The silence in the ancient town was broken by the sound of footsteps speeding through the streets. Leading the escape was a middle-aged man with a scar that ran across his face: Stone Heart. Lagging a few steps behind him was a teenage boy clutching a small bag. With each meter they covered, the opening of the bag would loosen and emit a faint golden hue that continued to brighten, betraying the mystery within.
"Hurry up, kid—you're slowing us down!" Stone Heart barked as he came to an abrupt halt, his grim expression fixing on the small boy behind him. It was this same boy who had given him access to the royal treasury and made him earn the biggest booty of his life. If all those treasures and gold were converted into cultivation resources, the cultivation boost might allow him to become an overlord on a small island, have multiple wives, and be revered by many. But that vision would be replaced by jail bars, muddy mines, and sweaty inmates if they continued at this pace.
As he looked at the panting boy, Stone heart's heart trembled. He was once a kid begging sects to accept him as a disciple. But with his mediocre talent, they wouldn't even allow him to scrub their filthy latrines. But all that could change. Here and now. Just as he was concluding, a hail of sharp-edged arrows clawed their way towards him. The howling noise of the distant wolves became louder and clearer. The distance between him and the imperial army was closing in rapidly. Those arrows were the signature move of the wolf battalion leader - the palace guards.
Already deadly accurate from that long range if the distance were to shorten further. Stone Heart did not dare to idle around like a sitting duck and shoved the boy behind him, assuming a defensive stance. Though death was knocking at his door, his honor as a thief did not allow him to abandon a kid, let alone when he had already paid his disciple fees. Yes, he was now going to keep all of the loot and protect the boy as his protegee. There could not be a more gentler thief than him in this dog-eat-dog world.
Stone Heart's body glowed faintly, releasing strong bursts of energy that instantly warmed the surrounding dew. This was internal energy, a symbol of a martial practitioner. The incoming arrows, like flies hitting a glass wall, were stopped mid-air.
Martial Skill: Immaculate Barrier.
But the shield only offered a few breaths of relief before an even larger volley of arrows blanketed the sky in a dark veil as they rained drown. The teenage boy stumbled backward at the sudden darkness. This was his first time outside the comfort of the palace and into a battlefield. His eyes widened at the sight of arrows gleaming under the moonlight, each tip exuding lethal intent. His body froze in place, sweat rolling on his back, paralyzed.
"Whis, run away!" Stone Heart shouted. With a swift movement, he conjured a shield with his left arm, blocking the attacks, and, using his other arm, threw the golden pouch towards the boy. His now free hand twitched, and a long saber appeared. Stone Heart shot one last determined look at the immobilized boy and growled, "Listen, kid—one of us has to get off with the loot, you hear me?!"
The boy did not respond, and the steady stream of arrows was increasing momentum. "F**, forget it," Realizing that the boy was not going to react. Stone Heart took a defensive stand as he appeared in front of him, shielding him from the volley. But it was not in goodwill, even though the boy had done something mischievous, he was still the crowned prince. Killing him would destroy the shield protecting the boy. Meaning he still had leverage.
…
While Stone Heart was facing the attacks for his survival, the consciousness of the teenage boy had already dimmed from this world. That fear had struck deep in his heart and caused a heart attack, with his body already limp from the long run. He collapsed instantly. But just as his soul dispersed into the heavens. Another crawled through the opening.
"Is this it?" The teenage boy murmured as he scanned the chaotic scene around him. By now, the street had already been littered with corpses of the civilians.
During the commotion, many homeless individuals had been awakened. Initially, they thought of fleeing the upheaval, but when they caught the glittering gold from Stone Hearts pouch, greed overcame them, leading to the inevitable. In the distance, Stone Heart, whose robe was torn in many places, continued to urge his energy and sliced the arrows apart. His strength, speed, and precision - inhumane.
"Is the other world… a cultivating civilization?!" Whis thought out loud as fragments of memories flickered in his mind— foreign faces and scenes surfacing. His soul began sorting and absorbing all the information.
…
The transformation was just as quick as blinking an eye, even though it took much to explain. Snapping from his daze, Whis brandished the pouch at his side and attempted to lift it. His frail hands trembled while trying to maintain the lift mid-air.
"It's true; this is not my body." His hands continued to wander over his form, seeking reassurance until a familiar sensitive spot eased his worry with a sigh. "My soul should've survived the body destruction and jumped into the portal only to land into this sixteen-year-old body." Whis immediately came to an understanding. But before he could steady himself by dropping the heavy bag, a swift arrow raced toward him.
Instinctively, his head jerked to the left, and by the power of the bag's gravity, he accelerated towards the ground, hitting face flat. Groaning, he touched the thin line of blood and dirt on his face. That must've been a stray arrow otherwise, such a weak body shouldn't have…. Wait. His heart skipped multiple beats, trying to pound out of his chest in fright. It was only now that he began noticing his surroundings. With such a frail body, it wouldn't take long before he lost his life. He still needed to make his dream come to life. Grabbing the pouch, he pushed himself upright and scanned for an escape route.
…
"Get the boy!" Boomed an intimidating, deafening shout across the entire town. The Wolf battalion had arrived. In the middle was a young man riding a wolf the size of an adult elephant. His command was met by dashing soldiers wielding saber-toothed blades.
Stone Heart's heart instantly crumbled. He now knew it was all a trick to pin him down and exhaust him. The Battalion leader must've anticipated his greed and used it to exhaust his strength before claiming an easy victory.
The leader smirked as he looked at the top most wanted criminal. "More like the world's largest porcupine." The young man smirked. Sadly, no one was close enough to enjoy the joke.