Pain.

"Surrender, kid."

The words echoed at Su Min, causing him to shudder for a second. His dwindling eyes seemed to light up as he turned to look at the man, and without any warning, he just started walking.

The man lamented at the boy before going into a simple fighting posture, waiting for Su Min to approach. He didn't really see him as a threat.

However, contrary to everyone's thoughts, the old man at the podium didn't seem to take this fight lightly at all. In fact, you could say that he was watching Su Min's every movement.

Only one person noticed this, and she was the genius fighter Yi Zan. She seemed to know a touch more than everyone else, so when she noticed the solemn expression of the old man she couldn't help but hesitate.

"Am I missing something here?"

The walk continued as Su Min shifted his weight to his arm and formed a pushing motion like he was experimenting. It was ordinary beyond belief, yet the muscular man couldn't help but get an eery feeling when he saw that pushing motion.

However, it was too late to act as Su Min had already appeared before him, so he just decided to ignore it and punched out.

For most people, this punch could be considered top notch for any mortal, yet Su Min didn't seem to fluctuate with fear or unwillingness, instead, a strange glint shone in his eyes. He followed as the punch closed into his chin, and only then did he move.

*PSST*

The air seemed to wither as Su Min brought his hand back and flattened it. An invisible string of the intent strung itself around his hand as his body tensed to a terrifying degree. The air seemed to freeze under the strange law coming from the intent as the man's eyebrows wrinkled. The push also brought with it a mystical feeling, yet it was too faint to pinpoint

"Hm?"

Just as that punch was about to thrash into Su Min's face, that same pushing motion showed itself once again...

*THUD*

The demeanour of Su Min seemed to change as he pushed that hand out. It made everyone's hearts shake without warning as his body released an otherworldly feeling... In conjunction with this, the intent that shrouded Su Min thrummed before emitting an intense wave of energy.

*PSHHH*

Before the punch even hit the palm, the man shuddered with a shiver that quaked deep within him. It was a feeling that he has never felt before, but as he looked at Su Min's palm, it pierced right through him. It made his mind reel with agony as everything became so painful that simply moving was like he was peeling his own skin off.

He didn't know what it was, but a strange ripple had spread onto him from that push, and it made his body shiver with intense fear!

"W-what.."

Before he even realised, that half-finished punch of his just fell to the side as his body froze without control. The push, however, didn't seem to care as it jostled itself onto his chest.

"GUH!"

The man's chest stood strong as it got pushed, yet, something seemed to have invaded his chest and burned with an intense pain that made his eyes dim. A feeling that surpassed the physical limitations pierced his soul and brought with it a painful law that sundered everything in his mind.

"AGHHHHHH!"

An agonising shriek stuck the silent stage that made even the most firm of hearts waver. It was an endless shriek that didn't care for whether he had breath or not, and in no time that shriek became hoarse to the point of sounding inhuman. The air seemed to freeze, making it impossible for him to breath.

The world darkened for a second as a crackling sound broke through this shriek, making everyone turn pale with fright.

"Agh..."

The distressing howl continued to whimper from the man as the noise grew weak over time until the man just lied there, twitching. All that remained was a slumped youth, breathing deep gulps.

Dead flakes fluttered around him as the concrete below him had somehow decomposed an inch.

"What..."

Everyone felt incredulous as their eyes locked onto the bloody mess which was once a proud man. However, the old man was the only one who shone with a mysterious light.

"Martial Technique..."

Even now, the man's body seemed to decay at a startling rate as everything around Su Min got covered in a layer of dust. Some of it was from the concrete below, and some the dead corpse.

Enlightenment shone in his eyes as he finally understood that instinctual feeling he has right now.

'It seems that, due to the intent, I can induce pain to anything, living or dead. How ironic...'

...

The youth just stood there until he realised something and stared at the crowd below. They shook as they saw that strange bloodlust in his eyes, like it wanted to devour all of them to win.

The old man wryly smiled as he coughed, making Su Min pause.

"Ehum. Su Min! I don't understand why, but now that I know that you can perform a Martial Technique, there is no point for you to continue! I'll personally bring you to the main tournament as a representative of this sector, so you can get off the stage."

Su Min paused and looked at the old man. He thought for a while before speaking in a haggard voice full of frailty. However, within this was a lost melancholy and a deep hatred towards a certain man.

"Does it let me become a disciple of this Dojo?"

The old man looked bewildered for a second until he gave a strange gaze at Su Min. He could intuitively feel a hatred from him, but it wasn't any of his business.

"As a representative of this sector, if you are able to get within the top 1000 in the tournament then of course!"

Su Min looked at the old man, nodded and went off the stage. He sat down and once again stared at the book in his hand. He wasn't able to control the intent, so it unendingly emitted the strange and agonising energy, although it was a lot more subtle compared to that push which catalysed it.

This in turn made everyone around him feel as if a fine pike was aimed at their soul, looming there like it could torture them with but a thought. This instigated a burning sting in their mind that made their bodies shiver; prompting them to disperse even faster with looks of horror.

Unknowingly the area around him became completely deserted, with only a girl left. She was one of the contestants that everyone deemed to be guaranteed a place, and now that she was persisting in that fearful area around Su Min, everyone glanced over.

"Su Min?"