SHK CH 550: HOW DID IT COME TO THIS? (Patreon)

How did it come to this?

Kun Peng asked himself quietly, his face filled with disbelief.

After leaving his sisters and brothers, he had expected many things. The wars in his memories had been filled with excitement and blood-pumping fights with Dukes dying everywhere as they were nothing more than cannon fodders and even Kings being careful to not get swarmed by hundreds of dukes or besieged by other Kings.

This was what war should be like and this was how he had spent his entire childhood.

A bastard, born from parents of different races he did not know, he was born blessed with the ability of his two races. A perfect hybrid so to speak and while he did not know his parents, they had left him abilities that allowed him to roam the battlefield and survive every time.

Kun Peng.

A name composed of the two forms he had. One that allowed him to fly in the sky and the other that allowed him to swim in the sea.

A younger, much more inexperienced he once fought one particular battlefield. He did not remember who was fighting or even why. All he remembered was joining one side as a mercenary to simply survive and get money for food.

It was there that he saw her.

A woman with fiery hair and a proud gait, clad in silvery light, and charged with electricity, she stood on the battlefield and swept everything in its way.

It was just a projection. A video taken and saved from centuries ago. It was just nothing more than a succession of pictures. But those pictures are what changed his destiny.

Her name was Nent. She was a Phoenix and she was undoubtedly the fastest being below the level of Demigod.

He realized then what kind of path he had to take if he wanted to survive longer.

Speed.

Absolute speed.

Being fast means survival.

Being fast means the ability to toy around with your opponents.

Being fast means being strong.

This became his truth and the path he chose to take and finally, he became a Duke.

Realizing the first step toward his dream.

Speed was King.

Speed was absolute.

Even after he met Sun Wukong and was completely beaten up by him, this belief did not change and became even stronger. After all, Wukong only won by being even faster than him.

This was how he became one of the Seven Sages and chose his title.

Peng king, Great sage throwing Heaven in confusion.

An arrogant title as he was neither a King nor able to throw all the heaven in confusion. But this title was not just arrogance. It represented his dream. His aspiration, the goal he strived to reach and surpasses.

This was why, deep down, he had been looking down on the war that was happening here.

His goal had never been to compare to mere mortals who knew nothing of the upper worlds and still saw Duke as something to revere.

No matter how bloody the war became, he saw all of this as nothing but a joke and he was sure that he could walk sideways if he so wished on any battlefield even if there was a King present.

This belief though — Was currently being put to the test by someone he did not even expect.

Looking down, his eyes stopped at the Golden-haired young girl who was facing him with a calmness clear in her eyes.

Even though he was flying high above in the sky and she was standing on the earth below him, he had the impression that the two of them were looking at the same horizon.

“I must admit…I am impressed. I wonder how far he had been able to see.”

No. They were not looking at the same horizon. Even though he was fighting her, even though she was looking at him, her gaze was elsewhere, as if he was simply not worth considering.

At most, she would send him a look filled with pity.

“I must say. I might have lost against anyone else. But you are the best match-up I could have ever asked for.”

Kun Peng gasped slowly, his breathing hurried.

Speed was King.

He believed this Truth and grew on him.

But there was another truth that existed.

Speed was King. But — Time was supreme.

This sentence appeared in his mind as he looked around himself, a world filled with monochromatic light.

A world where his most prized speed became meaningless as one instant was stretched beyond infinity.

A still world where time and space lost all meaning.

Indeed. This girl was without a shadow of a doubt his Nemesis. An enemy he could not overcome.

“Then. Shall we end this beautiful moment? As interesting as this is, I have a reputation to uphold. It wouldn’t do if people thought I struggled to win against you when Lilin managed to destroy two of you in a second.”

The girl spoke nonchalantly, only now pulling her blade from its sheath,

“Do not worry. I was already told that I should not kill you. We will soon become allies after all.”

Kun Peng smiled bitterly. Unable to even express anger at the complete disregard he was being served with.

After all, He had served her with the same disdain at the start and perhaps in reality, acted even worse than this. Even beyond that, he had been disdaining all the participants of this war.

Now he was simply being slapped by the cold and hard reality.

Was it what they call Karma? It was clear that he was being for his arrogance and complaining about the injustice of the situation now would do nothing

How did it come to this?

Why was someone as esteemed as him in such a pitiful situation? Being mocked and laughed at by a girl who was not even half his age?

He thought quietly as he tried to remember how this all started.

Then he realized.

‘Ah…’

It was indeed then.

The very moment he stepped on the battlefield.

He laughed quietly, his mind going back to a few moments ago.

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