...
A black smoke emerged from "Di’s" hand, which was gripping the man. The man screamed in pain, but his hand quickly corroded, and soon, the black smoke engulfed him completely. His agonized cries filled the air. After a while, the smoke dissipated, leaving behind nothing but a pile of bones.
The group of people trembled in fear, sweat visible on their foreheads.
"Demon… My god, you demon! What have you done to our brother…?" they began screaming in horror.
"A Rule Master… Are you a Rule Master?" one of them stammered, his body shaking uncontrollably.
In truth, these people were ordinary individuals who had never established their own foundations. "Di" had no particular taste when it came to killing—he made no distinction between the weak, the ordinary, or even Rule Masters.
"Di" continued to stare at the group surrounding him for a while before vanishing from his spot.
The group was thrown into confusion upon seeing his disappearance, but before they could react, a pained scream echoed.
"Aaaaaaagh…!"
They turned toward the source of the scream and saw "Di’s" right hand piercing through a man's chest, emerging from his back.
He pulled his hand out and vanished again.
"Be careful!! This kid is dangerous! Don’t let fear control you!" shouted a tall man wielding a broad blade.
He seemed to be the leader of the group, as his words immediately influenced the others, making them more vigilant.
However, even their heightened awareness couldn’t stop the inevitable. In an instant, three heads exploded, and another man’s throat vanished into thin air.
Only the leader remained, trembling, knowing his death was imminent.
A dark shadow suddenly appeared before him, revealing a young man with black hair and cold, merciless features.
The leader stared at him in terror, blood from his fallen comrades still dripping from the young man's hands.
For a moment, silence filled the air until "Di" finally broke it. "Do you know why I haven’t killed you yet?" His voice was devoid of emotion.
Hearing this, the leader understood that he wouldn’t last much longer.
"W-What… What do you want…?" he stammered, barely holding back his fear.
"I want information. Where are we?" "Di" asked, interrogating him.
The leader responded immediately, as if clinging to a shred of hope that answering would prolong his life. "This island is called the Blazing Coral Island. It's a mid-sized island ruled by three powerful families…"
"Where is the nearest city?" "Di" asked again.
"Head north. Once you pass through the forest, you’ll reach the city…" The leader pointed in a direction.
"Di" and the leader spoke for a while, with "Di" asking and the leader answering.
"Alright, you can die now." "Di" disappeared from his spot.
A painful scream rang out as the leader's throat was suddenly ripped away.
His mind filled with regret—he couldn't understand why he had to die. They had never provoked this young man; he was the one who had started everything.
In the end, he collapsed lifelessly, cursing the ruthless young man who had slaughtered him and his comrades for no reason.
"Di" set off north toward the city, uncertain how long it would take to get there.
A shadow flickered in and out of sight within the dense forest.
...