Leon wiped the cold sweat trickling down his forehead and forced his breathing to steady again. His chest rose and fell deeply.
He then closed his eyes and steadied himself again. 'No,' he thought, shaking his head. 'Get yourself together, Leon… calm down…'
He inhaled deeply, then exhaled, pushing the anger and despair aside. Slowly, he relaxed his shoulders and refocused his mind. He straightened his back, and guided the spiritual energy once more.
He kept trying like there was no end.
But suddenly.... Something happened.
His consciousness slipped.
Like someone grabbed him by the soul and yanked him through a tunnel of darkness.
When Leon opened his eyes, he wasn't in his room.
He was back in that barren wasteland.
Crimson sky, lifeless earth… and the monster.
The monstrous centipede towered before him, its massive body casting a horrifying shadow. Its metallic forcipules gleamed wickedly.
Leon's eyes widened. "Fuck!"
Without hesitation, he spun on his heel and bolted.
But after sprinting roughly fifty meters, something made him slow down.
"What the…?"
He turned around and blinked.
The centipede… wasn't moving. Not even a twitch.
Its head was high as if roaring, but it stayed frozen, completely still, like a statue sealed in time.
Leon stared doubtfully. "What's going on?"
And then.... A voice behind him answered.
"Where exactly did you think you were running to?"
Leon jolted violently. He spun around so fast he almost tripped over his own feet.
The same man from his last dream stood there.
Calm. Relaxed. Arms folded.
His presence felt familiar.... deeply familiar, yet Leon couldn't place him.
"W-Who are you?" Leon asked, voice trembling.
The man chuckled, amused. "Who I am, huh? Your memories haven't returned yet, but your eyes should still be working. You really don't recognize me?"
Leon narrowed his eyes. "Am I supposed to know you? And even if I knew you, what are you doing in my dream?"
"I'm here because you called me," the man said.
Leon blinked in shock. "I called you? Seriously? I don't even know who you are."
"You'll know," the man said lightly. "When you start remembering or use your brain a little — I guess. But for now… why the fuck were you running from that worm?"
Leon stared at him.
"…Worm?!"
His mouth fell open.
"THAT looks like a worm to you?!" he yelled, pointing at the giant monstrosity behind him. "Do you even see how big that creature is? What else am I supposed to do? Welcome it to a feast where I'm the meal? Spread some sauce on myself so I taste good?!"
The man burst out laughing. Hard. His laughter echoed in the distance.
Then he pointed casually at the monstrous centipede.
"Why don't you just kill it? If you kill it, some of your problems will be solved."
Leon blinked.
"What problems?"
"For starters, you'll receive a reward to lift the first shackle of the curse placed on you."
Leon froze. "Curse?" he whispered. "I'm cursed?!"
He jumped back in alarm and frantically patted his arms, chest, sides, legs — checking himself like a panicking child.
The man watched him with a smirk. "You've become so pathetic that it hurts my heart watching you."
Leon stopped his frantic movements and glared. "I don't understand anything you're saying. But if you're here just to mock me, save your breath. I've been bullied so much lately that your insults feel like compliments."
The man's expression shifted. Less mocking, and more serious now.
"And do you want to remain like that? Or change it?"
Leon clenched his fists. "Of course I want to change it. Or I wish I could. But it's not possible."
"It's possible," the man said. "Just kill that worm."
"That's even more unrealistic," Leon scoffed. "How can I kill something that huge with my pathetic strength? Even top-level martial artists would struggle against it alone!"
The man tilted his head slightly.
"So you think you can't beat it because you're weak. And that you would be able to if you were strong?"
"Yes! If I was a Martial King or Martial Saint, I could probably kill it in one strike!" Leon snapped.
The man fell silent.
Then he asked calmly, "Who do you think is the last one standing in a battle? The strongest one?"
"Of course. Who else?"
The man shook his head slowly.
"The last one standing isn't the strongest. It's the one who refuses to stay down. The resilience to overcome the impossible, the will to do what must be done rather than what you merely can… that is what brings victory."
He looked at the frozen centipede.
"In ten seconds, it will start chasing you again. If you want strength… if you want to protect your family… if you want to do what you are meant to do — which you've forgotten, then kill that worm."
His form began to fade.
"Otherwise… this will be our last meeting."
"Wait!" Leon shouted, reaching out.
But the man dissolved into thin air.
And the moment he vanished....
The centipede twitched. The creature let out a piercing shriek and lunged at Leon with terrifying speed.
Leon didn't waste a single second and started running again, legs pumping as fast as he could. His heart pounded in his chest.
But this time, something else rushed through him.
His father's gasping breath… His family's pathetic condition. His sister's warm smile…
His classmates' laughter… His teacher's disappointment…
All of it flashed in front of him.
He clenched his teeth so hard his jaw hurt.
'This… this has to end.'
He skidded to a stop and turned sharply.
"No more running!"
The centipede lunged.
Leon dodged barely, but the creature's pincer grazed his shoulder.
Blood burst out. Leon screamed as pain tore through him. His entire body felt like it was on fire.
But he stood up. He staggered. But he steadied himself.
And then.... he faced it again.
He dodged another strike. Then another. And another. His movements became sharper, his reactions faster.
A strange confidence stirred in him, something primal, something buried deep within.
The centipede shrieked and threw its massive maw toward him.
Leon jumped and thrust his foot forward, kicking its right eye with everything he had.
SPLAT!
The centipede screeched in agony and violently whipped its head, sending Leon flying like a ragdoll. He crashed hard onto the ground, rolling to a stop.
Pain spread through every part of his body.
But he didn't care. He pushed himself up again.
He remembered the laughing voices of his classmates. A fire ignited inside him.
He moved on instinct.
He leaped again. His fist shot forward...
Splat!
The centipede's left eye exploded under the impact.
Leon didn't stop.
With a quick flip, he landed on the back of its head. He grabbed onto its armored plates and hammered its weak point again and again.
"DIE! DIE! DIE!"
Each punch grew fiercer. The skull beneath its skin caved in. And then blood sprayed.
Finally....
With a violent shudder, the centipede collapsed.
Leon fell on top of its body, panting heavily, staring at the crimson sky above.
"I.... I really did it." He was panting heavily.
Just then a shimmering panel appeared before his eyes.
[System is binding with the fated host.]
[Progress 1%
Progress 47%
Progress 82%
Progress 100%]
[Binding complete.]
Leon's eyes widened. "What… what the hell?!"
More notifications popped up one after another.
[Name: Leon Bale
Cultivation Rank: None
Physical Strength: 07
Soul Strength: 10
Innate Ability: Devouring.]
"What's going on? Was that man talking about this?" He couldn't even finish wondering as more notifications kept coming.
[You have received a reward for slaying the centipede. Your reward is a key to your curse.]
[You have met the requirements to unlock the 1st shackle.]
[The key is reacting with your 1st shackle…]
Leon felt a jolt — like lightning tearing through his body.
[The 1st shackle is broken.]
[You have absorbed enough qi to form a dantian.]
[You have formed a dantian.]
[You have reached the 1st level of Body Refinement Stage.]
[Congratulations on becoming a cultivator.]
[Qi: 10,000/10,000. You have absorbed enough qi for a breakthrough.]
[You have reached the 2nd level of Body Refinement Stage.]
[Qi: 20,000/20,000. You have absorbed enough qi for a breakthrough.]
[You have reached the 3rd level of Body Refinement Stage.]
Leon's mouth fell open.
"W–WHAT?!?!"