Lican didn't hesitate anymore. The Blackmist Talisman was already beginning to wear out. He tapped his pouch and pulled out another talisman. Even before activating it, anyone standing close to it would have felt a strange heaviness coming from the paper.
He had drawn the Mountain-Breaking Seal, a Strength-Enhancement Inscription.
But his success rate with it was still very low. He had only managed to create two working seals, which was the reason he had been reluctant to use one.
Now, he had no choice.
Lican slapped the talisman onto his arm.
The seal ignited.
An unknown energy suddenly rushed through his body, surging into his bones and muscles. Lican felt refreshed as an overwhelming strength filled his body.
For a moment, he enjoyed the sensation.
But he knew this power wasn't his.
It was borrowed.
If he became drunk on the sudden increase in strength and pushed his body beyond its limits, the consequences would be severe.
"Groan..."
The Mountain Ape struggled beneath him, trying to rise.
Lican stepped harder against its body. The muscles in his leg tightened until they looked as if they were about to burst.
He couldn't hold it anymore.
"AAAAHH!"
Lican roared toward the sky as he lifted himself from the beast's body and brought his elbow crashing down.
Bang!
The impact tore the skin along his arm, blood running down it as the Mountain-Breaking Seal's energy continued to surge through his body. Lican ignored the pain.
He grabbed the Mountain Ape's arms and pulled them behind its back, forcing them into an unnatural angle.
The beast thrashed and struggled desperately.
Lican gritted his teeth and pulled harder.
Crack!
He snapped its elbow joint.
The Mountain Ape roared in despair, but its cry fell on deaf ears.
Ahhh!
Both Lican and the beast screamed like maniacs. One was filled with despair, while the other burned with the desire to survive. Lican's flesh tore and his muscles strained to their limit, but he still refused to stop.
Crack!
He pulled again.
Another crack echoed through the mountain as the beast's arm finally went limp at its side.
This time, the Mountain Ape had no strength left. Every movement sent waves of pain through its body.
The Blackmist had also disappeared, allowing sunlight to pour into Lican's eyes. He flinched slightly at the sudden brightness before tightening the chain around his fist.
He punched the Mountain Ape directly in the spine.
Bang!
The impact paralyzed the beast. Its internal organs shook violently, and it spat out blood mixed with pieces of its damaged organs.
Lican walked toward it slowly, the beast's blood running across his skin. The metallic taste of blood lingered on his tongue as he stopped beside its head and crouched down.
He stared into the beast's hollow eyes.
"This is our world. Both you and I know that."
He sighed.
Then he punched its skull.
Crack!
The impact fractured the bones in his own hand, but he didn't flinch. The Mountain Ape's skull finally gave way, and brain matter burst from the shattered bone, spilling across the ground and onto Lican.
He didn't even blink.
After digging into the corpse's chest, Lican pulled out the half-formed core and stored it away.
The sky had grown cloudy. He looked up at the dark clouds, a strange gloom hanging over them as if the heavens were warning him of something. The feeling was too clear to ignore. He stared expressionlessly at the sky for a moment before looking away, as if he had seen nothing.
Suddenly, lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the clouds.
Pah. Pah.
Heavy rain began striking the soil, creating a strange rhythm that reached his ears. Lican stood beneath the heavens without trying to escape the downpour. He spread his arms and closed his eyes as the rain washed away the blood, sweat, and pain covering his body.
He remained there for a while as lightning and rain hammered the mountain. Trees swayed violently as the wind passed through them, their leaves trembling beneath the storm.
After he finally felt refreshed, Lican began walking away slowly and calmly. But after a few steps, he stopped and looked back at the corpse.
"You have been of help."
He bowed slightly.
Then he turned around.
A gust of wind swept past him, carrying a piece of paper from his hand. It landed on the Mountain Ape's corpse and immediately caught fire.
"Rest in peace," he muttered.
He continued walking without looking back.
His back remained straight like a refined wall, his long hair falling like a heavenly crown. His torn clothes could no longer hide the magnificent presence he carried after the battle.
Tomorrow shall mark a new path for me.
My fourteenth year in this world.
The words were carried away by the wind.
He had been walking for a while. He didn't sprint or try to walk faster. After some time, he suddenly vomited, blood spraying onto the muddy ground. His breathing became heavier as he felt the effects of the rune finally wash away, yet he laughed, his teeth stained crimson.
Even winning had a price.
"Then why should I continue? Revenge doesn't even drive me. I can just kill that man in the future, but what has he done? What?"
"Why am I fighting?" he muttered.
He dragged his battered body forward, each breath painful, yet faint chuckles continued to escape him. The physical pain seemed as if it didn't concern him. The chains around his arms dug into his torn flesh, but he kept them there, using them to suppress and support his broken bones.
"Why am I living?"
It wasn't that he wanted to die either, but only the rain answered him.
The steady beating of the rain against the ground, accompanied by the wind, sang a strange melody from another time. His vision was blurred, but he continued walking. The echoing sound of the rain kept him moving. His footsteps grew heavier, yet he carried on like a dancer from ancient times, following a rhythm only he could hear.
Step by step, his stomach growled.
Lican shakily brought out a piece of jerky and stared at it through his foggy vision. He slowly placed it in his mouth and chewed painfully.
A stray tear fell from his eye.
The taste of the meat brought back something he couldn't quite remember. He couldn't remember the last time he had cried, but this time was different. It felt as if he were losing something.
His chest burned as he continued forcing his body forward.
Then he spotted his cave in the distance.
Soon... somewhere warmer.
He stretched his arms toward it, but a weak laugh escaped him as his legs gave out.
"Who am I to blame anyone?"
He chuckled weakly.
"I was the one who fought. Who would care if I died? Do I even care?"
His vision faded as he slipped into darkness. The last thing he felt was his body falling toward the ground before everything went silent.