My grandfather was one of the most powerful warriors in the Behemoth Legion of the Orc race. Eighty or ninety years ago, he killed a dragon with his bare hands, earning him the honorable titles of the First Warrior of the Orcs and the First Warrior of the Behemoths. Standing over five meters tall, he had few rivals on the entire continent at that time.
To resist the strength of humans, the Orcs and the Demons engaged in a series of political marriages, and my grandfather was one of the participants in these alliances. Through one of these unions, he married the daughter of a concubine of the Demon Emperor, who became my grandmother.
My grandmother was also the person closest to me in this world. If she were still alive, she would be eighty-five years old this year, and she was the best person to me. She married my grandfather when she was sixteen, while he was already in his forties. She often told me that she was a political pawn.
Clearly, marrying into the Orc kingdom was not her choice, but fortunately, she did, because without her, where would I come from?
My father is my grandfather's only son, inheriting my grandfather's excellent lineage. Standing over five meters tall, even now, his arms are thicker than my waist.
Before he was eighteen, my father had already defeated all opponents among the Orcs. Violent and ruthless by nature, he possesses immense strength and is currently the First Warrior of the Behemoths and the commander of the Behemoth Legion, truly the Behemoth King. Under his leadership, the Orcs have never suffered significant losses in battles over the past few decades. Therefore, among the Orcs, my father's reputation is no less than that of the Beast Emperor.
Due to his noble status, he naturally has countless concubines, and I am the son of one of them, a human woman he captured. Among his four sons, I am the youngest and used to be his least favored.
My mother is a very tragic woman. No one knows her origins. Although she is not yet forty, she looks extremely old, with wrinkles and gray hair that shouldn't be there, already familiar to her.
You can tell from her features that she must have been a beauty when she was young. She hates my father and dislikes him. Similarly, she hates me because I am the son she bore from being raped by him.
She never truly received affection from my father and suffered from the bullying and ostracism of the other concubines.
It wasn't until four years ago, after I gained power, that my mother had her own house. She seldom speaks, and every time I see her icy eyes, I feel a chill in my heart.
I am sixteen years old this year, a hybrid of Orc, Demon, and Human, the deputy commander of the Behemoth Legion, standing two meters tall. Human features are the most prominent on me. In the eyes of others, I am undoubtedly a handsome young man. If it were not for my Behemoth's strong body and innate divine power, no one would believe I am an Orc.
I hate my father because he caused such pain to my mother; I hate my father because if it weren't for him, my grandmother wouldn't have died. Although my grandmother's death paved the way for my current glory, I don't need it. I only want the grandmother who cared for me, loved me, and cherished me.
Four years ago, I endured everyone's bullying. No one treated me well. Behind my father's back, they all called me a bastard. Except for my eldest brother, who could treat me with a normal heart, everyone else said I was my father's worst son.
My life was worse than some servants. At that time, only my grandmother would comfort me, often making delicious food for me and keeping me company. It was she who left a trace of warmth in my young heart.
My grandmother's death is the greatest pain of my life, that day...
"Lei Xiang, come, Grandma made your favorite braised chicken wings for you." Grandma's kind voice echoed in my ears.
"Coming!" I dashed to the kitchen, where the rich aroma of meat greeted me. "Grandma, I love you so much."
"Silly boy, dig in quickly," Grandma said with a smile, the wrinkles on her face gathering together, revealing the unmistakable marks of time.
Grabbing a chicken wing, I hurriedly ran outside, munching on it as I bounced around the yard.
Because she preferred tranquility, Grandma didn't live in the family compound, and since nobody cared for me, I followed her out.
Finding such a place in the Orc kingdom was challenging. Orcs were all about survival of the fittest, and any Orc could potentially become prey for others.
Of course, no Orc would be foolish enough to come near my house looking for food, so it remained peaceful.
A deep voice sounded behind me, "Lei Xiang, where is your grandmother?"
Hearing the voice, I shuddered, and five towering figures stood behind me, blocking the bright sunlight. In the center stood my father. It turned out he had come to see Grandma, accompanied by four Behemoth guards.
The relationship between my father and grandmother wasn't good. Despite being part of the Demon-Beast Alliance, my father never held the Demon race in high regard. He often said only members of the Fallen Angel Legion had any real skill; the rest of the Demons were just freeloaders. My father revered strength above all else, so weak individuals like my grandmother meant nothing to him.
In Orc society, women were merely appendages to men. So, why would my father, who rarely paid attention to Grandma, come today?
In a small voice, I said, "Grandma is inside." I was genuinely afraid of my father.
Seeing my timid demeanor, my father erupted in rage. He slapped the chicken wing out of my hand, bellowing, "What kind of pathetic excuse are you? Do you resemble my son at all? I don't have a weakling like you for a son."
Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked at the chicken wing covered in dirt.
With a swift slap, my father knocked me to the ground, roaring, "Crying, that's all you know how to do. Look at yourself, so frail, just like your dead mother. Your brothers were already tearing apart tigers and leopards at your age. But you? You can't even kill a chicken." With that, he stomped on the chicken wing beneath his foot.
Hearing the commotion outside, Grandma rushed out. Seeing me on the ground, she furrowed her brow. As she helped me up, she turned to my father and said, "What are you doing? You rarely visit, yet you're already picking on Xiang'er."
Father snorted coldly and said gruffly, "Mind your own business. You there, take this little animal back with me and teach him a lesson for my second son." Second son referred to my second brother, Lei Hu. If that happened, I'd probably be skinned alive. Lei Hu was notorious for his fiery temper.
Grandma shielded me behind her and said, "Let it go. Don't trouble the child."
Father lunged forward and snatched me away, throwing me to one of his henchmen. He turned to Grandma and said, "I don't need you to meddle in how I discipline my son. I'm just passing by this time. If you want to live a few more years, stay out of this." With that, he turned to leave.
Grandma's face flushed with anger. She shouted, "Lei Ao, is this how you talk to your mother?"
As she spoke, Grandma lunged forward to grab me from the Bimon guard in front of me. But how could her frail body compare to the mighty Bimon beast? With a casual shove, the guard tossed her aside. Poor Grandma's back hit a large stone, and she cried out in pain as blood gushed from her mouth.
As if a cold gust of wind swept through, my heart suddenly turned icy cold, waves of chill washing over me.
I screamed, "Grandma!" With a fierce struggle, my innate divine strength finally burst forth, allowing me, a twelve-year-old child, to break free from the grasp of a Bimon beast.
I dashed to Grandma's side, lifting her body, crying out, "Grandma, Grandma, are you okay? Dad, please, save Grandma, I beg you."
Grandma's face went pale. She gripped my hand weakly and said, "Don't beg him, let's go back inside."
The Bimon guard who had thrown Grandma knelt down, glanced at her, then turned to Father and said, "King Lei Ao, I..."
Father glanced at Grandma indifferently and said, "Forget it. If she dies, she dies. She's lived for so many years; it's not exactly a premature death. Go back and have someone send some money to bury her."
In his eyes, Grandma clearly wasn't as important as a Bimon warrior.
Hatred and anger reddened my eyes. I roared to the sky, my blood boiling. Suddenly, my brain felt hot, and like a mad bull, I charged towards the perpetrator who had killed Grandma.
The Bimon guard first froze for a moment, then raised a single hand to try to block my attack. My eyes turned bloodshot, and even my originally light green hair turned deep red. My speed was more than five times faster than usual. With a thunderous crash, I actually sent the Bimon guard, who was twice my size, flying.
I didn't stop there. My body followed the flying enemy, and my small fists pounded heavily on his stomach. The most unexpected thing happened.
My fist actually pierced through the incredibly tough skin of the Bimon guard. He roared in pain and hammered down with both hands from top to bottom. I instinctively raised my other hand.
And so, in mid-air, three completely disproportionate hands collided, producing a sound like striking a leather drum.
My hand didn't break, miraculously withstanding the blow with my weak body, but my feet were deeply embedded in the earth.
"Ah! Kill..." With a roar, my whole body trembled, and an astonishing momentum exploded from me, blowing the surrounding leaves and grass rustling. With a loud bang, part of the Bimon guard's torso, centered around the fist I had plunged in, exploded into a hole half a meter in diameter, and it seemed he wouldn't survive.
Blood sprayed all over me, and organs flowed out from the blood hole, like a rotten watermelon, not a single piece intact. The tall body of the Bimon guard slowly fell backward, while I stood there motionless, with only my hair gradually returning to green.
All of this happened in an instant, leaving my father and the other three guards stunned by this extraordinary transformation.
My father muttered, "Lei Xiang has berserked, Lei Xiang has actually berserked. It's been a hundred years since a Bimon could berserk." Even with my father's strength, berserking was impossible. A berserked Bimon could quickly increase their strength several times over.
"King Reo, what should we do?" one of the guards asked.
Father, not saddened by the death of the guard, said excitedly, "Take Lei Xiang away. He's exhausted. Bury your companion somewhere, and let that old lady fend for herself."
...
I gradually regained consciousness, but I didn't know how much time had passed.
"Grandma, Grandma, how are you?" I felt extremely weak and in pain all over, especially in my left hand, which throbbed with immense pain, lying quietly beside my body, unable to muster any strength.
I realized I was actually in my room in my father's mansion. Struggling, I managed to get up and leaned against the wall as I made my way out of the house. Outside was pitch black, much like my somber mood.
Ah, it was already night. I had no idea how Grandma was doing.
As I was about to step out of the door, a wave of weakness hit me, causing me to sway and fall to the ground.
"Lei Xiang, why did you get off the bed? Come, quickly go back and rest," a tall figure entered the room and lifted me up.
Opening my eyes, I saw it was my eldest brother, Lei Long, the only one among the Bimon with whom I had a somewhat decent relationship.
"Brother, I beg you, please take me to see Grandma. She's dying," I pleaded tearfully.
Lei Long glanced at the sky and nodded. "Alright, but you must come back before dawn."
"Okay, let's go quickly." As long as I could save Grandma, I was willing to do anything.
"Big brother's powerful physique, almost five meters tall, lifting me felt no different from picking up a dry straw. Soon, we arrived at grandma's house under the cover of night.
"Grandma," I called out desperately. Grandma was still lying in the same place.
Big brother put me down, and I crawled to grandma's side, lifting her frail upper body. Dew had soaked her clothes, and I shook her gently. "Grandma, wake up, please wake up."
Grandma's cracked lips moved, her eyes slowly opened, and upon seeing me, she smiled faintly. She tried to reach out to touch my head, but her weak body couldn't manage it. Her hand lifted halfway and then fell back down.
"Child, you've come back to see grandma. Grandma didn't raise you in vain," grandma coughed, spitting out some blood.
I grabbed grandma's hand and pressed it against my cheek, crying, "Grandma, please don't speak. Rest for a while, you'll be fine."
Grandma smiled bitterly. "Silly child, grandma knows her own body. Help grandma back to the room."
Somehow finding strength, I managed to lift grandma and stumbled back to the house. Big brother tactfully stayed behind.
I laid grandma on the bed and collapsed beside it, gasping for breath.
Grandma gently stroked my head, looking at me kindly, and spoke intermittently, "Xiang'er, grandma's greatest worry... is you. Promise grandma... to be strong... to live well. Don't... blame your father too much. The beastmen tribe is like this... they only value strength... devoid of affection."
Tears had soaked my clothes. I tightly held grandma's wrinkled hand, sobbing, "Grandma, please stop talking. You'll be fine, you must be fine."
Trembling, grandma reached under the pillow and pulled out a thin booklet, her face flushed. "This is the treasure of the demon clan... a copy of the Dark Demon technique... stolen by me for revenge. Only those with the royal bloodline of the demon clan... can learn it. You must learn it well... After mastering it... you can become a fallen angel. Only... the strong... can survive. Don't let your father... know."
I cried out, "Grandma, Grandma!" My voice echoed through the house. I tucked the booklet into my arms and passed out.
When I woke up, I was back in my own room. Big brother was beside me, saying, "Grandma has been buried. Don't worry, eat something."
Now, nothing seemed important to me. The only support in my life had left, leaving me alone. What meaning did I have left with just myself? My eyes were empty, staring blankly at the wall.
A loud noise came from outside. Big brother frowned, "That's a loud thunder, looks like a big storm is coming."
Ignoring my injuries, I walked out dully. The raindrops, as big as beans, pattered down. Gradually, the rain grew heavier, washing over my body. In the misty rain, I seemed to see grandma's kind face again. I lunged forward, but she was gone. Big brother quickly helped me up, dragging me back into the room.
And so, I stumbled through seven days, sustained only by the food my father forced into me.
Later, I regained my senses. Grandma's words before her death became my endless motivation—"Promise me, Xiang'er, ...to be strong... Only... the strong... can survive." I vowed to become strong, incredibly strong.
Due to my special ability to berserk, my father valued me highly. Since then, he personally guided my training. I was no longer the naive child I once was. Nothing could change my determination to become incredibly strong. Henceforth, I buried my hatred deep in my heart.
Father passed on his prized Heavenly Thunder Armor technique to me, a form of martial arts similar to qi manipulation, focusing on defense. As the Bimon tribe, we naturally had strong physical attack and defense capabilities, and were highly resistant to magic. To better leverage this advantage, our ancestors created this Heavenly Thunder Armor technique, primarily to enhance defense. Once mastered, it could create a defensive field similar to a qi shield.
If practiced by humans, Heavenly Thunder Armor would be at most a second or third-rate technique, but for us Bimon, it was vastly different. Grandfather once used Heavenly Thunder Armor's formidable defense to withstand a blow from a dragon knight, seizing the opportunity to kill him and his dragon, earning immortal glory.
Heavenly Thunder Armor had three stages. The first stage focused on internal cultivation, similar to qi cultivation, enhancing physical fitness and immunity, gradually transforming the body. My father emphasized the importance of this initial stage, likening it to a rebirth. It took me over four years to complete this stage. By the second year, my exceptional talent began to manifest. Despite my small stature, my strength was unmatched among Bimon of my age, even surpassing many. Now, with my strength and the transformation from Heavenly Thunder Armor, my power rivaled that of my older brothers.
The second stage involved projecting the formed qi outward to create a protective shield against attacks. I was just beginning this stage.
The third stage was an enhancement of the second, allowing the wielder to use the qi to harm enemies. Father had already reached this stage, able to obliterate anyone's head within ten meters using Heavenly Thunder Armor. Even dragon knights posed no threat if their numbers were insufficient.
Thanks to my rapid progress, father promoted me to vice-commander of the Bimon Legion, alongside my older brothers. However, it was merely a title. All power remained in the hands of my brothers; I was content with daily training, disinterested in commanding armies.
During the day, I persisted in practicing Heavenly Thunder Armor, while at night, I practiced the Dark Demon technique. Compared to Heavenly Thunder Armor, mastering the Dark Demon technique was much more arduous. It was difficult to comprehend and master. The Dark Demon technique was neither purely martial nor purely magical; it was a fusion of both.
The Dark Demon technique comprised nine levels, divided into three tiers, with three levels each. Each level was exceptionally challenging, but behind the challenge lay increased power. Advancing to a new tier brought about significant changes, leading to a qualitative leap. According to the book, mastering the third level of the first tier allowed one to transform into a fallen angel, doubling all abilities. Only the strong could survive. After becoming a fallen angel, practitioners gradually became masters of dark magic, greatly enhancing their proficiency. Reaching the sixth level of the second tier resulted in mutation into a four-winged fallen angel, a power only possessed by the demon emperor and his captain of the guard. The third tier's ninth level was an unattainable realm, achieved only by the legendary Archdemon Lucifer, granting six wings. The copy of the technique grandma gave me did not include the method for practicing the final level.
I felt ashamed that after four years of practice, I had only just entered the second level. Since practicing the Dark Demon technique, I found myself enjoying solitude, feeling discomfort in crowds, and preferring to wear black clothing. The dark power cultivated by the Dark Demon technique was indeed formidable, but each usage left my heart growing colder. I could now use simple dark magic, like hypnosis and corrosion,