Under the cover of the night fog, I couldn't make out the features of the figure before me, but from his silhouette, I could tell he was a Bimon. Who could it be? I didn't have time to dwell on it; survival was paramount. If I were to be hit, with his strength against my Thunder Armor, the outcome would be clear—I'd be pounded into pulp.
There was no choice. I gathered the remnants of my dark power into my hands, a faint black aura emanating. Same tactic as before—brute force. Both fists collided with his in a thunderous clash. I noticed that once the dark power flowed into my hands, the damaged meridians from earlier surprisingly recovered by sixty to seventy percent.
"Boom!"
I felt like my entire body was being torn apart by the opponent's overwhelming force, and I was thrown airborne, blood gushing wildly, crashing heavily five meters away. If not for my use of dark power, just that one punch would have cost me half my life.
Strangely, the opponent didn't continue the pursuit. If he had landed another punch, I'd have no luck surviving. I struggled to climb to my feet, stumbling before steadying myself, unable to prevent another spurt of blood.
"Ah," the opponent exclaimed.
I managed to raise my head, and to my astonishment, the powerful adversary trying to end my life was none other than my father.
In a hoarse voice, I asked, "Father? Why is it you?"
A satisfied smile appeared on my father's face as he replied, "I didn't expect you to withstand two of my punches. I can trust you to complete the mission now."
Complete the mission? My mind was filled with confusion.
Continuing, my father said, "I used only ten percent of my strength in the first punch, and added another ten percent to the second. I thought you wouldn't be able to get up, but you managed to remain standing. Seems like you've been diligent lately." Perhaps that was the reason for his odd behavior earlier.
I inwardly wryly smiled. Was this really my father? Completely disregarding his son's life. If my strength had been just a bit weaker, I'd probably be lying beside Grandma by now.
"What was that dark aura on your hand just now?" my father asked.
I was taken aback, remembering Grandma's warning not to let my father know about the existence of the Demon Tome. Pretending to be puzzled, I replied, "What dark aura? Are you mistaken, father? Is it just because it's so dark outside?"
My father, with his simple mind, didn't dwell on it, only furrowing his brow slightly, saying, "Alright, go back now. Come find me tomorrow morning; I have a task for you."
I nodded calmly. "Okay." With that, I dragged my aching body back home.
Bimons indeed had sturdy bodies, and with my completion of the first phase of Thunder Armor's rebirth, my injuries healed considerably overnight.
What task did my father want me to complete? Leading troops into battle was out of the question; with several brothers at home, it didn't make sense for a greenhorn like me to go to the battlefield. So, what was this task? Apart from warfare, with my father's prestige among the orc tribe, everything else would be a breeze. Did he really need me for something?
With an uneasy heart, I approached my father's door and gently knocked. His deep voice rang out, "Who's there?"
"It's me, Father. It's Leixiang."
"Come in."
I pushed the door open and walked slowly into the room. My father was sitting upright in a tall-backed chair, squinting at me. I stood there calmly, unmoved by his sharp gaze.
"Leixiang, you've grown up. I used to think you were the most useless of my sons. But ever since you transformed four years ago, I've been very pleased with your performance. Although you don't have the robust physique of your brothers, your strength is no less than theirs, and your potential is even greater. The Orc King has assigned me a very important task, and I want to send you to complete it."
So, it was a task from the Orc King. I kept my composure and asked calmly, "What task is it? Please assign it to me; I will definitely accomplish it." No matter what difficulties I faced, I had to overcome them. I wanted to become an unparalleled strongman to show my father. Remembering Grandma's death, a flash of hatred passed through my eyes. Since Grandma's death, I had learned to hide my feelings. No one could see through my true thoughts. I would never reveal my hatred for my father until I became powerful enough. But the seed of hatred was deeply buried in my heart—Grandma's revenge. I would definitely seek it.
"Good. Indeed, you're my son, Leixiang," my father nodded in satisfaction. "The Orc King wants me to find someone to act as a spy among the humans. As you know, we Orcs have always been the weakest of the three races. Why? Firstly, because we don't know magic, and secondly, because Orcs generally have low intelligence and lack outstanding commanders like the humans. This mission is to steal their tactical and magical knowledge."
"Act as a spy among the humans?"
"Yes, you're only sixteen this year, and most importantly, you have human blood in you. With your human appearance, you can definitely infiltrate the human ranks. I'll give you five to ten years to learn everything you can. Then, we'll spend another ten years training our troops. After that, the continent will be ours, the Orcs'. So, you should understand the importance of this mission. If you succeed, the throne of Bimon King will be yours in the future."
Indeed, what my father said was true. It seemed that the Orc King wasn't a fool either; he knew the shortcomings of our people. This was a good plan, but whether it could be implemented depended on me. For me, this was also a very good opportunity. Learning human knowledge was indeed the best way to enhance my strength. Moreover, I had Orc blood after all. Making the Orcs powerful was also what I hoped for.
I answered firmly, "Father, rest assured, I will not disappoint you."
My father nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Tomorrow, I'll take you to see the Orc King, and then a merchant familiar with humans will train you for three months. After that, you can set off."
"Yes, Father, then I'll take my leave."
After getting my father's consent, I left his room. On the way back to my room, my heart was surging. This was something I hadn't experienced in the past four years. Humans? Humans who looked just like me? I, Leixiang, was coming.
Back in my room, I still couldn't suppress my excitement. I should go practice. I changed into my training clothes, went to the yard, activated Thunder Armor throughout my body, then shouted loudly and began to practice the Thunder Eighteen Fist my father had taught me. This set of punches was designed for charging into battle, full of unstoppable momentum, perfectly suited for Bimon behemoths like me. It was a technique my father had created just two years ago, with each punch filled with an indomitable spirit, perfect for head-on confrontation.
It felt like the air was my enemy. With each punch, I exerted all my strength, creating a continuous thunderous sound as my fists struck. The yard was filled with flying dust from my strikes.
I only stopped when I was exhausted, drenched in sweat but feeling inexplicably comfortable.
For the first time, I visited the palace of the Orc King. I looked around curiously at the towering buildings. Although the craftsmanship was very rough, they exuded a strong aura. All the houses were built with huge granite blocks, giving them an exceptionally solid and heavy appearance.
My father and I stopped in front of the largest building. The leopard guards at the door, upon seeing my father, respectfully said, "King Reo, greetings."
My father nodded and said, "Help me inform the king."
The guard respectfully said, "Yes." Then he turned around and shouted loudly, "King Reo, Reo, Reo." The waves of his voice spread into the palace. Not long after, another leopard guard walked out of the palace and came to my father, saying respectfully, "King Reo, His Majesty is inviting you." Then he turned and led the way.
My father and I followed him into the most magnificent building I had ever seen. The Orc King's personal court hall was twenty meters high, supported by huge granite pillars with a diameter of one meter on both sides. My two-meter height seemed so insignificant.
While I was still looking around, my father pulled me and whispered, "Bow down." Then his voice came, "Minister Reo and his son Leixiang pay their respects to His Majesty." I hurriedly knelt down and shouted together with my father, "Long live the king, long live, long live forever."
A deep and steady voice came from the front, "Arise; we brothers don't need this formality." My father and I stood up together and raised our heads. Only then did I see the king of our Orc race.
The Orc King was a lionman. Sitting there, it was hard to tell his height, but he was definitely taller than me, probably about the same age as my father. He wore a python robe and a jade belt, and a shiny gold crown on his head. He was also appraising me. The fierce light in his eyes let me know that he definitely had strength not inferior to my father's. His wise eyes were something I had never seen before. It was no wonder he could be the king of the Orcs. He indeed had extraordinary qualities.
"Reo, this is your youngest son. If you hadn't said, I would have thought he was a human."
"Yes, Your Majesty. The mother of the child is a human. He has inherited the power of our Bimon tribe, but also inherited the appearance of his mother."
The Orc King exclaimed, "No wonder you said your youngest son was the best candidate for undercover work. Humans will definitely not recognize his Orc bloodline. Child, the future rise and fall of our Orcs depend on you. Don't let me and your father down."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will serve to the best of my abilities and sacrifice myself for the greater good."
"Good. Brother Reo, how is the martial arts of your youngest son?"
Father chuckled and said, "Your Majesty, you can rest assured about this. He can now withstand three-quarters of my strength with a single palm. (Father exaggerated for his own sake; I would struggle to withstand even a quarter.) Although he doesn't have the physique of our Bimeng tribe, he definitely has the strength."
The Orc King didn't doubt Father's words and happily said, "Indeed, heroes emerge in their youth. Alright, it's settled then. Thunder Soar will go undercover in the Dragon God Empire. This matter is extremely confidential; you must not disclose it to anyone. I haven't even informed our allies, the Demon Clan, about this operation. Thunder Soar, you may face significant challenges, but this mission must succeed, failure is not an option. Otherwise, I won't be lenient. As long as you complete this mission, I will appoint you as your father's successor, the next generation Bimeng King."
The Orc King was combining grace and severity. At the same time, it underscored his seriousness about this mission. I quickly knelt down and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, I will definitely not disappoint your trust."
The Orc King then turned to Father and said, "Alright, that's settled. Tomorrow, I'll have selected merchants come to your residence to teach Thunder Soar some human etiquette and tips."
Father replied, "Yes, Your Majesty. Then, I'll take my leave with my son."
Leaving the palace, Father unexpectedly patted my shoulder affectionately and said with joy, "Son, you must bring honor to our Bimeng tribe. This opportunity is excellent; His Majesty holds you in high regard."
I responded lightly, "Yes, Father."
From the next day after meeting the Orc King, I started learning human etiquette from merchants who had been to the Dragon God Empire. My memory and ability to mimic exceeded their expectations. Originally planned for three months of training, it only took me a month to master everything they taught. After learning human etiquette and hearing human stories, my interest in the human kingdom grew stronger. After all, I have a quarter human bloodline. What was my mother's country like?
A deep voice came from outside, "Thunder Soar, Father is looking for you." It was my eldest brother, Thunder Dragon. Among the three brothers, only the eldest was relatively friendly to me; the other two brothers looked down on me completely. It was a good thing if they didn't come to bully me.
Stepping out of the house, the bright sunlight warmed my entire body, and my eldest brother's majestic figure appeared before me. Walking beside him, I felt so small.
"Why did you come in person, big brother? Why not send a messenger?" I said flatly.
"Hehe, I happened to be with Father, so I came to see you on the way. I heard you're going on a secret mission and we won't see each other for a long time," he replied.
I nodded without answering. My eldest brother was used to my demeanor and didn't find it strange.
"Well, here we are. Go in by yourself; I'll leave first," he said.
"Alright. Goodbye," I replied, then walked straight into Father's room.
Father was sitting behind his large desk, reading a stack of papers. "Father, I'm here," I said.
Father looked up, glanced at me, then handed me the papers, saying, "Take a look. This is your undercover identity information for this mission. Memorize it on the way. You've already mastered what those merchants taught you. This matter should be done sooner rather than later. Tomorrow, pack your bags and quietly set off on your own."
I took the papers and saw my name written on top: Thunder Soar, from the Lomo Village near Aika City in the Dragon God Empire, Father Reef, a craftsman, Mother Shadi, engaged in handicraft production, loved martial arts from a young age, Father passed away at the age of 10, and Mother at the age of 13. I've been wandering alone on the continent for three years until now, introverted personality... The rest were detailed introductions of the identity. From the information, I knew that the person with the same name as me must have been killed by Father's subordinates. This was Father's usual style; he wouldn't leave any chance for the enemy.
I turned around and gave a deep look at the city where I had lived for sixteen years, took a deep breath, and began my journey to complete the mission.
Father arranged for me to go directly to the capital of the Dragon God Empire—Dragon City, where there was one of the four human colleges, the Heavenly Capital Academy. My task was to go there to study and try to learn as much knowledge as possible. It was May now, and the Heavenly Capital Academy started enrolling students in August, so I had to arrive there before August and participate in the entrance examination.
Today's weather was very good, with a clear blue sky and no clouds for miles. Leaving the city where I had lived for sixteen years, my mood was as clear as the sky. I was dressed in a warrior's suit, with a large straw hat on my head, and a three-foot-long veil hanging down from the hat, making it impossible for others to see my face from the outside. This was still an Orc kingdom, and humans were still unwelcome, so I had to conceal my human appearance to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Before leaving home, I went to see Mother. She was still the same, with empty eyes and uncommunicative. I went, and she was still indifferent.
"Mother, I'm going on a long journey, and I may not be back for a short time," I said.
She just glanced at me and turned her head away, no longer paying attention to me. It seemed that she wouldn't care about my life or death. Over the years, I had become numb, and apart from Grandma, no one had shown me any warmth. But she was still my mother, even though she hadn't raised me.
I sighed deeply and said, "Mother, I'm going to the Dragon God Empire this time."
When she heard my words, her whole body trembled, and she turned her head, "Is it true? Are you going to the Dragon God Empire?" For the first time, Mother's eyes were not icy, but had a hint of humanity.
I nodded heavily, "Yes, I'm going there to complete a secret mission."
Mother reached under the mattress and took out a small bell, shaking it in her hand, making a clear sound. The bell seemed to be made of a special material, emitting a faint blue light. Her eyes were very complicated, sometimes gentle, sometimes angry, sometimes helpless. She reluctantly handed the bell to me, and a teardrop fell on the bell.
"When you get to the Dragon God Empire, find a person named Lin Feng and give him this bell. Tell him, tell him that Lingling is sorry for him." After saying this, tears surged out of Mother's eyes like a spring, and she fell on the bed.
I took the bell in my hand, stunned, not knowing what to do. Mother seemed tired of crying, took out a necklace from her chest, made of small silver beads, with a delicate amethyst dragon hanging on it. She looked at me silently, then hung the necklace around.
I had already left the Orc King's city far behind, and my mood gradually improved. As someone who had never ventured far from home, everything looked so novel to me.
The sun had risen directly overhead, and although it was still May, its rays were scorching. After walking for the morning, I felt a bit weary. I looked up and noticed a simple shelter on the right side of the road, likely selling some food. I hastened over and indeed found a fruit stall operated by a female werewolf who appeared to be in her fifties.
Seeing me approach, she asked, "What fruits would you like? These are all grown by me, absolutely fresh."
I tossed a silver coin and replied coldly, "A bit of each."
Seeing my bad temper, she didn't say much and immediately wrapped up a portion of each fruit and handed them over. It was a large bundle, enough for ten people to eat. I couldn't possibly finish it all.
"No need for so much; take out three-quarters, and the rest is yours," I instructed.
The old woman looked hesitant and said, "But I don't have change for you."
I thought to myself, couldn't she even make change for a silver coin? Is life for Orcs really this tough? Unable to help but ask, "Is life this difficult? You don't need to give me change; just give me the extra fruits."
As she took out the extra fruits, she said helplessly, "You're really kind. With years of war, living near the capital is considered good. Those civilians in the war zones have it even worse. We Orcs can only make a living as soldiers or through brute strength. It's already difficult for someone like me who can't fight to make ends meet. Are these fruits enough?"
I took the fruits she handed me, feeling somewhat compassionate. It's always the civilians who suffer in wars, regardless of the country.
Turning to leave with the fruits, a sinister voice spoke up, "Kid, leave behind whatever valuable items you have on you, or else, hehe, you'll be tonight's dinner for us."
I turned around to see three individuals surrounding me from behind: a bear person, a fox person, and a wolf person. It was likely the fox person who spoke. Fox people were the craftiest among the Orcs. They were all very ordinary characters.
I snorted, "Robbery?"
The three of them burst into laughter, with the bear person mocking, "Of course. If we weren't here to rob you, why would we bother stopping you? Don't waste our time; hand over your belongings quickly, or else you'll be stewed for us to enjoy with our drinks tonight."
I calmly asked, "Do you often rob and eat travelers?"
This time, it was the wolf person who responded, "You're right. This world is all about survival of the fittest. The weak can only become food and prey for the strong. Don't you understand such a simple principle?"
I glanced at them and replied, "Alright, I understand now. Thanks for the lesson."
Taking a heavy step forward, I threw a punch at the strongest among them, the bear person.
Clearly not expecting me to retaliate, the wolf person's knife and the fox person's longsword both came at me simultaneously. Ignoring them, I continued to aim my punch at the bear person, whose stature was similar to mine but appeared much bulkier. Seeing me attack, he didn't hold back either, reaching out his massive bear paw to grab my fist.
If I hadn't been wearing the straw hat, they would probably have seen the faint smirk at the corner of my mouth.
The bear person was the first to suffer. When our fists collided, a deep, dull sound rang out, and both he and I heard the sound of his bones shattering. Before he could even scream, his towering figure had been sent flying five meters away by my punch. I was confident in my own strength; I knew he would have to wait for his next life to come back and rob anyone again.