The beast is unleashed

In a damp and dark alley beside the village market, sinister voices echoed off the stone walls, bouncing through the narrow path.

"Hey, fatty, stop right there!" one of them shouted, their tone laced with menace.

The plump young man froze in place, fear gripping his heart. Sweat dripped down his round face as he cursed his luck.

'Damn it, why am I so unlucky? Of all people, I had to run into these three bastards,' he thought, trembling.

Behind him stood three menacing thugs, their wicked grins illuminated by the faint light spilling in from the market street. Their muscular builds and confident stances spoke of a life spent on the wrong side of the law. Each stood around 1.75 meters tall, their hardened physiques suggesting years of violent work.

"Hey, Bo, can you let me off just this once?" the young man pleaded, his voice shaking. "I really need this money to buy food—I'll starve otherwise."

The thugs burst into cruel laughter. Bo, their leader, stepped closer, sneering. "Starve? You? Fat ghost, you look like you've been stealing the pigs' rations at the farm!"

Before the young man could reply, Bo grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him into the air like a sack of grain. The man whimpered, dangling helplessly.

"Boss, should we rough him up like we did to that weakling yesterday?" Jed, one of the thugs, asked, twirling a wooden stick in his hands. His smile was sharp and sadistic, his eyes gleaming with malice.

Before Bo could answer, a deep, resonant voice cut through the tension like a blade:

"Three weaklings. We meet again. Are you ready to die?"

Jed's grin froze on his face, his body stiffening. A large, calloused hand suddenly clamped onto his head—a hand as strong and unyielding as iron.

Everyone turned to face the voice.

Standing in the alley's entrance was a towering young man, his figure illuminated by the faint light behind him. He was taller than all of them, his muscles bulging grotesquely with green, snakelike tendons rippling under his skin. His eyes glowed with a feral intensity, like those of an apex predator preparing to strike. Perched on his shoulder was a small, crimson ape with sharp eyes that mirrored its master's.

"Wh-Who are you?!" Jed stammered, struggling futilely against the unrelenting grip.

The young man grinned, baring his teeth like a beast about to devour its prey. "I'm that weakling you mentioned. Vermin."

SPLAT!

Jed's head exploded like a ripe melon, sending blood and brain matter splattering across the alley walls. Wuji raised his bloodied hand to his lips, licking the warm blood off his fingers. His feral grin widened, his voice dripping with menace. "Tastes better than I expected."

The remaining two thugs and the fat young man stared in stunned silence, their faces pale as ghosts.

"H-Hey… we can talk about this!" Bo stuttered, his voice trembling. He took a step back, his legs shaking uncontrollably. "Y-You're clearly no weakling! You look like you could eat me alive!"

Wuji's grin widened further, a murderous glint in his eyes. "I thought you were stronger than this. Pathetic."

Before Bo could move, Wuji's fist shot out, striking him square in the face. The force shattered Bo's skull like fragile porcelain, sending shards of bone and blood spraying everywhere.

Wuji crouched over Bo's lifeless body, dipping his fingers into the pooling blood and smearing it across his chest like a hunter marking his kill. The final thug turned to flee, but Wuji grabbed his head mid-step and drove his fist into the man's stomach. The thug's body convulsed as his organs ruptured, and he collapsed, lifeless.

Wuji straightened, surveying the carnage with cold eyes. He crouched down, rifling through the thugs' pockets and pulling out a small pile of coins.

"Ten silver coins? Not bad," he muttered. For context, a single bowl of millet porridge in the village cost two copper coins, and one silver coin was equivalent to 100 copper coins. To Wuji, this was a significant windfall.

"This will do. Now I can buy some meat and push my Iron Shirt Technique further," he said, walking away as if nothing had happened.

"Boss… thank you for saving me!"

The fat young man's trembling voice reached him. He bowed deeply, his face a mix of gratitude and lingering fear at Wuji's savage display.

Wuji glanced back, his blood-soaked aura making his already terrifying presence even more oppressive. "Yeah, whatever. Go back to where you came from."

The fat young man watched as Wuji disappeared into the crowd, admiration gleaming in his eyes.

'How can a human be that strong? I want to follow him… but he doesn't seem to care. If I get another chance, I'll try again.'

... ... ...

Meanwhile, the morning market was alive with activity, earthy paths crowded with villagers haggling over goods. Wuji strode through the commotion, his towering frame and piercing gaze parting the crowd like a knife through butter.

"Hey, boss, how much for this wild boar meat?" Wuji asked, stopping at a butcher's stall.

The butcher, a middle-aged man with a cleaver slung over his shoulder, sized Wuji up before replying, "This whole small pig? Ten silver coins."

Wuji clicked his tongue. 'Meat here is really expensive. No wonder the old Wuji never had the chance to eat any in his life.'

Excitement bubbled inside him. 'But now I can afford it. And once I eat this, I'll be able to upgrade the Iron Shirt Technique further.'

"Alright, boss. Pack it up."

The butcher wrapped the meat in a thick cloth and handed it over. With his purchase secured, Wuji turned to leave the market, the heavy bundle slung over his broad shoulder.

Before he could get far, commotion erupted near the market's entrance.

"Why are the Night Guards recruiting so suddenly? Even physically unfit people can join!"

"Are they that desperate for manpower?"

"I heard they fight those strange demonic beasts… isn't that just a story parents use to scare us?"

The gossiping voices hushed as a booming voice roared:

"QUIET!"

A tall man stepped forward, his sheer presence silencing the crowd. He was around 1.9 meters tall, with a burly physique clad in black leather armor. A massive battle axe hung at his back, its blade gleaming ominously, and his thick beard framed a stern face.

"I am Captain Long of the Night Guards," he announced, his voice carrying the weight of authority. "We are recruiting young men to join our ranks."

He continued, "You will have four meals a day—plenty of meat. You will sleep in barracks and earn ten silver coins per month."

The crowd murmured in excitement, but Captain Long's face darkened, and his voice grew grim.

"However, this job is not without danger. Fifteen of my men died last night in the forest, fighting demonic beasts."

Fear rippled through the onlookers, silencing their enthusiasm.

"Hey, old guy with the beard," a thick, deep voice called out, cutting through the tension like a blade. "Do you teach martial arts?"

Captain Long's sharp gaze locked onto the speaker. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of Wuji. The young man's imposing frame, predator's gaze, and the crimson ape perched on his shoulder drew immediate attention.

"Brat, this is no playground for delusions," Captain Long growled. "These beasts won't wait for your arrogance to fade. They'll rip you apart the moment you falter."

Wuji's lips curled into a feral grin, his canines flashing like those of a wolf ready to feast. "Rip me apart? I'd like to see them try."

The red ape on his shoulder screeched, baring its fangs as if echoing its master's confidence.

Captain Long's stern face twisted into a smirk. "Heh, big words for a pup. Come to the training grounds at noon. Let's see if that overgrown body of yours is as strong as you think."

Wuji turned to leave, his broad shoulders casting an imposing shadow. Without looking back, he said, "Don't worry, old man. I'll show up—and I'll leave your so-called warriors in the dust."

The crowd parted for Wuji like waves before a storm. Captain Long watched him go, his smirk fading into a contemplative expression.

"Arrogant brat," he muttered, gripping the hilt of his axe. "But maybe... just maybe, he's the monster we need."