Kairo sat up on the edge of the bed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Uhh, I started talking to myself again… and that guy just left me."
He stood up carefully, making sure the mud forming his adult disguise stayed perfectly dry. His hands trembled slightly as he checked his reflection in the ornate mirror.
I don't want to cry…
But the moment he stepped outside the hotel under the cover of night, the gruesome scene hit him. A group of children lay beaten to death in the alley. Kairo exhaled sharply, shoulders tensing as he approached them.
"Hey there. If I beat those kids, will I get powers?"
The arrogant men nearby turned with mocking grins.
"Ohh, you're that guy. Yeah, you will. And don't you dare take my targets away from me."
Kairo smiled coldly and sliced the man's neck clean through in one swift motion. Blood sprayed across the stone ground.
"Hmm… if I eat you, don't you think my power level will increase?"
The moment he absorbed the essence, his body began to grow stronger. Muscles swelled beneath the mud disguise as fresh power surged through his veins.
Aww sweet. My mud magic… it's evolving.
Kairo's lips curled into a dangerous smile.
"Well then, let's begin this showdown and kill these arrogant bastards."
Another arrogant man dropped to his knees, shaking.
"Please spare my life! I will give you twenty kids which are in my basement! Killing me won't give you as much strength as them!"
Kairo grabbed the man's legs and tore his body in half with raw brute force.
"Well, why should I spare you if that makes me stronger?"
He smiled wider.
"I will be even stronger than before."
His focus sharpened. In the distance, he spotted an invigilator watching from the shadows. Woah, that person sure is very arrogant. But he doesn't know the no-kill rule. As long as he kills peasants, it doesn't matter.
The man suddenly spat blood.
"Wait, no way… is that the child of prophecy? It is because of my powers I can see it he is using a mud magic if he kills others even great magician wont find his magic"
One of Kairo's mud clones ripped the man's heart out from behind.
Well, my clones… because they're made of mud, they're coming in quite handy. They camouflage way too well. Not only that, the way it attacked—he first made sure the mud was wet so his feet was stuck to the ground, then absorbed the water fully making it dry. He utilized my dagger way too efficiently, creating the clone in a split second before their superhuman instincts could react.
Kairo smiled in the darkness. Yeah, I need to make sure I kill all these peasants and become a noble first. I'm glad it's still late at night. That foolish king gave me a favor by making time faster. They should be in deep sleep right now. I observed the stars and the moon—it's two o'clock in the morning. That's more than enough.
He sent out his troops of mud clones. Since the ground itself was made of mud, they traveled beneath the surface silently, stealing swords and daggers from the houses without making a sound.
Meanwhile, Kairo remained in his luxurious room, sitting in a chair and pretending to read. Another invigilator entered to check on him.
"Hmm, this guy is very arrogant not to sleep at this hour. He thinks not resting he will be able to defeat the generals. What an arrogant person."
Kairo kept his eyes on the book, which was actually a magically summoned map of the entire Land of Arrogance—showing every house and the number of occupants inside.
Damn it, why do they have one hundred children? It is way too hard.
Wait a minute… I can use a paralysis drug.
Still pretending to read, he guided every single clone into position with precise mental commands. No-kill protocol for the very young. He dropped Kai's white lion tooth pouch onto the floor. A clone secretly retrieved it.
Kai taught me a single tooth can create an enormous quantity of poison. He even showed me how to apply it to a dagger to stun animals in a minute.
Those were forbidden forest creatures. These people are humans, after all.
The clones created the poison in small mud pots, dipped their weapons, then shrank down—some becoming as small as ants, others transforming into flies and mosquitoes. They slipped into the houses and stung their sleeping targets.
The victims' bodies twitched once before falling completely still. No screams. No alarms.
Kairo smiled as wave after wave of power surged into him. A silent, large-scale massacre unfolded across the city. One by one, every targeted house was cleared. He created new tunnels with his mud magic and transported the surviving very young children to his old hidden house. For the older ones he killed, he used memory magic to erase their parents' teachings and replaced them with perfect mud clones so no one would suspect anything.
Suddenly, the invigilator looked toward him again.
Kairo instantly made the map vanish and replaced it with a real novel. His heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained calm.
The invigilator picked up the book and flipped through it. "How to Deal with Weaklings." He smirked.
"What an arrogant guy."
Kairo rubbed his eyelids tiredly and lay down on the bed. The invigilator checked him carefully.
"He is actually asleep. But I will still keep an eye on him. Where is that other guy? Did he leave all the work?"
Another invigilator arrived and handed him a note.
"I will take care from here."
The first invigilator left angrily, muttering as he shoved a note back.
"Don't waste my time."
Kairo lay perfectly still in the darkness, eyes closed, as the weight of the night's silent slaughter settled over him.
The previous invigilator suddenly dissolved into mud, slipping through a tiny crack in the stone wall while Kairo slept soundly. All his clones remained motionless as well.
The next morning, Kairo woke up to find another invigilator standing at his bedside. His eyes widened in shock.
"Hey, am I gonna fight in the arena?"
"Hmm, yeah. You have more than enough power to enter this arena. I am your invigilator now." The man crossed his arms. "It seems our other invigilator was killed by some unknown person. I suspect the child of prophecy has been proven true."
"Who is this child of prophecy? May I ask why he is such a bothersome?"
"Before I reveal anything… where are you from? Which land have you been?"
Kairo smiled calmly and pointed toward the distant forbidden forest.
"I am from the east. And I saw someone—that kid was no ordinary kid. My bones were broken, then he came and healed them."
The invigilator's face paled.
"No way… so you have encountered him. Do you know where he is?"
"Then he vanished into somewhere. I think he is a magician. I don't know how he can vanish out of thin air like that."
"Hmm. Sorry for not trusting you. I thought you were the one who killed the other invigilator."
"Wait, was I getting evaluated without my consent? That's why I was sent here?"
The invigilator smiled. "You are a complete idiot. Get ready. The fight is going to start before sunset. I suggest you get some rest. And Kairo—you have been summoned by the King."
Kairo nodded and walked toward the palace. The guards stepped aside without question.
The moment he entered, the sheer grandeur stole his breath. Towering pillars of polished rose marble veined with gold stretched toward a ceiling painted with shifting constellations that seemed to move under golden chandeliers. Royal crimson and deep sapphire banners embroidered with silver threads hung from every archway, fluttering gently in scented air. Ornate artifacts filled every corner—crystal orbs glowing with inner light, ancient swords displayed on velvet, jeweled masks of long-forgotten rulers, and massive tapestries depicting glorious battles in vivid, lifelike colors. The floors were inlaid with intricate mosaics of blooming flowers and roaring beasts, while soft, colorful light filtered through stained-glass windows depicting scenes of dominance and victory. The entire palace radiated overwhelming opulence and authority.
Kairo finally looked at the King.
The King stepped forward with a wide, pleased grin.
"Magnificent. How did you get so strong even with that curse?"
"It's because I threatened some peasants and took their children. I ate around twenty children and just slept."
The King turned to the invigilator.
"Is he right?"
The invigilator nodded.
"I saw him first kill two peasants. He absorbed their powers. Then he saw two kids and told them to take him to their house. Those kids nodded. I couldn't see what happened inside, but after I checked, that lady showed me piles of kids' bodies."
Hmm, it was that lady and those kids' bodies. I didn't eat them. Why is he making me feel like a monster?
The King burst into loud laughter.
"Incredible! Now that you've eaten the kids, I can't wait to see how strong you are. Bring it on!"
Kairo smiled back, but his expression froze. Wait a second, how did that happen? It's already before sunset.
"Well, sorry for your confusion. I made you paralyzed to check whether you were a threat or not, and I have confirmed it with one of my safest guards. No need to worry, Kairo. Now you may enter the arena."
Doesn't it look like I'm in a weird dream?
The entire city had transformed into a massive festival. Medieval houses were lavishly decorated with vibrant banners in blood-red, gold, and royal purple fluttering from every rooftop and balcony. Streets were lined with colorful lanterns and garlands of fresh flowers mixed with bones and trophies from past battles. Market stalls overflowed with roasted meats, sparkling wines, and weapons on proud display. Huge effigies of past champions stood at every square, painted in bright colors and adorned with jewels. Crowds in their finest silks and arrogant smiles filled the roads, cheering and placing bets. Trumpets and drums echoed through the air as the city prepared for the grand arena fights, turning the day into a celebration of power, dominance, and bloodshed.
Kairo took a deep breath and stepped forward toward the arena.
Kairo's eyes widened in shock as he sensed his clones still operating perfectly on their own.
Woah… I didn't know. Even though I was paralyzed, my clones were working very well by themselves.
His expression turned serious. Hmm, I don't have much time left. Maybe I should make a big move with these clones and make sure I retrieve them. My magic prowess is very low right now… I need to defeat them with raw strength.
Kairo turned to the invigilator, forcing a casual smile.
"What are the rules?"
The invigilator returned a cold, amused smile.
"It is one of the toughest death-threatening exams to ever exist in these battle arenas. You have to observe your enemy—who is a general—and beat him to death. Also, make sure not to kill them slowly. If you do, you will be executed without any excuse."
Kairo's face fell, all confidence draining away. His shoulders slumped as a wave of dread washed over him.
This is the end…
No jokes at all. I am cooked. Generally cooked. Burned. I'm gonna get torn apart alive.
He swallowed hard.
"So… the weakest general, right?"
The invigilator nodded.
The massive arena gates creaked open with a heavy groan. Kairo's breath caught in his throat as his opponent stepped forward.
The man was a towering giant, easily over two and a half meters tall, with muscles that looked like they had been carved from solid stone. Veins bulged across his boulder-like shoulders and tree-trunk arms. A thick, wild black beard covered most of his face, braided with small bones and fangs. Atop his head sat the preserved skull and mane of a massive lion, its empty eye sockets staring forward like a crown of death. Scars crisscrossed his sun-baked chest and arms—trophies from countless battles and the beasts he had slain with his bare hands. A heavy iron club, larger than Kairo's entire torso, rested casually on one shoulder. The air itself seemed to grow heavier around him.
Kairo's voice came out strained.
"Is he the strongest?"
The invigilator let out a low chuckle.
"No. He is the weakest."
Kairo stood frozen, cold sweat trickling down his spine as he stared at the monstrous general. The weight of the coming fight pressed down on him like an invisible mountain.