Point of View: Rogan
I watched my son fall silent.
His breathing slowly became heavier until he finally raised his head and spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Were you… the one responsible for my mother's death?"
He was finally starting to understand.
But he still didn't understand everything.
I answered without looking away from him.
"It wasn't just her death."
"I'm also responsible for your grandfather's death."
His pupils contracted.
I could see the fury beginning to mix with something even deeper.
Hatred.
His mouth moved several times, but no words came out.
A part of him was still refusing to accept the truth.
In the end, he almost roared:
"Just for power?!"
"Just for that you killed them?!"
His voice grew louder with every word.
"Just for that you want to kill me too?!"
The icy wind swept through the forest as I looked at him.
I answered with the same coldness.
"Yes."
"Only for power."
"Liar!"
The chains tightened violently as he tried to stand.
"Don't lie to me!"
"Tell me the truth!!"
I sighed slowly.
I wasn't lying to him.
But it was true that I still hadn't told him everything.
I looked up at the sky.
Night had already fallen over Rasganorte, and the forest was becoming completely dark.
The shadows stretched between the snow-covered trees.
I still had some time before leaving.
And besides…
He would die soon anyway.
So it didn't matter.
"You're right, son."
"There is another reason."
My voice became heavier.
"My greatest secret."
I noticed how he tried to move closer, even though the chains barely allowed him to move.
I remained silent for a few seconds before continuing.
It was strange.
I had never spoken about this to anyone before.
"The truth is… my talent is garbage."
I clenched my teeth slightly.
Even now, I hated admitting it.
"The only thing I truly excel at… is my intelligence."
My eyes slowly lowered toward my hands.
I still remembered those days.
"When I reached level one, your grandfather became interested in me because of that."
"My mind."
"Not my strength."
"Not my talent."
"My intelligence."
At the time, I felt proud.
Compared to the other members of the tribe, I was different.
Superior.
While they lived following their instincts, I thought.
I planned.
I understood things they could never comprehend.
But then I discovered reality.
And my voice slowly filled with resentment.
"No matter how much I cultivated…"
"No matter how much I trained…"
"No matter how hard I tried…"
My hands began trembling.
"My progress was slow."
Far too slow.
It was an unbearable feeling.
Watching creatures far more stupid than me surpass me simply because they were born with better talent.
Having to accept that one day they could even give me orders just because they were stronger.
That was absurd.
Unfair.
My eyes hardened.
"And I refused to accept it."
The snow continued falling quietly around us.
"After thinking for a long time, I finally realized something."
There was only one solution.
"If my talent was inferior…"
"Then I would compensate for that difference with resources."
I glanced at Tharok.
"You should understand that, shouldn't you?"
He answered immediately with contempt.
"You stole."
His voice was filled with rage.
"You used the position my grandfather gave you to keep the resources meant for weaker tribes."
I felt no shame hearing those words.
Not even a little.
"I did what was necessary."
I answered calmly.
"I only claimed what belonged to me."
Why should I accept being inferior?
Why should I settle for less while resources were wasted on weak tribes incapable of using them properly?
From the very beginning, the real mistake had been the world itself.
Not me.
"Thanks to that, my cultivation advanced quickly, and little by little I became one of the strongest warriors in the tribe."
At that time, only two people stood above me.
The tribe chief.
And his daughter.
Tharok's mother.
"Because of my contributions, my intelligence, and my strength… I eventually became second-in-command."
I still remembered that moment.
The feeling of tearing with my own hands the place I deserved from the very beginning.
This unfair world had failed to stop me.
Then Tharok spoke again.
His voice was dry.
Cold.
"Then why did you kill them?"
I looked at him silently for a few seconds.
He still didn't understand.
I sighed slowly.
"Because happiness never lasts forever, son."
The wind blew harder between the trees.
"And the world always finds a way to take it away."
I slowly lowered my gaze.
"Just when I thought I had finally reached the place I deserved…"
My eyes darkened.
"I encountered another problem."