Chapter 4: The Contrast Between Appearance and Reality
Edward leapt backward with all his strength, a sudden jump that saved him from James's hand, which was reaching slyly toward his sword.
He stopped abruptly five meters away, gasping for breath.
It wasn't just retreating from a fight; it was the raw feeling of survival, as if he had just escaped the jaws of a hungry lion.
Edward's limbs shook against his will. His fear wasn't only a physical reaction but a cold weight settling in his stomach, tightening his grip on the sword until his knuckles turned white.
His heartbeat slammed violently against his ribs, cold sweat dripping down his forehead despite the chilly air.
James's sharp gaze followed him, every movement calculated, making Edward feel like prey trapped in a narrow corner.
He tried to gather his breath, but the air felt heavy, refusing to fill his lungs completely.
James slowly turned his head to the right, fixing his gaze on Edward's friend, who stood frozen in shock.
His eyes glowed with a terrifying crimson light, and dark red blood dripped from his injured hand, painting a silent and horrifying scene.
In that moment, the fear in Mark's eyes transformed into absolute terror.
He stumbled backward as fast as he could, driven only by the instinct to survive.
But it was already too late; James slammed both feet into the ground with immense force and shot toward him like the wind.
Mark's body hung in the air, helpless. After jumping such a distance, he had no freedom to dodge.
He sensed danger crawling toward him from James's direction.
But before James could reach him, Edward charged in with all his speed, his sword glowing with flowing qi energy.
James didn't even look back. He simply smiled, a terrifying smile that stunned Mark.
"Die!" Edward shouted sharply, swinging his shining sword at James.
In a split second, James dodged the fatal attack, bending swiftly.
Edward froze for a brief moment in shock, but he quickly regained his composure and fighting instinct.
He delivered a sudden, powerful kick to James's shoulder, sending him stumbling several steps backward.
A few meters away, James tried to stop himself, his feet scraping violently against the hard ground, leaving deep marks behind.
He straightened slowly, twisting his neck with a chilling crack.
His eyes lifted, locking onto Mark and Edward.
The two stood paralyzed, overwhelmed by shock and fear at the terrifying reality before them.
They had believed they were up against simple farmers.
It was pure misfortune that brought them here. Even if they could relive this moment a thousand times, they would never set foot in this cursed place again.
James stared at them with cold, expressionless eyes and broke the silence with a question that carried hidden menace:
"Do you know what mistake you made?"
The system had granted him the strength of ten years of relentless sword training; not only skill but immense physical power, turning every muscle in his body into a perfectly trained weapon.
James continued, his gaze drifting toward his small home filled with warmth.
His voice carried a hint of sorrow beneath its icy calmness:
"I was living happily, watching my beautiful wife and my children."
He exhaled softly. "I really wanted to spend my whole life in that warmth, holding my wife on cold nights, playing with my children."
"But now you want that happiness... you want my wife... you want her body, isn't that right?" His voice remained cold, frightening, despite the quiet anger hiding beneath it.
Mark and Edward swallowed hard. James's penetrating gaze cut through them, leaving them speechless.
Edward, trying to steady himself, gathered whatever strength he had left and spat cruel words to reassure himself:
"You're just farmers. And when we're done with you, we'll enjoy your wife in front of you and your kids!"
He convinced himself he was only dealing with a strong farmhand, nothing more.
Silence returned, broken only by the sound of the wind.
Moments after Edward's vile words, James suddenly placed his hands on his head and began laughing hysterically.
His laughter shook violently, rising higher and higher. It wasn't laughter of joy, but the scream of a tortured soul turning into cold madness.
He laughed and laughed, wiping away the tears that spilled from the force of it.
Edward and Mark stood frozen, unable to speak.
They watched a man laugh wholeheartedly at their threats, as if they had told the most ridiculous joke imaginable.
But there was no humor.
It was the laughter of despair turning into cold insanity.
James stopped abruptly, his voice freezing the air as he stared directly at Edward.
"Farmers... farmers, fine."
He began advancing toward them slowly, his arms hanging motionless at his sides.
With every step, blue qi energy gathered and condensed into the shape of a sword in his right hand, immense and powerful.
When Mark saw it, he screamed in terror:
"That's... that's a qi sword!"
Edward stared at James's hand, completely stunned. Cold sweat drenched his entire body.
He knew well that the qi sword could only be used by a mid-level knight.
He recalled the ranking system:
the lower level, divided into nine stages (he and Mark were at stage six),
then the mid-level, also nine stages,
then the high level.
And to wield a qi sword, one must reach the mid-level.
Edward's thoughts were cut short by Mark's sudden scream.
In a single instant, with a movement too fast for the eye to follow, Mark's hands were severed brutally.
Blood gushed across the ground as Mark collapsed to his knees before James, whose glowing qi-filled hands were ready for more destruction.
James raised his left hand and touched Mark's face gently, dragging his fingers across his pale skin. His cold eyes pierced Mark's terrified soul.
In a chilling whisper, he asked:
"Am I a farmer now?"
He grasped Mark's trembling chin, sliding his fingers across his white face and soft hair, as if examining a sweet treat he was about to devour.
"Come on, speak. Am I a farmer?"
Mark stuttered, barely able to speak through the pain and horror.
"No... you're not... a farmer."
He could feel James's soft, youthful hand on his face and hair. James's snow-white hair and innocent features didn't match the monster standing before him.
Mark could never have imagined that someone with such gentle looks and average build could be this terrifying and brutal.
The contrast between appearance and reality was shocking and deadly.