CRACK!!!
The sacred mountain trembled violently with the impact and almost collapsed. Along with the crash, the sound of countless bones breaking echoed as the dwarf, covered in blood, spit frantically. Then, he felt his life rapidly slipping away.
With eyes wide open, he gazed at the beautiful orange horizon of late afternoon. He didn’t have the strength to get up, but it wasn’t a physical matter. There simply wasn’t a real will to rise; he preferred to just close his eyes and let his life drain away.
After a faint smile at the scenery, he did exactly what he wished: he closed his eyes. ’Why the hell did I act so grandiosely... I don’t understand, sometimes it’s like something takes over me,’ he thought calmly. ’Will my brother avenge me? I’m just a piece of garbage, unable to protect this backwater town... well, I guess that’s enough...’
’Are you going to give up like this?’
’Hm? I can’t lie to myself. The higher-ups are constantly fighting among themselves, forming factions that still clash. There’s no resisting the Divine Fairies like this; all the weak people will be discarded until reinforcements arrive... but only God knows when...’ He replied to himself, promptly.
’Just because you don’t see hope doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Why complain about the higher-ups? If you have the energy to complain, why not use it to improve? You can become one of the higher-ups. Your life is in your own hands. Just complaining is the most useless thing. It will only make you acquire the habit of blaming others. In that case, even if your cultivation base reaches that level and you are in the position of the higher-ups, your attitude won’t change, and you’ll live to become the existence you detest,’ a voice said in his mind.
The dwarf jumped in astonishment, opening his eyes wide. The question didn’t come from his mind; something was speaking directly into it!
’Maybe you feel like you were born at the wrong time. Even before you grew up, a calamity happened. That’s very unfair to you. But look back in history. Which illustrious figure grew up in a world of peace? Which one wasn’t forced to emerge from adversity, to come out of a pile of corpses of their enemies? You might feel like this is the worst time, but that’s from the perspective of the weak.’
’For someone strong, this is the best time. Whether a blade is sharp or not always depends on whether the whetstone is strong enough. It’s the tough times that breed heroes. Every dark age gives rise to heroes. Don’t look at things from the perspective of a supporting role. That’s very regrettable. You could be the main character, the new hero, if you prefer,’ the voice said with words that were both harsh and sweet. It was an authentic enchantment from a mischievous devil.
The words resonated with the dwarf, leaving him silent for a few seconds. He forced himself to stand up and looked around. "Who’s there!" he spoke, mustering the little strength he had.
’First, do you know where you are?’ The voice sounded clearly in his mind.
The dwarf forced himself to rise and looked around, frightened. He quickly recalled the position of the city and where he had flown to. ’This... am I on the sacred mountain? But, I didn’t die?’
’The golden goddess seems to have smiled upon you,’ the voice said lightly. ’You should have died, but fate has prepared something for you. You were the chosen one compatible with me.’
The dwarf widened his eyes. The voice continued. ’Look down, a little to your right. I’m here.’
Quickly, the dwarf scanned the area and then saw something that made him freeze. ’A... a kitchen knife?!’
The voice replied coldly. ’This is just a part of my body. I’ve been sealed in this place for a long time. Look at my blade. It was made using one of my scales.’
The dwarf looked at the metal of the blade and was astonished. Even as a dwarf, he didn’t recognize it. His eyes then gleamed; his bloodline was subtly used. However, he became even more frightened as he couldn’t feel any natural connection with it. It was indeed something of a level far beyond what he imagined.
’One day, I was a divine dragon. I fought for the name of the Golden Goddess and died. But she was kind and saved me, giving me the opportunity to be reborn,’ the voice said with a clear bitterness. ’She used my central scale to create this blade. I was supposed to dwell in the sacred mountain and one day be reborn with the help of the heavens. However, I can never walk again on my own. A chosen one was meant to accompany me.’
’I know it’s hard to believe. But this mountain doesn’t allow anyone in, does it? Only the chosen one can pass. Or have you heard rumors of anyone who managed?’ The voice spoke softly.
The dwarf trembled, stunned. ’Well, we still don’t have trust between us. But I feel like I can show you a little now. Get me out of here and form a contract with me. I’ll give you the power so you won’t be trash anymore. Don’t you want to save those people?’
The dwarf clenched his fists and took a deep breath. There was no future for him; he couldn’t even go back. He would be accused of treason if he fled while everyone died. His only path seemed to be death or death, so why not try?
He looked at that little blade and seemed to feel a sinister smile coming from it. ’Is it just my imagination?’ he thought, but soon sighed, and his hands pulled the object that was embedded in the ground.
’Great, to make the contract, I need you to let me connect to your soul. My name is Mephistooge,’ the voice said softly.
The dwarf took a deep breath and spoke. "I’m Zaimo. I’ll accept anything to not be trash. I want to protect as many people as I can, that’s my wish."
’I assure you power for that. But I will occasionally take possession of your body after the contract; I won’t take away your free will. But sometimes I will have to act directly.’
Zaimo nodded, then he watched the tiny one-centimeter crack in the blade. Soon, something seemed to invade his body and soul. He closed his eyes and allowed the invasion.
Meanwhile, Alm and Bruno laughed excitedly. Their fragment of soul wasn’t strong enough to break through the defenses of a soul by force, let alone dominate a body. But with his permission, they gently invaded and were now chained to the dwarf’s soul and body. Using just a fragment was exhausting, but now they could use that body for a while. They can use this idiot to act.
The dwarf Zaimo felt his soul being firmly grasped by something he considered divine and limitless. He trembled; it was the stroke of luck he had never had.
Suddenly, his hand moved against his will. The kitchen knife slowly pierced an open wound in his chest, leaving him frightened. But in the next second, he felt energy flowing through his meridians.
His Qi began to circulate in a strange way, and his body slowly began to heat up. Within minutes, he saw his fists light up. A dark tattoo pulsed on one side, while something pure emerged on the other.
Without stopping, the two tattoos began to absorb the surrounding Qi like two black holes. In seconds, Zaimo felt his entire body radiating Qi, almost bursting from the amount he had.
Crack!
A muffled sound echoed inside Zaimo’s body. He felt his whole small body pulsating with unbelievable physical power. In the next moment, his wounds began to heal rapidly to the naked eye.
’I’ve placed my sacred marks on you. I’ve also enhanced your physical body. You seem to be a front-line fighter, right?’ Mephistooge’s voice sounded, awakening the stunned dwarf. ’Come on, we have to save the city, right?’
Alm and Bruno directly used Physical Cultivation Strength Training on him. Thus, they created the tattoos, and now they could have some fun. Zaimo nodded internally and, with the command, flew straight back to the city.
***
The destruction and disappearance of Zaimo had occurred just minutes ago. In the chaos of the invasion, with the city engulfed in smoke and screams, suddenly, a sharp sound echoed above everyone’s heads.
A one-meter-long cut appeared in the runes that held the people trapped in the city. They all exploded abruptly. Everyone in the city, allies or enemies, turned their attention to something leaping from above back into the city. It was a small dwarf.
"Leader Zaimo!" Someone fighting bravely in the midst of the chaos spoke in despair. "We have to retreat, or we’ll all die."
Dry words came from the dwarf. "No need, just wait a bit."
The stunned eyes of the human leader of the invaders fixated on the dwarf, an expression of disbelief forming on his face. But then something strange happened. The dwarf’s eyes, once filled with determination and courage, changed completely. A nefarious and diabolic abyss seemed to open within them, a darkness that sucked all the light around.
With a sinister smile, the dwarf reached for something unexpected that had been tucked away nearby all along. It was something that emitted no power or energy; at first glance, it looked like a piece of metal... but now, looking more closely... He pulled from his belt a rusty kitchen knife!
He held it with a determination that strangely contrasted with his diminutive appearance.
"Are you kidding me?" the human leader murmured, his words almost lost in the tumult around.
The dwarf remained silent, his slightly ominous smile unwavering as he advanced with determination. Each step was small but steady, his eyes still gleaming with that strange darkness. Quickly, all the invaders felt a shiver down their spine.
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The reason? Perhaps it was the proximity and the confusion it caused. Firearms or conventional weapons were efficient and impersonal, but fighting with a knife meant getting up close and personal. The person attacking with a knife inevitably bathes in the blood of their enemies, becoming a completely mad and bloodthirsty figure.
Symbolically, a knife is the simplest and most versatile object, commonly used as a weapon. It’s easy to wield even for the weakest and is as effective in anyone’s hands because the only thing that truly determines what you can do with a knife is your intention. And the dwarf’s devilish eyes made his intention clear.
Slash!
The dwarf leaped with a physical force beyond expectation. His fists gleamed with two strange tattoos. In one swift motion, he cut through a figure as if it were paper, sending it flying and spewing blood.
The human leader felt an unbelievable pressure; he could barely keep up with the dwarf’s movements. How the hell had he become so strong?
"ATTACK TOGETHER! PREPARE THE CHAINS!" The human leader roared.
In an instant, all the enemies turned towards the dwarf. A sea of laser beams rained down on him, but he just smiled. His fists pulsed even more intensely. Were the shots made of laws; was this a gift for them?
Suddenly, all the power approaching the dwarf exploded like a mist, being absorbed by his tattoos. The enemies kept shooting non-stop, and an unbelievable amount of energy flowed to Alm and Bruno.
Crack!
Another muffled sound echoed in the dwarf’s body. ’Flesh Training completed, carry on, bastards,’ Alm spoke, laughing villainously.
"NOW!"
A shout came from above, and then the skies collapsed. All the rune network covering the city converged on the dwarf.
But he simply pulled out the kitchen knife and lightly slashed it.
KBOOM!!
All the runes exploded like fireworks. The blade of the knife was made of a metal with unbelievable properties, something that shouldn’t exist there. It could easily pierce and destroy anything. Alm and Bruno, being master blacksmiths, quickly understood that.
Then, while all the invaders were completely stunned, the devil-eyed dwarf advanced and slashed.
BOOM!
A black ship exploded, being pierced and sliced like tofu. In seconds, the dwarf began to ruthlessly destroy everything. Anyone who tried to stop him turned into a bloody mist. That rusty kitchen knife cut through any defense, coupled with the strange physical power and tattoos that could nullify any power of elemental shots. He acted unrestrained, causing terror and destruction.
It didn’t take long for the human leader to clench his fists and roar. "RETREAT!!!"
All the invaders jumped back onto the few remaining black ships, the dwarf didn’t seem to want to stop them. Alm and Bruno had no intention of killing everyone, they just wanted to scare them and show their capability. Their intentions were just that.
In a matter of minutes, the city was completely free. The dwarf sheathed his kitchen knife back into his belt. Then his black eyes changed, replaced by the completely bewildered Zaimo.