Some might say this.
What is there left for me to fear at this point?
A martial artist among the Ten Great Mastersâespecially one who ranks near the top.
If weâre talking about pure martial strength, there were perhaps ten figures, including hidden experts, who surpassed me.
And unless I faced one of the Three Lords, I was confident I could escape alive, no matter the situation.
So honestly, what was there to be afraid of?
ââ¦Strength isnât the only source of fear.â
Strategies and schemes could, at times, be crushed with overwhelming power.
But there were things even strength couldnât overcome.
Humans have memories.
Memories etched so deeply they resurface as nightmares.
Memories engraved so vividly that they remain forever.
For me, my father was the prime example.
Ah, and of course, even in terms of pure strength, I had no chance of defeating him yet.
Anyway...
The point is that fear isnât solely born from strength.
And for me, that fear wasnât limited to my father. It extended to my entire family.
To be preciseâ
âI might as well say theyâre all of it.â
I hadnât admitted it before, but now, I was slowly beginning to.
I was still buried in those memories.
Becoming a dragon had eased that burden a little.
Back when I faced Gu Heebi,
The reason I resolved not to fear her and stand my ground likely stemmed from that.
Still, it was hardly a complete escape.
It was just easier to endure now.
Thatâs the most accurate way to put it.
Noâundoubtedly, that was the case.
Knowing that, I tried to flee immediately.
I quickly packed what I could, intending to hide somewhere.
Thatâs what I was thinking when I moved to leaveâ
Bangâ!!
Suddenly, the door to my quarters burst open.
And at the same timeâ
âHahahahahahaâ!!â
Hearing that loud, grating laughter, my entire body froze.
âWell, well, look who it is! Isnât this our dear Star King grandson? Hahahahahaâ! Look at that glowing face of yours!â
â...â
Damn it.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
It was already too late.
***************
When I was a child...
It must have been around the age of thirteen in my previous life.
Iâd gotten myself into some serious troubleâenough that it reached Elder Il, not my father, first. At the time, he was still Elder Il.
As the most brazen troublemaker, I didnât feel even a shred of guilt. Instead, I was simply annoyed, as always.