The Golden Man
After walking for another hour, Cloud sat under a tree to rest.
He took out his bag and pulled out a loaf of bread, split it in half, and returned one half to the bag. As he was putting the other half away, he noticed the two books inside. He pulled one out — the title read "The Way to Train Origin Energy."
Upon opening it, he began reading its contents. The first thing the book touched upon was the definition of Origin Energy and how it first appeared. This left Cloud in disbelief and awe.
Cloud had learned to read and write along with the village children, but they had never delved deeply into sciences or history.
The village relied on its elder for protection — a strong man despite his age. The villagers depended on him entirely.
After reading these explanations about Origin Energy and its history, Cloud wondered if the village elder had once used this power.
But sadly, the elder and some of the village's strongest men had died fighting the Luminous Ones, leaving the village without its protective shield.
The village's condition worsened after that, leading to the harsh state they lived in now.
Thump... Thump...
Heavy footsteps cut short Cloud's reading. He quickly closed the book and stuffed it into his bag, hiding behind the tree — opposite the direction of the sound.
The approaching steps sounded like those of a giant creature. Cold sweat dripped from Cloud's forehead as the rough breathing of a beast-like entity filled the air.
A fleeting moment of peace had caused Cloud to forget the dangers of the outside world. Unlike the village, the outside was perilous. He could encounter Luminous Ones anywhere.
Though the Luminous Ones were less dangerous than the Shadowkind — due to their solitary nature — encountering one alone meant survival was highly unlikely.
In contrast, the Shadowkind moved in large groups and only at night, making them even deadlier.
Neither group had a fixed form — they often took the shape of animals. A rare few, around one in a hundred, were born as ghoul- or orc-like beings. These were considered the purebloods of their race.
What Cloud saw was a Luminous One in the form of an orc — standing two and a half meters tall. The only color breaking the yellowish-white tone of its body was the blood-red glow of its eyes. Its entire body was covered in a blazing light, which was why its kind were called the Luminous Ones.
In contrast, the Shadowkind were covered in black flame-like auras.
The luminous orc slowly approached Cloud. Each step felt like a small earthquake to him.
Three meters… two… one…
Cloud's back was soaked with cold sweat. All he could do was pray the Luminous One would change its path.
Slash!
A metal bar suddenly flew toward the orc's head at high speed — so fast it was unclear where it came from.
But effortlessly, the orc caught it before impact. He then took an odd stance, stretching the hand holding the bar backward until his head nearly touched the ground — then suddenly swung forward with immense force.
The metal bar shot through the air with such velocity it became invisible to the naked eye. An ordinary person wouldn't even perceive its trajectory — some wouldn't even think to try.
After launching the bar, the massive orc moved with surprising speed, defying expectations based on his heavy build.
Cloud saw it all from the corner of his eye. He hadn't dared to breathe or make a sound — not even by accident.
Relief washed over him as the orc moved away, but then — just moments later — Cloud saw the orc flying backward.
Its body crashed into a massive tree, shaking it slightly in its place. Yet, the tree didn't fall.
The trees in this forest were incredibly tall and solid. The only result of the crash was that the birds nesting above scattered and flew away.
The scene left Cloud utterly stunned. Who could possibly send such a monstrous being flying several meters? It was simply unthinkable.
About ten meters away, a tall blond man appeared. He wore a full golden suit. Cloud couldn't see his features clearly through his shock. But as the man drew closer, he could tell he was incredibly handsome. Golden hair framed both sides of his face, and his strange blue eyes carried an air of nobility.
From his appearance, Cloud guessed he was in his twenties.
This man was golden — from head to toe.
Cloud immediately dubbed him "The Golden Man" in his mind.
The Golden Man slowly approached the orc, who was struggling to stand. Then, suddenly, he turned his gaze toward Cloud's hiding spot.
That simple act made Cloud tremble violently — as if the true monster wasn't the orc… but this golden man, who now walked slowly toward the wounded Luminous One.
End of Chapter.