Chapter 9: Chapter 8: Cursed Fate of a Genius
Xenos halted in his tracks, retracting all his energy to make himself unnoticeable. His sharp eyes scanned the twelve people tailing Maximo, and he frowned.
"It looks like three different groups are following the kid."
He observed their formation carefully.
"Two people in the front... five on the left side of the road leading deeper into the mountain... and another five on the right."
His gaze lingered on the two at the front.
"They look relaxed. Their bodies aren't in a combat stance, their hands aren't on their weapons, and their faces show no hostility—just surveillance. I doubt they have any intention of harming the kid."
But then, his focus shifted to the remaining ten.
"Those ten, though... they're different. Two separate groups, yet both are radiating clear killing intent."
Xenos' expression darkened.
"Hmm... Let's follow them and see where this leads."
Maximo continued deeper into the forest, carefully weaving through narrow paths until he arrived at a small wooden cottage. The structure looked recently built, the wood still fresh and unweathered.
As soon as Maximo stepped inside, the two men at the front split up. One climbed a tree overlooking the front door, while the other positioned himself at the back of the house, keeping watch.
Meanwhile, the ten hostile pursuers came to a stop, maintaining a safe distance.
Xenos waited to see what the pursuers intended to do. In the meantime, he called out to Sumanth.
Sumanth responded, "So, you've met the kid?"
Xenos shook his head. "No." He then explained everything he had overheard at the tavern.
After listening, Sumanth sighed. "Poor kid, he's been through a lot. But you could easily handle those people who want to harm him—so why did you call me here?"
Xenos frowned. "Something feels off about this whole situation. Can you take a look at Maximo?"
Sumanth raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Xenos explained, "He's a Heavenly Incarnate. Even if he faced hardships, there's no way he should have suffered this much. And if I weren't here right now, I don't think he would have survived."
Sumanth's expression darkened as he used his divine sense to scan the cottage. He saw that it contained only one small room. A young girl lay on the bed, unconscious, while a young man sat on the floor, carefully grinding herbs into a paste.
The young man had to be Maximo.
But as Sumanth looked deeper, his face twisted in shock.
Maximo's body was a mess—several of his meridians were torn, his lower dantian was cracked, and his body was covered in small injuries.
Sumanth exclaimed aloud, "How the hell is this kid staying calm with injuries like these? And he's still taking care of his sister?"
His voice grew heavier. "He should be screaming in pain. His life essence is damaged—at best, he has two years left to live. Even if no one harms him, there's no way he'll survive beyond that."
His expression darkened further. "And Earth doesn't have the kind of spiritual plants needed to heal him."
Xenos listened carefully and said, "Check his providence—this shouldn't have happened."
Sumanth nodded and focused on Maximo's providence. Normally, a person's providence shone with a golden light—the deeper and richer the gold, the stronger their destiny.
But Maximo's light was not golden.
Instead, a dark, consuming color shrouded it, as if it were devouring his providence.
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Sumanth's expression turned serious. "It looks like a curse has been cast."
Xenos narrowed his eyes. "A curse?"
Sumanth nodded grimly. "Yes. While it's not complex, it was likely cast by a Tribulation Realm expert skilled in divination and curses."
Xenos clenched his fists. "Then it's definitely from the Negative Plane. Whoever has set their sights on this universe must be a Peak Spiritual Realm being."
Sumanth sighed. "I think so too. Even though this curse wouldn't be powerful to us, for him, it's devastating. The fact that he's even alive right now is incredible."
Xenos' expression grew even more serious. "I fear it's not just him—the other four Heavenly Incarnates might be cursed as well. Can you ask Elder Eva for a pill to heal him?"
Sumanth nodded. "Alright , but I'll request four more pills for the other Heavenly Incarnates too."
Xenos nodded.
Just as Sumanth was about to leave, he hesitated. "Ah... while I was scanning, I noticed something unusual about Maximo's sister. Can you take a look at her?"
Xenos nodded. "I'll check on her."
As Sumanth and Xenos continued their conversation, the two groups of five finally met. Their meeting immediately caught Xenos' attention.
After finishing his discussion with Sumanth, Xenos moved closer, making sure to stay hidden. From his position, he could hear their conversation.
"I am Alpha."
"I am Omega."
Alpha spoke first. "Since we all have the same target, why don't we combine our strength and kill him together?"
Omega scoffed. "Do we really need this many people to kill a cripple? Even though he has two guards, they're weak. My men can handle them, and just one person is enough to take him out."
Alpha narrowed his eyes. "Omega, don't let arrogance blind you. Even though he's crippled and weak, he was once known as the genius of the century. Do you really think he'll just sit there and wait for someone to end his life?"
He continued in a serious tone. "Remember, he's also a skilled alchemist. He has extensive knowledge of medicine and poisons. If you don't want unnecessary casualties, you need to be careful."
Omega paused for a moment, then nodded. "Fine. But what about the merit?"
Alpha smirked. "We'll share it. Our employers don't care who kills him, as long as he dies. As long as we get the job done, they'll be satisfied."
Omega considered this and finally agreed.
Listening to their conversation, Xenos quickly grasped the situation.
"The only ones who would benefit from Maximo's death are those two wives of his father... I didn't expect that even after everything he's been through, they still want him dead."
Thinking about the suffering the boy had endured, Xenos felt a flicker of anger rise within him. But he quickly calmed himself.
Without hesitation, he stepped out and walked toward the two groups.
As Xenos walked toward them, his footsteps crushed the grass beneath him. He made no effort to hide the sound, immediately putting both groups on alert.
Startled, they instinctively moved backward, their hands gripping their weapons, ready for battle.
Seeing Xenos approach, Omega scoffed. "Hmph... just an ordinary human. He doesn't even have any internal energy."
With a smirk, he signaled to one of his subordinates. "Take care of him."
One of the men stepped forward. As he walked toward Xenos, he glanced at him and sneered. "Bad luck, kid. Even if you came to the mountains for sightseeing, you shouldn't have run into us."
As he closed the distance, he drew his sword. Then, in a single swift motion, he lunged forward, slashing from right to left.
But before the blade could reach him, Xenos moved. With his left hand, he caught the man's left arm. With his right hand, he grabbed the wrist holding the sword, twisted it sharply, and redirected the blade.
In an instant, the sword pierced straight through the subordinate's chest, stabbing directly into his heart before emerging from his back.
The man froze. He didn't even understand what had happened. It had all occurred in the blink of an eye.
Blood spilled from his lips as he tried to speak—but before he could say a word, he collapsed, dead.
Seeing their comrade fall so effortlessly, Omega and the others tensed, raising their vigilance to the highest level.
Among them, Alpha remained calm. He stepped forward and said, "Sir, I think there's been a misunderstanding. Why don't we just walk away and part on good terms?"
Xenos didn't respond. He simply kept walking toward them.
Seeing that Xenos wasn't answering and was still approaching, Alpha's expression darkened. "Sh*t! Be ready!" he shouted.
Just as they braced themselves for battle, Xenos suddenly disappeared from sight.
A wave of shock rippled through the group as they frantically searched for him—only to realize he was already standing in their midst.
Their faces paled in disbelief, but Alpha and Omega were the first to react. Without hesitation, they drew their swords and lunged at him from both sides.
However, before their blades could strike, Xenos vanished again.
In the next instant, Alpha and Omega's swords sliced into each other's throats.
Their eyes widened in horror. They clutched at their bleeding necks, but no words escaped their lips. Within seconds, they collapsed to the ground—dead.
Seeing their leaders fall so effortlessly, the remaining seven panicked and tried to flee.
But before they could get far, Xenos appeared right in front of them.
In the blink of an eye, he twisted their necks one by one, killing them instantly.
As the final body dropped, Xenos stood motionless amidst the carnage.
Around him, the ten assassins who had sought to kill Maximo now lay lifeless on the ground—their corpses sprawled across the dirt.