Chapter 33: Fighting for a Future
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Under the velvet-black sky, the distant mountains stood like faint, jagged shadows. A soft whisper drifted through the thick forest: “The information was wrong!” The speaker’s voice trembled, carrying a sense of dread that settled over the hidden clearing.
Within the dense tangle of trees, Qin Ming’s attackers froze and backed away. Just moments ago, he’d seemed ordinary—quiet, almost forgettable. Now, in the hush of the moonlight, he looked like a storm about to break. Two of their men already lay sprawled in the snow, still as stone. No one had seen Qin Ming move so swiftly before. His eyes, once calm and gentle, now burned with a fierce, icy determination.
Especially terrifying was the sight of Qin Ming holding a spear, its tip buried right through the chest of one of their fallen men. Blood trickled down into the pale snow, staining it deep red. A chill ran through the remaining attackers. They knew that if any of them had stood in that man’s place, they would have met the same brutal end.
His appearance had changed completely. Qin Ming’s black hair whipped about his face as the wind picked up, and there was nothing mild or soft about him anymore. He looked dangerous—like a blade unsheathed. He didn’t brag or shout. He simply stood his ground, his presence alone enough to make them falter.
The attackers retreated a few steps. It made no sense—how could a boy who had only just begun his “Awakening” possess such unbelievable strength? One of their strongest had been training after his second Awakening for a decade. This didn’t add up at all.
Qi Huai En, the leader, pushed forward with narrowed eyes. He was lean and graceful, like a panther, every muscle taut and ready. On any other day, he would have seemed elegant and in control. Now he seemed frustrated, cornered. He hated the feeling of being surprised by someone he’d judged too quickly.
His entire future depended on tonight’s outcome. His family had gambled to get their hands on a rare spiritual ingredient—something to brew an elixir that would raise his abilities and let him train under the Master from Flowing Light City. That was the path he had set his heart on. That was why he couldn’t leave matters as they were. Qin Ming stood between him and his dream. He had to finish what he’d started, no matter how messy it got.
Suddenly, Qin Ming jerked his arm, flinging the lifeless body straight at Qi Huai En. It flew like a ragdoll tossed by a giant’s hand.
With a swift hiss of steel, Qi Huai En swung his sword. The flashing blade cut through the air, knocking the corpse aside. It smashed into a tree with a sickening thud, bones cracking like dry sticks. The body fell heavily to the ground, limp and broken.
Calm and confident, Qin Ming stepped forward and bent down. He picked up a heavy, black iron hammer that lay near a fallen weapon rack. Now he held both a spear and a hammer, one in each hand. These were not simple tools—most people would struggle to lift even one of them properly. Yet he handled them as though they were no heavier than a couple of sturdy branches. The strength running through his arms felt like it could crush mountains.
Qi Huai En studied him, struggling to keep his face calm. He had skill himself—he’d just proven it by deflecting that body—but Qin Ming didn’t look worried at all.
“What are you lot waiting for?” Qi Huai En barked at his men, his voice sharp. “Don’t tell me I’m supposed to do this on my own!”
Spurred by fear and loyalty—or perhaps fear of what would happen if they refused—the men began to close in again, holding their weapons at the ready. This time, they were careful, trying to circle Qin Ming so he couldn’t focus on just one of them.
Their leader, a skilled fighter at the “Second Awakening” level, charged first, spear raised high. He lunged with all his might, aiming straight for Qin Ming’s heart.
Qi Huai En stayed back for the moment, sword ready to strike at the perfect time. He was thinking quickly now, searching for any opening.
Qin Ming met the man’s spear with a violent upward swing of the black hammer. Metal crashed against metal with a deafening clang. The attacker’s spear flew from his hands, spinning into the dark sky before vanishing into the gloom. The man stared at his bleeding palms, stunned. How could this skinny-looking teenager be that powerful?
Meanwhile, Qin Ming deftly parried attacks from three more opponents, shifting his spear and hammer to block and strike. He moved so fast that they found themselves dodging their own allies’ blades.
Qi Huai En frowned and stepped back, sweat beading on his brow. He had never thought this battle would turn out like this. Things were spiraling beyond his control. In desperation, he pulled a small crystal bottle from inside his robe. The liquid inside glowed a sharp, bright red. Without hesitating, he drank it in one go. It would hurt later, but if he failed here, there wouldn’t be a “later” for him at all.
Qin Ming noticed the change at once. But he didn’t waver. He turned his attention to the one who’d just lost his weapon—clearly the weakest link now. Quick as a shadow, Qin Ming slipped past two men’s swords and brought his hammer down with a terrible crunch.
The unlucky fighter tried to dodge, but too slowly. The hammer smashed into his shoulder, shattering bones and crushing his chest inward. He screamed, the sound echoing horribly through the trees. His right arm tore free, landing in the snow with a dull thump. The others went pale at the sight of such savage strength. Some of them began to wonder if they should simply flee and forget their master’s orders.
Qin Ming, having reached his second Awakening, was terrifyingly strong—far beyond what any of them had imagined.
“Don’t panic!” Qi Huai En shouted, stepping forward now. He held his sword firmly, and his skin glowed a strange shade of red, as if his blood were on fire. A thin, eerie mist rose around him.
“I’ll handle him,” he said, forcing confidence into his voice. “Just watch my back.”
Qin Ming stood quietly, meeting Qi Huai En’s stare. He felt no need to speak yet. It was clear that this man had used some forbidden elixir to boost his power. Still, Qi Huai En wasn’t suddenly going to jump to a “Third Awakening.” Qin Ming could sense that much.
Qi Huai En, breathing hard, looked almost enchanted by his own strength. “This power… it’s unreal,” he muttered. Then he locked eyes with Qin Ming. “Look, I know I’ve been greedy. If I could turn back time… well, maybe I wouldn’t. After all, I need this. I need to break free of the life I’ve known.”
Qin Ming frowned slightly, but said nothing yet.
“It’s not like I was born in some grand city,” Qi Huai En went on, voice tight with frustration. “My first Awakening gave me enough strength to lift seven hundred pounds, and that made me a big deal back home. But when a distinguished master visited, I wasn’t even on his list. Do you know how that feels?”
Qin Ming answered softly, his voice now carrying the rough edge of a determined teenage boy: “Dude, I don’t know much about your life, but I get it—you’re trying to change your fate. I’m just trying not to get killed out here.”
Qi Huai En’s eyes hardened. “Our paths were never meant to cross. But now that they have, we can’t both walk away. Either I kill you and rise above my old life, or I die right here in this forest.”
With a furious shout, Qi Huai En lunged, sword flashing. His men charged too, desperate to end this frightening standoff.
Qin Ming moved smoothly, parrying each strike. He fought without fear, twisting and turning, hammer and spear blurring through the cold air. He seemed to sense every attack before it landed, always a step ahead.
Qi Huai En gritted his teeth, stunned by how effortless Qin Ming’s movements were. Even with the potion, Qi Huai En couldn’t outmuscle him.
One of the other attackers muttered under his breath, “What is he, a monster?” They all knew Qi Huai En’s boosted strength, and yet Qin Ming still held the upper hand.
Qin Ming’s voice rang out, calm and cutting: “Unless you jump straight to a Third Awakening this second, you can’t beat me.”
With that, Qin Ming moved in a blur. His spear stabbed one man, pinning him to a tree, and his hammer slammed into another, caving in the man’s chest with a hollow crunch. The attackers were falling like leaves in autumn. Qi Huai En was left with no one to rely on.
Backed into a corner, Qi Huai En swung wildly, but his arm shook, and he knew he was losing. Qin Ming hurled his spear once more. It streaked through the darkness and pierced the heart of Qi Huai En’s last remaining fighter.
Qi Huai En stared, horrified. How had it come to this? All his dreams and plans were crumbling. Every ally he had brought lay dying at his feet.
Qin Ming advanced, his expression unreadable. One by one, he ended the moaning survivors’ suffering with a swift, clean strike. There would be no mercy—no loose ends. He had no choice if he wanted to protect himself from future ambushes.
Qi Huai En looked up at Qin Ming through the haze of pain, barely able to speak. “How… how are you this strong?” His voice sounded empty and defeated.
Qin Ming’s eyes were steady, but he didn’t bother answering. He took a step closer, ready to finish it.
Qi Huai En let out a weak, bitter laugh. “I see it now… Your first Awakening must have been beyond anything I’ve ever heard of. Lifting a thousand pounds, maybe more… and now double that. No wonder… no wonder I never had a chance.”
The other men, those who still clung faintly to life, managed looks of stunned disbelief. They now understood that Qin Ming’s strength was something beyond their small world.
Qin Ming finished them with silent efficiency, then carefully wiped his weapons. He looked around the clearing, making sure nothing remained that could threaten him later. Satisfied, he turned and began heading deeper into the woods, toward the crevice where he had once nearly lost his life.
He paused at its entrance. Before, this place had left him feeling sick and helpless. Now, strangely, it felt soothing, as if the very air inside healed and calmed him. The exhaustion from the battle was already fading.
Qin Ming glanced once more at the dark forest, then made up his mind. He slipped into the crevice again, following the faint silver glow crisscrossing beneath the earth.