Chapter 1 Part 1: Spyrite?
The sun began to set, leaving a gloomy orange glow in the city sky. For Kim Yu, a quiet middle school boy who always looked nerdy, this world was very narrow. His life's focus revolved around only one monotonous point: school and school. Behind his thick glasses and frequently slouched shoulders, he shut himself off from the outside world. He was completely unaware that outside his comfort zone, a great unanswered mystery was lurking, stalking humanity.
"Kim Yu! Where on earth have you been?!"
A very familiar, shrill voice broke the silence. It was Sum Na. The girl stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at Kim Yu with a sharp gaze. Although she was known for her fierce and tomboyish nature, Sum Na was the only person who cared deeply about the nerdy Kim Yu. Their relationship was indeed strange in the eyes of others.
"You're just quiet, acting like I'm a stranger. Aren't I your childhood best friend?" Sum Na spoke again, her tone somewhat annoyed. Her short hair moved along with her stomping footsteps. Even though she looked tomboyish, Kim Yu chose to ignore it, continuing to walk with a flat face that provoked the girl's anger.
"Tch... Arrogant! Oh, so that's how you're treating me now?!" Sum Na exclaimed in exasperation.
The next second, they bickered like old friends. Their hands pushed and hit each other, though it didn't look like a real fight meant to hurt one another, but rather their unique way of communicating and releasing longing. However, that warmth did not last long.
"Kim Yu..."
She always called that name with the same tone. Until one day, a storm came. Sum Na suddenly had to transfer schools due to a major problem that no one could explain. Her departure left a black hole in Kim Yu's heart. The youth was overwhelmed by deep sadness, realizing that he could no longer reach his best friend forever. Sum Na had truly vanished from his sight, swallowed by mystery.
Since that day, Kim Yu was always alone. The world around him felt increasingly gray, until one afternoon when he was walking home from school through a quiet route near the city forest area.
Kim Yu's footsteps suddenly stopped. His ears caught a pitiful groan, followed by a very loud curse. From behind a clump of lush trees, Kim Yu peeked, his breath growing ragged from fear.
There stood Krey—a schoolmate and a large-bodied bully who always tortured Kim Yu. Under Krey's feet, a small, strange-looking creature lay helpless.
"Oi, bastard! You weak creature, you useless piece of trash!" Krey snapped while kicking the creature's body mercilessly.
'Is that... the viral Spyrite?' Kim Yu thought, his eyes widening behind his glasses.
He remembered the news circulating. Mysterious creatures that suddenly appeared roaming the forests and cities a few years ago, right when he was still in middle school. The creatures were called Spyrites. According to the information going around, they were vulnerable creatures that often attacked humans aggressively. 'But... why isn't this creature fighting back?' Kim Yu wondered in his heart.
Kim Yu kept staring at the creature. The Spyrite seemed to be crying in pain under Krey's torture. Seeing the foreign creature's tears, Kim Yu's heart trembled violently. A deep sense of pity welled up from his chest, crushing all his fear.
Without thinking twice, Kim Yu came out of his hiding place. He ran fast toward Krey and directly shoved the boy's bulky body from the side with all his might.
Brakk!
"Aghhh!"
Both of them fell and rolled on the ground because of the massive impact. Kim Yu sacrificed himself to put an end to the torture.
"Damn you!!" Krey roared in anger. Roughly, he pushed Kim Yu until the nerdy youth was thrown hard against the ground.
Kim Yu gasped for air, his breath feeling tight from enduring the heavy physical pressure of the large-bodied guy's impact.
"You loser! You dare defy me, huh?!" Krey stood up, looking down at Kim Yu with a condescending glare. "Should I make it even more painful for you at school later?!"
Krey smirked wickedly, then continued with a sickening, mocking tone. "Or... who was it that left... Oh right, that girl who went viral at school, the one they said was harassed by... who was it again?"
"...."
Hearing Sum Na's name being brought up in such a cruel way, the atmosphere around Kim Yu suddenly turned freezing cold. Without much ado, Kim Yu stood up as fast as lightning. Before Krey could finish his sentence, a raw fist was launched by Kim Yu, hitting Krey right in the face.
Bugh!
The punch was so hard that it broke Krey's nose, drawing fresh blood and making him bleed instantly on the spot.
"Shut your mouth," Kim Yu hissed. His rage had been fiercely ignited. Kim Yu was truly starting to get provoked by Krey's words that had defiled his best friend's name.
Krey wiped the blood from his nose, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Oh... So you dare challenge your master now?!"
Wushhh!
Instantly, Krey's body emitted a terrifying aura. Feeling the massive energy pressure, Kim Yu's entire body trembled severely. The primal instinct within him screamed danger, his heart gripped by an extraordinary fear of facing a supernatural power he had never possessed.
"Oi, why are you just standing there?!"
Without a single warning, a high-speed punch struck Kim Yu's face dead-on.
Blam!
Kim Yu's body was sent flying like a ragdoll. He lay helpless after his back slammed hard against a concrete wall nearby. His head spun, his vision blurred. In that semi-conscious state, the Spyrite he had just saved began to approach. The creature, which resembled a green cat, drew close to Kim Yu's unmoving body.
"Let me show you what a Spyrite is, and at the same time, I will kill you right here like a stray dog," Krey said with an utterly condescending tone.
Kim Yu tried to get up, but his body couldn't move due to severe injuries. However, in the midst of that despair, there was one thing he had to remember: it was impossible for Sum Na to just leave him without a reason. Kim Yu was absolutely certain there must be a dark reason behind the girl's disappearance. Past memories flashed in his brain. He was a boring person who was always alone, but Sum Na was always by his side, no matter what. But when this Spyrite phenomenon appeared, Sum Na suddenly transferred schools. When he went to her house, his best friend's house was empty. And most painful of all, he heard from friends and neighbors that Sum Na had been harassed by someone. Since that day, Kim Yu swore to change; he trained his body brutally hard and searched for information. But the world had changed—people possessed the power of Spyrites, while he did not. That made him treated like a dog and a slave by Krey. But today, that grudge must be avenged!
"You human, don't just stay quiet, or you'll really die."
A mysterious voice suddenly echoed directly inside his head. In an instant, Kim Yu's consciousness felt forcibly pulled away. His vision shifted from the dark alley to an endless void. He was in some sort of subconscious realm.
"Where is this?" Kim Yu asked, looking left and right like a confused fool.
"You are in another dimension," the voice began to sound real and crystal clear in Kim Yu's ears.
"Who are you?!" Startled, Kim Yu became somewhat confused and afraid. His soul's body trembled violently. "Besides... I'm going to die anyway because I am weak..." he said in resignation.
"No. I see your resolve to pay this person back, along with my own grudge," the voice replied with deep emphasis, sounding perfectly clear in his ears.
"What do you mean?" Kim Yu grew even more confused.
"Allow me to introduce myself, I am Spyrite Cat Wodern. Just call me Dao."
"Dao? Are you the creature from earlier that was tortured by Krey?"
"As for the reason, I was just passing by, but he wanted to take my abilities because I am a wild Spyrite, and then he tortured me for no reason. Why didn't I fight back? Because I need a master," Dao explained.
Along with those words, Dao's form changed. A green light glowed, revealing a beautiful girl with long green hair and emerald green eyes that sparkled beautifully. Dressed in elegant, all-green attire, she slowly walked toward Kim Yu.
"I am Dao, who is in dire need of a master," she said in a very soft and extremely polite voice.
"Eh... Why are you telling me this?" Kim Yu was a bit taken aback, his face flushing as he saw the Spyrite's true form.
"Because now you are my master, and I am the one who chose you."
"Your reason for choosing me... why?"
"Because you are the one who tried to save me."
Kim Yu stared at the girl in front of him. "Dao."
Dao stared back with an innocent face, tilting her head slightly, exactly like a confused squirrel.
"I was just helping someone who had it harder, that's all. I don't have high expectations because I am weak," Kim Yu said honestly.
"That is my reason for choosing you, Master," Dao explained with a sincere smile.
Kim Yu fell silent. This was a fact that would not change his resolve anymore. If he wanted to uncover the truth about Sum Na, he needed this power.
"In that case..." Dao was slightly surprised to hear Kim Yu's tone change drastically. "I am ready to be your master." Kim Yu smiled faintly while adjusting his glasses. His gaze was now as sharp as an eagle's.
"But there is a side effect... When you form a contract, Master will manifest your past life's soul."
"What... is that?" Kim Yu frowned, unfamiliar with the term.
"When Master uses my ability, which is 'Use'. Although normally this effect only appears when you reach the Storm Mystic level, you will change, whether into a demon or something else."
"What do you mean?"
"Usually when a living thing, even an animal, makes a contract with us, they will get the effects, although they vary. But because my side effects are considered heavy, are you willing, Master?" Dao asked, smiling sweetly yet full of mystery once again.
"In that case, I'm ready... Because I want to prove that the news was wrong, and I also want to save you... Dao," Kim Yu said with a gaze full of a man's pride.
Mendengar jawaban mutlak itu, Dao tersenyum lebar dengan tulus. "Thank you, my Master."
Wushaaaa!
Returning to the real world, Kim Yu's consciousness snapped back into his body just as Krey began to unleash massive flames all around himself. The air around them suddenly grew violently hot.
"Oi Omen, unleash your ability now!!! Don't make me angry!" Krey ordered demandingly to a fire-element Spyrite of his that looked like a red dragon.
BOOM!
A wave of fire erupted from Krey's body intensely. The heat increased drastically by the second, rising higher and scorching the surrounding asphalt, as if bringing a replica of the sun to earth.
"Look... you dogs, you are truly miserable in front of me!" Krey bragged arrogantly, showing off his muscular, built physique. In his right palm, a giant lump of deep blue fire suddenly emerged.
"Hey, look at that, idiot... This is what happens when you dare challenge me!" With a heavy voice like a wild wolf, Krey glared at Kim Yu, who was still unmoving on the ground. "Now, one word: die, you idiot!"
Roaring, Krey thrust his hand, launching the blue fireball straight at Kim Yu.
BOOMMM!!!
The fire was launched and triggered a massive explosion, sending up thick, billowing smoke. Did Kim Yu die?
"No."
A faint, cold voice was heard from behind Krey.
Krey was instantly shocked out of his mind. He turned his body around quickly. Standing there was Kim Yu, completely whole, without a single burn mark. Dao's physical form as a green cat floated calmly beside his right shoulder.
Without giving Krey any time to process what had just happened, Kim Yu delivered a raw punch coated in pure green energy.
Bugh!
The punch landed dead-on, sending Krey's muscular body crashing down and skidding across the ground.
"Master, pick up the piece of wood next to you," Dao whispered softly.
"Oh, you mean this?" Kim Yu looked down, picking up a dry tree branch lying near his feet.
However, the moment Kim Yu's fingers gripped the branch tightly, his eyes flew wide open in surprise. The branch, which was originally ordinary, now assimilated with his energy. It elongated, hardened, and completely transformed into a legendary sword made of dark dragon scales—complete with a radiating aura of dense, deep black and dark purple darkness.
"Whoa... Pretty cool," Kim Yu murmured in awe, staring at his new sword.
"That is because Master's imagination is incredibly strong and vast. Because the broader your knowledge, the bigger and wider your imagination becomes," Dao explained in a gentle voice next to his ear.
"Wh... Wh... When did you make a contract... Do... Doesn't it take weeks to form a contract?!" Krey screamed hysterically. He began to stand up falteringly, glaring at Kim Yu with a mix of annoyance and disbelief.
"Damn it...!!" Krey channeled his energy again, unleashing a blaze of fire through his hands, which now hardened into blue fire boxing gloves. "I don't care if you've made a contract with a Spyrite, I won't back down!"
Sret!
A blue fire punch shot forward, tearing through the air. Kim Yu raised his dragon-scale sword to block the attack. The clash was so powerful that it sent Kim Yu flying quite a distance backward, crashing into and destroying the wall of a resident's house until it collapsed. Inside the ruined house, an old grandfather could be seen sitting dumbfounded, completely speechless upon seeing a hole in his wall.
"Um... Sorry about that, Grandpa," Kim Yu said helplessly while scratching his head.
"Hahaha! Are you dead yet?!" From a distance, Krey burst out laughing while striking a condescending pose, assuming his opponent had fallen.
However, Krey's laughter instantly choked in his throat.
In the blink of an eye, Kim Yu was suddenly right in front of Krey. The movement happened instantaneously, without taking a single second, as if piercing through space—silent, without even causing a gust of wind. Kim Yu was just suddenly there in front of him, then threw a straight punch right at Krey's jaw.
BAMMM!
The impact was so terrifying that Krey's body was launched high up into the air, hovering helplessly.
Before Krey could even hit the ground, Kim Yu shot up after him into the air at an absurd speed. He spun his body and unleashed a swift axe kick, sending Krey's body hurtling down toward the city forest. The speed was incredibly intense.
Burghhhh!!!
Krey's body slammed into the trees like a falling meteor. Large trees snapped and fell one by one due to the collision with the solid object.
Sret!
Kim Yu landed smoothly, then walked slowly, dashing toward Krey who now lay miserably inside the pile of broken and fallen tree logs. Kim Yu stood over him, looking down coldly.
"Do you surrender?" Kim Yu asked flatly.
"Tch... " Krey spat to the side, blood trickling from the corners of his lips. He glared up at Kim Yu with a disgusting look full of deep hatred. "You think I'll surrender to you?! Pathetic!"
To be continued...