Chapter 18: Kim's mana
Momo is lazying on top of the grass with her belly bulging. Besides her, several fish bones can be seen scattering. After a while, she noticed her master frowning face.
"What will you do if you go out?"
"Revenge of course"
"To who exactly?"
"To everyone"
"Who?"
"Everyone!"
The voice gave up and let out a sigh. He thought that after keeping Kim caged inside the island for several years, Kim anger would dissipate bits by bits. It seems that to Kim, the day where he lost everything was as clear as day as if it just happened yesterday. Although there was no blood connection between them, the voice felt sadness inside his heart. Feeling that he failed to notice the demon haunting his disciple.
The reason why Kim has been progressing at a rapid rate was not solely due to his latent talent but mostly the motivation he had when he buried his own family to the grave. Body to body, limb to limb, as the unforgettable stench of his family blood sticking covered his body. Remain unwashed even it was completely gone. To make things worst, it happened after his helplessness of seeing his friends killed one after another. The calamity that fell upon Kim still remained as an unerasable scar within his mind.
"Calm down kid. Don't let your anger disrupt your thought..."
By this time Kim is breathing heavily as his rage building up. Flashes of moments during the calamity were rewinding inside his mind clearly as if it was projected in front of his eyes. Before, he already thought of killing himself. After the revelation, his mind only filled with intense killing intent. Gritting his teeth and grasping his hand, his veins bulging as blood seep out from the corner of his mouth. While this happened, the clear day suddenly turns dark as clouds gathered above the island of Borneo. The trees started to sway as sudden wind come blowing through.
Moments later, flickering lights accompanied with deafening roars can be seen and heard, signalling thunder would come striking the ground soon. Every monster that was weaker than Kim in term of mana on the island is kneeling to the ground unable to move even an inch. Others were slightly affected but it still caused their body to tremble as a cold chilling sensation piercing through their bones, making them expand their mana sense to find out the source. There were also monsters who were deep in slumber waking up from the pressure.
This is mana pressure. The same pressure the voice emitted when he tried to warn Kim on how powerful a mana user can be. Although only someone with good control of mana, and had cultivated mana for a long time could emit a pressure that could affect the nature, Kim has inherited the mana memories from the voice enable him to unconsciously emitting a powerful pressure. However, the one he emitted was not within his control and could even injure himself. Kim might die.
Seeing the event that is happening has put a burden into the voice heart even further. Before, he could just release his own mana pressure to cut off Kim's mana. But being sealed for so long has deteriorated his body. He's already at his limit when he released the mana pressure from before. His life is only hanging on a thread. He still can't understand why he would sacrifice himself for Kim, and why he feels so sad now looking at Kim, and again why he comes to a conclusion to put himself on the line to protect Kim. This kind of thought would be ceased to exist in his mind during his time as the sovereign of the universe.
Momo was still lying lazily on the ground with her belly up when suddenly she sensed a sudden fluctuation of mana in the atmosphere. By then she noticed her master is frowning with his whole body trembling. She could see the inconsistency of Kim's mana which is clouded in rage. Even since the day when Kim saved her from the brink of death, she could only see lights coming out from him. He gave out a warm sensation that makes her feel safe.
She was hungry, she was cold, she was weak, she could die any seconds, and no one there to help her. No matter how much she cried or shouted for help, she understood no one would be able to help her as she lay there helplessly within the body of a monster. Not just any monster but a mythical creature that only exists in fantasy, Hydra. King of Hydra! She could only understand that she would be digested soon like other unfortunate people who got swallowed by the nightmarish snake.
Luckily enough, before she became the last person who would be digested, the fluid stop secreting. Then a wild tremor follows up afterwards. This was the time when Kim was fighting King Hydra. The Hydra had to concentrate all its fluid externally which momentarily stopped the flowing inside its stomach. She waited and waited without knowing what is happening outside and throughout that time she only felt anxiousness with fear as death would take her away anytime. She rather kills herself then suffer from the helpless waiting.
She suddenly felt warm and smelled something like cooked meat. It didn't take long for her to realized that the smell comes from the body of the monster. Hydra was completely cooked inside out. Feeling hungry, she pulled out every bit of energy left to munch on the meat in front of her. She doesn't know how long she did this, but she continued until suddenly the dark space vaporized into thin air. A beautiful crimson sky appeared above. She felt warmness when Hydra was being cooked.
She lay there naked on the ground feeling weak, and moments later a boy suddenly came to her looking straightly into her eyes, lending a helping hand. She felt embarrassed because she was too weak to cover her exposed body. The boy smiled at her and the first words he said to her were
"Are you okay violet girl?"
At first, she was confused but after a while when she saw herself in the river she noticed her once black hair and brown pupil has turned into violet.
To her, Kim was not only her benefactor, but he was also the only one left in her life. When she looked at Kim misery state, a painstakingly feeling grows in her heart. The beautiful warm mana that her master always emitting from before has become an ugly demon waiting to devour anyone nearby. She couldn't bear the feeling any more and even with all the heavy pressure pushing her to the ground, she stood back up and step by step she pushed herself to get closer to Kim. Blood started to seep out of her mouth and she felt a crushing power trying to shred her body and veins to pieces.
When he saw Momo was approaching with a deadly manner the voice felt nervous as he might lose both Kim and Momo at the same time. He tried to scream and shouted all he could to wake Kim up from his sense but unable to do so. He was once the on the top of the food chain able to do anything he wants, but now... he could only watch helplessly. By this time he was determined to sacrifice himself to save both of them when suddenly... Momo runs toward Kim making he feel alarmed because he won't be able to save her on time. But to his shock, she is there standing in front of Kim. The nervousness is still in his heart, but at the same time, he is rooting for Momo hoping she could stop everything.
Her state is miserable, her vision is blurry, more blood is coming out from her orifices, and she could fall anytime. She was three more steps before she could reach her master. He took a deep breath and stepped forward. One step, her entire bone is crushing from top to bottom causing an unbearable pain enveloping her entire body. Two steps, her veins split and shredded to pieces making her inside feels like it was pierced by thousands of blunt knife. Three steps, her organs and innards damaged making her vomit blood.
She felt like a mountain as tall as Everest is crushing her down. Her sense is now gone and she could not even see where her master is but she knew Kim is there. She is just in front of her master. She put her hand on Kim's head and stroked his hair. By that time her bloody body fainted on Kim's lap.
Kim could hear the voice shouting to him telling him to calm down. He could observe all the changes that were happening to his surrounding. He could sense his mana was spreading like wildfire. What he could not do was to control himself. He felt like there was another being possessing him. As if another entity who had been hiding for so long finally appear itself to take over Kim when the chance comes. As the entity taking over him, he only thought of revenge.
Kim's mind was clouded with anger and despair but his sense was still sharp. He felt danger as his body wasn't able to handle the pressure he himself was emitting. It felt like the power was not his. Finally, more sense of danger rushing in when he saw Momo was injuring her body to get close to him. He wanted to scream 'stop' but couldn't as if his lips were sealed entirely. He struggled all his might trying to break through the invisible barrier that was caging him inside.
When he saw Momo is on verge of dying, he reminded the time of Nas's death where Kim helplessly watch Nas completely devoured. That time he thought that if only he was strong enough he could at least do something. At least sacrifice himself before his friend, but now, he was powerful, yet another person who was precious to him is dying because of him. As Momo getting closer the more he felt like he wanted to scream his lungs out to make her stop. Revenge. What's there all to it, when nothing is left after you done?
He wanted to stop, but sadly he couldn't. Within his mind, he was kneeling on the ground feeling empty. He thought that again, he would lose another person in his life. Then suddenly he saw a light which breath out a gentle and warm aura. A hand coming out from the light trying to grab him and take him outside. Kim who saw this spread out his arm to receive this hand. As the hand get closer, Kim felt a soft gentle feeling stroking his hair. When he opened his eyes, Momo was there bloody, with a weakly pale face. An aura of death was emanating from her as she fell onto his lap, staining his robe with her blood.
Kim who finally comes to his sense couldn't believe what had happened and stare at her in shock when finally he heard a voice coming into his head like lighting.
"What are you doing sitting you damn bastard! Restabillized your mana and help her!"
Kim then completely awake and took one deep breath, causing the crushing mana pressure to vanish instantly. Then, he concentrated his mana into Momo's injury. But it wasn't enough. Momo was still on the verge of dying. He frowned and become extremely nervous. He put more effort as his body and Momo's both radiated a glow. That glow then becoming more intense as Kim suck the surrounding mana from the surrounding dry. His heart is full of anxiety and he wants to save Momo with all cost.
From their body, shining white light emitted brilliantly forming a huge sphere. And above this sphere lights of orbs was swirling in the sky! Not only in the sky but also under the ground, the earth is shaking as mana is redirected towards the sphere. During this time, every living being suddenly felt weak, as if their mana was forcibly sucked away from them. it was not just earth but also the universe. Everything within the heaven and earth that contain mana is being stolen away by Kim!
By this time, Momo felt like she was one with Kim. And both of them felt like they are one with the universe, with the heaven and earth. They could sense every little thing that is happening! Her once devastated body now slowly recovering into her original state. In fact, her body becoming stronger than it was before. Even her latent talent in mana increased by several folds.
Seeing this, the voice finally had a revelation. He only heard rumours about a myth but he never believed it was true since he deemed himself as the one above all. However, he decided to keep silent and continue watching what may be the most miraculous occurrence within his entire life.
'This kid... I'm not wrong. He's not just any mana-user... He will soon be stronger than me... Even stronger that I could not even lift a finger!'
Then he let out a chuckle,
'He should be grateful that I'm his master. If others helping him it will go to waste. Aiya this ungrateful bastard, call me master already'