Chapter 14: Bear The Pain, Memory Retain, Or Be Consumed Where The Dark Reign (4).
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In the years of his life as a child, Leon used to cry a lot.
When left alone in the Punishment Meadow for a long time, he would cry when the hallucinations couldn't help numb his mind.
When the reality of his trainer's death settled in, he cried for an entire day.
When he was afraid, he cried.
When he felt extreme hunger, he cried.
Until he nearly went mad, truly losing his mind, he made crying an outlet and an escape from pain.
Because in those days—no matter how strong he was—he was still a child.
"I remember that in my first meeting with the old trainer, I hugged him and cried until I fell asleep, which cost me the first hour of conversation between us. Hahaha, what days those were..."
Leon spoke in a light tone, as if talking to himself.
"..."
The people tied behind him could only think: Why is this madman talking to himself?
What a pity. Leon didn't care about them at all.
In any case, the essence of the matter is: Leon used to cry a lot.
Due to his emotional nature—though tempered with madness—he was manipulated several times and betrayed.
Not because he was foolish, nor for lack of intelligence, but simply because he believed that everyone is a victim of time in some way.
The reason young Leon thought that was simple: he himself was a victim of that damned organization.
From the moment he became aware of the world, he was raised and nurtured by those fucking sons of bitches, so he thought others were exactly like him.
This made him suffer with his comrades, trainers, competitors, and even leaders.
His suffering wasn't because of others, but because of Leon himself.
Because that mentality of his towards people who shouldn't be trusted persisted.
With his growth and his tasting of life's times, a simple understanding of things developed in him.
"If you are deceived once, you are oppressed. If you are deceived twice, you are a fool. If you are deceived thrice, you are evil."
As the saying goes: the first is chance, the second is a lesson, the third is destiny.
What happens to us most of the time is nothing more than the results of our actions, and the accumulation of those actions, however small, leads to our fates.
As you judge, you shall be judged.
As you sow, so shall you reap.
Leon believed that what happens to a human in their life is inevitable, and they are rarely oppressed.
And although the path was painful, Leon's mistakes illuminated his life.
His crying, his confusion, his despair, and his struggle were stars illuminating the sky of his world.
Because I erred, I realized my flaws faster.
Because I erred, I fell faster, to rise again.
Because my path is full of errors, I saw things from a broader perspective.
With the accumulation of mistakes, a person's mind and heart are honed, becoming wiser.
"One way or another, I am grateful for my childish nature at that time. Without it, I might have become hollow a long time ago."
If Leon had closed his heart and become cold, the wounds would have accumulated while he remained unaware.
Coldness of mind doesn't mean petrification of the heart, but simply its suppression.
And suppressing emotions only leads to their accumulation.
That accumulation leads to destruction.
Why?
Because continuous emotional drain leads to emptiness.
When one becomes an Ego warrior, that emptiness harms their core heart, leading to pollution of their energy.
That pollution eats away at their mind, driving them mad.
An ordinary human rarely goes mad, because energy doesn't settle in their heart, unlike an Ego warrior.
The madman, having lost his purpose, expresses himself through killing.
He kills when he loves, he kills when he's hungry, he kills when he's sad, he kills in accordance with his nature when he was sane.
A creature of ancient power, empty of heart, drowning in nothingness, wishing for the world's ruin, hoping to stain everything in it with blood.
This is the Hollow Wanderer.
"Since my path was originally inspired by the darkness of the world, I have a deeper understanding of this madness. The Hollow Wanderer is a creature that lives a thousand years. Under sunlight, its hallucinations diminish, and the person's original nature merges into it. But that awareness only fuels its destruction, because chaos, coupled with reason, is merely a disaster."
And at night, its power returns and increases over the years.
The strong rarely become Hollow Wanderers, so destruction doesn't spread.
Madness mostly afflicts the weaker ones.
No cure, no salvation, no return.
Because Leon is a fool who follows his paths unto death, because he is a madman striving for ambition even if the world burns, he avoided that fate.
In the Punishment Meadow, in the organization, and even in the days of bloody war, in a world that knows no tomorrow, where the light of the perpetual night moon remains, with perseverance that knows no bounds, he raised his blade high.
His survival, written now, had behind it traces of tears and blood.
And today, I return to my ancestors' homeland.
Organizing his thoughts, Leon directed his attention towards this village.
He must develop this village, because it will be the foundation of his rise.
"To make them usable, I must first cleanse their weak mindsets. And the fastest solution is..."
Destruction, then construction.
Spreading his awareness, scenes of what was happening in the classroom appeared in Leon's mind, as he watched the students' struggle and their emotional fluctuations.
His understanding of their fears deepened, and accordingly, he would dig into their hearts, leaving emptiness to fill them.
When injustice takes root in the heart, one must find an escape.
If misfortune befalls them after this day, they must find someone to blame for their misery.
To escape self-blame, I blame the world.
Instead of blaming themselves for their weakness, they will blame Leon.
This is how society raised them.
Towards this, Leon's thinking was simple.
"Blame me as much as you wish. Curse me, and empty your misery onto me, for I will accept it with an open heart."
This is called emotional catharsis.
Whoever was poor, he would lavish wealth upon him and his family.
Whoever had a sick one, he would heal them. Whoever lacked resources, he would give them.
Each according to their problems, targeting their weaknesses, then helping them.
Consequently, a small, barely existing amount of gratitude would arise.
That gratitude is the channel of flow, then it accumulates with every generosity that comes to them.
If the monster tide comes?
Destruction escalates—screaming, crying, lamentation!
Then Leon comes, like a radiant light, rescuing and delivering them from that despair.
"Hooooof..."
The soil around him trembled as he held the horse stance, feeling the heavy weight on his body.
He wasn't wearing his shirt, and his taut muscles were clearly visible.
The tattoo covering his left arm moved gently.
With the gravity field intensifying and concentrating on Leon, maintaining his posture became difficult, but he kept his upper torso straight.
Arms extended forward, feet stable, breath flowing slowly, body still.
"What's with this bastard suddenly training—"
"Shut your mouth or I'll kill you, O face of ugliness."
The attempt to speak behind Leon failed following his threat.
"..."
Why are they like this?
Where are the guards? Why aren't they doing anything?
Well...
The person tied with rope along with his companion turned his head.
And all around, bodies could be seen lying on the ground.
The guards were unconscious.
To summarize events...
After Leon said he would tie them up, they laughed at the absurdity of the situation, of course.
"Jean, I want to sleep on the roof today ~"
"You'll get sick like that; No."
"Kids these days, no respect at all."
While three were talking amongst themselves.
The fourth stood up, to expel this child spouting nonsense.
In a calm tone contradicting his previous demeanor, Leon opened his mouth saying: "I have no intention of killing anyone today, so, come with me quietly."
"This child? Learn manners before opening your mouth."
The teacher's laughter increased, but this time, he laughed angrily.
Then he stepped forward.
At that moment, Leon extended his hand towards the table beside that teacher. Then, he lightly closed his fist.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
"What!"
His body leaped backward while covering himself with a light layer of energy, his hand directing towards the source of the sound.
Teacher Chris's instinct made him move before understanding what happened.
Black sand gathered before his extended hand, ready to launch.
But.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
To his shock, he saw the table shattered, decreasing in size, emitting sounds that a table shouldn't make.
The debris gathered, floating in the air.
The splinters didn't scatter but gathered around the table, making the scene even more terrifying.
Then, the table's remains fell before the teacher.
"Hey? What do you think? Shall I kill you, O epicenter of ugliness?"
A bright smile, an innocent smile, a kind smile, split Leon's face.
If that had been Chris's body instead of the table...
Would he have survived?
Survive this?
Is this even possible?
The others, due to shock, all stood, ready to fight with terrified expressions.
Except for the one working on reports, he was intensely focused on his papers.
The female teacher stood beside him, placing her hand on his shoulder, perhaps as an ingrained habit.
Was Leon one to give people chances?
"Damn it!"
"My back! Aaah! My back!"
Just like what happened to the students, the gravity field fell upon them, but even heavier.
Despite this, they were fixed standing, and did not fall to the ground.
But the pressure did not descend on the seated teacher, and the female teacher beside him was unable to move.
With light steps, walking towards them, Leon extended his rope and it floated in the air.
The rope was cut into two halves.
The first half moved towards the three.
Then simply, they were tied in pairs.
Even the one seated on his chair was tied.
Not before the chair moved backward, and the woman's body floated and was tied with him.
"Kiyaaan!"
With the ring of her scream, Teacher Jean raised his head, raising his arms to hold her unconsciously.
What he saw made his eyes widen.
The dark purple hair flowed with the gust of wind, and with a terrified expression, her eyes glowed with radiant light.
Even the scream of terror sounded sweet in his ears.
He held her tightly, as if afraid of harming her delicate body.
With them tied together, foreheads and eyes drew close.
"Aaah..."
An unintentional gasp escaped Jean's mouth.
From his childhood to today, even amidst this moment, and despite the calamity, this beauty had always captivated Jean's mind.
"...I think this boy isn't so bad after all."
With her saying that, Lucy leaned on Jean's shoulder, while the latter sighed.
Indeed, the longer one lives, the more they meet all kinds of people.
There are always fools, immersed in their own world even in calamities.
"Oh my, what kind of fool are you?"
Jean put the paper in his hand into his pocket, then sighed.
Of course.
"The world is depraved, I swear..."
Slight tears flowed from the others' eyes.
There are those who find this ugly.
It wasn't surprising that after this, all the guards were defeated, and here we are.
"Taking the passage of time into consideration..."
Maintaining his training posture, Leon's eyes gleamed with mischief, with a grim smile.
Leon gave Teacher Jean a passing glance before staring at the door leading to the academy's inner building.
Minutes passed like this.
Then, two people emerged.
"Aaaaaaah!"
Theodore's veins pulsed with every step he took, but he refused to fall.
The door frame was cracked from his bloody grip, and with heavy steps he made his way.
He gritted his teeth until they nearly shattered, and with bloodshot eyes, he stared sharply at Leon.
Step, two steps!
"Damn everything—!!"
Behind him, a youth covered in blood, his expressions fierce, as if he were a madman.
Upon seeing them, Leon smiled.
"Hehe."
No, he laughed.
"Hahaha, hahahaha!"
His bloodshot eyes gleamed with ecstasy.
It's always fun to watch hardships.
But what's even more fun?
Crawling through hardship and shattering it!
"Hahahahaha!"
Ending his laugh, he walked forward.
After three steps, he stopped, then spread his arms, as the power of gravity around his body intensified.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The ground beneath him formed a small crater due to gravity and his weight, but he stood tall.
The crimson aura surrounding him rippled, then expanded, forming a path from him to Kevin and Theodore.
"Like this, Aaaaah ~ exactly like this! With everything your existence holds, struggle to win and eliminate it all! O weak ones, prove to everyone that winning is more important than groups, more important than civilizations and relationships!"
He stared fiercely at Kevin and Theodore.
"The winner takes the glory! Satisfaction with hard work without results is merely the excuse of the failure! Justice is the right of the strong, and the winner is always right. Only the good triumph, because the winners are the good ones!"
His voice sounded like a roar, half-laughing, full of absurdity.
Is what he's saying wrong?
His words are the affirmation of truth.
Only the good win, because whoever wins is good.
History is only written by the victors!
But if everyone were raised on this truth, their fate would be destruction.
Because society is built on stillness, peace, and cooperation.
Winning requires risk and chaos. If everyone were striving to win at any cost, what society would remain at all?
Something being true doesn't mean it's suitable for everyone.
"Therefore, only kings deserve to wade into the fray of chaos; Come on, come on! Prove to me your entitlement to the status of predators and kings!"
Red sparks flashed through his crimson eyes, as his pupils turned white.
"Kevin! Theo! Is this all you have? I'm standing right here, so come! Come and gain the recognition of the strongest!!"
Veins appeared on their faces.
"I will! Kill you! You son of a bitch!!"
Kevin no longer conserved his energy; he covered his entire body with his aura.
Breaking the Wall of Energy means the ability to possess external energy and make it your own.
What does this mean?
Whoosh!
His eyes gleamed with a cutting flash.
The black sand on the ground moved towards his body, as a faint spark flickered.
That means bending nature to your will!
"Heeek!"
Taking a step, reaching beside Theodore, Kevin took a deep breath.
Displaying his full energy under this pressure is exhausting, but as long as he focused, he could endure this much.
He tensed the muscles of his feet, then bent slightly.
"Damn it!"
Theodore cursed the situation then extended his hand to hinder him.
His hand already grabbed Kevin's shoulder.
But.
"As if!"
Haap!
That wasn't enough to stop him.
With a heavy step, Kevin leaped forward!
While jumping, protected by his energy layer, he turned towards Theodore.
Raising his finger in the air, risking failure, Kevin smiled impudently, saying:
"Goodbye Bitch."
Crack!
He fell hard on his back, but stood up staggering, as he advanced forward.
"Hahaha."
Theodore laughed.
It wasn't a mocking laugh.
...He laughed in anger.
Has anyone ever angered him this much?
You Damned Son Of a Nasty Bitch!!!
So you want to play like this?
He smiled savagely.
Whoosh!
Energy erupted through his body, in a red color contrasting Kevin's blue aura.
Black sand floated around his body, surrounded by light red flames.
Then with a burst, he advanced quickly.
It looked like a sprinting leap.
Towards Kevin, who had jumped ahead of him, he extended his fist as his muscles contracted.
Bam!
"Aaaugh?!"
He punched his back hard!
Kevin staggered and nearly fell, but he rolled sideways.
With their understanding of the gravity flow path now, and not sparing energy, this weight no longer affected them like before.
In the middle of his roll, Kevin kicked the air, aiming for Theodore's chest.
"Haap!"
Theodore crossed his arms in front of him and received the kick.
With the shock dissipating quickly, his left foot moved forward, and with the transfer of his weight there, he threw a punch towards his torso after bending his left shoulder to avoid Kevin's incoming move.
Whoosh!
"Damn you!"
Theodore's fist barely passed near Kevin's face, as he pulled himself back due to his savage reflexes, then kicked towards Theodore to delay his advance.
And as Theodore expected, Kevin's kick passed through the spot where he was before he bent right with his left shoulder.
Kevin stood quickly after turning his back, leaving an opening.
"Tch."
Unfortunately, Theodore wasn't fooled by that opening.
Kevin was already prepared to grab his arm and twist it in exchange for letting him strike.
"Theo Sa-hyung, why don't we race towards that damned beast, instead of fighting?"
"Hehehe, what kind of fool do you take me for? Leave you? So you can attack me suddenly?"
"Boo~ Do you truly think I'm the kind of person who would do that?"
"Do you want me to answer that with complete honesty? Seriously, I mean, really really?"
"...Forget it."
In fact, Theodore was also that type, but he wasn't about to say that.
Even though Kevin already knew this.
Behind the door they left, the rest of the students were crawling.
Some were standing, some trying, then rising.
Fear, anger, frustration, humiliation, hatred—these emotions generated despair.
From that despair arose need.
Necessity is the mother of invention, and the strongest fuel for need is despair!
All those students, their eyes turned towards two standing figures.
The red aura swayed like flame in a storm.
The blue aura crackled like charged lightning.
The two were silent, staring at each other with expressions full of spite, competitiveness, madness, and deep respect.
No need for words.
The two ran towards Leon with all their might!
Sometimes Kevin ahead of Theodore, and sometimes the opposite, as the flow changed.
"Oraaaaaaah—!!"
"Oracha aaaaaah—!!"
With every step, the gravity intensified!
Theodore moved his torso, then leaped left with a sideways somersault.
His right leg moved with momentum towards Kevin's head!
Whoosh!
Kevin ducked before that, and the kick passed over him.
The sand covered with Theodore's aura struck the energy veil covering his face, but it didn't hit completely.
Of course, he didn't emerge unscathed.
"Urgh?!"
He felt a burning pain across his cheek, sensing the heat.
He wasn't about to stop now.
He clenched his left arm covered in lightning near his chest, holding Theodore's leg, moved his center of gravity towards his arm.
Then he punched hard!
Theodore extended his hand and covered it with burning sand in response, quickly!
Bam!
"That hurts, you bastard!"
The strike made a crackling sound with Theodore's pained cry.
His arm trembled from the shock.
Holding the arm that shocked him, Theodore laughed, and in turn, Kevin also laughed.
Theodore withdrew his extended leg, and Kevin pulled his hand back.
This time, Kevin was the one striking with a lightning-fast kick!
Theodore moved his head back, and the spark-filled kick barely touched his hair.
In that fleeting moment, he grabbed Kevin's leg then kicked the ground behind him with his foot, and with momentum, gained a stable stance.
And in an instant, he released Kevin's leg, then grabbed Kevin's collar, pulling him towards him.
He kneed him in the stomach!
"Bwaaaagh—!"
Kevin vomited saliva and his pupils dilated.
But he staggered and didn't fall.
His foot struck the ground hard, then his fist punched Theodore's stomach at almost the same time he was hit!
"Heeeeeek—!"
Theodore stepped back, holding his stomach, and of course, Kevin as well.
"Cough... cough cough... cough!"
Theodore's clothes were torn, and sparks covered his injured area.
The energy veil flickered weakly, barely maintained.
"You... cough! bastard! cough! cough!"
Kevin had burn marks on his stomach and was in a slightly worse state.
No flicker of hesitation remained!
The gravity was heavier than ever, and the energy veil could barely hold for another 15 seconds.
All the students had exited the place, their bodies scattered in the square before the door.
Some were unconscious, but some refused to fall, wanting to know the winner.
Luna, Stella, Chae Nayun stared fixedly at them.
Luna had always seen Kevin fight, but he doesn't smile.
Kevin always told Stella he loved fighting, but she'd never seen him desperate.
Chae Nayun saw Theodore train harshly, but he doesn't laugh.
So why?
Why are they laughing like this?
Blood flows, and wounds compound and swell,
Yet...
No frown abides, no lamentation's knell,
No fleeting joy upon their faces dwell.
Still laughter lingers, echoing wide,
For they are men, with honor and pride!
Is victory worth the crimson tide?
Is victory sweet, deep inside?
Is... this fleeting bliss, worth the pain they bide?
They wanted to know, they wanted to understand, they wanted to feel.
For the two to distance themselves from them with such harshness for the sake of winning, is it truly worth it?
The two ran towards each other and each extended their right fist.
The flame in Theodore's arm intensified, the crackling lightning in Kevin's arm roared.
They both punched each other in the face, at the same time!
Baaaaaam!!
"Krrggh!"
"Ughhh!"
The fists dug into their faces as if wanting to pierce them, but no retreat!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The two surged into a flurry of punches!
At first, they were dodging, trying to drop the opponent, maneuvering.
Theodore struck his chest as if to say: show me what you've got!
Kevin needed no explanation; he stopped evading and started punching.
Bam!
The punch struck Theodore's face, but he didn't retreat.
Instead, he smiled as Kevin's blow dug into his face, his blood flowing, focusing his awareness on the energy flow in his feet.
"Is that all you've got?"
His fist headed towards Kevin's stomach in return.
Bam!
Kevin nearly spat out his breakfast, but he endured.
"Hahaha, you punch like a girl."
He regulated his breath, using breathing techniques to maintain his strength.
No martial arts, no bloodline ability.
No Ego, no special techniques.
Mere raw violence.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
An ugly fight, a hideous fight.
It was violent, savage, manly!
Theodore threw a left hook towards Kevin's cheek, but Kevin's fist grabbed his forearm before that, then hit him sideways with his knee.
"This... bastard!"
Theodore nearly vomited saliva, but he held it, then spat it in Kevin's face.
Kevin didn't expect this.
At that moment, Theodore moved forward, towards Leon.
The distance was nine steps.
At the first step, he felt the weight nearly crush his body.
"I will be first. Your fate, Theo Sa-hyung, is to watch my glory!"
Kevin didn't lag behind; he was half a step behind him.
"Sa-je, oh Sa-je! Why are you the only one who understands what I think and desire? That place in the front row, I reserved it for you alone! And today! Today is your first performance!"
Theodore took another step.
This! This! This!!
The pressure made him grit his teeth involuntarily!
Can this even be endured?
And I still have eight steps ahead?
Are you serious? Is this fair?
Nonsense! Who cares if it's fair or not!
Kevin barely kept pace, his eyes rolling back, his aura stronger than ever.
Second step, then third!
Blood bled from mouth and nose, veins pulsed nearly to bursting!
Muscles trembled, crawling was almost guaranteed, but the body refused.
The strong may bend to stand taller, but they do not break!
Crawling might be more efficient, but something told them this was forbidden.
Is it pride? Is it arrogance, or stubbornness?
No, it's deeper.
No pride or stubbornness in the world is worth the risk of annihilation!
But this feeling?
However unknown, however abnormal it seems, however strange, it is deep in the core of my soul.
Don't you dare crawl!
Don't, or the meaning of the world will vanish like ash!
Fourth, fifth, then sixth...!
All seven orifices bleeding, consciousness barely fading.
Days of training create a disciplined schedule, weeks create understanding, months create habit.
And years create a way of life.
The distance between consciousness and unconsciousness diminished, and the world of dreams was almost visible.
Seventh.
I see no more, I hear no sound, Nor words upon my tongue are found.
Have I arrived? Or must I roam; With yet a distance left to comb?
Crack! Crack!
I feel my bones give way, Yet from my throat, no scream can stray.
I long to writhe upon the ground, To flee the pain that knows no bound.
I want to yield, to let go fight…
But then—a glow, A sudden light.
I see a radiance, warm and bright.
I feel death's breath, yet still I rise, My frozen limbs defy goodbyes.
Before my blind and fading eyes.
A warmth beckons where shadow dies.
I…
I!
I Shall march toward death with delight!
Years of diligent training completed the rest of the journey.
Eighth.
The body accustomed to training unto death, to fighting unto fainting, to exhaustion unto incapacitation, was showing the results of pain!
A flash of memories throughout life illuminated in my mind, and days of struggle and torment were all I saw.
They wanted to surrender.
No!
I will not be lazy! I will not make excuses that life is hard!
To win, I can die with joy.
To win, I will exert my effort.
Without winning, I am already dead!
"Aaaaaaaaah—!!!"
A synchronized scream from the two youths tore through the silence.
The ninth step—!!!
Under the midday sun's radiance, buildings cast their shadows on two youths.
Blood stained their faces, their bodies were bent, like puppets with cut strings.
Their heavy steps imprinted in the soil and remnants of snow.
Weak, fragile, glassy.
But, a smile carved its way into their expressions.
As if everything in the world had vanished, like scattered ash, and nothing remained but moving forward, towards the annihilation of light.
This captivating beauty of struggle is the result of efforts over the years.
Kevin had always lived a difficult, even harsh life, deprived of parental affection, fighting in the cold to protect his sister.
There was a period when they were raised as slaves; their drunken master was cruel.
In the end, Kevin killed him with his own hands after he almost raped his sister.
He felt something.
His hand touched something.
And that was definitely a human body.
He couldn't hear or see, but he could feel, he could, he was certain!
Leon! He had touched Leon!
That means he was first, right?
He could now... rest?
He fell unconscious, laughing.
That's what he was thinking.
"What a pity."
Leon spoke, staring at the two unconscious youths.
At the last step, he cancelled the gravity field.
If he hadn't, they would have died.
As for the winner?
It was...
Theodore.
Theodore, grandson of Marcus, heir to the Law Hall, bearer of the title of the strongest youth.
"I, Leon Evenus, acknowledge you. You, Theo, are undoubtedly the strongest."
And today, by Leon's own admission, he maintained his title.
The struggle that lasted a short time, but long for those who experienced it, ended.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
"Stop what you're doing! You are under arrest!"
Shadows surrounded Leon, and these were the strongest guards of the Law Hall.
Leon stared at the sky for a moment, smiling.
As winter closed its doors, spring flowers were on their way to blooming.
It was time to begin my plan.
Under a bloody spring's blossoms.