Hi guys, a bit shorter chapter day, found a good spot to stop at and my eyes needs some rest.

expect a new chapter tomorrow. So if anyone has any questions about my novel, feel free to ask me.

The cultivation concept won't be revealed until the next arc.

Well, without further ado, Enjoy!

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Chapter 3 – The failure

Their faces looked like the incarnations of demons. He tried to run away, but they followed him, hunting him.

“Trash”

“Failure”

“Useless”

They said, as the they laughed at him

“NOOOOO!” He shouted and ran even faster, he was scared and afraid.

There was no reaction or change from the crowd, just endless insults as they continued to hunt him

“Failure”

“Useless”

“Trash”

…….

“AAH!” Philip woke up with a scream, his body completely sweaty.

“Heh… this nightmare again.” He said out loud and started to laugh, trying to laugh it away, not succeeding.

This nightmare was a common occurrence nowadays, he would always wake up at exactly the same moment every time – when they caught up with him and were just an inch away from grabbing him, tearing him apart with their filthy claws and savoring his flesh with their sharp yellow teeth.

He rose from the bed to dress himself before going out to train. Even though he failed at the selection and was devastated, brute made him regain his hope. Philip still remembered the exact words brute had told him.

……..

“Kiddo, are you okay?” brute said as he slowly put Philip on the ground and made up a small camp for the night outside the capital.

Philip didn’t answer the question and quietly said as his entire body shook: “I’m a failure?

“No.” Brute said firmly as he was preparing to say something.

“The asteroid might only be a rock, but do you know what the fear of all things in the cosmos is? It is that rock. Philip, make your rock big, become strong and crush those who offend you. Deliver judgment to those who killed your parents and every other evil you can see. The asteroid might not be strong in the early stages but i believe, with your rank 10, you can make it strong, stronger than anything, even the fiercest planet types.” He continued with a strong voice.

“I-I-Is t-that true, I-II can b-become strong?” Philip asked with a voice full of hope.

“Yes.” Brute answered.

…

Since that day he decided something. He will not give up at any costs. Even though he may have close to zero talent compared to others, he shall not lose out. What he loses with being talentless, he will back up with hard work. If others practices 10 hours a day, he will practice 11 and if someone practices 11, he will practice 12.

Even though was going to do everything to become strong, he didn’t know if he could truly become strong. He wanted to believe what brute said but he couldn’t do it fully. The concept of an asteroid destroying a planet, sounded a bit far fetched for him.

He tried to show that he was not affected by the dramatic experience of the test in Firecloud sect. But even though he wanted to think he wasn’t, it was the same as believing that he could be strong, he couldn't fully believe it.

But the problem is, he has no Idea how to train himself except for body training. Brute had to leave for sect matters. Apparently he had resigned from matters a long time ago. But since he had a connection with the present patriarch, he had to go visit him since everything was a bit shaken up after his appearance in the test.

So how was he gonna cultivate star energy?

Well, heck did he know. He heard some chatter about an academy that teaches about it, but that academy is located in the west direction of the village. But If he wanted to go there, he had to cross the wilderness.

The wilderness is a desolate type of forest talking up the majority of Canoi.

Right now he was, as he usually was, doing weight training. He found out that his body was a lot more resilient now than prior to his star awakening. Maybe everyone who awakened their star had a much more resilient body.

The day was nearing its end and he was about to walk home as he heard a some voices behind him.

“Oh, what is the trash doing here?.” A voice resounded near his ear.

The voice felt familiar. It was the strong-built kid in the village. He was the one who took control of the situation in the group of kids when they were in the basement worrying about brute and the rest of the village.

“Nothing Jake, I was just about to walk towards the village.” Philip said and payed no heed to the strong-built, well not kid anymore, but Philip liked to remember people by what he had always remembered them as.

“Tch, looser.” One of the kids whom were walking after Jake like a fan club said disdainfully.

Surprisingly it was the nasally looking kid who was crying in the basement 5 years ago.

He was forced to follow Jake like a servant.

“Let's go Berndt and Kyle” Jake said, or rather, commanding them.

He felt disgust for the nasally-looking kid named was Berndt.

Why did he feel disgust? Was it because Berndt was weak? No. It was because Berndt had no pride, he was a spineless coward without the will to stand up for himself.

...

He walked home and was met by Melinda , she was like a mother to him. He had lived half his life with her and she felt even more real than his real parents. She was there for him to lay his shoulder upon both times when he was in the most desperate need for it.

He gave her a quick hug out of consideration, not wanting her to get sweaty.

The days passed and he was gradually starting to adapt being alone, in the beginning it felt pretty lonely and boring to just train but here was something about it that he loved. Not being alone but training that is. The lovely feeling of becoming stronger.

As a year had passed, brute finally returned to the village from the sect.

“Yo kiddo, It has been a while, huh?”

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Thanks for reading my chapter, If you liked it, feel free to leave a comment to keep my motivation up!

Cheers!