CG Chapter 35: Deadman walking

"Wakey-wakey, Wake up, little boy," a gritty voice said as it roused Tom from his slumber.

Tom slowly opened his eyes only to see what looked like a familiar figure standing above Li Mei's head.

The figure didn't give him any time to react as he continued, his tone now a mix of rage and joy, "Watch carefully what I do next. After all, who will carry the sins of the father if not his own blood and flesh."

Once Tom fully opened his eyes, he witnessed a horrifying sight: a one-handed figure gripping the head of Li Mei with a vice-like grip, hoisting it high.

Li Mei's head throbbed under the weight of an overwhelming pressure, jolting her from her slumber. She had no time to grasp the situation before time itself seemed to freeze, leaving her with a single, haunting thought, 'DANGER. I don't fear death as I will reunite with them soon. But what about my little Tian Long? Where will he find refuge in this accursed world, all alone and vulnerable? I've failed him. I am but a wretched mother that is incapable of shielding my own...'

"Run." She screamed in a desperate voice.

'Boom'

Li Mei's tender head was mercilessly crushed against the unyielding earth, causing a gruesome eruption of blood and gore as her skull shattered upon impact with the ground. This created a masterpiece of crimson.

Tom rose to his feet, shocked by the scene unfolding before him. He felt as if molten lava was filling his veins as if a fiery primordial rage started to surge from deep within him. His once-dark eyes now became crimson, mirroring the blood that surrounded the cave.

Tom hated that he was still weak despite training day and night, but what truly broke him wasn't that, but the fact that the illusion he had carefully built with blood and sweat was shattered by a moron.

Tom dashed forward like a lightning bolt, his fist hurtling toward Whisper with ferocious intent.

Whisper evaded to the right, thinking that Tom's attack was simply foolish. "Hah, stup-"

However, suddenly and out of nowhere, his instincts started to scream at him to sidestep, but it was too late. Tom's movements were unpredictable. In a split second, Tom changed his course, transforming what should have been a punch into a sudden, powerful kick aimed at Whisper's groin.

With a grimace and a curse, Whisper barely managed to avoid the crippling strike. His shock was palpable, his voice dripping with anger. "You bastard! I'll tear you apart, limb from limb!"

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On the side, Tom ordered, 'Noor, carefully analyze his moves and tell me when there's an opening.'

Whisper decided he wouldn't hold back any longer. He drew a small crossbow loaded with arrows coated in an unknown, ominous substance. He shot a wicked grin at Tom. "I warned you I'd make you pay, didn't I?"

He didn't hesitate to use any means necessary, even if he was fighting a child.

The first arrow was released with a sharp wind.

'Whoosh.'

Tom tried to evade it, but it grazed his arm. As he examined the wound, a sizzling sensation confirmed his worst fear-it was poisoned. Time became his enemy; he knew he had to end this fight quickly to survive.

Without hesitation, Tom charged toward Whisper. He threw a punch aimed at Whisper's chin, but Whisper's grin only widened.

"Gotcha," Whisper grin widened as he tightly gripped Tom's hands. Without a second thought, he used his head to deliver a decisive blow, rendering Tom unconscious.

With Tom lying on the ground, it became apparent that the chasm in their combat experience was insurmountable for Tom.

.

.

.

"Little boy, are you going to stay asleep forever? You can't do that, no, no. Especially not after what you did to me. I still have a lot of things I want to do to you." Asked Whisper while switching his sight between Tom and a short dagger that he held in his hand.

However, Tom couldn't answer his question even if he wanted to, as he was unconscious and stripped to a wooden crucifix that was hastily made.

"Sigh, it seems that this going to take longer than I expected. Did I hit you too hard? Weak too weak."

Whisper looked all around him, searching for anything that would wake Tom up, and after a while of searching, he found the wooden bucket that was used by the mother and son duo to wash up. He didn't hesitate to grab the icy water-filled bucket and throw it with its contents at Tom.

Tom felt his consciousness was slowly returning; however, he kept his eyes closed as he analyzed, 'Can I launch a sudden attack?' he asked himself as he tried to discreetly remove his hand from their cuffs. Unfortunately, the chains that kept him attached to the crucifix were put with care, unlike the cross itself.

Tom suddenly heard a loud laugh.

"Trying to be sneaky, are we? You are far too young to fool the snake himself." Whisper taunted while looking at with the look of a beast that was about to eat its prey.

"Since you are awake, I think we should start?" He asked happily before pausing as if he had realized something. "On second thought, I don't know why I asked you. It's not like you have a choice."

Once he said that, Whisper grabbed his dagger and started to cut slowly at Tom's right hand.

"A hand for a hand. Since your father took my hand, I will take his son's hand first."

"Ahhh!" Tom screamed as the sense of pain of his flesh being torn filled him, "Do you think you will achieve anything with this? What kind of pathetic person goes after the family of his enemy?"

Tom said those words with such confidence that he almost believed what he was saying. However, he knew that he would have done worse if he needed to.

Hearing what Tom said, Whisper seemed to get only angrier as he threw a punch at Tom's stomach. "Do you know that I respected your father once? He was the light that made me keep on killing when the other kids were bigger and stronger than me. I wasn't the biggest boy back then, but every day, I read the stories about the grand of scythe of death, which made me keep on fighting." Whisper said as he looked at Tom with tears that were dropping like a waterfall.

"Hahaha, good one. You say that you are a snake, but I can only see crocodile tears." Tom said with blood falling out of his mouth.

"Explain yourself." Whisper asked as he looked down at the ground.

"Well, only because you are being nice. Do you think I wouldn't see through the facade of the ambitious kid? Him being your idol? Please, it's obvious that you were jealous of him. You know you will never reach the level he reached. I mean, I don't blame you. You are but a weak and pathetic man with no skill other than his lowly tricks."

Whisper looked as if his biggest secret was just exposed as he started to punch Tom over and over again.

Tom felt his bone-breaking while a high amount of blood was coming out from his wounds.

"Do you want to die now? Asked Whisper while delivering a sidekick toward Tom's face.

He didn't stop as he asked another question: "Do you think I will let you go easily if you taunt me?" He threw a punch that crushed Tom's nose.

Tom felt dizzy; however, this time, he knew that he was about to die instead of going unconscious.

"You know I plan on making a hell in the future, and I think I just found the person who will take the second spot." Tom, despite his current state, issued a warning toward Whisper as he understood that he was about to die.

Whisper, for an inexplicable reason, felt a sense of threat coming from this bloody child. 'No, how can I feel that from this boy?' He refused this idea, yet his heart bit at him.

Whisper sighed and grabbed his dagger; he muttered, “Fine, if you wish for death this much..." He then swiftly slit Tom's throat, and blood splattered everywhere, showering at him.