Night had barely settled over the village when Tianhan had already made up his mind.
What happened in the village square was not just an incident…It was a warning.A warning that told him:
"Either become stronger… or lose everything."
He stood at the edge of the road leading to the mountain, a small bag slung over his shoulder, a little food and water inside, and eyes sharper than they had been that morning.
Behind him, the village lay quiet and dark.Before him, the mountain loomed tall and immense—waiting to swallow him whole.
Not once did he feel hesitation.
But something else gnawed at him… something he had been trying to push away for hours.
Blood.
That dark color on his claws when he severed the attacker's arm refused to leave his mind.On the contrary… he felt it coil around his heart like a serpent.
He began walking toward the mountain…
Each step on the dirt felt like it pushed him further from "the boy" and closer to "the beast."
The path wasn't long, but it was enough for his thoughts to drown him.
"I didn't hesitate…I didn't feel fear…I didn't even feel disgust."
He stopped, staring at the hand that had summoned the claws during the fight.
"Is that normal…?Shouldn't I be afraid?"
Everything inside him whispered:
You were born for blood.
He shook his head hard, chasing the voice away.
"No… I don't kill for pleasure.I did it to protect the Elder… to protect the village."
But another whisper rose within him, slow and cold:
What if a part of you… enjoyed it?
That single sentence made his entire body shiver.
He stood still on the road for a long time, the night wrapping around him, cold wind striking his face, his hand pressed to his chest as if he were trying to hold his heart together.
"If I let the blood consume me…I'll be no different from the beasts."
But then… a spark lit inside his soul.
He remembered the promise he made in the fields:
"I'll build my clan. A clan of love…A clan that does not fear me."
He breathed deeply and moved forward.
Whatever was inside him…Whatever shadows were stirring in his blood…
He would make them serve him, not control him.
He reached the mountain's base.
That mountain that would one day become the heart of his clan…The foundation of his empire.
But now, it was nothing more than a dark mass of stone, twisted trees, distant beast cries, and a primal aura seeping from the earth itself.
He stepped forward.
The ground trembled beneath his feet.
A strange chill crawled across his spine.
It felt like the mountain was watching him… judging him… measuring his worth.
"This mountain… is no ordinary place."
He knew that.He sensed that his spiritual root was somewhere inside—hidden behind layers of trials and danger.
And if he truly wanted to claim it…If he wanted to build his clan…
He had to overcome all of it, no matter the cost.
He walked deeper into the dark forest surrounding the mountain.The darkness was thick, swallowing every drop of light.
The beasts' cries echoed distantly, steady and rhythmic—almost like the mountain itself was breathing.
And with every step, the blood in his veins stirred harder…
As though the Devil Claws were awakening on their own.
He paused in the middle of the darkness.
"Will I kill without hesitation again…?Will I turn into something uncontrollable?"
But suddenly… he remembered the Elder's face when he called him "my son."
He remembered the children running through the village without fear.He remembered his dream:
A clan where no one is ever left alone.
He closed his eyes and whispered:
"If I must use blood to build a better future… then I'll use it.But I will not let blood use me."
Then he opened his eyes.
They glowed—sharp, determined—filled with a resolve he had never possessed before.
"I will master the Devil Claws.I will strengthen my spiritual root.I will build my clan… no matter the price."
Then he stepped forward into the shadows…
As if the mountain itself had opened its jaws to swallow him.