Blood. Rivers of blood.
Broken bodies rotting under a black sun.
The memory clawed at Jin's mind like rusted iron hooks.
A different scene: flames devouring buildings, screams so sharp they cut deeper than steel. Smoke, ash, and the metallic taste of death on the tongue.
Goddamn… the old days.
The mercenary king's soul inside this seven-year-old frame hadn't forgotten the price of power. In his past life, countless mercs had fallen to a curse older than steel itself: the Bloodlust Abyss — a hidden madness that devours killers from the inside out. The wise ones stepped away before it rooted too deep; most didn't. Some fused with it, becoming something inhuman.
Even now, Jin's mind brushed the edges of that abyss. A dark tide rose inside, flooding every thought with crimson haze. The air around him thickened, iron-scented and sharp as broken glass. Insects near him dropped dead. Fifty meters of silent death.
The bear — Big Guy — stirred, then collapsed, stunned by a killing will it couldn't comprehend.
Jin's small fists clenched until the nails cut skin. Sweat streamed down his temple, breath ragged.
"Fuck… stronger than before," he rasped. "Feels different too. Deeper."
His body quivered as he forced the bloodlust back down. Memories of burning cities and mercenary days faded — but the edge remained, lurking.
Why the hell don't the monsters of this world seem cursed like this? he thought. Countless killers, warlords, pirates who've slaughtered thousands… yet none show signs of it. Is it just me?
Maybe this brutal world had something his old world didn't: children raised seeing death daily, learning to swallow it before it turned to poison. Maybe only in peaceful lands does slaughter become a cancer in the mind.
Jin spat blood onto the dirt and wiped his mouth.
"Fuck it. I'll keep it locked down. I've done it once; I'll do it again."
He turned toward Big Guy, unconscious from blood loss and terror. Jin cursed under his breath.
"Look at you, tough bastard — dropped by my damn killing intent. All right. I'll help, you motherfucker."
With quick movements, Jin collected fistfuls of white root, mashed it against stone, and packed it over the bear's wounds.
"You better wake up, Big Guy. I still need you," he muttered, voice softer than he'd ever admit.
By sunset, the fire roared. Jin stripped meat from the fallen dinosaur, sweat rolling down his arms as he turned spit after spit.
"Shit… even cooking is a workout," he muttered, arms burning from the effort.
When the smell hit Big Guy's nose, the bear woke. Weak, but hungry enough to crawl over.
"Don't give me that puppy-eyed bullshit," Jin snapped, but cut a chunk free and threw it over. "Eat. You saved my skin once; this evens it."
Big Guy growled softly, devouring meat without lifting his gaze. Jin kept cutting, sweat stinging his eyes, stubborn pride fueling each slice.
Next day, noon.
"Eat, goddammit!" Jin barked, throwing another slab at Big Guy. "You're a bear, not some polite monk. Quit the act!"
The bear flinched, then obeyed, jaws dripping fat. Jin watched, half annoyed, half amused.
Since waking, Big Guy had been weirdly skittish, avoiding Jin's eyes. As if it had glimpsed the mercenary king hidden inside the kid.
"Fucking weird animal…" Jin muttered, scowling.
He stood, brushing ash from his trousers.
"All right, Big Guy. Heal up. If shit goes bad, you know where to find me."
With that, he leaped branch to branch, cutting through forest shadows, heart beating faster with every yard closer to home.
Half an hour later.
"Finally…"
The forest broke, revealing the crude house Jin had called his own these past months. Relief bubbled up — then froze in his throat.
At thirty meters, his senses caught it: voices. Movement.
Motherfuckers… someone's inside.
Face darkening, Jin dropped from the branch, boots crunching dry grass. He stalked into the yard — and what he saw made his blood boil.
His training dummies smashed and burned for firewood. Wooden practice swords broken, tossed aside like trash. Empty bottles, scraps of meat, piss stains marking territory that wasn't theirs.
A growl rumbled from Jin's chest, low and feral.
"Motherfucking bastards…"
He stepped forward, voice calm but carrying death.
"Get the fuck out of my house. Now."
Inside, a bandit stirred from his nap, cursing at being disturbed.
"Hey! Go see who's yapping out there!"
"Damn it… why's it always me?" grumbled a greasy-looking thug, stumbling outside, scratching at his filthy shirt.
"What the fuck do you want, you little—"
The word never finished.
In a blink, Jin was gone from where he'd stood. Cold steel touched the man's throat, a whisper of death behind him.
"You break into my house," Jin hissed, voice a razor in the ear. "You didn't even knock, motherfucker."
The man froze, breath caught in terror, every hair on his neck standing on end. Jin's violet eyes gleamed, as dark and bottomless as the abyss he'd just wrestled back into its cage.
This story is inspired from various fanfics i have read from around the world so if you find any similarities please dont mind . Thank you
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
T/N :
Access 30 chapters in Advance on my P@treon: patreon.com/GodFic