Arise, Hero

Chicken Wings flew at shocking speeds, flying out of the devastated wastelands in a few minutes.

Liu Feng who was tightly hugged by Chicken Wings was delighted after seeing a cluster of buildings in the distance. Being pressed against Chicken Wing's cold and soft chest, his face was beet red throughout the short journey.

"Ahem! We're very close to the outskirts of Ultra Star Republic, you should drop us now." Liu Feng said with an embarrassed smile as soon as they reached a considerable distance away from the cluster of buildings.

Chicken Wings nodded in understanding as she slowed down her flying speed. After a while, she began to drop down to the ground slowly. Her eyes narrowing as she gazed into the distance.

In a few seconds, she finally landed gracefully on the ground. Dropping Liu Feng and letting Liu Mei climb off her back. As soon as she was free, she furrowed her brows in apprehension.

"That's weird. Why aren't there any guards at the gates?" Chicken Wings muttered in a soft voice as she approached the gates. She thought of the possibility that something had happened to the guards, and her expressed twisted.

Did something really attack the gates? Or are the guards just slacking off again? I should go ahead and check. Something is definitely wrong.

"Why don't you two stay back and I run ahead to check something out first? I'll be back in a few seconds."Chicken Wings glanced at Liu Feng, then at Liu Mei. The both of them blinked back at her, and shrugged a few seconds later.

"Make sure not to do anything stupid while I'm away, and do not follow me." Chicken Wings was about to turn around and leave when it hit, "Who am I kidding? Both of you would definitely follow me. Furball, make sure they don't follow and I'll reward you with something very interesting."

Furball's eyes gleamed in a bright light as he heard that. Then after a few seconds, he jumps out of Liu Feng's arms and directly in front of him. Furball was not as strong as his sibling, but could definitely handle two teens if he wanted to.

Chicken Wings took off after a few seconds of hesitation. She was going to check out the gates, then return if she finds anything wrong with it. A simple plan, with zero safeguards.

"So who's going to take the blame?" Liu Feng said as he stared at the disappearing back with a lazy grin. He glanced at Liu Mei, then at Furball and a defeated gleam flashed past his eyes.

——

Liu Feng was stunned seeing no one at the gates, and didn't know what to make out of the situation except for "they must have taken their usual drunk leaves".

He was still thinking to himself, when he stepped past the gates, and the smell of blood clouded his senses. He looked around, and to his horror — he could see dead bodies of numerous men scattered all over the entrance.

Liu Mei waltzed in carelessly with Furball, and she chokes on the thick smell. After coughing incessantly for a few seconds, Liu Mei looked around to see the horrific scene before her.

Her eyes narrowed, and she hunched over. Liu Mei's eyes watered up and she vomited all over the ground. She coughed and wheezed, her eyes reddening as she poured out her meals.

"Wha— what happened!" Liu Feng looked around, then heard clear noises from the north. Without wasting time, he ran there with all his might, only to see a strange silver skinned man biting into the flesh of a pale woman.

He had powerful canines that easily ripped apart the woman's flesh and broke her bones. In a few seconds, he had completely eaten through her hands and was going for her shoulder.

"Aunt… Aunt…" Liu Feng was stunned, frozen and completely terrified. Right before him, a monster was eating the sister to his mother. The monster that resembled every other regular human.

He forced himself to look around, Chicken Wings had been locked into a wall. A wound was on her head, and it was bleeding profusely!

"She was related to you?" The monster lifted his head and stared at Liu Feng with a curious gleam in his auburn eyes. His skin was smooth, but was giving off a strange gleam.

He was Daemon. A strange creature of unknown origins. He looked human, but was not one in the slightest. Not only was he stronger and faster, he was also more powerful than a regular human.

"I really enjoyed ripping her apart you know. Her loud shrieks and screams were music to my ears." Daemon grinned as he licked the blood on his finger, his eyes gleaming in a demonic light, "She tasted good. One of the best human delicacies I have had in decades."

Liu Feng was quaking in his boots as she stared at the monster. He was unable to summon any strength, just standing still and watching it approach him in a lazy gait. The thick smell of blood clogged up his nose, and Liu Feng choked on his next words.

"H— how could you have done something like this? In what way did any of us harm you?" Liu Mei shrieked, her eyes unfocused and knees wobbling. She had just spoken with them a few hours ago. She wouldn't have believed that something like this could happen.

"She has her mother's talents in shrieking. Hopefully, she tastes just as good." Daemon's grin broadened as he noticed Liu Mei freeze up under his gaze, "Sadly, I wasn't able to finish off everyone before you four got here. You can still save the others, if you can."

"If I can?"

Liu Feng burst into a hysterical laughter in the next second. He laughed so hard that his eyes teared up, and his stomach began hurting. Even his sister was stunned by his sudden outburst.

"There isn't just one of us here. Like you mentioned yourself, there are four of us." Liu Feng spoke as he suddenly swallowed down his laughter and dashed away in an explosion of dust, "Liu Mei, get out of here!"

"Raghhh!" Chicken Wings leapt out of the shattered wall and directly at Daemon, raising her hand to claw at his face without hesitation. She was fairly fast, and her tough metallic claws were sure to rip into the skin of her target with ease.

"Oh? She wasn't knocked out yet?"

Daemon's brows jumped as he spun to face Chicken Wings. His pupils narrowed down to needle points as his right hand shot forward in a blink, and grabbed Chicken Wing's claw without much effort.

"You, bastard!" Chicken Wings shouted as she raised her other hand, and clawed viciously after stabilizing herself midair. Her attack was as powerful as the last, and Daemon would not be able to block it in time.

As expected, her claws easily tore through the side of Daemon's face, leaving wide gashes that bled without ceasing. Daemon didn't even flinch, he simply let go of her hand and dashed away with his smile maintained.

"Oh, ho ho ho! You can actually wound me! That's something surprising." Daemon held his mutilated face and shook his head vigorously, "That was a very lucky strike! I won't let it happen again!"

"Lucky?" Chicken Wings landed down on the ground gracefully, then charged again. This time with a bit more force than the last, "How dare you kill so many people for no reason, I'll rip you apart!"

"Shouldn't I be the one ripping people apart? Such a cheap copycat." Daemon lowered his hand from his face, and took a stance with his eyes gleaming. His injuries had been completely healed without a trace!

Chicken Wings was stunned, but didn't put too much thought into it. Her vision was shrouded in red, and she was unable to think straight. All she wanted to do was to kill the monster, cook him up, and eat him!

Yes, she could do that. She would even benefit from it, and wouldn't suffer any backlashes! All these coupled with him killing innocent people in the village, made her feel even more crazed and bloodlusted.

Daemon smirked, "Heh heh, let's see how long you can maintain your energy. If I haven't ripped you to bits before then, obviously."

Chicken Wings scratched at Daemon upon getting into range, her metallic claws tore into his face with ease and in a second, Daemon's face was ridden with wounds! Chicken Wings had performed numerous successful crisscross claw attacks in just a second, ruining his poor face without mercy.

His healing speed was visible to the human eyes, and Chicken Wings was a bit irritated by it. That allowed Daemon to negate all her "Bleed Strikes", making him a difficult enemy to leech off health from a distance.

"Heh, try harder!"

Daemon dashed forward and grabbed Chicken Wings by her shoulder. His grip tightened as he pulled her towards him, then kneed her in the guts without an ounce of hesitation. After that, he lifted her with all his strength, and slammed her face into the ground.

"Crack!"

Hearing the sound of bones cracking, Daemon smiles as he finally loosens his grip then straightens his back to stand upright. Seeing that Chicken Wings was still struggling to stand up, he ruthlessly drew back his leg and kicked her away.

Her face skidded across the ground, leaving a body trail after Chicken Wings who slowed down to a halt soon after the kick. Her face was buried in the earth, and her body was twitching slightly.

"See? You're too weak to even consider ripping me apa—" Before Daemon could even finish his sentence, an axe came spinning at him, and slammed into his head in a blink. The axe tore his head open, letting blood pour out of his head uncontrollably.

"That— that kid!" Daemon turned around in shock to see Liu Feng glaring back at him with hatred. He was so stunned he froze for a few seconds, he didn't even know how to react to the sudden strike, "Weaklings!"

Daemon lifted his hand and tore off the axe from his head and discarded it without hesitation. Then, before any one could blink, he suddenly dashed towards Liu Fend at a very high speed!

"For doing that — I'll tear off your head first!" Daemon grinned as he raised his hand and grabbed at Liu Feng with his eyes gleaming brightly. He hand shot forward at frightening speeds, and grabbed Liu Feng's arm.

"I'll kill you!" Liu Feng roared as he drew out a spare axe he had hidden behind his back, then raised it to the sky before dropping it down splitting the arm of his attacker in two!

Daemon was stunned. Staring at his severed hand, he didn't even see that coming despite being faster in his thoughts compared to Liu Feng. Before he could think further, Liu Feng raised his axe and struck again.

He was stunned.

'Two times…' Daemon staggered backwards as he raised his hand to touch the axe buried into his forehead, 'The kid actually got me for the second time…'

Daemon roared crazily. He raised his hand, then gave Liu Feng a slap — the power behind the slap, burst the air around Liu Feng's face as he was blasted to the side like a rag doll. Daemon didn't hold back.

"How dare you? How dare you!" Daemon roared as he charged at Liu Feng who was still hurtling away, then grabbed him mid air. His eyes were burning in fury.

'This kid— I must kill him now before he becomes something that will threaten us in the future! I can never let him live, even if it cost me my life!'

Liu Feng's vision was blurred from the strike earlier, he glared at Daemon. He was weak, angry and afraid at the same time. He didn't know what to do, he had nothing he could use against the enemy.

Daemon lifted Liu Feng and slammed his face into the dirt, his eyes gleaming with hatred and anger, "You weakling! Why can't you just die and let me eat in peace? Just die already already!"

Daemon lifted Liu Feng from the debris and slammed his face back into the dirt again. He repeated this, and didn't stop until Liu Feng's face was bloodied from the continuous bashing.

Only after Liu Feng's face was completely ruined, did Daemon throw him away without mercy. Watching as Liu Feng break his bones after landing a few metres away. His eyes torching with fury.

"Pathetic mortal with no special abilities to protect himself from an enemy — just hurry up and die!"

Daemon charged over, and stopped exactly an inch away from Liu Feng. He noticed that the young boy was still alive, and his expression twisted. He never believed such a pathetic creature could harm him.

He used to believe mortals were pathetic livestock for his kind. Each and every one of them, pathetic beings that deserved no place in this world. Wasting oxygen and resources, destroying life to sustain themselves.

"You are not dying? Still breathing? Just die already and save this the trouble of your worthless existence."

Daemon roared madly. He was bubbling with rage, all the memories of his past flashed through his eyes as he started down upon the struggling Liu Feng. His gaze hardened the longer Liu Feng lived for.

[Host Dying…]

Liu Feng huffed.

His ribs were shattered from the impacts. His arms was broken and his legs paralyzed. He was finding it difficult to breath, with his broken nose being buried in the sand and all that. He was in pain, deep pain.

He could see the light. A silver light at the end of the tunnel — it was in the shape of a square, and seemed to have words floating in front of it. Was this what the people Liu Feng saw before he tore them apart to eat?

[System — Activated!]

What system? Just— let me rest in peace. I'm already beat down too much to get back up. As far as Liu Mei gets to live, I'm glad and satisfied. Her safety is all I care about for now.

But…

[Potential Awakening…]

What about Chicken Wings? What about the other villagers? What about his mother who might still be alive with his uncle hidden off somewhere to be eaten by this demon later?

Didn't I promise myself, that I will become strong one day? That I will grow, and become powerful enough to beat down those people that chased us out of our old home? To shut up those drunkards that sang "I was a waste of sperm that needed to be deleted?"

I can't die now. I can't rest here.

I must survive. I must get stronger. Then, I'll pay back everyone ten times what they forced on me. I'll make sure each and every one of those drunkards eat their words with their heads in a bucket of their piss.

[Arise, Hero.]