"Lina, go to sleep. It's already too late."
"Papa, one more story please...please papa"
"Alright, but last one got it?"
"Yesss"
...
"Listen carefully"
There once lived a man, one so strong that could crush any mountains standing in its way in just a whim. He was so strong that even if all of the strongest mages combined together, he'd still win an overwhelming victory. He'd crush anyone who stands on his way.
"Is he a bad guy papa?"
"No not at all, infact he was a righteous person who'd respect you if you respected him."
However, if someone angers him for whatever the reason....he'd crush them into nothingness. Almost as if he was the devil himself.
*Instead of being terrified the girl reacted like it was just shocking*
"Dad, where is he now?"
Nobody knows, but one thing is for sure that he is simply our guardian in the shadows, also referred to as the "Shadow Guardian". Legends have it that, the great "ZHOU ZHENG" is constantly waging war against monsters every single day, just to keep us safe.
"Alright Lena, now go back to sleep got it?"
Lena smiled back and quietly went to sleep.
.....
*Zhou Zheng sneezes*
"My Lord, That monster" a guy in a black suit with very clean white shirt and shoes so dark and polished, spoke in a noble tone to Zhuo.
He was starring towards the jungle where bunch of monsters were coming, and behind those monsters was something big with blue fire overflowing from its eyes.
"Yeah, that dam self destructing monster!"
"Sir, those monsters are coming again.
Large horse looking creatures about ten feet tall with long and sharp teeth, it's body covered in hot red fire was charging towards them at full speed.
"Sir, I know you've just recently killed a few of them earlier, but this time their entire group is coming, that too in full speed. Are you even listening?" With a terrified face, the young boy was shouting louder and louder as the monsters came close.
"They are even bigger than the ones from earlier, what are you doing, it's too dangerous to take them on all by yourself"
'So annoying' Zhou looked extremely tired from hearing the kid shouting.
"Who said he's alone?" The guy in the suit takes out a wine from his suit.
"Allow me to introduce you, he is the Shadow Guardian as what you mortals refer him as.
Zhou, who is fully covered in dark cloak slowly takes the cloak out and jumps right towards the monsters.
He takes a deep breathe in and grasp his fist tightly. After a short while, he swings it towards the face of the blue eye'd monster.
The impact was so strong that it blew away the entire forest which was supposed 7 kilometers long.
"Master..." Xing spoke in a worried tone.
"I know..." Zhou replied with slight cold tone.
'I tried my best to hold back alright!'
"Lord Shadow Guardian, It's such a pleasure to meet you, I'm sorry for my rudeness earl-"
"It's fine" Zhou spoke in the same tone
'Well now that I think, people barely recognize my face. Well it's not like I care either.'
______
"Master, that curse of yours. It is already twice as big as it was last year. Are you really alright master?"
"Xing, it's fine. I'll get better soon."
"Nooo Master it is not, today also you couldn't hold back. Master you should go for a long sleep, it is definitely not good to stay lik-"
"Xing, it's fine." Zhou spoke affirmatively.
'This dam curse, I just have to wait for another four five years and it'll disappear itself. It'd be so convenient to just tell him that, but there is probably someone monitoring us, I can't involve my student in this matter, can I now? Annoying, so dam annoying'
"Xing, I'll consider your words.... I should just live in solitude for sometime"
"Thank you so much master, I'll go pick the best luxurious resort available." With a child like gloomy face Xing looked more relax.
"No, just find me a simple place where I can live closely with the nature. And also, you should keep both our identities a secret."
"Understood master."
'Master is being way too cautious.... I wonder why.'
...
Few weeks later -
"In the eastern mountain? who can it be to live there without my permission."
A fat guy who is supposed a high ranking noble was shouting in anger.
"Actually, it is said that they had already taken the permission of the land owner." the subordinate spoke nervously.
"That good for nothing old man. Go and bring the guards right now."
"But sir, that would make ourselves as a bad examples in front of the soldiers."
"Alright fine, but keep a close eye on them. Report me everything that's happening there."
.....
'So hot, I'm melting. Just even working for few minutes is so dam tiring.' Zhou looked very annoyed.
"You should go and rest master, let me handle all the works."
'It'd be nice if we had some servants. It's too much even for Xing.'
'Maintaining a farm is not easy... ughhhh'
Later that night -
"Xing, there is something that I have to tell you." Zhou looked serious.
"Yes master?"
"It is about the curse."
Xing became a bit nervous as he gulped down his saliva.
I got this curse five years ago, when I was fighting against a very strong monster in another planet. It was a female monster. The monster was able to resist more than seven of my attacks and some extremely high level spells.
By the time I had slayed it, the monster said 'You are strong, definitely the strongest I have ever met, however the fool you are....you'll have to eventually perish.' She started laughing maniacally and died soon after.
I had ignored her words thinking that she must have been referring to me being a mortal.
How wrong could I have been.... for the past three years I noticed all kinds of signs written on high grade crystals. After bringing all the crystals I found out something terrifying.
A full scale evasion by aliens.... there were hundreds of enemies twice as strong as the previous monster.
"Master.....that can't be" Xing looked extremely terrified.
"But what about the curse?"
"Ohh this?"
"It's not really a curse, it's a power multiplying cheat." Zhou spoke affirmatively.
"But what about the pains and uneasiness you had been suffering? and what about the huge dark patch on your body."
"It's simple, I give my powers as an investment and it continues to grow wildly. And the pains and uneasiness is caused when me body tries to adapt to the wild growing powers."
"I see..." Xing looked relieved.
"That explains why you destroyed the forest back then despite holding back."
'Well I can't tell Xing about the monitoring thing, it's something I still can't figure out. Just what exactly is looking down on me?'
.....
A Week Later -
"You're telling me they now even have a large farm?" The fat noble starts ranting again.
'I can't let this pass by. Not only did they took our permission they haven't even paid the taxes. Ignorant fools, you're gonna suffer.'
.....
Later That Night -
"This is the place? The farm looks very well maintained. Not only are we doing this for a request, we are also gonna get all kinds of fresh foods by raiding it, I'm very happy today hahaha."
A bunch of bandits were hired by the fat noble to kill the two men. Little did they know, it was the Mount Tai where a sleeping lion resides.
Not only a second had passed by, Xing immediately went there and beat them to a pulp.
"How dare you try ruin my master's sleep. Should I just kill you all? No, that won't do. I should make you all suffer a dogs death."
"We are extremely sorry, we just didn't have any money so we came here to have some of the delicious fruits..... really."
"You think I'll buy that flat lie?" Xing looked extremely angered.
"It's fine, as long as you all start working in the farm. Oh, I'll also give you all the payment so don't worry about that."
It was Zhou. He was lying on top of a tree branch while having some apples.
....
"Those useless good for nothing barbarians. I should have just taken the elite guards right from the start." The fat noble looked very angry as usual.
As he sat on the chair, he starts looking for his pen.
"Oh are you searching for this?" Zhou starts calling out from the window from top of a tree close to the window.
"Who are you"
"Your nightmare."
Soon after, royal courters came.
"Under the laws...laying heavy taxes on citizens, forcefully taking land ownerships, import and export of illegal substances, multiple charges with murders....the Emperor had officially declared 'life sentence in jail'. You are under arrest.
...
Three Days Later -
Aliens had sent a direct message to all humans.
"Prepare for war mortals, we are going to destroy your entire world. Don't try to resist, for it is futile."