Chapter 71: The path of the miserable is always filled with good intentions (3).
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Thousand Poison Swamp, Flying Snake Village .
[ I am Arthur Azad, I leave you my last will, persevere and struggle, never despair ]
[ I believe that those who give up their freedom are destined for permanent misery. We remain with our beliefs, no matter how we change. We are free in our hearts, no matter the cost. The pursuit of freedom is our goal .]
The leader of this generation of the Flying Serpent Tribe, Atheus Hamaraty, who was reading the last pages of the ancestral records, sat in a dark, strangely shaped hall .
Although it was pitch black, crimson patterns lit up the place .
[ Red, Moon, Sacrifice, Perseverance, Ruin, Return, A Thousand Years Ago, Rise of Ancient Dreams, Revolution, Oldest Twilight, Cemetery, Dead, Alive, Annihilation ]
Countless words were engraved in the dark hall .
Written on the roof, on the walls, the floor, some words were tied with shiny purple threads, some words were jumbled and incomprehensible .
In the midst of all this, a middle-aged snake sat quietly, around the circular rock he sat on, a crimson-colored pool was present .
It's a pool of blood .
Boil, boil, boil !
A strange sound came from inside the pool as if blood was burning .
There were no bones in the pool of blood .
Instead, they were freshly dead human corpses .
The head of an infant was floating, there were no eyes in the sockets, but the eyes looked as if they were questioning the sitting snake .
" The bodies of children recently killed by their parents, crushed bones scattered in a pool of blood, 100 faint poison egos …"
The middle-aged snake's expression didn't change, instead he began to recall the almost-completed ego formation .
"… a child between five and ten days old, alive, was bathed in the blood of his relatives for two-thirds of an afternoon and two-quarters of a night, and was assured of his survival, before the essence of his blood was absorbed and he was given a final bath. "
There was the body of a barely breathing infant in front of the middle-aged snake, the child's body was strangely red .
Despite the grief, his body is still alive, due to his unique body structure and of course the exceptional care the baby received .
The nose was oddly split, the baby's underdeveloped fingers were overlapping and soft as if their bones had been pulled out .
The red words were clearly engraved on the infant's body: Birth, Hope, Despair .
Serpent Atheus extended his finger as it was enveloped in essence energy, that condensation extending across his finger like a small knife .
Swoosh ~
With a wave of his hand, the baby's stomach was smoothly cut in half .
The expected explosion of organs and spurting of blood did not happen, instead the child's body glowed with a red light mixed with ethereal white .
" Success," Atheus wiped his forehead as he thought to himself .
Athos's body, crouching in front of the child, was radiating a shiny, thread-like glow, the overlay of threads slowly condensing towards him .
Peel !
The baby's skin was peeling off his body, in very thin layers, layer after layer .
Atheus took out an Ego that was a snake skull shaped like a pink and black color .
This was the wretched cry Ego, the function of this ego is to filter the negative emotions in the victim's mind into a physical form .
This mass of material emotions was called Gyu, and Gyu was a very valuable substance .
Jealousy is a combination of will, emotion and desire, which can be either negative or positive .
Gyu could be used as a bomb in wars, and was also a valuable material in refining ego and nameless weapons, not to mention the use of Gyu in mental attacks and defense against those attacks .
This ego, which ruthlessly extracted negative Gyu, was consumable, disappearing after only two uses .
Once upon absorption, and once upon extraction .
The drawback of this ego was that it killed the victim's brain after it was used against them .
Also, the victim must not have an ounce of hatred towards the user and must not reject him, not to mention other conditions .
How Athos managed to inject hatred into this child's body was a mystery .
With the ego activated, the skull lit up and became ghostly, as if it was about to disappear .
Then, the ghostly skull entered the infant's body .
The baby's sloughed skin began to quickly enter his split belly button, as if his belly was swallowing his body .
Kyaaaa —!!!!
A miserable scream rang out across the place, the child's body shaking as if he was struggling, and he could express it no more than by screaming .
His open mouth was cracking and blood was spurting out of it and then entering his stomach .
The corpse was merging into the pool of blood, glowing with an ominous crimson light .
A strange black mass emerged from the child's body. The black mass was pulsating little by little, before it was sucked into the skull .
The negative energy has successfully entered the ego, all that remains is to purify the body …
What was happening was simply terrifying !
" One step left …"
Despite this sight, Athos's heart was like a calm sea, and there were no ripples in his emotions .
Above his body, there was a glyph floating in the air .
That was a man, or rather, a man whose body exuded a majestic flame .
There was an incomparable reverence, awe, and obsession in Atheus's eyes as he looked at the smiling avatar .
" Just a little more and our glory will return, a little more and we will return to our roots, even at the cost of sacrifices, it is for the future! Just a little more …"
Baaaaam! Baaaam !
Boom —!!!
The hall suddenly started shaking !
cough !
As his focus was distracted for a moment, the child's blood-sucking body suddenly exploded violently !
The Ego Formation construction process failed miserably !
Cough! Cough! Cough !
Atheus had a violent reaction, spitting out blood from his mouth and feeling that his internal organs were severely damaged .
" No ! "
Undeterred by his injuries, Atheus focused his efforts on suppressing the collapse of the incomplete Ego Formation .
The stagnation misfortune Ego !
A golden bell in the shape of a mountain with the face of a peaceful whale in the middle floated in the air, illuminating the environment with a shining gold color .
The ego made a ringing sound as the essence energy was pumped into it .
Swoosh ~
A strange golden wave surrounded the hall .
The ringing sound didn't stop, and with each ring the wave was amplified .
Red, purple, gold …
The wonderful combination of colors made the environment illuminate Athos's purple scales, threads extended and connected his body to all the hall's patterns .
The tremors and crashes that were supposed to happen stopped, as if time had completely frozen .
" Good… the wretched cry Ego, come !"
Atheus quickly took out the ghost skull and then refined it before placing it into the core of the essence .
Naturally, he wasn't willing to focus on forming the Ego if he didn't put his precautions in place, which was the biggest reason why he was so quick to suppress the collapse of the place .
" Damn, the Blood Fusion Ego has been lost! Even 10 other Egos on the First Moon have been lost! Damn you! Cough !"
Atheus felt his heart bleed from the losses, he cursed angrily before coughing up blood again .
Of course, it didn't come without losses, he lost The second moon Ego, the Blood Fusion, this loss was heartbreaking .
Not to mention the cost of creating 10 more Egos, even if they were just the first Moon Egos, the cost was prohibitive .
Losing this ego had caused Atheus to react violently, but with a level three moon, such injuries were bearable .
Fortunately, the core ego of this formation was unharmed .
This was one of the drawbacks of introducing ego into the formations .
The defensive state surrounding the ego, which is the owner's will protecting the ego, was an obstacle when the formation was activated .
To avoid increasing the failure rate, it was necessary to remove the halo surrounding the ego .
This made them vulnerable to easy destruction .
Keeping part of his consciousness on the ego activation, he began to heal himself while analyzing the situation .
" What's going on! Who! Who dares to attack! To break through the pink dreams fog, even the effect of his attack has reached the Ancestor Hall, either he's a powerful enemy or there are traitors !"
" If not, perhaps it's a joint attack from the other tribes… But with the large-scale recruitment of the Storm and Lightning Wolf Tribe, there are no benefits in starting a conflict now. Is it a coup? Never mind, you'll die at my hands !"
It had only been a few breaths, but he was already thinking about the situation comprehensively .
As the tremors stopped, Atheus left the Ancestral Hall after quickly activating its defense .
" I must know the enemy first, then crush them !"
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Just before the explosion .
Outside the borders of the Flying Snake Tribe village .
A young man with long black hair tied back was staring into the fog in front of him, one of his bright apricot-colored eyes glowing yellow .
Behind a pink mist that smelled like plum blossoms, the vague shape of a village could be seen .
In the sky this night, the moon had a barely noticeable red hue, the sound of the trees rustling could be heard amidst the silence .
Lloyd stood on top of one of the strange trees. Instead of branches and leaves, the trees had bony arms and skulls that held them up .
This was the dying fool tree.
Before it matured, this tree took on the shape of its natural environment for camouflage .
When someone rests next to it, they become distracted and their thoughts become scattered before they are swallowed up .
The tree was weak before it swallowed enough prey, but when it matured, it became this majestic form .
It wasn't just this tree that was there, the whole forest was strangely shaped and dangerous .
Lloyd used his detection Ego to bypass the illusion of the defensive formation in front of him .
The Pink Dream Fog, this formation was an illusion formation that confuses the brain's function making it unconscious, causing it to fall into a state of soothing fantasies, dulling its senses .
The formation force is at the peak of the second level .
This was the reason why the dying Fool's trees were not exterminated, the gas from these trees was the fuel that fueled the formation of the fog .
Lloyd had no difficulty expanding his scope of detection in the face of such a formation .
Behind him, Selena stood, carefully observing the environment .
The tree below them was dead, so there was no danger in standing on it .
Her usually gentle gaze was now replaced by a cold stare .
How long have they been here exactly ?
There was no way to be sure, fight, kill, struggle, fight and kill, the feeling of killing creatures with such abundant emotion was very uncomfortable .
How does she know, how can she be sure that those monsters aren't really evil ?
That's because her family members were dealing with monsters, they were, at least .
With a background like this, Selena had a deep understanding of monsters, and with her keen senses, it was easy for her to recognize the emotions of the creatures around her .
Everyone in this world has abundant emotions, and there has never been a creature without emotion .
If Lloyd and Selena's attack had been viewed as an invasion, it would have been easier on the heart, but no, for these enslaved monsters they were a means of eternal rest .
As they got deeper into the fight, Selena's heart was growing colder and colder, and without her noticing, she was developing an involuntary hatred towards the perpetrators .
Now, in front of their village, were cruel snakes who knew no mercy, snakes who despised everyone and loved only themselves .
Selena started touching the side of her neck while suppressing her anger .
" Calm down, Selena ."
In front of her, Lloyd was speaking in a neutral tone, his voice devoid of emotion, his previous anger drifting away like a mirage .
" This is not a game. On the battlefield, the first to die are those who get carried away by their emotions ."
His cheerful and polite attitude is no longer there .
Lloyd gripped his spear lightly, that familiar feeling. Had it been three years since that? Or much longer ?
A heartbreaking sight and the smell of blood. On the battlefield you can trust no one but yourself. The only justice in battles is strength .
Kill or be killed, prey or be preyed upon, destroy or be destroyed !
Lloyd closed his eyes, remembering Leon's words .
- Lloyd, don't pity them, don't wish them salvation, kill them all, and bring back our brothers, those damned lizards have done what can never be forgiven .
- Whatever their suffering or reasons, even if we find their intentions good, let their fate be destruction, because their actions have caused nothing but destruction and chaos .
Selena watched Lloyd's back without intending to move her eyes .
This boy who was her age, just how much weight exactly was on his shoulders, for him to exude such tremendous killing intent ?
The wind pressure around him wasn't intense, but the danger refused to go away .
Somehow, his calm rubbed off on her, and Selena found herself becoming more rational and calm in turn .
She grabbed her bow and prepared to attack.
Selena had never killed anyone before, and this whole experience was uncomfortable for her, but she wasn't about to hesitate .
Since she chose the path of ascension towards her dreams, there was no room for things like "fear" or "hesitation" on this path .
Her aura, her essence energy, her very presence, everything became completely silent .
The feeling was unfamiliar, if someone stood in front of her, they would definitely see her, but they wouldn't feel that she was there at all .
On this night, she was determined to commit her first murder since birth .
Her mental state and inner conflict were evident to Lloyd, and he could only express his emotions in simple words .
" Yes, exactly like that, this determination is already enough. "
but .
Not the right time yet .
Clack
A clicking sound like fingers rang through Selena's mind in an instant .
… What ?
A feeling of lethargy quickly overwhelmed her mind, and immediately, Selena lost consciousness .
Swoosh !
Her body fell, but a pure white mist suddenly appeared, and within that mist a human figure appeared and gently grabbed the unconscious girl .
"… Sahyung, you've arrived ."
" young Master -"
" Lloyd, just Lloyd, we are about to enter the battle, no need for formalities. "
" Yes, Little Lloyd, the Fog Hall surrounds the village on all sides, the invasion range in the swamp is about to be cleared, only extermination remains, even the general justification is there. "
" Is everyone okay? Is there a chance of outside forces interfering ?"
" Everyone is fine, the entire area is protected, any outside interference will be annihilated, no one is strong enough against us, unless it is the academy director himself "
" Well, then …"
Lloyd stared at the village, his expression impassive, even his usually polite voice was absent .
" Tell me, Sahyung. "
" What I see before my eyes now, did my brothers endure this all these years ?"
The wind pressure around him was getting more intense, and killing intent was violently forming around him .
"I can't deny that it's true …" the White Mask Ghost replied as he stared at the village.
"… So, is there any way to save them ?"
"… people in the surrounding villages were given painkillers to relieve pain and fear. The pills were addictive. Not taking them made the repressed pain come back, making them more sensitive. "
Then after giving them the pills, they are forced to undergo an awakening ceremony. Those who fail are given extra doses and left for long periods without the pills, which builds up negative emotions .
Without stopping the doses completely, what happens?
A state of madness and obsession .
That obsession is exploited by the Flying Snakes, and the Prisoner Lock Ego is used to enslave them with fewer resources and double the effect, making them crazy and following orders .
The once Who didn't fall into madness ?
Their bodies became subject to experiments below the village .
" I… I couldn't do anything… My little brothers, I couldn't do anything… I …"
I'm sorry .
Closing his eyes, Chun Hyung Moon couldn't help but squeeze out the words with difficulty .
Heartbreaking, that's the only explanation .
Behind the barrier of this pink mist were happy faces, happy faces of snakes playing and laughing, as they watched the performances unfold around them in the village .
Adults and children laughed among themselves .
But... what exactly were they seeing ?
People move in a strange way .
To be precise, they were thin-bodied humans pouncing on something, and that something was a corpse .
Yes, they were attacking small corpses like mindless beasts .
When Hyung Moon expanded his scope of detection, he saw that those bodies were human children, most definitely human children .
These snakes were actually laughing at the sight of humans eating their children .
Not only that, some hunted adult humans as if it were game, some manipulated their bodies and made them into chairs .
Those who weren't crazy were tied up tightly, crying and screaming, as they watched their relatives, friends and loved ones die in the most gruesome ways .
- Brother! Brother! No! No! No! No! Hahaha! Waaaaah !!
- Aaaaah! I will kill you… I will kill you! I will kill you !
- Kill me… please… just kill me… I don't want to watch anymore …
- They ate my brother… Hahaha! Hahaha! My brother was eaten! Wahahahaha !!
Madness, sadness, brokenness, that's all there is to it .
Those people who died were killed in the most horrific ways, and those who remained alive became insane .
Even Hyung Moon, who had always been cool-headed, felt his heart turning cold .
As the scope of detection expanded, he could hear screams of grief, anger, and misery .
Seeing this, a sense of responsibility and guilt surged through his emotions .
Why didn't he know about this sooner...why ...
Even with their rising power, they didn't find out about this tyranny sooner ?
Even if he knew that interfering before might cause an even greater disaster, even if he knew that he couldn't do much in that turbulent situation, he couldn't help but feel a burden in his heart !
" Don't apologize, don't blame yourself, don't even think about taking responsibility alone ."
We are in this together .
" If this is the kind of place my family home has become, I won't back down, Sahyung, let's begin. "
Lloyd walked forward slowly .
Standing in front of the pink mist, such a weak formation didn't affect him .
Patience, patience and more patience, since when did he suppress these emotions ?
It wasn't just the Red Meadow disaster that made him lose his family .
Even the members of the community who took shelter on this island suffered .
Maybe...they were the ones who suffered the most .
" Just one last question… Is… is what Leon said about the flying snake children true ?"
"… The origin of the flying snakes is actually the flame birds. 300 years ago, they disappeared with many victims. Their remains fled to this island, but they became strange snakes in their actions and state. "
After extensive research, we learned that they had been experimented on, and were simply a failed experiment with an unknown purpose .
" These snakes value their freedom above all else, but their desire for freedom stems from a desire to make others suffer. Contrary to their original origin, from birth the flying snake is emotionally distorted. "
It is revealed that their transformation into what they are now is due to a high saturation of negative Gyu, which has become part of their bloodline .
Even children who don't go astray are raised with this mentality so that the village remains united .
Even as he continued to speak in an unemotional voice, Hyung Moon had difficulty maintaining his composure .
"… that's all "
Lloyd closed his eyes .
I was patient, I was patient, I was patient, and now ...
I have no more patience !
" I'm sorry, you've endured so much, Sahyung, the sect elders, but… not anymore. "
" It's time to make them suffer. "
Lloyd grabbed his spear, there was no need to even use any martial arts .
Pumping power into his arm muscles, he swung the spear like a tyrant .
Swoosh —!!
The wind blade imbued with Lloyd's aura flew out and easily cut through the pink dream Fog .
The guards in front of the village were staring around boredly, before a breeze passed through their bodies, and without a moment of resistance, they died .
Baaaam —!!
The wind blade hit the village and shattered the walls surrounding the place .
Just one wave .
This single wave was enough to shatter the illusion formation and defensive walls, not to mention killing the guards .
What 's going on ?!
" Attack! There is an attack !!"
" Mom! Waaah! Mom don't leave me !"
The flying snakes were alerted, the villagers were running, the children were crying, and chaos spread immediately .
Hyung Moon suddenly expanded the white mist in the area, its scope covering the entire area of the large village !
The sleeping girl suddenly disappeared like a mirage, worrying about her now was unnecessary .
Hyung Moon's eyes flashed, before he ordered, "Come out, my soldiers ."
Immediately, numerous black shadows emerged, surrounding the village .
Arrows, spears, swords, air warriors, healers, puppeteers, shapeshifters, defenders and attackers .
This was an army destined for total annihilation .
" kill "
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh !
With that one word, the massacre began .
Only Lloyd was walking towards the village quietly, not making a sound .
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam !
" Kyaa! Help me !"
" Don't run away, brave ones! They're trying to confuse us !"
" There is an attack on the east side! Go east !"
" There are threads surrounding the southern region !"
" Damn it! The West is so heavily surrounded by enemies! Even the air is covered in enemies! We can't fly like this !"
" Who are you- ah !"
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang !
The Fog Hall's support personnel were surrounding the four outer sides of the village, and the main unit had already raided .
Seven thousand or more, this huge number surrounded the entire Thousand Poison Swamp, not to mention the flying snakes, even if the swamp united to escape they would not be able to .
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam !
This battle, was not like the situation in the small mountain or the Black Crescent City, you only have to slaughter the enemy and leave some troops there .
But here, no one should be kept alive .
No one at all, there was no room for error or mercy .
The commander of Unit 5, Chun Yu-chan, was moving around holding on to steel threads .
[ the Second Moon Ego, The Fifth Star: Threads of Victim's Torment, Poison Fog, The Red Night ]
[ Mist Moon Rise: The Second Star ]
[ Bloody Night Fog !]
Above the southern region, the sky turned blood red, steel-black threads flying across the sky .
The fog mixed with the sky, making everything red .
Flying snakes were resistant to venom in most cases, but they were not immune to all of them .
" What is this - "
" Attack! Don't panic !"
" Kill! Kill! Kill !"
Some tried to move, but the poison fog made their resistance weaker, and those who couldn't endure died instantly .
" Hmph! I will kill you !"
One of the strongmen immediately shouted .
A young, massive snake was valiantly charging towards the source of the fog .
But that was not helpful .
Black steel threads surrounded the place, connecting to the buildings and everywhere .
Swoosh! Swoosh !
Yu-chan stood on top of a rather large hut, his long black hair swaying strangely, mingling with the fog, his hands stretched out in the air .
Hands tangled with steel threads, the enemy was trapped .
His eyes gleamed coldly as the threads surrounded them .
" genocide "
In an instant, steel threads fell from the sky like rain .
Quack! Quack! Quack !
" Aaaah -!!!"
" No! No! No! No- "
" Help! This hurts! It hurts! It hurts !!"
" I won't die alone !"
The snakes tried to fly towards the sky, but the bodies of those who tried were torn apart .
Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack !
Everything the steel threads touched was cut and melted instantly, there was no more room for resistance .
Neither defensive ego nor escape works .
Only blood flies with the severed bodies .
The southern area was the supply ground and the storehouse of provisions .
Screaming, swearing, trying to cheer up, crying .
And in the end, everything was silent .
Chun Yu Chan calmly walked through the dismembered corpses, the red color of the sky disappeared and darkness returned to the place .
The smell of blood spread, with every step, mutilated bodies were trampled .
Quack !
Chun Yu Chan didn't stop, he was silently advancing towards more enemies and killing them .
In the East
" Humph! Don't think you're stronger than us !"
[ The Second Moon Ego, the Fifth Star: Cobra Dragon Gloves !]
Kwaaang !
A fist filled with Violet Poison Qi smashed into one of the metal shields in the east, the giant shield instantly melting .
The aggressor was an old snake, one of the highest leaders in the tribe .
" … weak "
The person behind the shield didn't care about the shape of his shield, he spoke coldly and quickly retreated .
[ The Third Moon Ego, First Star: The Fog Sword, Metal Rain Wings, Faint Moon Mist ]
[ Mist Moon Rise: The Second Star ]
The snake felt danger and tried to attack immediately .
" it's too late "
The third unit commander laughed softly and jumped towards the sky .
Martial arts had three types: fusion of bloodline ability and ego, composite style, and domain realm .
The fusion of bloodline and ego power was a fighting technique used by the First Moon Warriors, and it required time and effort to do, but as long as the martial art existed, it could be learned .
The compound technique was difficult and required more essence energy, so only the 2nd Moon and above could master it, excluding geniuses .
When one reaches the third moon, they have the opportunity to reach the domain realm, anyone who reaches that realm becomes extremely powerful .
The Domain Realm was the true step to becoming a mighty power, and that realm had its own levels .
No one had a chance against those who used the Domain except their peers of the same ability .
Third Unit Commander Chun Yu Hajin was an existence that the snakes couldn't handle .
So …
This wasn't a battle they could win at all .
[ King's Domain: Knight of the Mist ]
White clouds shone like the moon covering the area .
Kwang! Kwang! Clack !
The sounds of metal clashing rose above everyone .
"… what is this that I see …"
" Oh, my God … "
" It's… the end …"
Everyone was stunned, staring at the clouds as if disaster was coming .
The sound of the sky roaring was terrifying, and the person floating with his shining wings was no less frightening .
If one looked clearly, one would see silver swords floating in the air .
And those swords were directed towards the village and everything in it .
All snakes must be exterminated .
" Run! Run! We won't survive by fighting! Be careful, everyone !"
One of the clan elders quickly flew away, making up an excuse like this to escape with his life .
No one hesitated, everyone ran away .
But unfortunately .
Escape was never an option .
While wearing knight armor, mist was shimmering around his body, the sword in his arm was ethereal .
Yu Hajin raised his hand into the sky, the sword aimed towards the brilliant sky .
quietly, slowly, and lightly …
Swoosh ~
" Fall "
Simultaneously with the single word, the sword was waved downwards .
Snakes in the eastern region felt time suddenly slow down .
The feeling was unpleasant, as if the shadows of death were surrounding them .
then …
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! Kwaaang !!
The swords fell at an unnoticeable speed .
" Aaaah !!"
" Craaaagh !"
" Please! I don't want to die! I don't want to die- "
Some of them could activate their shield to its maximum, some covered themselves with their auras, some used their maximum speed .
However, it did nothing to help .
Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! Kwang !
The sound of raining swords drowned out their miserable screams .
Bam! Bam! Bam !
Buildings were destroyed and in ruins, blood was etched into the soil like raindrops, and bodies where swords had been thrust were cold .
Their expressions were unwilling, as if the vestiges of their recent lives didn't want to accept reality .
" I hope… this will make up for my shortcomings… Sahyung. "
Yu Hajin flapped his metallic wings and left the eastern region, there was no need to see any further .
It would have been easy for him to expand his reach and wipe out the entire village if he wanted, but that wasn't his revenge .
This was their revenge, all of them .
North
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam !
While humans battled snakes, a young boy walked alone quietly, as if the noise didn't affect him .
Step by step, neither accelerating nor slowing down .
" Hehe! Look at this, if I'm going to die anyway, I'll kill you first !"
One of the snakes was holding a poisoned spear, when it saw the young boy walking as if he was unaware of his surroundings, it immediately flew towards him at a very high speed .
He pumped all of his essence energy into his weapon, The Poison Spear Ego, and then with a slash, he directed the strike towards the boy .
Swoosh !
The boy's body was cut in half .
At least, that's what this snake thought .
" … What ? "
Somehow, he could see the bright night sky moving .
He didn't feel the weight of his body, and things were moving very slowly .
His vision was blurry, and he felt detached from reality .
The feeling is unfamiliar, he has never tasted it before .
"… Ahhh right, that's it, didn't mom say before about that's, what … death feels like ?"
The feeling that everything is clear, but blurry, a feeling that words can never explain .
The severed head fell to the bloody soil, its open eyes staring towards the sky .
" This feeling… isn't bad. "
The color of his eyes disappeared from the view of the sky, forever .
Lloyd didn't look at the dead snake at all, he just walked forward .
Everyone who came near him died without understanding anything .
After this happened more than once, the hustle and bustle of the battlefield gradually became less and less intense, and the fighting immediately subsided .
Was it the overwhelming aura emanating from him, or the heavy killing intent ?
A weight as immense as mountains made everyone stand, silent, in awe .
" S-Stop - "
Swoosh ~
One of the elders of the clan tried to intercept Lloyd, and before he could do anything, the wind passed through his neck .
Without surprise, his head fell like those before him .
There was no longer any intention of resistance in his heart, this sight of instant killing was not brutal, it was not destructive or hateful .
But that made it even more terrifying .
Can a person have such dead eyes ?
What kind of killing intent is this, To be issued by this young boy ?
Step, step, step …
No … don't come near !
Bodies didn't obey orders, just standing required tremendous strength, let alone moving .
As he walked towards them, they tried to retreat, but their feet were planted on the ground like mountains .
Tak, tak, tak .
Everyone who heard the boy's footsteps nearby, without realizing it, made way for him .
An entire legion of snakes that were protecting the Clan Chief's Hall with their lives, were laying out an open path for the boy who walked by .
When he arrived in front of the hall, Lloyd opened his mouth .
" Leave no one behind, no one at all. "
With those words, the swords were directed towards the hearts of the snakes once again .
Lloyd entered the hall, sensing no one's presence .
Their leader has escaped... but it doesn't matter .
" Just wait and wash your neck, because you'll catch up with them too ."
Lloyd's eyes went down, his fist went towards the ground and then …
Baaam —!
The floor of the hall was shattered by the force of his arm alone !
A hole formed in the middle of the clan chief's hall, Lloyd floated down, where what he was looking for was .
a cage
It was a huge cage, as if it housed some kind of monster inside .
But in reality .
What existed was only a handful of people .
" … no "
When Lloyd saw what was inside, he had the urge to vomit .
The smell of poisons and medicines was mixed with blood, the metal chains were jagged, human bodies were cruelly chained across those chains .
The skin became swollen, the blood stains turned purple from being saturated with poison, the body was stitched from the severity of the wounds .
The color of the body was green, as if they had turned into zombies .
Clack! Clack !
When they saw the human in this place, they ran towards him to tear him apart, but the chains stopped them .
"… Aaah "
A pitiful sound came out of Lloyd's mouth .
" No… no… ahhh "
The young boy extended his hand, but it was trembling, as if he was afraid of something .
Clack! Clack! Clack !
The entire cell shook under indescribable pressure .
The heart bleeds since then, it has not healed, it has never healed with the passage of time, it has only been able to suppress the emotions .
After seeing the condition of his older brothers from the sect... that wound opened up again .
klaaaack !
The restrictions on these zombies' bodies broke, and without thinking, they immediately attacked towards the human .
" Ghraaaak !"
" Keekeek !"
Inhuman voices came out of what were supposed to be their mouths .
If it weren't for the black uniform covered in blood, he wouldn't have been able to identify them .
A red dragon emblem, with the word Unrestricted next to it, this was undoubtedly their sect's uniform .
"… I'm sorry…it's my fault…if we hadn't lost that battle …"
You should never have to go through that pain .
Under the onslaught of these zombies, who were now nothing but shadows of their former selves, Lloyd only lowered his opinion .
Bam !
The claw of one of those zombies slammed into Lloyd's face, but he didn't dodge it .
Bam! Bam! Bam !
The zombies surrounded him and attacked him forcefully, but he just kept receiving, without any intention of responding .
He gritted his teeth in anger .
This is weak …
" Is that all? Sahyung is much stronger than this, hit! What's wrong with you, hit !"
It's impossible for Sahyung's strikes to be this weak !
His brothers who endured all that suffering, just what happened to them ?
Lloyd didn't understand their pain, and he didn't try to pretend to understand .
" Teacher… if only I had been stronger back then …"
He bit his lip until it bled .
All the time, he was smiling and laughing, but the emptiness in his heart... How could he reveal it to others so easily ?
Even if Selena was someone dear to him, it wasn't something he would simply reveal to anyone .
Bam… bam… bam …
The previous attacks suddenly became lighter .
Lloyd, who was receiving the beating, easily noticed this, and when he opened his closed eyes, his anger reached a point where it could no longer be expressed .
These humans, who were no longer humans, stopped their attacks .
The brutal, hungry expressions are no longer there .
" Kayyy ?"
" Ghraaaak …"
Those distorted faces painted an unbelievable expression .
It was sloppy, the expression was simply funny to see them trying to do it .
But it was definitely clear .
Those faces put a smile on their face .
" Crack… Sa… Sa… Sagil "
Unclear sounds entered his ears .
- Little Lloyd, do you know that we are planning to settle on Moon Island and make our headquarters there? I left my students in Cairo, those two brats, if you come across them one day, take care of them .
- I wanted to stay, but we have our mission too, don't lose, you must come so we can celebrate together !
The word that came out of someone's mouth, the memories that crossed his eyes, that was like the straw that broke the camel's back .
"… Sahyung…Chun Ji Hyuk Sahyung …"
Aaaah... aaaah... aaaah
Lloyd's shoulders slumped, the boy suddenly looked very small, his head was down, his eyes were blurry and he couldn't see .
I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm ...
The place shook so much .
He knew .
His brothers are no longer alive .
This gesture shown by these zombies was nothing more than the remnants of the will within their core essence, it could be considered the remnants of their resilient memories .
Inside the cage, there were words written in blood .
Words written countless times, as if to affirm the unbreakable will of the people .
[ Even though I am bound here, even though I may die here, my heart is always with my family, not just a few years, even if I stayed here for a thousand years for their sake, I would always accept with pleasure ]
After enduring and not submitting to the bitter end, they instilled their last strength to keep their memories alive in the body even if they died .
The zombies came forward and hugged the boy's trembling body .
After they grabbed him, his body trembled even more .
At this moment, Lloyd cried for his brothers .
" Aaaaaahh—!! "
A cry of grief and sorrow came out of his mouth .
A violent wind rose and shattered the entire clan chief's hall !
Baaaam —!!!
Outside the hall, everything was silent .
Hyung Moon stood on the outskirts of the western area of the village, holding Atheus's head, as he stared at the collapsing hall .
Not only him, all the members of the Fog Hall were staring at the same spot .
More precisely, they stare at a person walking .
A young boy walks carrying the bodies of people who weren't people .
Their bodies were bigger than his, but he carried them easily .
Everyone stood up as their bodies trembled upon seeing this .
Some bit their lips, some cried silently, some engraved what they saw on their hearts .
Sadness and regret... they were reminded of that feeling again .
Why did they fight and become stronger... Why were they willing to fight the world ?
The reason why they endured the pain in silence for so long .
The reason was clear to them .
The flying snakes were exterminated, the victims made to close their eyes to the world with minimal pain and utmost respect .
But...there was no sense of accomplishment or joy .
This was just the beginning .
"… let's go…our work isn't done yet "
Holding the bodies of his older brothers, Lloyd walked out of what had once been a village .
Yes...this was just the beginning .
Because in the near future .
They will make them suffer more .
Much more than they can imagine .