Chapter 8: Someone like me

Caleb stood frozen in place, unsure of his next move. A one-on-one challenge? This Hurst had to be stupid. Although he claimed to know about Caleb’s strength, his actions were too bold for him to truly understand, weren’t they? No one intelligent would challenge him alone. For that matter, no one intelligent would challenge him in a group.

He was a monster after all. A bona fide freak of nature. And yet…

Hurst cracked his knuckles. “So, you ready to get started, brat?”

Caleb didn’t understand it at all. There was no reason for this uneasy feeling. He couldn’t see anything truly dangerous about the man. His confidence was probably because he was an impressive fighter, but that meant nothing. Everyone like that in that past had been crushed beneath his heel.

Even so, there was an aura of death around the man Caleb couldn’t explain. He hadn’t felt that anyone could threaten him since he’d left Rebecca’s. Now, out of nowhere, these two men made him feel as if the slightest mistake could bring his death. The sense of danger in his heart was greater than that by tenfold. How? How could a pair of humans frighten him like this?

Coward. The voice in his head sneered. Kill them. They are ants. They can be stepped on with ease.

Caleb took a deep breath, shaking off the feeling of unease. For once, he was a little thankful to the voice, even if it was insulting him. In the end, no matter how confident they were, they were still weak. No matter how dangerous they appeared at first glance, he was stronger. He was the monster here. They were only bug that traveled too close to flame.

Moreover, they were criminals who preyed on others. There was no reason to hold back today. If they wanted to court death who was he to stop them. The only thing that mattered was removing them from his path.

His purple eyes brightened in color as he stared down Hurst. “Fine. Let’s do this.”

Extending his claws, Caleb burst forward with a roar and jumped into the air. He slashed down toward Hurst’s torso with the intent to rip it open. He met with surprisingly little resistance. A little too late, he realized it was because Hurst was no longer there.

A feeling of impact began to pressure the right side of his face. His balance and trajectory were thrown out of his control. Before he knew it, he was tumbling to the side. As he stood up and felt the pain in his cheek, a sense of humiliation and rage exploded within him.

A simple slap. Hurst had met his attempt to kill him with a slap!

“Fight me seriously!” Caleb shouted, enraged.

“Fight seriously? Against a pathetic attack like that? All brawn and no brain. Just as I thought, you’re an arrogant brat with no control.” Hurst mocked.

Caleb recklessly charged in again, even faster this time. He tried to kick Hurst, but he was easily dodged. He spun around and tried to slash, but Hurst dodged it again by a hair without a trace of urgency. This only made Caleb more frustrated. How on earth could a human be capable of this? No one had ever managed to react to his speed before, much less dodge it! Worse yet, it didn’t look like it was eve a struggle for him.

He roared in anger again and tried to punch his fist through Hurst’s chest. Like before, his attack was a hair’s breadth late. Hurst didn’t back down this time. He jumped, smiling at Caleb in mockery. A sense of danger wafted over him as he realized he’d left himself wide open to an attack. As Hurst grabbed Caleb’s arm, he realized he had badly underestimated the bandit leader.

Caleb was slammed powerlessly into the ground below. His ribs cracked and the wind was forced from his lungs. His mind went blank and his ears rang with a deafening high-pitched noise. He stared up into the sky with wide eyes, unable to tell what direction was up or down. By the time he’d started to come back to his senses, he’d been flung back into the air. He had a bad premonition.

His body felt as if it was floating in midair. Time seemed to have frozen. Caleb could see Hurst’s knee rapidly approaching him. He tried to twist in midair and regain control, but Hurst arms contained immense strength and didn’t allow him any chance to escape. All he could do was brace for impact.

When the knee connected, Caleb was sent flying. He landed limply on the ground, barely able to retain consciousness, he coughed up blood as he struggled to stand. It felt as if his innards had ruptured and his entire ribcage had been fractured. He stumbled back to his feet, gasping for air. He winced as every breath brought him greater pain. He stared at the unharmed Hurst furiously.

“Weak. I assumed you would be stronger. Soul beasts like you might be savages at heart, but it not like you’re stupid, right? Surely this isn’t your best?” Hurst challenged. His voice didn’t have a trace of mockery in it anymore. It sounded like he was angry, even disappointed. The bandit’s cheered at Hurst’s words and jeered at Caleb’s pathetic state. Emboldened by the success of their leader, they even began throwing curses towards him, their fear completely forgotten. The feeling of humiliation in Caleb’s heart grew heavier.

Under Hurst’s beratement, the fire in Caleb’s heart died down. He stared at Hurst with calm cold eyes. The sense of superiority in Caleb’s mind had been trampled over. All that was left was a desire to defeat his opponent.

That’s right. He’s not just another ant. He’s strong. Stronger than anyone Caleb had ever fought. The wild beast inside of him began moving, its bloodlust began invading his thoughts. A trace of excitement ran through him at the thought of killing such a strong enemy. A small smile broke out on his face, revealing the sharp fangs beneath. The purple of his eyes became rimmed with a tinge of indigo. A hideous laugh was emitted from his throat. Perhaps this was worth the stop after all.

The pain of his injuries was long forgotten, leaving only a desire to fight. He would kill this one. Then he would kill the one behind him. If he was as strong as this one, how wonderful would that be? Maybe they would attack him together, and he could crush them both at the same time! The thought made Caleb shiver in excitement. The voice in Caleb’s head was laughing gleefully egging him on.

Perfect! Perfect! Kill them! Slaughter them like the vermin they are!

The voice had apparently underestimated Hurst as well. They’d received a promotion from ants to vermin.

It was Hurst’s turn to feel uneasy. Although he was trying to conceal it, the sudden change in Caleb’s demeanor shook him. Caleb took notice of the change. His eyes gleamed at the sign of an opening, enticing him into the offensive. His movements became sharper and more decisive, giving his clumsy and wild attacks a deadly edge, his previous self could never match.

For the first time, Hurst began to struggle. He managed to dodge Caleb’s attack, but the claws grazed his skin. The unpredictable, wild kicks and slashes threatened to kill Hurst with every strike. After several attacks, he’d been back into a corner, his injuries becoming worse with every second.

Thin red lines from the near misses boldly stood out on his sides, legs, and right shoulder. Hurst’s counter attack came back slow, allowing him to avoid it without trouble. Caleb’s smile became wider. Fun! So much fun! He couldn’t remember any time that he’d felt so good! If only their fight could continue like this for longer, if only he could have just a bit more fun!

Alas, it couldn’t. This man had mocked him and called him weak after all. He had to die miserably.

Caleb’s eyes filled with killing intent. The disadvantaged Hurst defense finally broke apart. Seeing that Hurst defenseless, Caleb doubled his efforts and struck at his heart. He could see the end already. As strong as Hurst was, he was still human. He wouldn’t have time to dodge, and his strength was not potent enough to block. With this, it was over. Hurst would fall dead to the ground. All his men would cower and flee from him While he crushed Hurst’s heart in his hand. The anticipation of a chase was driving him wild.

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At least, that should have been the case.

Caleb’s fist unexpectedly collided with something hard, completely blocking his strike. Caleb went wide eyed in shock as he felt the impact of his strike rebound through his fist. The beast’s bloodlust dissolved in a flash and the indigo in his eyes disappeared. He stared in shock at Hurst, unable to believe that this man had stopped his killing blow.

Something had changed in Hurst. Caleb could feel a terrifying power had exploded form within the man. A black, ten-pointed star materialized and expanded across his forehead. Cold, dark energy began swirling around his body. It was like he’d transformed into a demon.

In his hand was a smooth white pole with a sharp end, some sort of bizarre spear, with the same black aura swirling around it. The seamless material was like nothing Caleb had seen before, and yet it felt so familiar, as if he’d seen it a million times. Whatever it was made of, Caleb knew it wasn’t normal. This had completely blocked his strike; this was a feat iron would have found difficult.

Like Caleb, Hurst didn’t waste this opening. Caleb’s weakened guard was quickly broken. five spear strikes landed on him before he even knew what happened. Caleb tried to strike back, but Hurst had completely taken over the offensive. The speed of Hurst’s movements overwhelmed Caleb, and the skillful spear strike proved impossible to defend against. He tried to retreat, but the effort was fruitless. Four more strikes hit their marks before he could put any distance between them. Injured to this extent, he was no longer fast enough to avoid Hurst’s demonic form.

Caleb no longer felt a threatened, but rather a sense of encroaching death. If he didn’t change something, he was going to die. His adrenaline went into overdrive, recklessly driving him forward. He roared furiously, betting everything on destroying that spear and killing the man wielding it in a single blow, the indigo rim returned to his eyes as he brought forth every bit of power he could muster. All his strength focused itself into a single devastating punch. His fist connected with Hurst’s spear. He felt the satisfying crunching sound of the spear breaking under the force.

A moment later, that satisfaction changed to anxiety. It had broken too easily, like a twig. Even with all his power, there was no way the spear would be so fragile. That could only mean one thing. He’d taken Hurst’s bait.

Hurst had moved the spear away from his body and led Caleb astray like a bullfighter. Since his concentration was focused on the spear, Caleb had failed to realize his opponent’s play. His last-ditch effort had backfired, revealing a huge opening. The world once again entered a stay of slow motion as he stared at Hurst, unable to defend against the coming attack.

What happened next left him completely stunned. As he watched, Hurst bent his elbow. The skin split open and a sharp white object, approximately two feet in length, grew out of the hole. It looked like a shorter version of the spear from earlier.

Even as the new weapon traveled toward him, Caleb had completely lost his focus on the fight. He finally recognized the material. Bone. The weapons were bone! He stared at Hurst with a look of disbelief, unable to believe what he’d just seen. Even to him, something like this seemed impossible. This Hurst, was he really human? Perhaps, was he…

His thoughts were interrupted when Hurst’s new weapon smashed into him, slamming him to the ground. He coughed up blood as he struck the ground.

“Nice job, kid. You didn’t fail my expectations after all.” Hurst praised. “I actually had to draw my weapon against you. Not many people get that honor.”

Caleb struggled to sit up, but fell back to the ground in agony. His eyes flickered between purple and green before finally returned to base form. “Y-you… What are you? No human can do that. You can’t be, can you? Are you…?”

“So, you figured it out kid?” Hurst said with a small smile. “I’m someone like you. A monster. A freak of nature. To use the popular term, I’m an aberrant.”

“Someone like me…” Caleb murmured, still in a state of shock. “Aberrant.”

Come to think of it, he’d heard those words many times before. First back at the house, then at least once every time he’d been forced to reveal his powers. He hadn’t put much thought into it before, but now it was beginning to make sense. Aberrant, the term for those with power, those who couldn’t belong to society because those around them feared them.

“I’m not alone.” He realized. A tear rolled down his cheek. A small smile broke out. He began to laugh weakly. “I’m not the only one. There’s more like me.”

“You never knew?” Hurst said in surprise. Then the grin on his face grew wider. “I suppose that’s the case for most aberrants these days. You believed yourself to be a freak, didn’t you? I imagine that wherever you went, you were cast away like a diseased animal, or caused everyone to cower in fear. Ring a bell?”

“I tried. I did everything I could to make them accept me.” Caleb said in a quiet voice. His eyes went purple again. He clenched his fist and shook miserably. “No matter how friendly they were, they all tried to kill me when they found out, even when I tried to protect them. Even when I just made myself seem a little stronger, they chased me out without a second thought.”

“You’ve had it tough kid.” Hurst said. “Honestly, given your experience, its amazing I still have two of my men. You’re much softer than I expected. If it were me, I’d have killed all of them.”

“I can’t!” Caleb argued. The outburst aggravated his ribs, causing him to wince in pain. “If I kill them, then I’ll be exactly what they say I am! I don’t want to be a monster. I don’t want to be a killer like you!”

“Even if you end up dead as a result? What good will that do you?” Hurst retorted coolly.

“That’s…”

“Kid, tell me your name.”

Caleb hesitated for a moment, then stammered. “C-Caleb.”

“Good to meet you Caleb. My name is Hurst. William Hurst. No one uses my first name. Do you know why I live as a raider?”

Caleb shook his head.

“I live like this because humans are scum. No matter how I try, society doesn’t accept people like us. Since they don’t accept me, I have no reason to try. Instead, I became a symbol of power and fear. The only ones who get in my way are those who foolishly believe they have strength.”

“The tattoos probably don’t help though.” The muscular man behind Caleb muttered. Hurst threw an annoyed glance in his direction, but ignored him.

“Remember this, Caleb. They will always fear you. If you allow them to step on you, they will even dare to kill you. So instead of trying to hide yourself, you should reveal yourself in your full glory. Show them a power they don’t dare to resist against!”

Caleb stared at him, speechless. What was this feeling? The longer he stared at Hurst, the bigger and brighter Hurst’s form seemed to become. Subconsciously, a sense of admiration washed over him.

“So kid, what do you say we wrap this up? We had a bet, but I don’t think I ever told you my condition for if I won.”

Caleb snapped back to reality, remembering the situation. In his current state, he didn’t have any hope of fighting further. Even if he could, he’d only be punching bag. His wounds were too severe. Even knowing the possible consequences, there was nothing he could do to turn it around.

“What do you want from me?”

“Simple. Turn your back on those humans. Join me. Unlike those ingrates, I know the value of your power. Someone like you would be an invaluable addition?”

Kill him!

As if responding to Hurst’s offer, the voice in Caleb’s head suddenly became extremely hostile. The beast inside him began to thrash wildly, it killing intent exploding in Caleb’s mind.

“You… You’d accept me?” Caleb asked, hardly believing his ears.

“What reason do I have to fear you, kid? You’re aberrant like me. Unlike those humans, I understand you. I’ve been through your pain, walked that path of solitude. Since we’re here now, why shouldn’t we join hands? Follow me. Become a part of my gang. I promise you, you’ll have a home among us.”

A home. Caleb didn’t dare believe it. He had long given up the hope of finding a home. Could it be true. No, it wasn’t possible. He must be lying. It was a trick. The moment he let his guard down, they would attack him like all the rest. He had to look for a chance to escape. Nothing appeared. Between Hurst and the man behind him, there really was no hope even if he could move.

“If you don’t want to, I won’t force you. I’ll just change the request. Work for me for a year. If you don’t like it here, you can leave after that. Just suppression and labor, no killing. That should make up for your actions.” Hurst continued, seeing the doubt on Caleb’s face.

“I killed one of your men. You should want to kill me. Why are you doing this?” Caleb asked.

“Because unlike him, you aren’t a coward who would run away from danger. You strike me as someone who would keep his word. I already told you, the only crimes you committed are theft and overstepping your bounds. If you want me to kill you for that, I can.”

“Why don’t you?”

“Because I’m really hoping you’ll say yes. I told you already, didn’t I? I want you to join us.”

Kill him! Kill this rat now! The voiced screamed. Caleb ignored it, stuck in contemplation. Could he really trust this man? Was it possible he was telling the truth?

These were words no one ad ever said to him after he revealed his power. It was the first time he’d ever encountered someone who wholeheartedly wished to accept him. Perhaps he could take a chance? Just once. This time, maybe it was real. Maybe he truly could find acceptance among them.

KILL THEM ALL! NOW! The voice roared.

Screw you! Caleb thought back. He wasn’t about to let some voice tell him what to do. Not now, when such a chance was in front of him. He built up his resolution and stared into Hurst’s eyes, his expression firm.

“One year.” Caleb said. “I’ll leave if I decide to after that.”

Hurst smiled. “Glad to have you aboard, Caleb. I have great expectations for you.” He offered Caleb a hand up. After a moment, Caleb took it. Then he collapsed.

“Whoops. I forgot how beat up he is. Gator, carry him. Were leaving for the coast.”

“I still think I should have fought him.”

“What part of ‘recruit’ didn’t you understand? He has to be alive to join us!”

That argument was the last Caleb heard before consciousness left him. The beast inside him growled disdainfully as he fell into a deep slumber, its voice filled with cold fury.

Foolish boy. You do not yet understand what a real monster is, nor who is an ant. You will regret this decision one day. I guarantee it.