Traitors

An hour had passed since Aaron made his discovery, and now he stood in his designated area of the room, skillfully wielding his sword with the techniques he had learned from the Training Center.

Although he had absorbed the transparent, string-like Spirit Energy, it had not reappeared. He waited for a while, but nothing happened, so he decided to focus on his training, which was the main reason he had come to this place.

The instructor of the room had provided Aaron with the basic Swordsmanship technique, which he diligently followed. The instructor was an experienced guide who helped all the disciples whenever they needed assistance.

Wosh!

As Aaron continued to practice, his movements gradually became more fluid and rhythmic, catching the attention of the instructor. "Hasn't he just learned this technique?" the instructor muttered to himself in amazement, watching Aaron with newfound interest. "Or is he not a first-time sword user?"

But it wasn't just the instructor who was impressed. A girl around Aaron's age who was practicing footwork stopped and kept glancing in his direction. "Is he using Feline Steps?" she thought to herself with a smile. "And he has a high level of mastery at such a young age. How interesting."

As it turned out, Aaron had reached the 6th Realm in his Feline Steps skill just the day before. What better way to quickly increase mastery than to use the skill in real-life combat situations? His progress was certainly impressive.

Aaron's adventures in the Hunting Dimension had not been in vain. In addition to absorbing Spirit Energy from the rabbits, he had been able to use his skills in real combat situations. This practical experience had been one of the reasons why he was quickly mastering the basic swordsmanship technique.

After 8 hours of practice, which was nothing to a cultivator, Aaron took a deep breath and felt satisfied with his progress.

[Basic Swordsmanship : 4th Stage ] *New*

"That was quick!" he exclaimed, surprised and excited. "Am I really that talented?" He chuckled to himself, but noticed a few people giving him side-eyes for his outburst.

***

"I will go to the training center again tomorrow to see how far I can go," Aaron thought to himself as he made his way home. When he arrived, Lucy had already prepared dinner, and Joshua was already eating. Joshua looked up and frowned, "It's late. Where did you go?"

"To the training center," Aaron replied casually. He then turned to his mother, "Mom, did you make spaghetti? Did you leave some for me? I'm hungry."

"Of course, I left some for you," Lucy said with a smile, happy that her son enjoyed her cooking.

Aaron eagerly slurped up his meal, savoring every bite. Joshua noticed that there was no smell of alcohol on Aaron's body and his eyebrows relaxed a little. "Why did you go to the training center?" he asked in surprise.

"To practice martial arts," Aaron replied without looking up.

Joshua and Lucy looked at each other, then turned to Aaron and asked, "Aaron, I know you've awakened, but are you sure this is the path you want to walk?"

"What do you mean?" Aaron asked, puzzled.

"Ordinary people may not know much about cultivators beyond their power and wealth, but to attain that level of strength, cultivators often have to bathe in blood," Joshua explained. "Most of them do not live long enough to achieve anything and die alone, somewhere where they are never found, eaten by demonic beasts or who knows what."

Aaron was a little shocked. He knew about the dangers, but he had never really thought about them in such a detailed way. Despite what his father said, however, he remained undeterred. Without strength, he was nothing but a worm, easily crushed.

"Son, are you sure that's what you want to do?" Lucy asked, her concern evident in her voice.

Aaron nodded resolutely, determined to follow the path he had chosen.

Lucy didn't say anything more, but her silence spoke volumes. She ate her meal in silence, her gaze filled with fear.

Aaron opened his mouth to say something when his father leaned in. "Let her be for now" Joshua whispered to Aaron. "The idea that something might happen to you is terrifying, but we'll support you in whatever you choose to do."

"Thanks, Dad," Aaron said, his heart warmed by his father's words. He knew his parents only wanted the best for him, but he couldn't ignore his own aspirations. He was determined to follow this path, no matter the risks.

"I'll do everything I can to help you" Joshua said, his voice firm. "But you must promise me one thing, you'll stay safe and always prioritize your life above everyone else's… I know how this might sound but.. I don't care what happens to strangers as long as you're safe"

"I promise," Aaron said, his eyes meeting his father's. He knew the road ahead would be fraught with danger and challenges, but he was ready to face them head-on. With his parents' support, he felt confident that he could achieve anything he set his mind to.

***

Somewhere on earth a small town lay in ruins, its streets filled with the debris of broken buildings and the corpses of its former inhabitants. The air was thick with the stench of death, and the only sounds were the distant cries of those who still clung to life.

The attackers, dark and ape-like in appearance, had already moved on, leaving behind a trail of destruction and carnage. Their bloodlust was evident in the way they had torn apart the village, their sharp teeth and claws leaving little to chance.

Innocent men, women, and children had all fallen victim to their vicious onslaught.

A group of cultivators stood in the air, their faces twisted with horror and anger as they looked down at the carnage below. The once peaceful village was now a scene of destruction and death, with bodies scattered everywhere and buildings reduced to rubble.

"How did they manage to break through our defenses?" one of the cultivators exclaimed, turning to the others with a look of disbelief.

"There was no sign of a breach," another replied, shaking their head in confusion. "We have no idea how they got in."

"Someone must have helped them," a third cultivator said darkly, their eyes scanning the area for any clues. "It's those damn dirty mutants!!" The man spat.. "Traitors!"

As they hovered in the air, the cultivators could see that there were still a few survivors, huddled together and trembling with fear. Without hesitation, they descended to the ground, ready to save whoever they could.