The Geared Immortal

Chapter 1047

(Unedited)

…

A week has passed since that incident had happened that shock the entire town of Ogden. Along with that incident came a strange rumor that began to circulate which made a lot of people feel a bit afraid. People called that rumor, the curse of the greed castle.

Inside one of the most famous bars in the town of Ogden, many of the bar's patrons are crowded while having boisterous talks and spreading different kinds of rumors everywhere over some drinks.

At one of the tables, a man is currently talking while everyone around him is listening.

"So you are telling us that, the rumors about that greed castle story are true?" one of his listeners asked with an incredulous look on his face.

"Yes… of course. I mean… I saw it with my own two eyes.." The man said while waving his hand animatedly.

"When we were able to take down the thugs, we quickly began to apprehend the rest. But we were forced to back down because… the leaders of that gang are level 3 Ki fighters… We were unable to continue pushing forward…"

The man began to tell the story of how he and his fellow guards fought against the gangs that kidnapped the student of a famous teacher who is staying in the town.

"At that time, the gang's strongest leaders began to suddenly disappear one by one… and because of that, we were able to push our way inside… But the eerie thing is when we enter the dungeons of that castle…" the man said while waiting for everyone to feel the suspense.

"Why? What is in there?" asked a man who looks like a traveler.

"As I and my group enters the dungeon we were greeted with loud ghastly shrieks coming from deep inside the dungeon. I could feel all of my hair standing up and goosebumps running all over my body… We dare not enter that dungeon as it felt somewhat eerie."

"Then what happened?" someone asked.

The man cleared his throat as if asking for anyone to buy him some drinks.

A traveling merchant frown and immediately threw a coin to the bartender.

When the man received his drink, he gulped it down.

"Aahhh… That hits the spot… Hehe… So… Where was I?"

"What happened inside the dungeon?"

"Ahhh… Right… But before that, I should tell you that this is a prison dungeon. This is where the gang keeps their prey. It was a truly gruesome place…"

"So… anyway, there I was walking along with the group. The wailing continue to echo inside the dungeon until we finally arrive at a cross path… along the way, we were able to save some of the town's folks that were imprisoned in that place. Soon we followed the right bend and arrive in a particular cell…"

"What… what is in that cell?" someone asked.

"As one of my comrades opens the cell. We saw a large man wailing in pain while lying on the ground… but what's gruesome about the condition of that man… is that… All of his limbs… are actually… bent in a weird way…" he said in a low suspenseful tone while trying to show it with his action.

People grimace after hearing that.

They could not imagine the pain one would be feeling after having one's body be turned like that.

"Wait a minute… I… I heard that… that is not all there is to it…" a merchant-looking man asked.

The man telling the story nodded.

"After that room, we continue marching deeper… on our way, we freed some of the captives inside. But some of them are pointing us in the direction where those bastards were supposed to be… And so… All of us rushed toward that particular prison cell. And then…"

"And then what? What?..."

"Well, we were stopped by an old man from entering. And we noticed that the old man is looking at the scene in front of him like he was looking at something very horrid. So we tried to peek inside… What I saw back then would always give me nightmares in my sleep…"

"What did you see?..."

"I…" the man said but stopped as his body seem to shiver unconditionally just by remembering the scene back then.

"I… I saw a young boy… He… He was weird... He has blood all over his body. And he… he is doing something to those people inside that prison cell…"

"I… I could hear the cries and wailings along with the cracking of bones of those people while that young boy with his bloody emotionless face began twisting their limbs in a strange manner…" the man said while rubbing his shoulders.

Everyone went silent as they could also feel and imagine that intense and horrifying scene. It made them feel shivers running down their spines upon imagining that gruesome scene.

It was not about death, nor bloody gore. But when they imagine the wailing and crying for the help of those people while their limb and being broken without them having a chance to fight back, it made everyone feel dread all over their body.

The pain and anguish of those people made them truly afraid.

But the question is… who was that young boy who did such a horrid thing?

…

Right at this moment… in a large manor in town, inside a small yet cozy room. A young man is currently sitting with his eyes just staring out the window. Beside him sits a man with a worried expression on his face.

Behind the man stood two old men who are observing the boy on the bed.

"Doctor Sun… Will… will my Ja'er recover from this?" Xin Jong asked with tears trickling down his face.

For one week now, he had seen his child being like this made his heart ached. The boy would just look outside the window without moving. It was like his mind seems to have been taken away from him.

"This… Sigh… Xin Jong… Your son… he save you and to do that, he was under the extreme stress and trauma of what had happened. What he did back there… is something that a child would not have been able to do. I guess this is his way of trying to recover from that trauma. Sigh… I could only tell you one thing. I am not sure if he could still recover his intelligence, but… at least his body is not that weak anymore. We can only hope that his mind would be able to return to us…" Doctor Sun said with a conflicted expression on his wizened face.

Xin Jong could not help but cry once again. He has already heard this explanation, but his heart could not contain the guilt he is feeling.

In truth, he himself could not believe it. What his son did actually broke the curse in his body. Because of his wounds, his son tried to forcefully infuse Ki inside his body using runes. And maybe because of that, that the shackle forcefully binding his true strength was broken.

It's like the Ki that his son injected in his body was able to dissolve that powerful curse inside of him. No matter how hard he thinks about it, it should have been impossible. Because the one who gave him that curse was a level 22 Ki Master. At that time, he was at the peak of being a level 10 Ki fighter, but he was helpless. And yet his son was able to break it.

Because of the curse.  He fell from grace in the Xin clan and was banished outside. He then began living a mediocre life as he hid his past from everyone.

Now, he might have recovered his power and strength, but the price is far too much for him to bear. If he has a choice, then he would rather remain at level 1 than be a powerful level 10 Ki Fighter, at the price of his son's mind.

"Son… Papa will do everything he can to give you… a good life. No matter what happens, I will not give up." He muttered while hugging his son who just stares at the window.

The traumatic event that happened in the life of Xin Ja is something that his young mind was not able to carry. He suffered such a shock that his mind seemed to have retreated from the world. This way, the purity of what he knew about the world would stay in his mind forever.

That's what everyone thinks... though.

Unknown to them, because of the shocking experience that Xin Ja suffered. His mind did shut down, but it was his choice. He decided to delve deeper into the comfort of his subconscious mind.

He closed everything around him and focused his mind on absorbing the knowledge he could obtain from his unique vision.

He did not want his father to suffer such a thing ever again. And he knew deep inside his heart, that only by gaining strength would he be able to protect his father.

And so, he did not want anything to disturb him from learning as he forcefully closes his mind from everything around him.

With extreme focus, his knowledge grows, and with full concentration, he was able to grow both in stature and in wits.

And so the days went by…

And five years have already flashed in a blink of an eye.