Shame!

Chapter 2: Humiliation!

In the early morning, the warm sunlight spread gently over the village like a veil draped over the body of the Goddess of Life. Crisp birdsong echoed from the woods, lending a unique charm to this remote village, making it feel like a paradise, bringing infinite peace to the soul.

"Heh... haha..." On the narrow patch of ground outside a dilapidated hut, a small figure was hoisting a sandbag much larger than himself onto his shoulders, performing squats.

Sweat streamed down his flushed cheeks, soaking into his worn, faded shorts. His eyelashes were heavy with sweat, but the child seemed oblivious, gritting his teeth, his eyes gleaming with determination.

Bathed in the golden sunlight, the figure stood unyielding, like an ancient deity.

"Sigh!..." Old Ent let out a long sigh, looking at the stubborn figure with a face full of helplessness.

Originally, Old Ent had planned to have Chen Yun learn blacksmithing from him. Old Ent was a renowned blacksmith in the village, capable of crafting excellent weapons. He had even forged a weapon of Emperor rank.

Across the entire continent, there were only a handful of five weapons of Saint rank.

The first-ranked Saint Sword – Frost's Sigh.

The second-ranked War Hammer – War God's Wrath.

The third-ranked Dragon Blade – Dragon Scale, rumored to be forged from rare dragon bones, possessed astonishing power.

The fourth-ranked was the Clear Wind Sword. As its name suggested, this sword provided a 70% speed boost to its wielder.

And the last one was a ring. No one knew its origin. 500 years ago, it belonged to Saint Thomas. Later, it disappeared from public view along with Thomas's inexplicable vanishing.

Some said Thomas achieved enlightenment somewhere and left the ring behind. Others claimed Thomas had cultivated to the Venerable Rank and ascended to another plane. Theories abounded, but no one knew which was credible.

This world was not a single, isolated realm. Besides the War God Continent, there were the legendary Underworld, God Realm, and Beast God Realm.

And above these planes, legend spoke of another plane, whose name was unknown. All that was known was that it was the ultimate destination for cultivators from all planes. However, this had never been verified, as no one had ever heard of any being cultivating to that level. Thus, it was considered a fabricated lie.

"Haha... Look, isn't that the biggest waste on the continent? With zero talent, he's still training, wanting to become a respected fighter. What a pipe dream!" A burst of arrogant laughter echoed.

Old Ent's train of thought was interrupted by the jeering. He looked towards the source of the sound. Outside, seven or eight pre-teen children stood before Chen Yun, pointing and mocking him without restraint.

Chen Yun clenched his fists, his eyes glaring at the leader. This boy was named Wright Harms, the only son of the village chief, Peter Harms. Since childhood, he had relied on his father's influence to bully the weak in the village. Peter was also extremely protective, which only made his son more arrogant. Many villagers dared not speak out against him.

"Go to hell!" Chen Yun roared, punching Wright in the face. A scream followed as Wright fell onto his group of lackeys behind him, blood gushing from his nose.

"You dare hit me? You... Fine, fine, fine! All of you, attack him." Wright laughed in extreme anger. The children behind him swarmed forward.

Although Chen Yun had helped his grandfather with chores since he was young, making him relatively strong, he could handle one or two peers. But facing six or seven of them, he was soon knocked to the ground.

A foot landed on his face, accompanied by a splash of saliva. Wright looked down at him with a sinister grin, saying arrogantly, "Kid, you dare hit me? You're tired of living. Right now, I can beat you however I want. When I become a Fighter, you'll be even more insignificant in my eyes. I can crush you with a single finger!" He then punched Chen Yun in the face again...

"Stop!" A furious roar echoed.

Old Ent strode over, his eyes blazing with anger. Hearing the voice, the children scattered in fear, Wright included.

Due to his skill in crafting weapons, Old Ent held a considerable position in the village. In dire circumstances, even the village chief would not want to offend him, as he provided weapons for the entire village.

Ten miles from the village lay a forest infested with Fierce Beasts. Occasionally, these beasts would stray into the village, though they were usually low-level. This created a high demand for weapons, and thus, everyone in the village greatly respected Old Ent.

Watching the children disperse, Old Ent sighed helplessly.

He bent down and helped the bruised Chen Yun up, asking with concern, "Does it hurt? Come, Grandpa will take you to see the doctor."

"No need, Grandpa. It's just a superficial wound!" Before Old Ent could react, Chen Yun turned and ran into the house.

Wright's words kept echoing in Chen Yun's ears: "Kid, you dare hit me? You're tired of living. Right now, I can beat you however I want. When I become a Fighter, you'll be even more insignificant in my eyes. I can crush you with a single finger..."

Chen Yun's heart ached as if cut by a knife. Old Ent saw this and was about to call out to Chen Yun, but then seemed to recall something. He let out a soft sigh, turned to gaze at the horizon, his brow furrowed, his eyes radiating a thought-provoking light, as if lost in contemplation.

Chen Yun sat on his small bed, knees hugged to his chest, his eyes flashing with an unyielding light. His lips were bitten until they bled. "I'm not a waste! I'm not a waste. Just you wait, I will repay today's humiliation tenfold!" Chen Yun shouted in his heart...

The sunlight remained as bright as ever, making everything that had just happened seem insignificant. Yes, this was the world, where the strong reigned supreme!