chapter 5: Flashback: The Broken Kindness

Chapter 5:Flashback: The Broken Kindness

Bhoumik's past life had been nothing short of cruel. Born into a world where kindness was rare and survival was harsh, he had always been different. As a child, he had believed in the goodness of people, a naïve belief that had shaped his personality into one of kindness and compassion. He had helped where he could, trusted people easily, and gave more than he received.

But the world had taken advantage of that kindness.

At twelve years old, he had his first taste of betrayal. A close friend, someone he had trusted with all his heart, had framed him for a crime he hadn't committed. He had been thrown out of school, his reputation destroyed, but even then, Bhoumik had held onto his kindness, believing it was just one bad person—an exception.

But life proved otherwise.

By the time he was seventeen, the people around him— friends, people—all took advantage of his good nature. They used him, manipulated him, and when he had nothing left to give, they discarded him. He had always been the one to help others, the one to shoulder their burdens, the one to forgive. But the world never gave back what he had offered.

He remembered one incident clearly, the turning point of his kindness.

At seventeen, Bhoumik had met someone he thought was different—Aarav, a fellow student who had seemed genuine, friendly, someone who didn't ask for anything but friendship. Aarav had pretended to care, spending time with Bhoumik, supporting him when others didn't. For a while, Bhoumik believed he had finally found a true friend.

But it was all a lie.

Aarav had been manipulating him from the very beginning. He had used Bhoumik's connections to climb the social ladder, to gain power in their school. When Aarav no longer needed him, he publicly humiliated Bhoumik, revealing private conversations and secrets that Bhoumik had shared in confidence.

The betrayal was sharp and bitter, cutting deeper than any physical wound. Bhoumik had confronted Aarav, asking why he had done it.

"Why? Because you're easy to manipulate," Aarav had said with a cruel smirk. "You're too soft, too kind. People like you are made to be used. And you're too weak to stop it."

Those words had burned into Bhoumik's soul, a poisonous seed that began to take root.

At seventeen, Bhoumik finally realized the truth. Kindness was a weakness. The world didn't care about good intentions or compassion—it cared about power and control. Those who were kind were only stepped on, used, and discarded.

From that moment on, Bhoumik vowed never to be taken advantage of again. He began to withdraw, shutting off his emotions. The coldness that had been growing inside him since childhood finally took over, pushing out the last remnants of the boy who had once believed in people.

But even then, he wasn't fully cold. His kindness still lingered, deep in his heart, fighting against the cruel realities he had come to understand. It was a battle within himself—one side wanting to remain good, the other side telling him that goodness was a lie.

By the time Bhoumik was twenty, he had become even more isolated, distant from the world. He no longer trusted anyone, and he kept his emotions locked away. But despite his efforts, his kindness still made him vulnerable. He tried to keep a balance, to be cold and calculating but not fully lose his humanity.

That was his mistake.

At twenty, Bhoumik was again betrayed, this time by someone even closer—Meera, a woman he had once loved. She had seemed like the only person who understood him, the only person who made him feel alive again. For a brief moment, Bhoumik allowed himself to believe that maybe, just maybe, not everyone was cruel. Maybe he could trust again.

But Meera had only been after his money and resources. She had led him into a trap, orchestrated by a man she cheated and by the man she cheated was non other then one of bhoumik friend that he thoughts.

After the truth bhoumik learned that no one can be trusted even if it someone very close to their heart and then as he was crossing road without seeing a truck is coming he got accident and was on situation of being dead.

As Bhoumik lay dying, blood pooling beneath him, the last thing he saw was Meera's back as she walked away without a word.

That was the moment Bhoumik lost his faith in humanity entirely. His kindness had killed him. His belief in people had led him to his death.

Bhoumik's eyes snapped open, the memory of Earth flooding his mind as he stood over the corpse of another wild beast he had just slain in the mountains. His breath was steady, his heart cold as he looked down at the bloodied carcass at his feet. The blood splattered on his face didn't bother him; it had long since become part of his routine.

The memory of his death on Earth never left him. It was always there, lurking at the edges of his consciousness, reminding him why he had become the way he was. Kindness? Love? Friendship? Those were weaknesses. They had cost him everything once, and he would never allow that to happen again.

In this new life, Bhoumik embraced the cruelty he had learned. He trusted no one. He relied on nothing but power. And here, in the deep mountains, as he battled wild beasts, he felt himself becoming something more—something stronger, something darker.

Weeks passed in the mountains, and Bhoumik's skills sharpened with each passing day. He practiced with relentless determination, pushing his body to the brink of exhaustion, then forcing it to recover, only to push harder the next day.

His mind often drifted back to the dark memories of Earth, the lessons he had learned there fueling his drive for power. Each scar on his body was a testament to the loneliness he had endured, and the resolve it had given him to never be weak again.

One day, while perched on a high rock overlooking a deep ravine, Bhoumik sat cross-legged, meditating. His hands rested on his knees, the jade pendant at his waist glinting faintly in the sunlight. His spiritual energy flowed steadily through him, the power of the Master Realm filling every corner of his body.

But despite his newfound strength, there was a sense of restlessness inside him. This isolation, this constant training—it wasn't enough. He needed more. More power, more control. The world beyond the mountains was vast, filled with cultivators far stronger than him. He knew that if he wanted to truly rise, he couldn't stay here forever.

He opened his eyes slowly, the cool breeze of the mountains washing over him as he gazed out at the horizon. His past life had taught him one thing above all: only power mattered.

That night, as Bhoumik hunted yet another beast in the forest, his mind wandered back to the two sealed rings that Bai Ning had given him. The mysterious rings left by the man who had abandoned him in the village.

He had examined them several times, but the seals remained intact, not budging even under the pressure of his Master Realm spiritual energy. Whoever had sealed them was far more powerful than him—far beyond his current capabilities.

But the mystery gnawed at him. Why had the man left him these rings? What power did they hold?

As Bhoumik slew the beast, his blade sinking into its throat, he felt the same cold satisfaction as always. But this time, there was a sense of urgency building inside him.

His time in the mountains was nearing its end. The power he had gained here was not enough. He needed to understand the secrets of those rings. He needed to rise further. And for that, he would have to leave this place.