Chapter 69: The path of the wretched is always paved with good intentions (1)

Chapter 69: The path of the wretched is always paved with good intentions (1).

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Once upon a time, many years ago, there was a young boy.

The boy was not strong, unlike his peers, and he did not possess the talent or ability to showcase his gifts.

The boy was not loved; in the world of the jungle, the weak were despised.

At the end of the dark tunnel, there is always light.

He lived his life while denying this saying.

"Even though you are my son by blood, I see no sign of it in you... Gunnar, you are pathetic."

"Most likely, just as you have lived until now, that truth will not change. I will not kill you; this is my only mercy to you as your father."

Cold eyes and deep disappointment.

Gunnar had grown accustomed to this since he was young; now he felt nothing.

He met his father's eyes without any particular emotion.

"No matter what happens to you from now on, it is up to you."

"Your words, tribe leader, mean that I can do as I wish?"

He did not focus on whether his father meant it or not; he simply tried to analyze the words.

"Interpret this as you wish. Go now; this is our last special meeting. Do you have any final words for me?"

The boy remained silent.

When the sister died and the mother committed suicide, something was lost.

He did not know what was lost, nor did he intend to know.

"Nothing. Thank you for your words, esteemed tribe leader."

His father remained expressionless for a long time, watching him without speaking.

"Well, you can leave."

He exited the place quietly.

After years passed, he struggled to find strength; this caused him trouble, but he solved those troubles without complaint.

Gunnar sat next to two graves.

His calm eyes gazed at the bright stars of the night.

"O mother, O sister, this little one here has become the young tribe leader; I should be happy, shouldn't I?"

But why...

"Why does this success taste bitter?"

The gravestones were in a modest place; there was only a strangely shaped tree in this location.

Gunnar held a bottle of water and poured drops on the graves.

The dust that had gathered on the graves vanished when it touched the water, as if the shabby form had been an illusion, and the shine of the stone returned to its former glory.

From where he saw the place as dirty, perhaps the last visit he made to the place was a long time ago.

He wanted to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

He made many bitter choices.

When a person is not strong, they must choose all along the way.

Whether those choices are the cause of success or failure depends on the person.

In the end...

There was no light.

With the naive thought that one who sacrifices others will not suffer, he did everything he could.

Sacrificing others, sacrificing memories, sacrificing oneself.

What was left to look forward to?

He had become the clan leader, yes, there was no doubt about that.

But what was at the end of the horizon?

Power? Authority? Or perhaps responsibility?

Nothing.

Nothing remained.

As the moonlight illuminated the place, the shadow of the tree fell on the silent body of Gunnar.

"Not yet."

After standing still for a long time, the young Gunnar stubbornly opened his mouth.

"There is still..."

There is still distance I must cover.

These meaningless words could not escape.

The feeling was hollow and tasteless.

"You left and abandoned this little one; isn't that a bit cruel?"

But... it was okay.

There must be some meaning to this journey; if there isn't, what is the point of it all?

He could not stop here.

The path of the devil is filled with blood and loneliness; there was no turning back.

Gunnar left the place while being enveloped in foggy emotions.

"Younger clan leader! There is an emergency!"

"An emergency?"

When he returned to his tent, he saw some of the elders and his brothers discussing with clear tension in the air.

His subordinate knelt while trying to calm himself; he could not forget what his eyes had seen.

He spoke in a voice devoid of emotion to forget the feeling of fear and sorrow in his heart, "An unknown enemy has slaughtered the reconnaissance team at the den of the white river foxes. Not only that, but even the fourth young master has died at his hands!"

"What? Repeat what you said, quickly!"

Gunnar tried to comprehend what was happening and listened this time with greater coldness than before.

"Yes, young master!" the subordinate recalled what had happened: "While we were scouting near the white river, the elders' orders were to uncover that tribe's plot against the blue metal bears, a strange-looking man appeared..."

He was a red-haired human with dull eyes; his expressionless face was twisted with the murderous intent that oozed from his body.

While we all felt the unjustified fear, the fourth young master ordered us to surround him.

The mission might have been exposed; with such thoughts in our minds, we all attacked him.

Then at that moment, a red light.

"Red light?"

Everyone inquired as they stared coldly at the subordinate.

"Yes... when I saw that light, I simply lost consciousness..."

And when I regained consciousness, there was blood.

A rain of blood.

My body was bathed in blood; I saw the corpses cut everywhere, not just the reconnaissance team but even the bodies of the white foxes.

It was hell, no, a red hell.

Then, chillingly in my heart, I saw that man standing among the corpses.

The one I respected the most, to whom I pledged my deepest loyalty, the one whose life I loved more than my own.

I saw the person I wanted to die before he did, his eyes wide open and devoid of life.

That strange man was holding the head of the fourth young master in his arms.

He was covered in blood from head to toe, and remnants of brains clung to his body.

And while holding the head from which blood was flowing, he drank the blood of the fourth young master.

"Impossible."

The eldest son of the tribe leader, Einar, held his face in horror; this cannot be, this is unreal, this is unbelievable!

"You! Tell me this is a lie!"

Einar stepped forward and grabbed the man by the collar while shouting.

That was his younger brother; that was his greatest supporter; he was... his mother's son.

"Why are you alive while he is not! You bastard, tell me quickly before I kill you!"

"Sir... more than anyone now, I wish this were a dream..."

The subordinate did not push the man's hand away from his collar; his eyes were tearful; he relaxed his body.

"More than anyone! I wanted to die there to atone for my sins; my master, whom I placed above myself, has died; I longed for death! Tell me, sir, would it have been better if I had died?"

"I... don't know."

"Younger master, I am lost myself; this life was given to me by my lord, the fourth young master; can you imagine the emptiness in my heart?"

Einar's clenched fist trembled.

From behind, Gunnar spoke calmly, "Tell me, tell me what happened, did the white river fox tribe survive?"

"The young masters, the elders... I am sorry."

His lowered head went even lower; his tone was grim.

The white river foxes...

They were all wiped out.

"What did you say?"

This time, Gunnar was the one shocked.

The master... young master Gunnar was engaged to the daughter of the white river fox tribe leader...

Such tragic events, how painful were their repercussions on him?

"Are you joking? Tell me! Tell me you are joking!"

Gunnar clenched his fists tightly while trembling.

In fact, contrary to his sad voice, he was happy.

The greatest evidence of his plot had been exterminated; did that not mean he was safe?

Of course, he had to show his "sorrow" over the death of his fiancée.

"I wish, haha, I wish I were joking, I wish it were just a nightmare I could wake up from..."

The white river foxes were all dead; the tribe leader and all the members were erased from the face of the earth.

"Our allies are dead, my leader and savior are gone, but I have betrayed him, haha... I've lost the meaning of my life..."

Everyone stared at the subordinate with complex expressions, trying to grasp the words.

The fourth young master... and the white river fox tribe.

Everyone knew who the fourth young master was, Thorfinn.

He was, unlike everyone else, a merciful soul to his followers; his relationship with this subordinate was deep.

Perhaps no one understood his sorrow except Einar.

Oh, and Gunnar... at least on the surface.

"Speak, tell me everything that happened, I... will not let the perpetrator escape."

After a long silence, Einar held back his tears, then ordered the subordinate to speak; Gunnar was breathing heavily, but he restrained himself while listening.

Unlike human tribes, wolves had a deep sense of familial kinship; everything that had been said needed time to be accepted.

But this was not the time for that.

Whether the great elders or the young ones, they all watched the subordinate with cold faces, unlike the immense sadness in their hearts.

A warrior must not shed tears; a warrior must become accustomed to deaths; this is a fixed law.

Yet, in the end, creatures are not emotionless puppets.

They feel and react; they rejoice and mourn.

Even if this man was a brave warrior, the fourth young master held a special place in his heart.

Naturally, what he witnessed made him try to fight that man to the death.

That act was futile, an irrational act, but he did it anyway.

"I wanted to blow myself up with him and die, but he easily suppressed me; do you know what he said, young master first?"

"Live, these eyes thirsty for death are not what I want, live and taste fear, spread your horror to all others, I leave you to live today."

Though he was far from that person now, the subordinate felt horror, so his body trembled.

The strange man disappeared like a mirage, but the echo of his words remained in the place.

Among the corpses of hundreds of creatures, I was the only one left alive.

The tribe that was difficult for most tribes to attack was wiped out in one night.

The environment was silent; no first, second, or third-tier monsters approached this place.

Then, with fear in my heart, I remembered his ominous words that never left my heart.

"The red moon is coming; with its arrival, we will give gifts and sacrifices."

"Blood will flow, and demons will rise; all await that day."

The cries of the wretched will rise to the farthest lands and their surroundings.

go ahead, try to survive like the insects you are.

Pray and resist; the demons are coming without a doubt.

And on that day.

Your world will turn red and rot with blood.

Whether those who were angry or felt sorrow, whether those who felt pity or were indifferent.

Their emotions were unified.

Fear.

At this moment, everyone's expressions were contorted.

The red moon...

Everyone's hearts felt cold.

This name, perhaps to most people, is unknown, but for them, it was known.

A catastrophe passed down by ancestors 300 years ago.

For most humans, the events of that destruction faded into oblivion.

But on this island, for those tribes, it was a scar that would never fade with time.

They knew, they understood, and they felt.

On this day...

Unfathomable monsters surged into the world.

Everyone's expressions were cold.

Then, the immense intent to kill oozed from their bodies.

"Einar, my brothers, elders... spread the news across the entire island, it is impossible for such a bastard to be alone."

Only Gunnar remained relatively calm; he held Einar and the subordinate's shoulders and gave his orders.

"Listen to me all; do not let panic seep into your hearts, fight! For our brother who fought valiantly, for our allies who died unjustly, and for our tribe!"

"This will not be a catastrophe; it will be a war!"

Everyone's eyes shone brightly.

And unlike the past.

"We will win!!"

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As Leon flew swiftly before, his momentum began to slow.

He floated quietly on the way to the Red Frost Sect, his eyes wandering over the buildings and people below.

Vibrancy and laughter were audible.

The remaining members of Leon's group slowed their pace.

They did not know why, but no one spoke.

They remained silent, their eyes following the path of Leon's gaze.

The nobles were strolling while slaves led their carts.

"Hey, slave, do not dare to obstruct the path of the young lady!"

Bam!

"Kwah!"

Bai Yerin was walking in the street when someone stood before her; the guards with her kicked the young man's body.

Bai Yerin watched what was happening coldly, sighing to herself; this was another fool who had the audacity to confess to her.

"Insects coexist with insects, and phoenixes coexist with dragons; how dare you try to approach Sagu? Hmph!"

"Do you think yourself at a sufficient level to try to approach her? Fool."

"Some fools do not know how high the sky is."

The female students beside Bai Yerin sneered disdainfully.

"Enough, you are honest; I like that, but there are things that can be done and things that cannot be done."

"If you understand that, get away from my face."

The young man who was beaten and had his heart broken remained stunned.

This was his first confession, but instead of receiving a simple yes or no answer... he was severely humiliated.

"... Thank the beauty for her kindness."

He tried to stand, but one of the guards kicked him.

"Crawl."

"... What?"

The guard smiled coldly, "Crawl on the ground."

"... No."

He refused.

"Hmph!"

The guard did not like that and stomped on him hard.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

He stomped on him forcefully until his head was shoved into the ground.

Bai Yerin walked away indifferently, "Let's go."

The slave gritted his teeth while being beaten.

He tried to hold back the tears gathering in his eyes; he was a fool... a big fool.

"Hehe, what a foolish slave."

"There are always such insects seeking gold; his misery is laughable."

"Even the older brothers in the sect could not speak to the young lady; he should be happy that she responded to him, hahaha!"

His broken heart became a mockery for the people.

It did not hurt him that people mocked him; when a person experiences the same thing repeatedly, they will get used to it.

What hurt his heart was his helplessness.

His deep sorrow... was due to his weakness.

This young man was merely a slave to one of the nobles.

After serving his master for years, he was rewarded by being made a disposable chess piece in the coming savage tide.

He could not escape the restraints imposed on his body, so he decided to confess to Bai Yerin since he would die anyway.

He knew he would be rejected... but he did it; his heart would not let him die in peace.

The result?

Not only was he humiliated, but he was also beaten in front of the girl he loved.

He bit his lip as he tried to resist.

"Hey? Hello."

But at that moment, a boy with black hair and deep red eyes stood before him.

The scent of blood was permeating his body; the boy smiled and called out to the slave.

"Hey, rude child, what are you doing?"

One of the guards did not like Leon's attitude and tried to step forward.

"Shut up."

But before he could advance any further, overwhelming pressure descended upon him.

Bam!

His body could not withstand the pressure and collapsed hard onto the ground.

Kwah!

The guard's eyes rolled back; he felt his limbs being crushed and spat blood onto the ground.

All of this happened before everyone's eyes.

"Who are you!"

"Identify yourself quickly!"

The other guards surrounded him and shouted with imposing tones.

Leon did not care about them; he pointed his hand at the crawling man.

... What?

The young man felt his body suddenly become lighter.

He was floating.

"You, you don't have to do this."

The man was stunned; he did not understand what was happening and remained silent for some reason.

"Even if there is suffering, it is better to face it fearlessly; do not bow your head."

He never understood what was happening.

He did not respond to the words of the red-eyed boy.

But why...

Leon smiled at him and completely ignored the others.

"Do you want to be free?"

Why did he feel foggy in his eyes?

Was it because his loyalty was repaid with betrayal? Was it because he lived as an orphan? Or perhaps because he rejected his emotions?

Or was it because... he truly did not want to submit to suffering?

Leon extended his hand, and the previous scene repeated.

The guards were easily crushed, losing consciousness.

"Sagu! Be careful!"

"Hmph! Rude!"

The female students drew their swords towards Leon, and Bai Yerin stood coldly in front of them.

"Tell me, do you want to go through this meaningless nonsense all your life? Or dive into nonsense that could carry some meaning?"

Leon approached the slave.

The slave's foggy eyes prevented him from seeing clearly.

But that did not stop him from speaking.

"I... want."

Even though his mouth was swollen from being beaten, his voice was clear.

"What? I did not hear you well; did you say something?"

"... I am tired of this nonsense; I am tired of living like a whore waiting for my death!"

I do not want to live like this anymore!

Is this the feeling of a person when they empty what is in their heart?

It is meaningless; perhaps this boy slightly younger than him is just spitting nonsense.

But still, this feeling is comforting.

The young man's body trembled slightly; he did something foolish, but... he did not regret it.

"Good."

Leon's eyes turned towards Bai Yerin's group.

"Kang Woo, something is strange with Sahyung."

"... Wasn't it a secret mission or something like that?"

The group was hiding and watching the event unfold before their eyes.

"Still, I am curious."

"Yes... I feel the same."

How would Sahyung react to what was happening?

While Logan's and Kang Woo's eyes were bright, Stella remained silent, watching Leon's actions without blinking.

"I did not expect to meet the young lady so quickly, but perhaps..."

The old man Chiu was on guard; while floating before them, Leon gave him a few orders.

Back at the place, Bai Yerin's eyes were locked onto Leon, not even bothering to blink.

"You... what do you think you are doing?"

The young girl drew her sword; did he think he had impressed her with such a pathetic display?

Leon's expression was indifferent as he stepped forward.

"Oh little one..."

He vanished with a light step.

"You are truly weak."

Then at that moment, he was in the middle of the group of girls.

He held in his hand the head of one of the female students.

"With such meager abilities, how can you protect your companions?"

Then.

Bam!

He punched the girl's abdomen, and she flew into the air.

"My sister!"

"Rude! How dare you!"

Leon laughed at the encirclement around him.

"How dare I? Hahaha, I am only doing what you did to that person; I crush a weak insect; what's the problem?"

His red eyes shone with darkness as he continued, "Bai Yerin, the little one who reached the fourth star a few days ago, daughter of the sect leader, marriage proposals were made to her; because of that, and unconsciously, her arrogance increased, which made her hate males..."

"Your foolish influence made your companions arrogant as well, hahaha, insects, you are truly pathetic insects."

"Attack, female students! He is violating our honor-"

They wanted to move, but Leon's pace did not change.

"This is what I mean; it would have been better for you to run away when I was nice."

When he said that, gravity moved according to his will, as if proving his words.

Crushing.

It was simply overwhelming pressure.

All the female students of the Red Frost Sect fell to the ground!

Unable to move a single finger.

Only Bai Yerin, who was freed from this pressure.

"Those are fools influenced by their leader, but you?"

Leon walked with cold eyes towards her.

"You are nothing but a spoiled fool, weak and unable to protect your sisters."

He raised his finger, and Bai Yerin was lifted into the air as her essence was sealed instantly.

"You... who are you!"

Bai Yerin felt suffocated, as if someone's hand was choking her; she screamed in anger.

How dare he... how dare he hit my sisters!

"I? You can consider me like the passing winds."

Koooh!

Leon smiled and punched her abdomen hard.

Bai Yerin felt his arm as if it pierced through her belly.

An indescribable feeling of pain.

Her mouth spat saliva, and her eyes retreated.

This bastard...

Who is he?

Then, she lost consciousness instantly.

"When my descent ends, chaos spreads."

"This! This person actually dared to hit the young lady!"

"Run! Run before he does the same to us!"

People were terrified and began to flee.

The female students of the Red Frost Sect were suppressed by Leon and lost consciousness, while the guards were crushed and lost consciousness as well.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Shadows emerged amid the screams.

"Tsk tsk Sahyung, you are doing the fun things alone."

"Shut up, Logan, there is still work to do, what exactly are you complaining about?"

"Ouch! That hurts!"

Logan grumbled, but Leon tapped his forehead.

The young man was watching what was happening in astonishment.

This situation and style...

Is he that famous person?

Moonlight Academy student, Leon Evinius.

What is he doing here?

From beginning to end, he was tyrannical.

"Anyway, you, from today, you are free."

Leon snapped his fingers, and Ego appeared in the air.

This Ego transformed into light and entered the young man's body.

This was the prisoner key Ego, the opposite of the prisoner's restraints.

The function of these two Egos was to bind and liberate; if a person was inflicted with the prisoner's restraints, they would become a slave, and vice versa.

With the gleam of his body, black smoke appeared on the young man's body, and he lost consciousness.

At this moment, he became free.

"Let's go."

Leon carried Bai Yerin and walked down the path with swagger.

"Old man, the most important piece on the board is with us now; you can tell me your previous plan."

The old man Chiu remained silent.

Just as I expected.

"This young man is terrifying."

Kang Woo was accustomed to these situations and walked with Leon; Logan enjoyed what was happening, so he remained unfazed.

Only Stella and the old man continued to stare at each other, and for a while, the slave did not move.

As everyone walked, the bodies of the Red Frost Sect disciples floated in the air, and the bodies followed Leon.