Chapter 36: I Am Not Weak!

Chapter Thirty-Six: I Am Not Weak!

Shanyuan pocketed his blade and glided down from the building, landing softly on the street below. Dust swirled around his feet. Then he vanished.

Tracy's fist shot forward—a heavy punch that released a wave of wind, rattling the building in front of her. But she missed. By an inch.

Shanyuan's feet landed on her face.

She skidded backward, her boots scraping against the concrete. A leg crashed into her back, sending her to her knees.

"Payback," Shanyuan muttered, his voice flat.

He circled her slowly, his hands in his pockets.

"You see, brute force is kind of useless when it comes to speed." He tilted his head, studying her. "You thought you were strong, huh? Even despite being an Elemental Class... you are weak."

The word struck Tracy like a blade.

Her eyes widened.

In a blur of motion, she grabbed his collar and landed a heavy blow. Then another. Her fists flew—fast, desperate—but Shanyuan's head moved faster, narrowly dodging every punch.

"Ha ha." He smiled. "You... you are weak."

His fist swung.

BOOM!

It connected with her jaw. The impact sent vibrations rippling across her face, into her skull. She flew upward like a curved projectile and slammed into a building.

CRASH!

Bricks crumbled. Dust rained down.

"Tracy..." Kael whispered, watching from the ground, unable to move.

Tracy's eyes were wide open. The sentence echoed in her head.

You are weak.

You are weak.

You are weak.

Her vision blurred. The world faded.

---

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Five Years Ago — Deep Slums

The sky was bruised orange, heavy with smog. In a high-tech gym, a young Tracy trained alone, her body smaller, her movements less sure. She kicked at a training robot—once, twice, three times—but each time, it knocked her down.

THUD.

She hit the ground, panting heavily.

Other girls nearby laughed, their voices sharp with disgust.

"Look at her. She can't even land a hit."

"Pathetic."

Tracy clenched her fists. She stood up and charged at the robot with everything she had—only to be flung upward and slammed to the floor.

CRASH.

Her body ached. Her lungs burned.

Evening approached. Tracy sat on a bench, bouncing a fist-sized green ball up and down. Her face was bored, but her eyes were hollow.

Then her father burst in.

"You little brat!"

He marched toward her, grabbing her by the neck.

"Wh-what did I do?" Her voice was smaller than she intended.

"What did you do?" His face was red, veins bulging. "Two months have passed, and you can't even defeat a level two robot! How do you think you'll ever become a hunter, huh? Don't you want our family to be rich? To be free from this prison? To leave the Deep Slums?"

He shook her.

"You can only do great things by becoming a powerful hunter. Then a soldier. If not, we rot in this Godforsaken place."

Tracy shivered. "I-I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" His eyes widened. "Sorry for yourself. Because you are weak."

His fist landed on her face.

She fell to the floor. Tears spilled from her eyes, hot and heavy. Her father walked away, leaving her sobbing alone.

---

12 AM — The Same Night

Rain fell heavily, soaking Tracy's clothes and hair. She sat on the same bench, her knees pulled to her chest. No one had come to help her. No one had thought of her.

She reflected on her memories.

A soft thud sounded beside her. She felt the presence of someone. She turned.

A girl sat next to her—three years older.

"Percy," Tracy whispered.

Percy smiled. She opened an umbrella, covering them both. She turned forward, her voice soft.

"Aren't you tired?"

Tracy was silent. Then her voice came out, low. "Tired of what?"

Percy bowed her head, staring at the ground as water flowed along the road.

"Hmm. I wonder..." She paused. "Do you see yourself as a weakling? Or as a warrior?"

Tracy's eyes widened. Her face fell. Tears slipped down her cheeks.

"I don't know." Her voice was broken, shaking. "Maybe... maybe a weakling."

She began to sob.

Percy sighed. She looked up.

"Tracy," she called out. "I'll ask you one last question. And this is the last time I'll ask."

She paused.

"Are you weak? Or are you strong?"

Tracy's heart pounded.

"It's your choice which one you are. I'm not forcing you. But know this—this choice will define your future pathway forever. You only have one chance."

Tears dripped from Tracy's eyes. She gripped her knee harder. Her lips trembled, about to mutter something.

The memories came flooding back.

The girls laughing at her. The robot knocking her down. Her father's fist connecting with her face. The words echoed everywhere around her.

You are weak.

You are weak.

You are weak.

"I can't... I can't... I can't..." she muttered.

Then Percy's voice cut through.

Are you weak? Or are you strong?

Tracy closed her eyes.

Silence stretched... long, heavy, almost a minute.

Then she screamed.

"I AM STRONG!"

Percy smiled. She rose.

"Then you are not weak."

Tracy's eyes glowed.

---

The Present

Shanyuan's fist was already reaching for her face. Then he paused. He couldn't move.

A faint shimmer glowed from Tracy's body. Steam rose from her skin. Her blood was boiling. Her eyes burned gold.

Shanyuan's smile vanished.

"What the hell is—"

"I."

The ground cracked beneath her.

"AM."

A heavy wind blasted through the street like a hurricane.

"NOT."

Her voice echoed across every street, every building.

"WEAK!"

Her leg swung.

For a brief moment, Shanyuan's eyes widened.

BOOM!

His spine shattered as her foot slammed into his stomach. A yellow light shot into the sky as he flew upward. Buildings nearby cracked. The entire street vibrated.

"Holy shit!" Kael spoke at the same time as Crucify.

---

The EL Highway Bridge

Traffic was backed up. A woman was taking a selfie in her car when her phone caught a flash of yellow light in the sky.

She looked up. "What the hell is that?"

A boy in another car pointed. "Hey, look! It's a comet!"

"Is that thing heading here?" an old man asked, his eyes widening.

Run!

People scattered, jumping out of their cars.

But it was too late.

THUD!

Shanyuan's burning body slammed into the bridge. Fire erupted. The heavy impact sent a shockwave blasting miles wide. The bridge cracked—then collapsed.

---

Tracy panted heavily. She lowered her leg, which was still glowing faintly. She stood still in the street, miles away from the bridge. Dust reached them, carried by the wind.

She glanced at Kael, who leaned against the wall, unable to move, his eyes wide with shock. Her expression settled. Became calm.

"Come on," she said, walking away. Her voice was colder than before. "Let's get going."

---

End of Chapter Thirty-Six.