Chapter 2 — The God Horsiken
Cold water dripped slowly from the ceiling of the cave.
Tick…
Tick…
Tick…
A sharp pain spread through Reskin's head as his consciousness slowly returned. His body felt unbelievably heavy, almost as if enormous chains had been wrapped around every part of him.
For several moments, he simply lay there on the cold stone floor, staring blankly at the dark ceiling above him.
"What… happened…?"
The last thing he remembered was the golden light inside the forest.
Then that terrifying voice.
Then darkness.
Reskin slowly pushed himself upward, groaning painfully as he sat against the cave wall. His breathing became uneven while he observed his surroundings.
The cave was enormous.
Ancient symbols covered the walls, glowing faintly with golden energy. Some of them looked like strange beasts while others resembled stars and suns orbiting around each other.
At the center of the cave stood a gigantic crystal sealed by countless black chains.
And inside the crystal…
Was an eye.
A massive golden eye.
The moment Reskin looked at it, his entire body froze.
The eye slowly opened.
BOOOOM!!
An overwhelming pressure exploded across the cave.
Reskin instantly fell to his knees.
It felt as if an entire mountain had crashed onto his shoulders.
Even breathing became difficult.
"Interesting…"
The voice echoed directly inside his mind.
"You survived my soul pressure."
Reskin's eyes widened.
"T-that voice…!"
"Yes," the being answered calmly. "You finally awakened."
Sweat rolled down Reskin's face.
"You… can speak inside my mind?"
A low laugh echoed through the cave.
"I can do far more than that, human."
The golden eye inside the crystal glowed brighter.
For a moment, countless images flashed through Reskin's mind.
Burning stars.
Collapsing galaxies.
Gigantic beasts tearing through space itself.
An enormous golden creature standing above an exploding world.
Reskin gasped painfully and grabbed his head.
"What… are those…?!"
"My memories."
The pressure slowly disappeared.
Reskin finally managed to breathe normally again.
"You may stand now."
Still trembling, Reskin slowly got back onto his feet.
Even after the pressure vanished, fear remained deep inside him.
This creature…
Was unlike anything he had ever seen.
"You entered this cave searching for power," the voice continued. "Tell me, human… why?"
Reskin stayed silent for several seconds.
Finally, he lowered his head.
"Because I'm weak."
The cave became quiet.
"I have no family," Reskin continued softly. "No money. No future. Everyone else already has Horsikens prepared for them, but I have nothing."
His fists slowly tightened.
"I'm tired of being ignored."
His voice became heavier.
"I'm tired of watching strong people decide everything while people like me suffer."
Golden light flickered across the cave walls.
"And what will you do if you gain power?" the creature asked.
Reskin slowly raised his eyes.
"I'll become strong enough that nobody can ever control my life again."
Silence filled the cave once more.
Then—
The creature laughed.
A deep ancient laugh that shook the entire mountain.
"Hahahaha…!"
Reskin stepped backward nervously.
"You truly are different from the others."
The chains around the crystal suddenly began rattling violently.
"I have waited millions of years for a worthy human."
Crack.
One of the chains shattered instantly.
Golden energy flooded the cave.
Reskin shielded his eyes.
"T-the chains…!"
"I am Bali."
The voice became calm again.
"The last surviving GOD-HORSIKEN."
Reskin's heartbeat stopped for a moment.
God… Horsiken?
Even ordinary Horsikens were treated like legendary beings.
But a GOD-HORSIKEN…
Such creatures existed only in myths.
"You're lying…" Reskin whispered.
"Hm?"
"No way a GOD-HORSIKEN would choose someone like me."
For several seconds, Bali remained silent.
Then the golden eye narrowed slightly.
"Do you think gods only choose kings?"
Reskin froze.
"The strongest souls are often born from suffering."
The crystal suddenly released countless streams of golden light that surrounded Reskin's body.
"And your soul…"
BOOOOM!!
"…contains extraordinary potential."
Reskin screamed as overwhelming energy entered his body.
It felt like molten fire spreading through his veins.
Golden marks appeared across his arms.
"Aaaagh!!"
"Do not resist," Bali commanded.
The energy became even stronger.
Reskin's entire body began floating above the ground.
Inside his mind, he saw countless glowing pathways spreading throughout his body.
Meridians.
Every human possessed soul meridians that controlled Life Soul energy.
Most people spent years opening even one.
But now—
CRACK!!
One of Reskin's meridians burst open instantly.
Then another.
And another.
Golden energy exploded around him like a storm.
"Your body is weak," Bali said calmly. "If I release my full power, you will die instantly. Therefore, I will seal most of my strength inside your meridians."
The glowing pathways inside Reskin's body expanded rapidly.
"You must grow stronger little by little."
Reskin clenched his teeth while enduring the pain.
"How… much power… are you sealing…?"
Bali laughed softly.
"Ninety-nine percent."
Reskin nearly fainted.
Even sealed…
The energy entering his body already felt monstrous.
If this was only one percent—
Then how terrifying was Bali's true strength?
Finally, the golden storm slowly calmed down.
Reskin dropped onto the ground breathing heavily.
His clothes were soaked with sweat.
But strangely…
His body felt lighter than ever before.
Stronger.
Alive.
Bali spoke again.
"Stand."
Reskin slowly got up.
The moment he stood—
His eyes widened.
Everything around him looked different.
He could hear water dripping from hundreds of meters away.
He could feel the movement of air.
Even the darkness itself seemed clearer.
"My senses…"
"Your body has already surpassed ordinary humans."
Reskin stared at his own hands in disbelief.
"I really became a Horsiken Fighter…"
"No."
Bali's voice turned serious.
"You became something far greater."
The golden eye inside the crystal slowly dimmed.
"My physical body no longer exists. Only my Life Soul survived after the destruction of our world."
Reskin carefully listened.
"Hundreds of millions of years ago, our planet collided with the Sun. My people were destroyed. The Energy Souls vanished completely."
For the first time, sadness appeared in Bali's voice.
"I was unable to save them."
The cave became silent.
Reskin slowly lowered his head.
Even gods could lose everything.
"In order to survive," Bali continued, "I sealed myself inside this cave and waited for a human capable of inheriting my power."
"And that human… is me?"
"Yes."
Reskin stood speechless.
A poor orphan from a forgotten village…
Chosen by a GOD-HORSIKEN.
It still felt unreal.
Suddenly, Bali spoke again.
"You have already reached Soul Level 5."
Reskin blinked rapidly.
"Wait… WHAT?!"
Ordinary students spent years reaching Level 5.
And he had achieved it in a single night?
"Yes," Bali answered calmly. "Your first skill has also awakened."
Excitement instantly filled Reskin's face.
"A skill?!"
Every five soul levels granted a special ability based on the bonded Horsiken.
And powerful skills could completely change someone's future.
"What is it called?!"
For the first time, Bali's voice carried pride.
"Gravity Erase."
The cave trembled slightly.
"This ability allows you to manipulate gravity within a limited area. Inside your domain, you may erase gravity entirely or increase it according to your will."
Reskin's jaw slowly dropped.
"That sounds… overpowered."
"You have yet to understand its true potential."
Bali continued explaining.
"When activated, your perception speed increases one hundred times. The world around you will appear nearly frozen."
Reskin's eyes widened further.
"And your movement speed?"
A faint laugh echoed.
"Two hundred times faster than normal."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Then—
"THAT'S INSANE!!"
Even Bali laughed slightly.
"Try using it."
Reskin immediately closed his eyes and concentrated.
Following his instincts, he gathered Life Soul energy toward his chest.
Warm golden light instantly covered his body.
The cave began trembling.
"Gravity Erase."
WHOOSH!!
The world suddenly changed.
Everything became silent.
Water droplets floating in the air stopped moving completely.
Dust particles froze like stars in space.
Even sound itself became strangely slow.
Reskin stared around in shock.
"This is…"
"Your domain," Bali answered.
Reskin slowly took one step forward.
BOOOOM!!
The moment his foot touched the ground—
He disappeared.
A violent shockwave exploded behind him.
Before he could even react—
CRASH!!
Reskin slammed directly into the cave wall hundreds of meters away.
"AAGH!!"
Rocks fell from above while Reskin painfully slid onto the ground.
Bali burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! Your body cannot fully control the speed yet."
Reskin groaned painfully.
"You could've warned me first!"
"You wanted power."
Reskin rubbed his head angrily before slowly standing again.
But despite the pain…
A huge smile appeared on his face.
Because for the first time in his life—
He felt powerful.
Very powerful.
After several more attempts, Reskin gradually learned basic control over Gravity Erase.
Though he still crashed into walls occasionally.
Finally, exhaustion hit him completely.
"I need to go home…" he muttered while breathing heavily.
"Yes," Bali agreed. "You must also prepare for academy entrance examinations."
Reskin suddenly froze.
The academy.
Until yesterday, entering an academy had felt impossible.
But now—
Everything had changed.
A smile slowly appeared on his face.
"I'll become stronger there."
"You will face many enemies," Bali warned calmly. "Humans are greedier than beasts. If others discover you possess a GOD-HORSIKEN, they will hunt you endlessly."
Reskin's expression became serious.
"So I should hide your existence."
"For now, yes."
Reskin nodded carefully.
"I understand."
As he prepared to leave, Bali suddenly spoke once more.
"One more thing."
"Hm?"
"Never trust power completely."
The cave became strangely quiet.
"Power without control destroys everything around it."
For some reason…
Those words felt deeply personal.
Almost like Bali was remembering something painful.
Reskin quietly nodded.
Then he turned toward the cave exit.
The moment he stepped outside—
Cold night wind hit his face.
The forest looked completely different now.
Every sound felt clearer.
Every movement sharper.
Even the moonlight seemed brighter.
Reskin slowly clenched his fist.
Golden soul energy flickered briefly around his fingers.
"This is real…"
A smile appeared on his face.
Then—
He activated Gravity Erase.
WHOOSH!!
The world instantly slowed down.
Leaves floated motionlessly around him.
Without hesitation, Reskin pushed soul power into his legs.
BOOOOM!!
The ground exploded beneath his feet.
Like a golden flash, Reskin shot through the forest at terrifying speed.
Trees became blurs.
Mountains vanished behind him instantly.
Animals fled in fear as shockwaves tore through the forest.
Within seconds—
The village appeared ahead.
Reskin's eyes widened.
"So fast…!"
He quickly reduced his speed before entering the streets.
Even then, villagers only felt a strong gust of wind pass beside them.
"What was that?"
"Did something just fly past?"
Reskin secretly smiled while walking toward his tiny house.
His old broken home stood quietly at the edge of the village.
Normally, seeing it filled him with sadness.
But tonight felt different.
Because now…
His future had finally begun.
Reskin entered the house and collapsed onto his small bed.
The wooden ceiling above him looked exactly the same as always.
Yet everything had changed.
He was no longer weak.
No longer helpless.
And soon—
The entire world would know his name.
As exhaustion finally overtook him, Bali's calm voice echoed one last time inside his mind.
"Sleep well, Reskin Bond."
"Your legend… begins now."