' Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. But can ' some ' belong to all or not belong to any of the categories? '
_Darknorth, The Max Clan_
The sun slowly rose above the horizon, its resplendent beam calling all that has breath to wake as it brightly lit up the morning sky.
"Yawn, it's another day," Walker said as he rubs his eyes lazily, his lifeless pale purple eye slowly open to take in the view of his neatly arranged room, his face wore a despondent and gloomy countenance before slowly recovering to a state of calmness, hardly depicting that he had just gone through some nasty mental struggle.
"Wu." Breathing out a mouthful of foul air, he got up from his bed and into a meditative pose, soon he was deep in his trance and was faintly shrouded with astral essence - the boundless energy of the 15 layered heavens.
And from the degree to which this energy gathers and condenses around him, it could be seen that he has a remarkable and exceedingly strong sense.
A revered talent that can leave many in awe, compelling them to call him a demon, a dragon among men.
With this level of talent, he is bound to reach great heights, soaring through the 15 layers of heaven, reaching a cultivation realm that The Outer Lands has never seen before.
A realm beyond Ki refining.
But there was a problem...
Walker sat in his pose as he regulated his breathing, gathering as much energy as he could sense while he readied himself for what is to come.
He gritted his teeth as perspiration filled his forehead and sweat matted his back. His body shook with mild convulsions as he absorbed the astral essence.
This was meant to be a walk in the park for any cultivator who has been able to sense and condense energy, but considering that Walker was shaking with pain as if he was undergoing immense torment similar to the three calamities and nine tribulations. This isn't close to a walk in the park for Walker.
This is a Walk over Mount Tai.
And by the way, things look, his chance of success is extremely low.
The pain intensified, a testament to how violent his convulsions have grown to be, but he persevered. His fingers dug deep into his flesh but not to the point of piercing his skin. Yet.
Anyone that sees the state he is currently in would find it hard to believe that he was only cultivating and not mentally wrestling with the grim reaper.
His face was pale white as he sweat buckets, but his resolve hardened as he mentally consoles himself that once he succeeds all his pain would be worth it.
He just has to...
Just a little more...
And...
He fainted.
After some time, he came to. Opening his blank eyes as he muttered under his breath.
"Useless. I failed. Again."
Although born with a shocking talent, he was just like any other defect.
He was diagnosed with innate sealed meridians when he was five, and with this, his once promised glorious future was suddenly blank.
An innate blessing along with an innate curse.
He could gather a tremendous amount of energy but couldn't absorb any of it.
Not even a bit of it.
What a joke. A prank of fate?
He was once the favored son of the heavens, born into one of the three ancient Clan of Darknorth - The Max Clan.
His father was the pride of the clan, the first son of the Clan head, and one of the few with the chance of breaking through to the Ki refining realm, strengthening the clan to regain its glory.
And his birth had been unprecedented, a joy to the clan. If his father's growth has just been a glimmer of hope, his would be the rising sun.
But unfortunately...
****
Dressed in a plain white robe and taking in the familiar scenery of the inner court of the Max Clan, through his pale purple right eye - his left eye covered by his pale golden hair, Walker made his way through some less crowded route. Avoiding many that he came across.
But not that he seriously needed to, as all the younger generation of the clan treated him as air, so none would even notice his presence at all.
He could be considered to have reached the ' one with the air ' realm.
But today does not favor him at all.
' Thud '
" Oh I'm sincerely sorry, I didn't see you there." A boy who appeared to be fifteen or sixteen said his voice carried a hint of mockery and his look speaks of the clear disdain he has for Walker.
Looking at the annoying face of the guy, who had heavily bumped into him, Walker recognized him to be one of the lackeys of his greatest nemesis.
"Oh, look at what we have here. The great Max Walker. One of the demonic tri-star" A warm and soothing voice sounded, announcing the presence of a fiendishly handsome youth dressed in a green robe.
' Speak of the devil '
" Do I know you? "
Raising his head to meet his foe's dark brown eyes, Walker blurted with an expressionless face, as if oblivious to the other party's mockery.
All the while ignoring the annoying lackey.
He is just a dog, just like his master.
"Oh take a look, isn't that young master Brian."
" Oh yes!! He looks more handsome and dashing with every passing moment."
"Ahhh, and th - that is Walker"
" What? where is he? I can't see him anywhere, oh there he is. I see him."
" Quick look away or else you'll contract his misfortune"
' Hmph, this cocky fellow. Who does he think he is? He is just a piece of trash. Nothing more. ' Brian inwardly sneered
" Oh my goodness, you can't recognize your beloved nephew? oh, it seems that your disability has escalated. Are you feeling okay? You know you can talk to me okay" Brian said as he walked closer with mock concern displayed vividly on his face
" Awww, look at that. Young master Brian is so magnanimous "
" I wish that was me he was talking to, I would be leaping with joy."
" Piss... Off" Walker berated, his voice carried with it a hint of coldness that sent a chill down Brian's spine.
Brian was dazed for a moment, he scolded himself inwardly for being frightened by a defect - a hopeless mortal.
" What did he just say, huh? Did he just ask the young master to piss off? what audacity."
" Who even allowed a mere mortal to stay in the inner court? isn't the outer circle the place he belongs"
" If not because he is also a noble by birth, the clan would probably have tossed him out. What use does he have?"
"Hear that Walker " Brian whispered to him as he stood by his side. " You are nothing and will always be nothing. So live out your meaningless life being just that." Brian continued as his once refined features contorted to a hideous and grim look.
" And that look on your face, I hate it." He added as he continued his steps followed by his dagger staring lackeys, but there wasn't any look of satisfaction on his face.
Although he had ' bullied ' Walker many times, he hasn't rid himself of the trauma Walker had caused him.
He had always been suppressed by Walker since childhood, even as far back as from birth.
He was meant for greatness as he was one of the most talented of the younger generation, but then there was the demonic tri-star.
Three different monstrous children were born on the same day and at the same hour to three different clans. But that wasn't all.
Each of their birth commanded multiple heavenly phenomenons, an unprecedented event that has never happened in the annals of their history.
But now not just one of those kinds of monsters appeared but three and at the same time and each from an ancient Clan.
It was thrilling and at the same time incredible.
But that was for the Clan as a whole. For ' supposed geniuses ' like himself it was a nightmare to be born in the same era as those demons.
And Walker proved to be.
Every time he tried to prove, that he was worth just as much or maybe even more than Walker. It never ended well for him.
And that was until Walker was diagnosed with innate sealed meridians.
The Heavens must have eyes.
Yet ten years have passed and he had still been subconsciously struggling, trying to trample upon Walker but that guy's pride seems untamable.
' Just you wait. I will prove to you all that I, Max Brian am better than you all. And then, I will punch that smug off your miserable face '
But what he doesn't know is that his mental image of Walker wasn't one of worthless trash. But as a superior, he constantly seeks his approval to prove the worth of his existence.
This could leave many with a curiosity about what exactly the past hold.
What has he suffered from Max Walker that has reduced this young master to a dog chasing a shadow?