The moon was shining high up in the night sky.

With only the light from the moon, I begun to a write a small letter using a feather with its tip dipped with ink and a magazine found under the study desk.

……

Clip clop clip clop clip…

The sound of the horse shoes hitting the pebbled floor could be heard in the silent city.

“Two silvers to exit.”

Shoving the two silvers into the night guard’s hand, the young kid on a horse fled away from the city.

On the road back to the ruined village.

“Giddy-up!” The kid cried. He was on the road back home. Though a mess, it is still his home. “Tianhua, our path will definitely cross, but before then, I’ve got to get stronger. Stronger so that we can avenge our parents together.”

------------------------

“He is coming! I can sense him. You guys, hide your presence. No one is allowed to interfere with this fight or I shall behead you right on the spot. I shall test his skills to deem whether he is actually fit to lead us all, and all you lot shall bear witness to the fight.”

With that, the masked man disappeared.

------------------------

Suddenly, ahead of me, a glimpse of light gleam directly into my eye. Immediately, I swerve the horse to a side and leaned flat on the horse’s back. A gust of wind brush through the surface of my face.

“Woah what was that?” I thought. I quickly jumped off my horse and shouted, “Whoever you are, give me a second. If your opponent is me, then spare this horse. I don’t suppose he ate your apple before giving me a ride, did he?” However, I was only greeted with the sound of footsteps swiftly closing in on me.

I quickly send the horse off and drew out the sword from my sword sheath before moving into my defensive stance. I was on full alert. Who knows when the opponent might strike again?

Silence….

“Above.” My body reacted quicker than my mind. In an instant, my sword blocked the strike from the opponent. “How did he get above me without me sensing his presence?” I pondered. The impact when both weapons clashed cause the opponent to leap a few steps back.

While he was recovering from the impact, I took the chance to observe his appearance. As my eyes gaze directly at him, I notice a few peculiar things about him. Firstly, he was wearing a mask together with a hood. Secondly, the weapon he use was no ordinary weapon! It was a butter knife!

That was all the time I had to observe him. With that, he leaped forward and striked again.

Clang clank clang clank clank…

Every strike he produced, I blocked them with my sword. The speed of his strikes were so fast that I did not have the chance to return an attack, what’s more a counter!

“Nice reflexes and footwork.” The masked man suddenly spoke softly.

“Did he just praise me?”

I didn’t have the opportunity to thank him for the praise, and instead, his attacks started to gain in speed. Gradually, I felt that my current speed would not be able to keep up with his movements.

Suddenly, his attack got past my defense and drew a cut on my forehead. Luckily, the wound wasn’t deep. The fight was starting to get serious. As blood trickled down my forehead, I took a few steps back and released my ability.

“Beserk.”

The color of my eyes changed from dark brown to blood red; under the night sky, I looked like a blood-thirsty demon.

With my stats now doubled, I was now almost on par with the masked man’s speed.

The sounds of two weapons clashing against one another became heavier.

Clang clang clank clang clang…

“Enough. You’ve passed.”

“What? Passed? Passed what?”

Before I had the chance to ask, the masked man jumped a few steps back and kneeled in front of me. And at the same time, out of nowhere, a group of four suddenly appeared in front of me and did the same….

“What...what?”