Chapter 18: Manipulation of the Universe?!
The elder gave Shin Yuan only a few minutes to catch his breath after their last conversation before his deep voice echoed once more inside the boy's mind.
> "I'll tell you the locations of herbs and treasures that can help you break the limits of your body… but know this, boy. Each of these treasures is guarded by beasts of the Second Star—either at the mid or peak stage."
Shin Yuan froze in place as he heard those words.
His face paled, and his mind slowly processed the meaning behind them.
"Peak of the Second Star?" he murmured, disbelief flickering in his eyes as his chest tightened.
It wasn't fear that suffocated him—it was the weight of the burden placed upon his shoulders.
He was only thirteen… barely a week past his birthday.
Why did he have to suffer like this?
Why was every step of his path filled with pain and blood?
Why had his own family abandoned him as if he were nothing?
Why must he fight endlessly just to prove he deserves to exist?
Those questions whirled inside him like a raging storm until he finally lost control.
He lunged toward the cave wall and began striking it with his bare fists—again and again.
Each impact echoed like the cry of a buried fury.
The cave trembled; fragments fell from the ceiling, and sparks burned in his eyes.
He was striking not just stone—but fate itself.
The elder, though witnessing it all, did not intervene.
He neither stopped him nor spoke a single word.
He simply watched in silence, as if he knew this outburst was necessary.
After an hour, Shin Yuan's breathing became ragged; his hands bled heavily.
Yet the fury still burned.
It was only when the sound of beasts approaching reached the cave entrance that the elder finally spoke, his tone sharp as a blade:
> "Calm yourself… you've drawn the beasts. In your condition, you won't survive."
Shin Yuan froze at once.
It was as if those words had pressed an invisible switch inside him.
He turned to see the wreck he had caused—walls shattered, stones cracked, and the cave entrance half-blocked by rubble.
A wave of embarrassment washed over him.
He had completely lost control… in front of his older self.
Even if they were the same person, part of him still wanted to appear strong, composed—not broken.
But what was done was done.
He sat silently in the depths of the cave, legs crossed, trying to steady his breath.
For a long while, only silence filled the air.
Then, in a faint whisper, almost swallowed by the darkness, he muttered:
> "I'm… sorry."
The word carried more regret than anything else.
Moments later, the elder's voice returned—soft yet filled with an ancient sadness:
> "I do not blame you… In truth, you don't understand yet. The universe itself is manipulating your emotions."
Shin Yuan stiffened, his eyes widening.
> "Huh? What do you mean by that?"
The elder let out a faint, bitter chuckle before replying:
> "To the universe, you are merely my reincarnation. Your soul is the same as mine—identical in essence and form. It doesn't know I exist beside you; what it perceives… is that you are me."
Shin Yuan's brows furrowed, confusion deepening as the elder continued slowly, as though explaining a cosmic riddle:
> "But the universe cannot tolerate two versions of the same existence. So, it tries to erase you—
not by killing you, for that would defy its own laws,
but through subtle manipulation."
A heavy silence followed before the elder's tone deepened further:
> "It makes your path harsher, weakens your spirit when you most need strength, and plants fear when courage is required. Sometimes it gives you boundless bravery to fight beyond your limits—only to strip it away the next moment so you fall.
All of this… because it cannot accept your existence.
The universe cannot kill you—so it punishes you slowly."
The words fell into Shin Yuan's ears like burning rain.
Cold sweat slid down his back as a chill crawled along his spine.
He remembered countless battles—
victories that suddenly turned to disaster for no reason,
moments of hesitation that made no sense,
and foolish decisions taken at the worst possible time.
Now… it all made sense.
He raised his head, his face darkening, eyes blazing like embers.
A new fire was being born within him—not of anger toward himself, but toward the universe itself.
> "So… all this time, I was nothing but a puppet?"
His voice was low, yet it carried a weight that threatened to crush the very air around him.
> "Tell me, elder… tell me how to cut those strings.
How do I break free from this manipulation?!"
Silence.
Then the elder's voice returned—steady as frozen steel:
> "In your current state, nothing can be done.
If I interfere, it will only worsen things.
Your soul is too fragile, your body too weak before the laws of the universe.
The only thing you can do… is to grow stronger."
Shin Yuan took a deep breath, his tone hoarse but unwavering:
> "Then tell me… where can I find the treasures you mentioned?"
There was no hesitation, no fear in his voice.
Something had changed.
The furious child who had shattered the walls was gone.
In his place stood someone new—someone who had accepted the weight of his path.
The elder remained silent for a moment, then spoke, a faint smile hidden in his voice:
> "Good… this is the you I once knew.
In the Valley of Shadows lies the Root of Earth Star.
In the Blood Lake grows the Black Abyss Flower.
And atop the Iron Mountain rests the Combat Nerve Crystal.
Each of them is a stepping stone toward transcending your body's limits."
Shin Yuan nodded silently, a faint glimmer flashing in his eyes.
He knew what awaited him would be far from easy—
but something inside him had changed forever that night.
Perhaps the universe was pulling his strings,
but from this moment on,
he swore he would be the one holding them.
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