In a remote village where life flowed quietly and peacefully, a teenage boy named Ryo was working on the farm with his father.
His father said,
"Ryo, hand me that shovel. We need to finish this part before sunset."
Ryo replied,
"Sure, Dad. But if it rains tomorrow, we'll have to redo everything anyway. No need to rush so much."
His father chuckled.
"If you wait for the rain, you won't even get dry bread to eat."
Their laughter echoed across the field. Ryo's mother called from the window:
"Lunch is ready! Come wash your hands!"
Ryo smiled. "Let's go, Dad."
His father nodded in satisfaction, and the two headed toward the house.
Everything seemed just like any other day… until a strange sound echoed from the forest. The ground trembled, and birds scattered in fear.
"Dad… what was that?"
Before his father could answer, he looked ahead—
their house had vanished in an instant.
Ryo and his father ran.
When they reached the ruins, Ryo froze—his mother's body was torn in half, each piece thrown to a different corner.
A terrifying aura surged through the air, paralyzing Ryo's limbs.
A shadowy monster with a white mask emerged from the darkness—an eerie creature whose sinister aura made one's skin crawl.
Without hesitation, the monster lunged toward Ryo, but his father blocked its path.
The monster was overwhelmingly strong.
Ryo's father shouted:
"Ryo, run!"
But Ryo was frozen in horror, unable to move or understand anything.
Realizing Ryo wouldn't run, his father kicked him hard, sending him flying outside the house.
"Ryo, run!!"
As Ryo regained some awareness and tried to escape, the monster struck, biting off his father's head.
Seeing this, Ryo's legs gave out in terror.
The monster instantly appeared in front of him and punched him into a rock, shattering every bone in his body.
Covered in blood, barely breathing, Ryo felt the monster's suffocating aura closing in.
"You seem… special."
"I'll save you for last."
With those words, the monster walked away to slaughter the rest of the villagers.
Soon, the entire village lay in ruins—burned, destroyed, drowned in blood.
A few minutes later, a traveler casually walked into the devastated village.
The monster noticed him immediately.
Holding a severed human head in each hand, blood dripping down its arms, the masked shadow-creature glared at the man.
But the traveler stared back without fear—without the shock or terror the monster was used to seeing.
The man sighed:
"Oh damn it… After searching everywhere, this place is ruined too. Great."
With another annoyed sigh, he continued walking.
"Guess I'll need to find somewhere else to rest."
Being ignored enraged the monster. It charged at him, its arm morphing into a blade and swinging with full force.
But when the blade struck the man's skin, it was like hitting unbreakable steel.
The man glanced at the monster with a tired expression:
"For something that's supposed to be terrifying… you're kinda cute."
The monster, even angrier, attacked wildly, aiming at every vital spot—but nothing worked.
For the first time, fear crept into its body.
In its frantic barrage, it managed to tear a small piece of the man's clothing.
The man's calm expression disappeared. His jaw tightened.
With a low growl, he threw a punch—one strong enough to completely obliterate the monster, as if it had never existed.
He grumbled, annoyed:
"You were kinda entertaining… but tearing my clothes really pissed me off."
He continued walking through the burning ruins.
Amid the smoke and blood, he reached a collapsed house—two corpses lay there… and a boy with broken arms and legs, barely alive.
At first, he wanted to ignore him.
But the boy looked at him, tears in his eyes, letting out a faint groan.
The man sighed, heart softening.
He approached and sat beside him.
"That monster killed everyone… and you're the only one left alive."
"Do you want my help?"
Ryo, barely conscious, whispered weakly:
"The monster… killed my parents… I have no reason to live… But… if I get another chance… I want to wipe them all out… I want revenge… Sir… please… heal me…"
The man saw hatred—pure, burning hatred—in Ryo's eyes… and he liked it.
"Lucky you. I'm in a good mood today."
"Let's see what you'll become."
With a wave of his hand, a green aura surrounded Ryo, wrapping around his shattered body like thick mist.
Within less than a minute, every injury healed.
Ryo looked down in shock, then up at the man—but the man's face was hidden.
"I'm leaving," he said. "Take care of yourself."
Ryo stared at the ruins of his home, the bodies of his parents.
He had nothing left.
"All I have now… is revenge."
There was only one person who could help him do that—the man who saved him.
Ryo stood up and shouted:
"Sir! Wait!"
The man turned back slightly.
Ryo bowed deeply.
"Thank you for saving me! I have no family left!"
"Please… let me come with you!"
"Make me your disciple!"
The man ignored him and walked away.
Ryo followed him anyway.
"Don't follow me. Go live your life," the man said.
"I don't have a life anymore!" Ryo replied.
"The monsters took everything!"
The man said nothing and kept walking.
Ryo followed from a distance, whispering to himself:
"Fine… if he won't accept me now, I'll just keep following him until he does."
But suddenly—a
nother monster appeared.
Before Ryo could react, it punched him and sent him crashing into a boulder, breaking his bones once again.
End of Chapter 1