One should always pursue becoming omnipotent Even if they can't attain it, one should only pursue that, Without such great power, someone will always rise above you, one should always be above everyone without that, one has no meaning in life if they can't even pursue it. Slaving oneself to the standards of societal norms is the same as tossing away your freedom into the hands of a slave
My thoughts were as clear as a bright day, and the Mir Stone in my hand glowed in the darkness of night. I placed it in my mouth, chewing it like candy. I had eaten quite a few by now, yet this one tasted different. It should've been like the agility stones I consumed before but this was my first time eating the red one. This one was for sensory enhancement.
But before I could fully absorb it, I heard distant footsteps. Something was coming. Alone. From behind the nearest tree, a single Flyhum appeared in front of me It was slightly bigger than the three I had just fought. I searching the area for my blades my wooden one lay near its feet, and the iron blade rested beside the fallen body of another Flyhum.
I got to my feet.
"It's good anyway. I wanted to test my strength," I said, flatly.
And with a scream, it charged toward me.
"Everyone screams when they see me. Do I look like a monster to them? These fucking monsters…"
As it neared, I realized I had fully consumed the Mir Stone. I could hear the movement of its muscles. But I didn't move. I wanted to know my limits. Could I handle one Flyhum easily now?
Its clawed hand came for my neck. I saw it clearly. I caught its hand. It swung the other, and I grabbed that too. Its whole hand didn't fit in mine, but my grip was stronger. Much stronger , It struggled to get back.
I wrapped Tai energy around my whole body. Slowly, I could feel the energy surging through me. I pressed my legs against the ground, and this time I was the one who was screaming and this time, it wasn't a scream of pain, it was a scream of declaration , declaration of my first step. I knew I was reckless, even then I did it. With my growing voice, I pushed more energy out, and then I pulled the Flyhum's hands When my scream came to an end, in my hands the Flyhum's arms were severed from its body, dripping with its green blood. While trembling, it backed away from me with a loud sound — krrrr...
As if it was trying to expect some help.
"Wow… looking at you, it seems your body has gotten much stronger than before it must me because of those cores you had formed " Jaipa said while flying near my ears.
"It seems that way." I stared at my hands for a while.
"What are you doing not throwing that away?" Jaipa said.
Throwing the Flyhum's hands away, I moved to finish what I had started. After I got my blade, I stared at it. It got on its feet and came running my way. I was much stronger, and my strength had increased so much that I could pull out a monster's hands with the little help of my internal energy.
Until now, I was just trying not to die. But now, for the first time, I felt that I had become strong like I had taken the first step of my life.
Then I said, "Look, Jaipa. This is my first step"
"what is that brat muttering about? Not focusing on that monster?"
I closed my eyes, feeling my surroundings, feeling the touch of air, the light of the moons, and that annoying sound. Then I opened my eyes. Now I could feel the air hitting me slower. The monster running toward me also seemed slower. Jaipa's babbling mouth moved in slow motion.
I gathered my Tai energy into my blade, condensing it to an extreme degree
The air seemed to tremble, and the space around my blade distorted as if unable to contain its power. My hand also seemed like it couldn't handle it my skin started to peel off my felt like they were slowly shattering
I swung my blade once seemingly a normal slash Immediately after that slash, I collapsed on the ground. What I saw before my collapse was that the Flyhum was still standing. But the corner of my lips curled up, then I collapsed.
But in truth, the one swing of my blade holded much more Then it looked the compressed Tai energy had erupted, unleashing 77 Tai energy slice projections in all directions.
To Jaipa or outsiders, only one strike was visible hit the flyhum But the enemy was already cut apart from countless invisible slashes
After a while of laying unconscious
Something cold brushed against my skin. My clothes what was left of them had been torn to shreds in all the fighting. Every rip let the chill seep deeper, stinging like icy needles
I slowly opened my eyes experiencing the peace
Light filtered through singing leaves,while the shy moon cloaked itself in drifting veils of cloud the scent of blossoming flower danced softly into my breath a hush of beauty, a lull in time all of it seemed utterly beautiful
The silence shattered a shrill voice perched upon my ear, needling through the peace
Turning peace to ringing ache
my ears felt making numb for a second before i could adjust to this needling voice
"You little bastard! What the fuck! did you do how can you be this reckless?"
"Ha" A simple word fell from my mouth.
"Ha? Just 'Ha'? What the fuck do you think you are?!"
Jaipa's furious voice drilled into my ears, making my already aching body feel even heavier. I tried to lift my arm, but it felt like I was trying to move a boulder. Jaipa's tiny form flapped aggressively in front of me.
"You collapsed like a damn fool right after showing off!" Jaipa continued, his wings buzzing faster than usual probably from frustration. "Do you even understand how reckless that was?"
I let out a slow breath, ignoring the sting across my body. "Did I win?" I muttered.
Jaipa clicked his tongue. "Oh sure, you won! And if another monster had shown up, you'd be lying there as a corpse instead of just a dumbass! Congratulations, champ!"
Then I looked at my hands they were broken completely. I couldn't feel them, like my bones had been crushed.
I forced myself to sit up, and a thought came I can't use this technique anymore. I didn't think the impact would be this severe. My bones, muscles, my nerves, even my Tai energy it had all gone completely, leaving me empty. I think some of my nerves even burst. Right now, I surely couldn't handle that technique with my current body and energy. It was clear to me to use it, I need to wait. It wasn't just a matter of bones and muscles or energy it was a matter of my life. I think I was on the brink of death and now was not the time for worrying about that so I pushed these thoughts aside and asked,
"How much time has passed?"
"You…" Jaipa sounded frustrated. "It's been two hours."
The effort sent sharp jolts of pain through my body. My clothes were shredded, the cold moon pressing against the torn clothes cold against my skin. The scent of blood, sweat, and earth filled my nose, mixing strangely with the distant fragrance of wildflowers.
Jaipa now flying in front of my face, his frustration boiling over. "And another thing what the hell even happened back there? One second, you swung your sword, and the next, you collapsed like a sack of rotten meat. What kind of move was that?!"
I let out a slow breath, my chest still rising and falling " it's my new technique "
I will call it " A blooming petals "
Jaipa squinted at me. "What?"
The last traces of energy still remained in my body or maybe I was just feeling it. "I said,"
"I compressed my Tai energy," my voice steady despite the exhaustion dragging at me. "Forced it to the absolute limit, making it much denser." I tilted my head back, staring at the sky. "And then I let it go "
Jaipa cocked his head, unimpressed. "So… you swung a really strong sword. Congrats."
I smirked "No. It wasn't a single swing."
I murmured, "It unleashed a 77 invisible slashes in one slash."
Jaipa blinked, his wings stuttering mid-flap before he burst into laughter. "Pfft what? A thousand slashes? Oh, come on, brat, now you're just making things up!"
"Look at the Flyhum," I said flatly looking at crops
"I know. I've seen it for those two hours when you were lying there."
So even after seeing those pieces, you can't believe what I'm saying?
Jaipa's laughter faded as he studied my face, finally realizing I wasn't joking. His gaze flicked to the shredded remains of the Flyhum, then back to me.
"Wait… you're serious?" His tiny brows scrunched together. "How could you possibly "
I tried to move, every muscle in my body screaming in protest. Moving felt like tearing open wounds that had barely begun to heal. I braced myself against a tree, catching my breath. I still couldn't feel my arms, but I was relieved because of I had my healing ability They would eventually heal, But I couldn't spent much time laying around here.
"I just did it."
"Just…this technique that could take someone all of their life just to attain, and you just did it… wow, you f***…"
I stared at him. "You don't seem happy about it."
"Nothing much. It's just… that this world is just pretty unfair
"This kid… he's a scary one Without any guidance, he's developing his own technique. Maybe he drew some inspiration from somewhere, but to actually perform something like that at his age? It's unbelievable. I don't even want to imagine what he'll become if he survives and escapes this forest."
"Jaipa?"
"Ha…what is it?"
"Why do you look so different now?"
"Uh?…what about me?"
Jaipa seemed different. It was like he wasn't resembling me anymore, Until now, he completely resembled me, But now… he seemed a little different…