The tree shook even harder this time. Mu lost his balance and slipped, but managed to grip a branch tightly.
"Manhuman! Help!" he shouted.
Thirteen masked assassins leapt past where he was hanging. The last one paused mid-jump, glancing down. All Mu could see were the man's eerie orange eyes glowing through the mask.
"Those eyes… weird," Mu muttered.
Suddenly, one of them stepped on Mu's hand. His grip gave out and he fell, but before he hit the ground, Manhuman caught him mid-air and landed smoothly.
"You okay, young master?" he asked calmly.
"Wait—'young master'?"
"Yeah. From now on, you're my young master."
Mu blinked, then grinned. "Alright, cool. Where'd you learn those moves, though?"
"I picked them up secretly from the scroll inside your body," Manhuman said.
"You've got to teach me everything."
Manhuman gave a small nod, then turned his gaze toward the fleeing assassins.
"Who are those guys?" Mu asked, watching them vanish into the treetops.
"If I had to guess… assassins on a mission."
"Assassins, huh? Let's follow them."
"That's dangerous," Manhuman warned.
"I know. I'm not dumb. I just want to take a peek."
Manhuman sighed, unable to say no. Mu's sad, puppy-like stare didn't help either.
"Fine. Just a peek. Get on."
He knelt down, offering his back.
"What? No way I'm climbing your back."
"Trust me."
Mu climbed on reluctantly, holding on tightly. With a burst of energy, Manhuman leapt up into the trees, bounding from branch to branch like the wind. Mu didn't even feel heavy on him.
"You're really strong. Am I gonna be like you someday?"
"Stronger—way stronger. If you work for it."
"Whoa…"
As they chased through the forest canopy, Manhuman stepped on a weak branch. It cracked, and they both plummeted into the woods below. The area was dead silent, only the chirps of crickets and frogs remained.
"Where are we?" Mu asked.
Manhuman scanned the surroundings, alert. Suddenly, a knife sliced through the air toward Mu. Reacting instantly, Mu dodged his instincts sharper than ever. The blade buried itself in the tree trunk behind him.
"What the hell?!" Mu snapped.
Manhuman stood protectively beside him, still focused on the direction the attack came from.
The tall grass rustled.
"Get behind me, young master," Manhuman ordered.
But Mu stepped forward, puffing his chest out.
"No need. I can protect myself."
"Stop acting like an idiot!" Manhuman snapped, voice sharp with frustration.
Another blade flew toward them, this time the Manhuman caught it mid-air without even looking and crushed it in his hand.
He jumped up to a tree branch, placed two fingers, the index and middle on his forehead, and his entire form began to glow white. Energy pulsed around him, swirling like black and white ink, sharp and deadly.
He raised his hand, and unleashed the wave, an arc of raw, cutting force that sliced through the woods like a blade from the heavens.
Ten assassins were torn apart instantly.
Three remained.
Manhuman floated back down, folding his arms behind his back, his gaze fixed on the survivors.
"I'll give you a choice," he said coldly. "One: your head. Two: your neck. Three: death by a thousand stabs. Choose."
The three tensed. One of them stepped forward.
"We choose none."
"Oh? Then none of you leave here alive."
Manhuman vanished.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind the one standing left. A brutal kick landed between his shoulder blades—so hard it cracked the ground when he hit. Dust exploded into the air.
The other two panicked and spread out, watching their surroundings carefully.
One spotted Mu sitting under a tree, chewing a long stick, humming like he didn't have a care in the world.
He charged at him.
Manhuman dropped in, landing between them like a ghost. One swift, vital-boosted kick to the assassin's face and he smashed into a tree. Manhuman closed the gap and stomped on his skull, grinding it into the earth.
Now only one remained.
He hesitated, then rushed forward in a final, reckless charge.
His fist swung toward and the Manhuman caught. With a twist, he crushed the bones.
"ARRHH!"
The assassin dropped to one knee. Manhuman delivered a hard kick to his chest, knocking the air out of him, then followed with three sharp kicks to the neck.
The last body hit the dirt. Lifeless.
The ground was littered with corpses. The Manhuman approached Mu slowly.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier."
Mu shook his head. "It's fine. I get it. Can we go home now?"
The Manhuman gave a silent nod and crouched to offer his back again, but this time, Mu waved him off. Instead, he bent his knees and sprang up lightly, mimicking the Manhuman's leap as he landed on a nearby tree branch.
"Let's go," Mu said, looking down at him.
The Manhuman blinked in surprise. "Wait… how did you manage to jump like that all of a sudden?"
Mu grinned. "Ah, I just picked it up."
The Manhuman leapt after him, but his eyes didn't leave Mu. Something felt off. The boy had picked up their pace, jumping with ease from branch to branch, his speed and control unusually refined.
Mu noticed the stare but pretended not to. Deep down, he was grinning to himself.
I can't let him find out… Hehe. I copied his movement when he fought earlier. Then I checked the scroll and broke it down step by step. It wasn't hard to follow. Still... I don't really know how to fight or use any real techniques yet.
They dashed through the woods, leaping from tree to tree. As they passed into another section of the forest, a pair of massive red eyes blinked open in the shadows but didn't move.
Eventually, they reached the outskirts of home. Night had fallen. Voices echoed in the air, calling his name, worried and urgent.
His family was out searching, flashlights in hand.
"Quick, get inside me," Mu whispered.
The Manhuman vanished in a blink. Mu walked calmly toward the palace courtyard.
"Um... who are you guys looking for?"
All heads turned in shock. Xueyin rushed over and threw her arms around him.
"We thought you were missing!"
"Missing?" Mu scoffed. "Nah, I wasn't."
Their expressions melted into relief.
"We were even planning your birthday when we noticed you were gone," someone said. "Don't scare us like that again."
Mu scratched the back of his head. "Wow... totally forgot about my own birthday."
They laughed, walking back inside the palace together.
---
Beijing — [Palace of the Mana Lord]
Inside a dark chamber, the Mana Lord Wú xún paced across the room, weaving ancient spells. Suddenly, the heavy doors creaked open.
"Lord, the council meeting in Qianshi is set for tomorrow."
"Good. All six of you—blend in with the locals. Dress like Qianshi citizens. When the meeting ends... bring me that boy."
His tone darkened.
"But be careful. The power in him... it surpasses anything even the legendary masters ever held."
"We won't let him slip past us," they replied in unison.
"Good. Go prepare. Hahaha..."