Chapter 3 - Mysterious Light

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Birthday. This day would be a memorable occasion for any young mortal or even martial artist that would grant them the feeling of extreme contentment. But this doesn't seem to be the case for the thirteen-year-old Arthur.

Instead of waking up early and rushing out of his room, seemingly too impatient to open the gifts he would receive...

He was dozing off on the roof... Deeply contemplating as he watched the sunrise on the horizon.

A tinge of sadness yet unswerving look was constantly appearing in his eyes.

The more numbers add up to his age, the more he realizes that the gap between his peers is getting larger.

For that reason, he had begun to hate himself for not being able to stand up to those who oppress him!

He hated himself for not having the strength to be close to the person whom he wants to be close with!

He hated himself... for being weak.

The weak could only obey. It is a cruel reality that no one can resolve.

But instead of being disappointed, Arthur firmly resolved himself to overcome his shell of weakness.

He even had some thoughts to become someone like the legendary Empyrean Sovereign Fleeting Chaos who was said to be an ordinary mortal at first but, suddenly, he underwent a heavenly transformation and became an unparalleled existence that no ordinary man could ever reach.

Of course, Arthur did not believe in such a ridiculous legend. Nobody can become a God in a year or even thousands of years.

He believed that transcendent beings such as gods were born since time immemorial, it is not a rank where one could just attain by just talent and hard work.

"Was my brain accidentally crushed during my sleep? Why am I even thinking of these foolish things.", Arthur said inwardly to himself, then he jumped down from the roof.

........

Night.

Even though it was Arthur's birthday, except for receiving gifts and eating extra delicious food, it wasn't any different from any other day of his life as a martial artist— well, to him, at least.

The morning after he finished dallying up on the roof. He actually had thoughts of going to school despite his birthday.

Upon noticing this, his father quickly roared at him from behind, almost scaring the guests that were around, and told him to stay and enjoy the day.

He agreed rather tentatively. However, upon spending a few minutes with such a crowd, he decided to leave.

He sneakily walked towards the door, avoiding the sight from his father, and went directly to the school.

Although he is thankful for his father, staying still while doing nothing is not really Arthur's strongest point.

Well, forget about those things for a while, he wants to do something!

Entering the classroom, Arthur inwardly frowned, 'Oh, right...'

Just as Arthur guessed, a loud rambling of a 'worm' immediately resounded throughout the room.

"Ha! It's you again!! When did you start acting so important that you actually dared to be late again! In aunty's class on top of that!", this was one of the idiots Arthur was referring to, Pao Bluan.

Yesterday, as he knew the relationship between Arthur Vermillion and Rose Jade. He told someone to 'take care' of Arthur once he goes inside.

Now that Rose Jade was missing from class, he surely would not have missed the chance to personally shout a few harrowing words to his childhood enemy.

When they were little, they were actually the best of friends and they would always run around the city with Rose Jade. However, once they grew a bit older, Pao Bluan suddenly began hating Arthur.

Arthur wasn't entirely sure of the reason, but he has some guesses and he decided to let the things stay as they currently are.

"If I remember correctly... I think it's this guy's birthday! I passed by their residence and saw a banquet!", this idiot who spoke this time was the one who was repressed by Roose Jade. Falling onto Pao Bluan's trap and Rose Jade's bad side. He blamed it all on Arthur.

"Oh? Is that so? I was thinking of donating a few coins to the Vermillion Family. But it seems that they still have enough money to throw feasts to a trash such as him. Hmph.", said Pao Bluan with a mocking tone.

"That was a good one Brother Pao!", the two companions of Pao Bluan including the one who was repressed by Roose Jade, broke into a fit of laughter.

'So you decided to take it that way...' Arthur thought inwardly.

Arthur snickered, "A bunch of monkeys laughing at their own jokes. I pity you now."

The entire class went deadly silent.

"What? Is it that surprising for you to suddenly discover what you look like?" Arthur sneered again.

All of them were used to Arthur not retorting back even when he was being spat on in class. Now that they finally realized Hence, they threw surprised gazes and gasps towards Arthur.

"Why don't you stop annoying me with your frightful faces and mind your own business. You four's grain-sized brains combined cannot even do that much?"

With these last sentences of Arthur, the whole class then went into a fit of laughter. The four youths smile has long been frozen cold.

If Rose Jade were here, she wouldn't just humiliate the four for making fun of Arthur, she would instantly pound them to their deaths. It is indeed their luck that Rose Jade was currently at Arthur's birthday banquet.

"You!" Pao Bluan couldn't bear the anger and shame anymore as he had been the one making fun of Arthur from the start but he suddenly became the laughing stock of the class.

The three who were laughing also grimly said, "You're courting death—"

"Silence!"

A single word broke the fight that was about to break out.

The one who spoke was Shai Bluan, a licensed instructor at the White Alyssum Martial Institute and also a relative of Pao Bluan.

Pao Bluan looked hopeful at Shai Bluan. He thought that she would refute Arthur for him, however, she ignored him and waved her hand signaling Arthur to take a seat.

........

After recalling the events of what happened earlier in the day, Arthur suddenly had the urge to train but there was something that was bothering him even after the class ended.

After contemplating for some time, he decided to skip training tonight. His thoughts were too heavy and his heart was not calm, training now would be wasted.

He was just about to sleep when suddenly—

An indescribable feeling surged within his body with his heart as the center of it. There was pain that could be felt and the sensation was similar to his heart being poured on by a hot water.

This continued for less than a minute.

At this moment, a mysterious sphere of light gradually emerged from his body where his heart was located.

Seeing this, Arthur was astonished.

He immediately recalled the nightmare he had when he was about three years old. The image was so vivid since the pain he felt at that time was indescribable.

The mysterious light suddenly spoke amidst his wildly running thoughts.

"Hey kid. Finally, we meet.", the light said with a hoarse voice followed by an even more hoarse laugh.

Arthur then looked at him with surprise. His words were no different from assuring that the nightmare he had when he was younger was real.

Then, he stared at the mysterious light with evident anger.

"Don't look at me like that, you might regret it later."

Arthur did not reply.

The light's voice seems to not have minded it and continued.

"I was too naive... I made a mistake," the light said, sounding somewhat grim.

"What?", Arthur asked, perplexed.

"No need to know about it now kid. You will be able to know this kind of stuff later in the future."

"What future?! You have been inside my body, so how come you don't know anything about me.", said Arthur, there are no 'future' in his cultivation because he can not even step into it.

"That's not entirely true... However, do you know? Why can't you advance? Why can't you even start in your cultivation?

Judging by your expression, you've probably guessed it but I might as well say it now to clear up any confusion... I have been extracting your energy."

Arthur guessed right. He might not be a talented cultivator but he knows what his body feels.

The reason why he cannot break through the first stage of the Body Strengthening Realm is that whenever he accumulates enough Genesis Energy, it would suddenly disappear.

'So it was this thing all along...'

Yet, he was not angered by this as it was useless. However, he was indeed curious about this mysterious light's origin.

"To make this short... An incredibly powerful existence is on the search to kill me. He is an absolute tyrant, if he finds me, this whole city, the whole continent, the whole planet... it would be turned to ash. However, even if you gather all the heroes in the world and multiply it by a billion to attack him...

"You would only probably scratch the dust on his feet."

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