"A story?"
'A story?'
Ryan and Adriana remarked simultaneously, Ryan asked with a cautious curiosity leaning into the conversation whilst Adriana asked suspicious of intentions.
Even though she could see exactly what he was thinking, she still couldn't help being suspicious. This was the cold-hearted asshole Deno after all.
"Yes. A story of a man who is considered one of the greatest generals of all time. His name echoed through the annals of, a lost forgotten history. Once synonymous with power, conquest, and ambition."
"A General?!"
Ryan was hooked, it sounded like his type of story.
Seeing the kid's innocent-lit eyes made Deno grin.
"Yes, he was a man with average potential at least compared to the geniuses around him and he too once was left completely helpless feeling left behind."
Ryan moved aside allowing Deno to make his way inside. Understanding the gesture, Deno did so. Looking around the room properly Deno made note of how bad the apartment looked. It was dark with the shutters completely shut and windows sealed.
There was a bad stench of food and blood in the air but Deno didn't mind as he had seen worse. He'd lived in worse himself. There were types of bandaids on the floor, clothes, leftovers of food, and dirty dishes. Deno couldn't believe these were the living conditions of a child.
Sitting down on Ryan's untidy bed Deno continued as Ryan sat on the ground.
"Julius Caesar was a man who highly admired Alexander the Great, the man who conquered the entire known world only at the age of 32."
Ryan suddenly jumped up and grabbed Deno's shoulders causing Deno to get extremely uneasy. The only reason he didn't push Ryan away was because of who Ryan reminded him of.
"Impossible! Now you're just bluffing! Someone who conquered the world at the age of 32? That is simply impossible. Even a mystic stage cultivator couldn't perform such a feat and besides, let's say he did conquer the world, then why wouldn't I have heard of a man who was this favoured by the supreme Dao!"
"Ahem"
Deno cleared his throat unable to come up with a reason for the error.
"If you want to hear more about the story then sit down! I found this story in an extremely ancient book and take it as you will."
Sitting back down in a huff Ryan nodded allowing Deno to continue. No matter how bull crap the story sounded, the mere thought of it was awe-inspiring.
'Wait? Alexander? Are you talking about yourself?'
'Heh, I wish.'
Deno laughed at Adriana's question if only he could have been as great as Alexander the great. What man or woman doesn't wish they could lead armies into Persia and countless countries completely conquering them all with ease?
Deno continued.
"Alexander, with his boundless energy and relentless drive, had achieved something that many would consider impossible, leaving a lasting impact on the world. But, unfortunately, this Alexander would end up dying young, at the same age for unknown reasons."
Deno said sounding as if he were a grandfather telling his grandson a story.
"Now this story isn't about Alexander but Julius, about 200 years later from Alexander's death, Julius would be born. When Julius was still an aspiring conqueror in the country of Spain, he made a pilgrimage to visit the statue of Alexander the Great. Perhaps in search of inspiration, to make some personal vow, or to create a memory, Julius and a few of his closest friends made their way to the statue. As they arrived, Julius sat down next to the statue's feet, looking up at the majestic figure before him. He stared at the statue with a mixture of admiration and envy, as he realized how insignificant he was in comparison to the great Alexander. The statue stood tall and proud, exuding an aura of power and triumph, while Julius felt small and insignificant,"
"As Julius sat there, he became overwhelmed with emotion and began to weep. His friends were surprised and confused by this sudden change in behaviour, as Julius was known for being confident, stern, and unemotional in public. They asked him what was wrong and Julius replied that he was 32 years old and had done nothing worthy of praise or remembrance, while Alexander had conquered the entire world at the same age. He must have felt that he had already wasted some of his most important years and had not accomplished anything extraordinary or conquered any nations. He must have wondered who would remember him, who would remember the name of Caesar, and if he would live his entire life as a nobody. These thoughts must have been weighing heavily on his mind, causing his ego to be bruised. This realization must have been difficult for Julius and anyone else who compares themselves to those who have accomplished more at a younger age,"
"But it takes a Caesar to aspire to be more than just a pawn, a speck in the eyes of a great man. Julius recognized his own potential for greatness and this incident was a testament to his resolve. He realized that he had to make a choice between following his destiny or giving in to his doubts and weaknesses. If he chose the latter, then he would be like a fallen feather drifting aimlessly in the wind, with no destination or purpose. Despite his moments of doubt, Julius fulfilled his destiny and became a powerful conqueror."
Ryan sat motionless, with his chin tucked into his chest, completely mesmerized by the story. He couldn't help but clench his clothes tightly in his hands, causing them to wrinkle up as he began to shake with emotion. Deno observed this, the story seemed to have had a powerful impact on Ryan and even Adriana appeared to be deep in thought, contemplating the story's meaning.
"I see... Thank you, junior brother."
Ryan said as he stood back up his revolve hardened and fire reignited.
"Thank you for doing so much for me, I promise I will repay it all one day."
Nodding at Ryan's words, Deno didn't take it to heart. Through his time he learned that when you help somebody out, they always forget the favour or mistake it for their own abilities.
"No problem."
Deno said plainly slipping his hands through his robe into his pockets whilst making his way out the door without any more words being exchanged.
-Clank
The sound of the door clanking shut echoed through the room.
"..."
Ryan stood there as the door closed, he didn't make a move.
"Father, your son has been an idiot. I haven't been training, I've been complaining."
he said, falling to his knees, his palms laid flat on the polished wooden floorboards. Slow pellets of tears began to roll down his cheeks.
Standing back up Ryan patted the dust off his bleach-while dao robe and wiped the tears off his eyes.
Grabbing a dull iron sword by the leather scabbard, he threw it onto his back and headed towards the door.
'Father, I don't know how to become stronger, I don't know how to become the best, but I'll stop doing all this for you. I'll do this for myself from now on and I'll never get laughed at again,'
He said, determination in his voice.
'I swear it on my Dao.'
Exiting his room, Ryan looked around, squinting as the bright beams of sunlight hit his eyes, blinding him for a moment due to being inside for an extended period of time. He raised his arm to shield his eyes from the intense light, shielding his forehead with the crook of his elbow as he made his way down the path.
He felt as though all the starting disciples in the area had turned their attention towards him as if the light was a spotlight shining solely on him. The sun was beating down on him, making his skin feel hot and dry, making him feel the heat on his face.
He could feel the sweat starting to bead on his forehead and the back of his neck. The light was so bright that it was hard to see anything else, it was like it was consuming everything in its path.
The light seemed to be almost blinding him, making it hard to see anything but the path in front of him. He felt as though he was walking on a stage with all eyes on him, but he knew that he was the only one who could see the light that way.
He took a deep breath and continued on his way, determined to fulfil his promise to himself but with every apartment he passed he seemed to hear more people gossiping about him.
Ryan felt exposed but he kept going slowly shutting off all his surroundings but before he could truly focus on blocking out all the noise he saw a fat short disciple talking to two other disciples.
For a moment, Ryan felt his body tense up, Ryan felt the familiar knot of fear twist in his stomach, it was already bad enough that the could barely see and was sweating from top to bottom his arms and legs were slippery but now after he had resolved himself he came to the realisation that it was just a delusion.
The fear, the fear had been beaten into him and he hated it.
Ryan's heart began to race and he tightened his eyes shut, bracing himself for another beating.
But to his surprise, it never came. Instead, he felt a sense of confusion and uncertainty wash over him as he opened his eyes, not understanding what had just occurred.
He could see Link and his goons walking past him, not even sparing him a glance
'Oh...'
Coming to the realisation, Ryan figured out the reason Link left him be.
He was a nobody, Link had simply gotten bored and decided to move on to the next victim.
"Heh, haha! Hahahaha!"
Ryan giggled. He should've felt relieved but, for some reason, he felt disgusted, pissed beyond belief. Like he had been spit on.
'He tormented me but it was simply nothing to him...'
Ryan gritted his teeth as they began to grind together.
'But it takes a Caesar to aspire to be more than just a pawn.'
Deno's voice resounded in his head as Ryan clenched his fists.
Making a sudden movement, Ryan lunged forward with lightning speed, his eyes fixed on Link's back as he prepared to land a devastating blow. But before he could strike, one of his henchmen, a boy adorned with flashy jewellery, stepped in and took the kick for him.
The force of Ryan's kick was beyond what the goon had expected, as it smashed into his stomach with a sickening thud, pushing him back several feet. The boy's eyes widened in shock and pain as he doubled over, blood spilling from his mouth. Ryan's eyes narrowed in anger and disappointment, his plan foiled by the sacrifice of one of his own men. He had not expected such loyalty from a mere henchman.
Ryan, shocked at what he had done trembled. A myriad of thoughts coursed through his mind: What was he thinking? Three disciples against one? And what if other disciples arrive? What the hell would he do after?
It was too late. Ryan knew it, so he had to take it all the way. Gnashing his teeth, Ryan threw a punch at the disciple to Link's right straight into the solar plexus causing him to huff out air from his lungs being left winded.
Link looked from left to right at both disciples dropped to the floor and chuckled.
"Crazy bastard. You thought I was bad to you before?"
He placed a hand on his face as he looked towards the sky.
"I'll make your life a living hell and there won't be Deno to save you this time."
The scene was chaotic as disciples from the surrounding areas slowly started to close in, drawn by the commotion of the fight. Outer disciples, who didn't bother stopping the fight, also joined in, eager to see the outcome of the conflict between the two disciples.
Many of the disciples knew Link, but Ryan was a stranger to them. They were left in disbelief as they witnessed Ryan's bold and reckless behavior, attacking three people, one of whom had both a higher status and a higher cultivation level than himself. It was clear that Ryan would be heavily beaten, but in the world of immortals, it was impossible to predict the outcome of a fight.
Cultivation level was certainly a crucial factor in determining the victor, but other factors such as skills, martial techniques, weapons, and artifacts could also play a significant role in determining the outcome.
Link took a step towards Ryan, causing him to flinch in fear. Startled, Ryan was caught off guard as Link delivered a punch straight to his nose, sending him flying back to the ground with a thud. Blood trickled down his nose as he lay there, dazed and in pain.
Link did not let up, he relentlessly pushed forward with a series of punches aimed at various parts of Ryan's body. Each punch was devastating, causing Ryan's body to ache all over. He was already injured and had not had the chance to heal, making each attack even more unbearable. The fight was brutal, and Ryan was at a severe disadvantage.
Link, seeing that Ryan had begun to limp, gained a fierce look in his eyes. He quickly threw a low kick straight into Ryan's knee, causing it to pop out of place and dislocate. Ryan let out a piercing scream as he fell to the ground, writhing in agony. The fight was brutal, and it was clear that Ryan had been severely injured and was no longer able to fight.