Xiao Xuan had never felt so useless.
The mission had been simple enough—escort a group of outer disciples to a minor beast forest to gather spirit grass. The kind of routine job that any sect member could handle. But to Xiao Xuan, it felt like his last chance to prove himself. The problem was, he wasn't proving anything.
He had been assigned to carry supplies, walking behind the group of younger disciples, their eyes casting occasional glances at him. They didn't speak to him, not unless they had to. His lack of cultivation made him invisible to them. He was nothing more than a servant in their eyes.
The forest they were heading toward wasn't particularly dangerous, at least not for anyone with actual cultivation, but it still posed a threat to the unprepared. Xiao Xuan kept his head down, trying to avoid drawing attention. The heavy sack of supplies slung over his shoulder was a reminder of his place—just another burden to bear.
As they neared the forest's edge, a sudden rustle in the underbrush snapped Xiao Xuan out of his thoughts. He instinctively stopped in his tracks, eyes scanning the shadows beneath the trees. The other disciples didn't notice, focused on their task. But Xiao Xuan felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Something was wrong.
Before he could voice a warning, a low growl echoed through the clearing. The ground trembled as a large beast—its fur matted and claws gleaming—charged from the forest's depths. It was a Black Fang Boar, an aggressive spirit beast capable of tearing through steel with its tusks.
"Move!" someone shouted.
The disciples scattered, their cultivation quickly taking effect as they darted out of harm's way. But Xiao Xuan... Xiao Xuan was stuck in place, frozen with fear. His lack of cultivation meant that he had no way to defend himself, no way to even move fast enough to escape.
The boar's eyes locked onto him, its body rippling with primal fury. Before he could even think, it was charging straight at him.
Time slowed.
Xiao Xuan's breath hitched, panic surging through him as the massive beast bore down on him. His legs refused to move, his body locked in place, and his mind screamed in terror. He could feel the weight of his failure pressing on him—the realization that he had no power to protect himself. His only worth was the labor he performed. It wasn't enough.
The boar's tusks glinted in the sunlight, sharp and deadly. He was going to die. Just like that, in a forest, far from anyone who cared.
Then something shifted.
A surge of energy—unnatural and foreign—shot through his body. His blood burned, his muscles screamed, and something deep within him awakened. He didn't understand it, didn't know what was happening, but suddenly, his limbs were moving. Not of their own accord, but with a force he had never felt before.
He sidestepped just as the boar's tusks skimmed past him, a hairsbreadth away from ending his life. His hand shot out, grabbing a nearby branch as the boar turned to face him again.
The boar snorted in fury, turning quickly, its massive body twisting to charge once more. But this time, Xiao Xuan was ready. He planted his feet, summoning every ounce of strength he could muster, and swung the branch at the beast's face.
It connected.
The boar recoiled with a squeal of pain, and for a split second, Xiao Xuan felt a surge of power. It was like something deep within his body had woken, a part of him that he had never known. But just as quickly, the feeling faded, leaving him trembling and weak.
The boar charged again, more furious than before. The disciples were nowhere to be seen—they had fled, leaving him to face the beast alone.
No.
He wasn't going to die here. Not like this.
He could feel the tingling in his limbs, the remnants of that strange surge of power. His body ached, but it didn't matter. He had to survive. He had to fight.
The boar came at him again, but this time, Xiao Xuan was ready. He sidestepped once more, narrowly avoiding the tusks, but this time, he didn't hesitate. With every ounce of his will, he swung the branch with all the strength he could muster, landing a brutal blow to the boar's skull.
The beast stumbled back, dazed. Xiao Xuan didn't stop. He closed the distance between them, using the momentum of his swing to strike again, harder this time. The boar's howl was cut off as the branch cracked across its skull.
With a final grunt, the Black Fang Boar fell to the ground, motionless.
Xiao Xuan stood over the beast, chest heaving, sweat beading on his forehead. His body trembled, every muscle sore and burning. He had done it. He had survived.
But his heart was still pounding in his chest, and his mind was racing. What had happened? Where had that surge of power come from? And why had he been able to strike the boar with such force?
He didn't know. All he knew was that for the first time since coming to this world, he had been able to protect himself. For the first time, he had felt something other than helplessness.
The disciples returned moments later, their faces pale at the sight of the dead boar.
"Deadroot?" one of them asked in disbelief. "You… you killed it?"
Xiao Xuan didn't answer. He didn't need to. They could see it for themselves.
He had proven something today—not to them, but to himself. He wasn't as powerless as they thought. And for the first time, he could feel it deep in his bones. He was changing.
And he was going to make sure the world knew it.