*Content Warning: Violence, blood, and morally dark actions.*
Violet's eyes filled with tears again. Her shoulders shook as she stood there, too exhausted to even wipe them away.
"Why… why is it always me?" she whispered. "I didn't do anything. Is it wrong to want something for myself? Why did I have to be born with this damn disease… I don't want anyone to hate me…"
Her voice faded into quiet sobs.
Then, suddenly, every nerve in her body screamed.
A suffocating premonition crawled up her spine, the same bone‑deep terror she had only ever felt in front of Lucian. Violet froze. "A monster…?" she muttered. "Is there a monster here…?"
The tavern door creaked open.
Void stepped inside.
The laughter and mockery died at once. Every drunk, every jeering mouth, turned toward the newcomer.
Void's eyes were blank, face expressionless as usual. He glanced around lazily. "No towns nearby. No people either," he murmured, more to himself than them. "Just this tavern… and the trash inside. Perfect. Might as well use this chance to interrogate a few."
"The System's window appeared in front of him"
> *Host, what is your plan? You didn't want to attract attention, remember? Or are you… going to save that girl?*
Void's gaze didn't waver. "That's none of your business," he replied quietly. "You want answers? Then watch."
> *…Understood, host. Apologies.*
The tavern master snapped out of his daze, anger returning. "You again, brat?" he snarled. "Didn't you leave? If you're poor, go beg somewhere else, or—"
"Or what?" Void cut him off, lips curling into a small smile. "What are you going to do about it, old man? Cry? Kekekeke."
A vein bulged on the tavern master's forehead. "You little bastard… Everyone!" he roared. "Kill him! There's no town nearby and no witnesses. Go all out—do whatever you want to him!"
The men in the tavern grinned, the kind of smiles that had no place on human faces. Chairs scraped, blades were drawn, fists clenched.
"Unlucky, kid," one man sneered. "Should we kill you quick… or have some fun first?"
Violet trembled. Her instincts shrieked at her to run—move—逃. It's the same, she thought in horror. The same feeling as when Father looks at someone he's already decided to kill.
Void stood in the center of the tavern, completely still, eyes half‑lidded.
"All that noise," he said softly. "Do you people only know how to run your mouths?"
He tilted his head, smile sharpening. "If you're not coming to me, then I'll just come to you. Hehehe."
***
The first man lunged, swinging a bottle at Void's head.
Void didn't move until the last instant. His hand blurred, casually tapping the man's wrist. The bottle spun away, smashing into another thug's face. Blood and glass flew; two men went down before Void even looked interested.
"Come on," he said lazily. "Try to at least make me *walk*."
A heavyset brawler charged in with a roar, fists coated in rough qi. Others followed, chairs, knives, and makeshift clubs raised high.
Void took a single step.
The wooden floor cracked under his heel. Pressure burst out like an invisible wave. Several men stumbled, knees buckling as their bodies forgot how to move.
"You call this killing intent?" he asked, almost disappointed. His fist tapped the nearest man's solar plexus. The thug folded silently, eyes rolling back as he collapsed.
Another swung a knife at Void's neck.
Void leaned back just enough that the blade whispered past his throat, then flicked the man's wrist. Bones crunched. The knife flew upward; Void caught it by the handle and slammed the pommel into its owner's jaw. Teeth scattered across the floor.
"Two," Void counted.
A trio tried to flank him. One came from behind with a chair, the other two from the sides.
He didn't even turn.
His elbow shot backward, splintering the chair and the man holding it. At the same time, he stepped aside, letting the other two collide with each other. A light kick to their ankles sent them crashing down. They didn't get back up.
"You're good at one thing," Void mused. "Dying together."
Fear finally started to flicker in their eyes.
A brawler gritted his teeth and tried to circulate his qi—Stage 2, Qi Awakening. A faint aura fluttered around his fists as he drove them toward Void's chest.
Void watched him, almost curious.
He caught the blow with one hand.
The man's eyes bulged. He couldn't move, no matter how much qi he poured out.
"Stage 2, huh," Void said. "Cute."
He squeezed.
There was a muffled crack. The brawler flew backwards like a broken doll, slamming into the wall and sliding down unconscious.
Within a minute, the entire tavern lay in ruins. Tables shattered, chairs splintered, groaning bodies piled on the floor. Not a single man was dead—but every one of them had bones broken, joints dislocated, or consciousness slipping.
Void brushed some imaginary dust from his sleeve.
"That's it?" he asked the room, disappointed. "I didn't even warm up."
He had controlled his strength carefully. Ribs cracked instead of hearts bursting. Skulls slammed into wood, not stone. Pain, not death.
At the far corner, Violet hugged herself, knees drawn up, back pressed to the wall. She hadn't been touched once.
But she was shaking like a rabbit in a wolf's den.
*Why?* Violet thought, heart racing. *Why isn't he killing me? Someone… please, someone save me. If he leaves me for last, he'll definitely kill me. I don't want to die yet…*
Void dragged a chair upright and sat down, looking over the fallen men with bored eyes. Eventually, his gaze slid to Violet.
She flinched.
Then he looked away, as if she were nothing more than a piece of furniture.
"Oblivion Chains," Void said quietly.
Ghostly chains of black light burst from the floor, wrapping around every thug's limbs, binding them like trussed animals. Their bodies jerked, but the bindings held firm, humming with eerie power.
Void clicked his tongue. "Sigh. Deactivate Oblivion Chains."
The chains shattered into motes of darkness and vanished.
"If I kept them on, these idiots would've died in a few minutes," he muttered. "Troublesome."
He stood up and walked past Violet without so much as a glance, searching through the back of the tavern. She tried to speak, but her throat locked. No sound came out.
"Ah," Void said a moment later, lifting something from a shelf. "Here we go. Rope."
He returned, humming faintly, and efficiently tied up every single one of them by hand. Ankles, wrists, mouths gagged with cloth. When he was done, he fetched a bucket of water, splashed it over their faces, and waited.
The tavern master jolted awake first, coughing and shivering. His eyes darted around, taking in the scene—and the man sitting in front of him.
"W‑what do you want?" he stammered. "Just… just say it. You want money, right? I'll give you money. Just don't kill me. Please—I'm begging you!"
Void tilted his head, lips curling in a devilish smile. "Money…?"
The tavern master's panic wavered. A smug glint flickered in his eyes.
*As expected,* he thought. *He's strong, but at the end of the day he's just another greedy brat. If I throw some coins at him, he'll let us go. Then I'll call in favors. I'll have him hunted down like a dog. Just you wait, you bastard… hehehe.*
"Really?" Void asked brightly. "You'll give me money? How much? If you pay well, I won't lay a finger on anyone. I'm sorry about the tavern, really, really sorry. Please don't kill me later. I just want money."
Tears even welled up in the corners of his eyes as he spoke.
The tavern master's shoulders relaxed. "Y‑yeah. Of course, of course I'll spare you." His confidence returned with his smile. "Just untie me first, young man. Let's talk this out properly, hahaha."
In the corner, Violet stared.
*No,* she thought, stunned. *Someone this strong… can he really be bribed?* Her mind raced. By her guess, this man had fought like at least a **Dao Lord**.
In this world, there were nine known stages of power:
- **Stage 1: Body Tempering.** Stronger muscles and bones, faster recovery, able to defeat trained normal humans.
- **Stage 2: Qi Awakening.** Opens meridians, senses and circulates qi, gains basic aura pressure and enhanced strikes.
- **Stage 3: Core Formation.** Forms a qi core in the dantian, can release long‑range techniques and burst movement.
- **Stage 4: Soul Manifestation.** Strengthens soul and mind, resists illusions, senses killing intent, and uses mental pressure.
- **Stage 5: Domain Lord.** Creates a small personal Domain—flame, shadow, sword, and so on—that warps the battlefield.
- **Stage 6: Dao Lord.** Deep understanding of a concept; techniques ignore normal defenses and can destroy cities.
- **Stage 7: Venerable.** Half‑step legend. Flies freely, fights armies alone, alters weather and terrain.
- **Stage 8: Throne Rank.** Holds a Throne; their will becomes a regional rule, feared like a calamity.
- **Stage 9: Sovereign.** Top of the world. Crushes countries, shatters space, and ignores the world's rules.
*Someone like that,* Violet thought, throat dry, *shouldn't care about money at all… so why…?*
Still, a tiny, desperate hope flickered. "If he can be bribed with money," she whispered to herself, "maybe… maybe he'll spare me too?"
"Untie me quickly, young man," the tavern master urged, forcing a friendly tone. "We'll talk. I'll give you a good price."
"Yes, of course," Void said cheerfully. "Please make sure to give me *a very good* price, sir."
He walked slowly toward the tavern master, picking up the rope binding him as if he were about to loosen it.
"Don't worry about money," the tavern master said, relief flooding his face. "But before that, may I ask your name?"
"Mm? My name?" Void smiled pleasantly. "Of course. It's Void."
He tugged at the knot. "Now, I should unbind you, right?"
"Yes, yes, go ahead. Untie me quickly."
Void's fingers tightened.
His expression twisted—smile stretching too wide, eyes turning cold.
"Just kidding," he whispered.
Then he burst into laughter. "Khahahahahahah! You really—haha—really expected me to free you? Kahahaha! How was my acting? Ten out of ten, don't you think?"
Tears spilled from the tavern master's eyes on their own. Not from physical pain. From the look on Void's face.
The kind of smile that belonged to something that enjoyed breaking wings more than plucking them.
Void's laughter slowly died down. His eyes gleamed like a predator's in the dark.
"Well then," he said softly,
spreading his arms as if welcoming them to a performance. "Now it's time to have some fun with all of you."
"Khahahahahaha."