act 3

part 1

The crimson haze receded, a tide ebbing back to reveal the carnage it had wrought. Ba Gấu stood amidst the carnage, the stench of blood and despair clinging to him like a shroud. The moon, once a silent witness, now seemed to recoil in horror, casting him in an even more grotesque silhouette.

Regaining his senses was like clawing his way back from the precipice of a bottomless abyss. His head throbbed, a drum solo of pain accompanying the nightmarish echoes of his actions. The cleaver, slick with gore, felt foreign in his grasp, a monstrous extension of a will he no longer recognized.

With a Herculean effort, he forced his legs to move, each step a battle against the gravitational pull of his own sins. He stumbled towards his once-grand house, now a usurped monument to Hét and Mai's treachery. The familiar scent of jasmine and sandalwood, once a comfort, now twisted into a macabre mockery of his lost life.

He found them huddled together, their faces etched with a mixture of horror and disbelief. Hét, her carefully constructed facade crumbling, could only stammer, "Ba Gấu… what… what have you done? You destroyed so much!"

Ba Gau was coming out of his confusion, “Did… Did I start the fire? There were explosions.”

Mai, her obsidian fur dull with shock, echoed her mother's words. "We… we never meant for this to happen. The smell of their fur is too much!" she burst into desperate weeping.

Ba Gấu, his voice hoarse with the grit of unshed tears and unyielding rage, spat out, "Liar! You unleashed this monster, and now you feign innocence?"

His words hung heavy in the air, punctuated by the mournful wail of a distant dog. Mai, her eyes wide with a newfound fear, turned to Hét, a silent accusation hanging in the air. "What… what did you do, Mother?"

Hét, her mask finally shattered, confessed to a whispered deal with a shadowy figure, the Weaver, a puppet master who played on Diba's underbelly. The potion, she claimed, was offered as a means to control Ba Gấu, to bend him to their will. "It was supposed to… to make him compliant," she croaked, her voice laced with desperation.

A wave of nausea washed over Ba Gấu. He remembered the Weaver, a figure shrouded in mystery, a whisper on the wind of Diba's criminal underworld. The Weaver, he now realized, had orchestrated this entire charade, using Hét's ambition and Mai's naiveté as pawns in his twisted game.

The truth, bitter and cold, settled in his gut. He was not just a victim of betrayal, but a pawn in a larger, more sinister game. The Weaver, sensing his growing power, had sought to eliminate him, using Hét and Mai as unwitting executioners.

Ba Gấu, fueled by a righteous fury that transcended the haze of the potion, stormed out of his stolen home. He knew forgiveness was a luxury he could not afford. He had a score to settle, not just with Hét and Mai, but with the unseen puppeteer who had orchestrated his descent into madness.

The city, still reeling from the echoes of his rampage and the wid flames, held its breath as the Butcher of Diba, reborn from ashes and vengeance, embarked on a new path. This time, his cleaver wouldn't just be a tool of rage, but a weapon of justice, aimed at the heart of the Weaver's web of deceit. The game had changed, and Ba Gấu, no longer a pawn, was ready to play. The hunt for the Weaver would begin with a feint, a tactical retreat to gather resources and information. Then, the streets of Diba would run red with a different kind of blood – the blood of a scheming mastermind brought to his knees by the very monster he had created.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

part 2

Ba Gấu: Character Sheet (Riptooth Path Awakened)

Physical Attributes:

Strength: Superhuman (x30 increase) - Ba Gấu can cleave through stone with his bare hands, shatter steel armor with a single blow, and leap across rooftops with incredible ease. His fur becomes as hard as iron, deflecting blades and arrows.

Speed: Enhanced (x20 increase) - He moves like a blur, leaving afterimages in his wake. Dodging bullets and outrunning pursuing enemies becomes effortless.

Endurance: Monstrous (x40 increase) - Ba Gấu can withstand immense punishment, shrugging off blows that would cripple lesser beings. He can fight tirelessly for days without showing signs of fatigue.

Agility: Feline Grace (x25 increase) - Despite his hulking size, Ba Gấu can move with astonishing grace and fluidity. He contorts his body to avoid attacks, scales sheer walls with spider-like dexterity, and performs acrobatic feats that defy explanation.

Senses: Superhuman (x30 increase) - Ba Gấu can hear whispers from blocks away, smell blood in the air from miles, and see in the darkest night with perfect clarity. He can track targets over vast distances and even sense their emotions.

Combat Skills:

Apex Predator: Ba Gấu's combat prowess reaches legendary levels. He anticipates enemy movements with uncanny accuracy, dissects defenses with surgical precision, and unleashes attacks with devastating force.

Master of Blades: His butcher's cleaver becomes an extension of his will, a whirlwind of steel that carves through opponents like butter. He can wield any weapon with deadly proficiency, adapting his fighting style to any situation.

Silent Stalker: Ba Gấu moves with the stealth of a wraith, disappearing into the shadows at will. He can infiltrate heavily guarded strongholds undetected and strike from unexpected angles, leaving a trail of carnage in his wake.

Unyielding Fury: Driven by the stolen life-force and the Riptooth Path's bloodlust, Ba Gấu fights with a savage ferocity that borders on madness. He ignores pain and injury, pushing his body to its absolute limits.

Magic and Abilities: None

Path of the Riptooth:

Fangs of the Beast: Razor-sharp claws and fangs erupt from Ba Gấu's body, tearing through flesh and bone with ease. This transformation also enhances his senses and reflexes to an even greater degree.

Blood Pact: By consuming the life-force of a slain foe, Ba Gấu temporarily boosts his physical attributes and heals his wounds. This act fuels his rage and further deepens his connection to the Riptooth Path.

Hunter's Fury: Ba Gấu enters a berserker state, channeling stolen life-force into raw power. His attacks become unblockable, his strength and speed increase exponentially, but he loses all control and becomes a mindless killing machine. This transformation is incredibly draining and leaves him weakened and vulnerable afterwards.

Blessings (Weakened): Ba Gấu retains remnants of his previous blessings, but they are significantly weaker due to the corrupting influence of the Riptooth Path. They offer a faint glimmer of his former self and may occasionally manifest in unpredictable ways.

Curses (Enhanced): The curses that plagued Ba Gấu become more potent, reflecting the darkness gnawing at his soul. His self-doubt grows, whispers of failure torment him, and his hunger for life-force becomes an insatiable craving.

Special Techniques:

Carnage Gale: Ba Gấu swings his cleaver in a whirlwind of destruction, creating a storm of blades that can slice through multiple enemies at once. The stolen life-force fuels the attack, leaving a trail of blood and mangled bodies in its wake.

Bloodbath: Ba Gấu plunges his claws into the heart of a slain enemy, unleashing a surge of stolen life-force that temporarily empowers him and weakens all nearby Cau Binh foes. This act further corrupts his spirit and pushes him closer to the edge of madness.

Phantom Stalker: Ba Gấu merges with the shadows, becoming invisible to the naked eye. In this state, he can move silently and strike from unseen angles, striking terror into the hearts of his enemies.

Note: Ba Gấu's power boost is temporary and will fade over time as the stolen life-force dissipates. However, the corruption of the Riptooth Path will remain, leaving him forever changed and tormented by his actions.