Chapter 279

Chapter 279 The End of Struggle

There are always prodigies in this world who learn and grow rapidly, achieving remarkable feats that leave their peers far behind, causing them to feel resentful and envious, wondering why their talents are so superior and why fate is so unfair.

But even more despairing are those diligent and hardworking geniuses, whose exceptional talents combined with daily efforts outshine everyone around them, making it nearly impossible for others to catch up, no matter how hard they try.

Dar西 is such a person, possessing top-tier talent and integrating relentless struggle and effort into every moment of his life.

Since he began studying extraordinary knowledge, he has never slackened, his obsession and yearning for power deeply ingrained in his bones, his blood filled with unyielding determination. It is almost incomprehensible to others that someone could exist like a machine, never tiring or slacking.

Born into a single-parent family, his father unknown, and his home impoverished, young Dar西’s living conditions were poor. Not only was his mother struggling to raise him, but the disdainful and contemptuous looks from his peers were unbearable.

He heard insults like bastard, mongrel, and other derogatory terms. In the dirty slums, people were not only unfriendly but would bully those beneath them even more, seeking superiority and a fleeting sense of satisfaction in difficult times.

If it were just about him, it would have been bearable, but most insults also involved his family. His mother was slandered as a lowly woman selling her body, which is why he was called a mongrel.

Furious, he would pick up stones and fight back against the mocking children, often returning home with injuries. His mother would weep while cleaning his wounds and take him to a doctor, usually an inexpensive herbalist in the slums.

Even so, the cost of herbs was still high, and his impoverished family could hardly afford it. He sometimes wondered why the old man with wrinkled skin treated him.

One day, after being mocked by other children, he hid in a narrow alley next to the doctor’s residence. He watched in disbelief as his exhausted mother emerged from the house.

Those born into stable and happy worlds might find it hard to understand. Such childhood experiences for Dar西 are not unique; they occur countless times in this dark and troubled era, between the social elite with extraordinary powers and the underprivileged scraping for survival in the dust.

The gap in living conditions made it hard to imagine.

Harsh environments do not necessarily foster virtuous character; the desperation for survival forces some to abandon many things, such as morality, law, and even humanity.

After years of peace, the Cangcui Empire’s population had gradually reached its limit. Limited arable land meant that food could not sustain everyone. This barely affected the upper class but was a brutal cycle of competition and torment for those at the bottom.

Dar西 was a fish leaping out of the dark wave at the bottom, like a tail struck by heavenly fire. He was discovered to have extraordinary talent, which finally allowed him to come into contact with transcendent knowledge.

Facing this path to heaven, Dar西 absorbed all he could learn like a ravenous beast, never relaxing his grip on the only rope in the darkness, climbing up with all his might.

With outstanding performance, he defeated all his peers in the same city—whether they were noble children from wealthy backgrounds or poor youths fighting for their lives. To fulfill his own hopes, he also shattered others’ hopes. In this way, he eventually obtained a recommendation letter from Emanas.

After becoming a student at Emanas, he moved his mother to a better neighborhood where the rich lived. The house was large and warm, and the neighbors were kind and friendly. People often praised him for having a good son.

So, to keep this happiness going, he couldn’t stop. Unlike students from wealthy families who had connections, Dar西 understood early on that the greatest and most achievable opportunity in his life lay in achieving unparalleled glory and rankings during his school years.

He must become first; only first would make everyone unquestionably recognize his talent and bring him and his mother the best future.

Clang—

A blood-red longsword was struck by an iron fist, flying into the air, emitting a prolonged metallic tremor, then plunging diagonally into a stone. Dar西 stood on the lake water and gravel, breathing heavily, covered in wounds oozing blood, revealing hard white bones in some places.

After several intense exchanges, both sides were left with scars. The large rocks on the lake were pulverized and sank to the bottom.

Velin floated far away on the lake, her clothes disheveled, revealing some skin. She spat out a mouthful of black clotted blood, then flew back into the sky.

Crimson eyes appeared somewhat eerie under the moonlight. With a long howl from Velin, black scales slowly emerged from her skin, as if a tail was growing behind her, then two horns sprouted on either side of her forehead.

Two curved horns also emerged.

The demonization began.

Humans who learned extraordinary sequences from demons often inevitably shifted towards inhuman forms during the later stages of their sequence progression. Although this enhanced their combat capabilities, it also caused irreversible mutations and gradually drove them mad and out of control, which was not a good thing.

This grand competition was not only important for Darsi but also for Weilin, who had her own reasons not to fail. She was the only legitimate daughter born into the High Nobility, with no other siblings. She had to maintain the family’s honor to prevent others from belittling and encroaching upon the family’s interests. Moreover, her strong-willed personality since childhood made her unable to tolerate being defeated by someone from a commoner background.

Haha, look at that Weilin. She usually acts so arrogantly, but now she’s been beaten by a boy from the slums. How funny! This isn’t what a Young Lady should be like. If she fails, such ridicule will surely spread throughout the school. And I’m graduating at the end of the year, so I won’t have another chance to turn things around.

Weilin let out a soft breath, gazing at the moon above. Then, ten sharp red claws sprouted from her fingernails, each tip shimmering with a subtle deep purple hue.

She dived down from the sky, slicing through the night like a streak of light. A red afterimage flashed, and a piece of flesh was torn off and thrown into the air. Darsi was slammed into the lake by the fierce impact.

The icy cold water flooded his vision, his body sinking deeper into an endless darkness and silence. All sounds faded away, and the moon in the sky grew increasingly blurry. The wounds on his body seemed to lose sensation, and a profound fatigue washed over Darsi’s consciousness.

Take a break.

You’ve worked hard for a long time.

You really can’t beat Weilin. Her way of burning her life is no different from cheating.

It’s not that you’re not good enough; it’s just that those people don’t play fair.

That’s it, stop here.

The passion and struggle that once filled his blood and heart seemed to finally burn out. He slowly raised his hand in the lake, trying to grasp the moonlight above, but found nothing in the end.

Thank you to Rongwu, Jiubada Card, Dustlike Low QAQ, Tangmen Infantry, Ye Ling OwO, Liao Liao Liao, Memories of Bygone Days Like Threads of Silk, Shi Mie Ri Shih, Lunch Box 216, Wu Hu Xi Fei, and 14 other readers for their support.

Special thanks to Rongwu, Jiubada Card, Dustlike Low QAQ, Tangmen Infantry, and Ye Ling OwO for their strong support.

Wishing everyone a happy New Year!

(End of Chapter)