it. If even after doing this much, I'm still a monster?
Dad... are these the people you wanted me to protect?
Protect those who didn't even care about a child facing a monster and cared only about themselves and were selfish?
People who didn't even thank the one who saved them from a monster, and all they do is fear?
I hate this. I hate humans.
...
In the Records of the Story of Humanity's Ancestors
It is told that the Heavenly Dragon decided to descend to earth to experience human life after they were saved by the ancestors of humanity.
He easily changed his form into that of a human.
He descended onto the continent and arrived at a human village.
There, the weather conditions were harsh, so he decided to help the humans.
The Heavenly Dragon saw that the village was suffering from drought. The land was cracked, the crops were withered, and the people were desperate.
With his wisdom spanning thousands of years, he raised his hand towards the sky and gathered clouds over the village in moments. Rain began to fall, and life sprang forth in the parched land.
Children ran joyfully under the rain, and the villagers came out of their homes, looking at the sky with astonishment and joy.
The Dragon stayed in that village for some time and was treated as an honored guest.
For the villagers, he was the great savior. With a wave of his hand, he could send winds to any area. With a step he took, a thousand plants would sprout from the earth.
What they felt wasn't admiration, but closer to fear. This venerable one could do impossible things. If we were to anger him, it would be our end.
And for the Dragon, this was a moment of respite. He was happy to help these humans. He loved the feeling of being relied upon. But even the villagers didn't dare to bother him.
Then came that day when the villagers stood up and made a request.
"Please, Venerable One, grant us weapons to defend ourselves."
The Heavenly Dragon nodded calmly when he heard the villagers' request.
It seemed logical. He had helped them with agriculture and climate, so why not also give them the means to protect themselves?
With a wave of his hand, the Dragon summoned rare metal pieces from the depths of the earth, melted them with heavenly flame, and shaped them into various forms of weapons. These weapons were not only sharp but also imbued with a part of his energy, making them stronger than any ordinary weapon.
"These weapons will help you defend yourselves," he said in a quiet voice.
The villagers bowed before him in gratitude and pledged to use the power wisely. In the following days, they began training, and their confidence soared.
The Heavenly Dragon, comfortable with his decision, decided to stay for a while and observe how things would develop.
These were only the first generation of humans, and therefore they were still very weak, without resources or talents. Their strongest was only at the 5th stage of the Apprentice Rank, so the Dragon accepted helping them.
But who could have expected the situation to turn.
One night, while he was watching the sky from a nearby hill, he heard whispers among some villagers. They weren't talks about defending the village, but about "reclaiming their rights" and "protecting themselves preemptively."
It seemed strange, but he didn't intervene directly. He thought it was just excessive worry.
Then, after two weeks, the Heavenly Dragon woke up to the sound of drumbeats and tongues of flame rising on the horizon.
Silently, he flew towards the burning village. He saw the men of his village attacking houses, stabbing men, burning crops, and screaming.
The massacre was quick and brutal.
The Dragon landed in the midst of the chaos, his eyes blazing with anger.
With a single breath, he extinguished all the fires. With one look, the villagers froze in their places, terrified.
"What have you done?" His voice was calm, but it carried the echo of thunder.
The village leader stepped forward, trying to appear confident, but his voice held a slight tremor.
"Venerable One, we did what we had to do! This village has been targeting us for years! We were just easy targets, and if we hadn't attacked them first, they would have been the ones to destroy us!"
The Heavenly Dragon looked at him coldly, then raised his hand slightly. In a moment, the smoke clouds dissipated, revealing to everyone the truth of the village they had destroyed.
There were no weapons directed towards them, no hidden army, just the corpses of men, women, and children who couldn't escape in time.
The villagers stepped back, but one of them shouted: "But they were going to attack us! We had to beat them to it!"
"And do you have proof of that?"
Silence prevailed.
The Heavenly Dragon sighed and lowered his hand. Then he walked calmly among the burning ruins until he reached the center of the village. There, among the corpses, he saw a small child sitting beside the bodies of his parents, his body trembling, his tears flowing silently.
When his eyes met the Dragon's, they held a mixture of deep sorrow and suppressed anger. The child was small, barely six or seven years old, but he wasn't crying like an ordinary child. Instead, he looked at the Dragon with eyes filled with hatred and contempt.
The Dragon walked towards the boy and placed his hand on him, healing his wounds.
After finishing healing the boy, he stood up slowly and looked in the direction of the villagers. They had already fled, fearing his anger.
The boy knelt on the ground before the Dragon. "Please, can you revive my parents?"
The Heavenly Dragon shook his head slowly and looked at the boy with eyes full of sorrow. "Reviving the dead is not possible. This is the fate of all living beings."
"No, I don't believe that!" The child shook his head. "You can give those villagers weapons, and you can heal me, so surely you can revive my parents. You just don't want to!"
The Dragon shook his head, unable to help. "I do not have the ability to revive the dead."
"Lies!" the child shouted louder. "You're the one who gave them those weapons! You have to take responsibility! If you hadn't given them power... my parents wouldn't have died!"
The child stepped forward and began hitting the Dragon's body, but it was too hard. He continued hitting until the boy collapsed in tears on the ground.
The Dragon couldn't understand. He had no parents. Everyone he had met among humans was only his master.
But suddenly he realized: humans were beings bound by complex emotions. Their love could turn into hatred, and their fear could lead them to cruelty.
They weren't like spiritual beasts or heavenly beings that follow the laws of nature or abide by fate. They had free will, and with it came the ability to create both good and evil.
He looked at the collapsed child before him and wondered to himself: Was it my mistake to give them power? Was I naive in believing they would use it wisely?
But deep down, he knew power wasn't the problem. It was the humans themselves.
He stood there for a moment, then slowly turned around. He didn't chase the fleeing villagers, nor did he punish them. He realized that any punishment wouldn't change their nature. They would do the same thing again if placed in a similar situation.
Even if they were killed, they would be replaced by people like them. In the end, the cycle of fear and violence would return.
"So, this is the nature of humans..." he muttered in a voice barely audible.
He had helped them. He gave them food, safety, even the power to protect themselves.
But he didn't expect them to use it this way. He thought that humanity, in its weakness, would seek peace, but instead, it chose to use power to create destruction.
Were they really worthy of the Master's compassion for saving them from barbarians and monsters?
When humans became the rulers of the world, they no longer cared about resisting barbarians or monsters.
They became more cruel than the barbarians themselves. He felt that everything his master had done was replacing one tyrant with a worse one.