Strings Of Domination

About 4 years ago, on Planet Zero.

The wind blew hard as the leaves on the towering trees swayed left and right in a manner where one would think they would soon get ripped off only to be carried away by the breeze into the far distance.

However, even though a storm was on the verge and rain even began to fall, the sound of screams and metal clashing against metal still resounded in the air as clearly as thunder, leaving one curious what was happening in the far distance from where the sound was coming from.

"Ha! Eat this!" A Sky Beast wearing deep silver armor swung his weapon in his hand toward another Sky Beast with a spirited look, slamming his long staff against his opponent's longsword without any mercy.

Swish!

Clang!

The sound of metal slamming into metal immediately resounded in the air while the ground below the Sky Beast's feet which held the sword and took the assault head-on cracked into numerous pieces!

"Weak!" the Sky Beast with the staff sneered coldly and quickly raised his weapon above his head before spinning it around and swinging it downward with twice as much strength!

BOOOOOM!

Broken debris, dust, blood, and a scream that was filled with pain quickly reverberated throughout the surroundings as the Sky Beast which tried to defend against the descending attack failed to protect himself in time, thus resulting in his sword shattering into pieces together with his arm which held the weapon!

"Okay, that is enough. Nile, you have fought well." a third Sky Beast with older facial features appeared on the side as he glanced at the creature with the staff in hand.

"Thank you, Master." Nile bowed toward the old Sky Beast and without giving even a glance at the Sky Beast that he just literally crippled turned around and walked away.

"Great work, Brother Nile! You were just as amazing as ever!" several Sky Beasts wearing similar silver armors quickly approached Nile and surrounded him, praising him with kind words that could make anyone's ego skyrocket in a flash!

"Haha, you guys exaggerating things way too much." Nile laughed calmly but soon sighed and said, "Though, it is indeed true that the way that weakling battled could not even be called fighting. Hell, I didn't even warm up properly."

"Brother Nile, you are as confident as ever!"

"Yeah, Brother Nile is just too good. I wonder when will Master recommend you to the higher-ups and promote you."

"Indeed, I can't even understand what takes them so long."

As every Sky Beast was the bootlicking Nile with all kinds of praises, not far away from their group several individuals wearing ragged clothes and holding a pickaxe were slowly walking toward them with lowered heads.

"Hey, look. Slaves are coming." a Sky Beast gestured toward the group of humans with his head, quickly forcing all of them to shift their gazes at the group, including Nile himself too.

"Oh? Did they finish with their daily dose already?" another Sky Beast asked, but soon his face showed a mysterious but mischievous grin and began to whisper something into the ear of his friend.

"What? Master will skin us alive!" the Sky Beast snapped his head toward his friend, looking slightly dumbfounded.

"But he is not here. After Nile finished his battle he went and took that cripple to the base. We have plenty of time to do it."

Every Sky Beast remained silent before they looked at each other and nodded. The only one that didn't do anything even after the group of Sky Beasts began to approach the humans was Nile, who just looked at his comrades from the distance with a seemingly indifferent gaze.

"Hey, hey, hey! Where do you trash think are going so early in the morning?" the Sky Beast on the front stood before the group of humans, his face holding a mocking grin as he examined each and every face in front of him.

And just as he thought, the anticipated reaction arrived as all the humans' complexion paled and their bodies began to shake uncontrollably, almost as if they were leaves during a cold autumn night.

"Haha! Look at you! You all look like starving dogs on the verge of pissing yourselves! So pathetic!" the Sky Beast grinned, earning his comrades' joyful laugh which quickly filled the forest they were currently in.

The Sky Beast laughed with delight as he watched how the humans in front of him began to lower their heads one by one, some even starting to cry and sniff from the sheer depression they were currently feeling.

However, his laugh didn't last for too long as just after he closed his eyes to wipe the tear away from the corner of his eyes a sharp pain assaulted his lower body, forcing him to open his eyes wide and lower his gaze.

"Eh? W-When?" the Sky Beast began to mumble once he saw how a pickaxe which was used only by slaves now was piercing his abdomen, but once blood began to flow out from his wound and mouth the creature lost consciousness and fell back onto the ground, unknown if he was still alive or have died!

'...'

Silence descended on the forest which previously was filled with nothing but the sound of laughter which was carried into the far distance by the strong wind and every Sky Beast stared at the now bleeding and unconscious body on the ground, still processing what had just happened.

But it was not long before a Sky Beast screamed up with dread and quickly ran beside the body, looking at the tool which literally was buried into the body while forcing crimson blood to flow out without stop!

"Fucking bastards! Which one of you bitches doing was this?" one of the Sky Beasts that held a sword shifted his gaze at the group of humans, his eyes holding both immense killing intent and wrath which only can be extinguished if blood was spilled!

The Sky Beast looked at each human one by one before his gaze halted on a young boy's figure who was the only one that did not have any mining pickaxe in hand.

This boy, whose stance and facial expression was the only one that didn't look lost from any hope or depressed, was naturally Nash.

"So it was you! Now you are fucking dead!" the Sky Beast hissed and with a swift movement appeared before Nash whose azure blue eyes were staring at the descending sword with still unwavering confidence and without any fear in his gaze!

"Die!" with hatred filled shout the Sky Beast's sword appeared before Nash's face but just as it was ready to split his head into two halves the weapon stopped in mid-flight, halting just a single inch away from claiming its target!

"M-Master! Y-You are back!" the Sky Beast's eyes trembled uncontrollably once he saw how his weapon was stopped with a single finger, preventing it from moving even a single millimeter forward!

"What do you think you are doing, Al?" the old Sky Beast who currently emitted the powerful presence of a peak Warrior Rank being narrowed his eyes at Al, even using some killing intent to force him backward.

"M-Master! T-This is a misunderstanding! Look! Odis have been injured too by that bastard! Hell, it is even possible that he sustained fatal injuries and is already dead!" Al looked slightly pale before his complexion turned ice cold and shifted his gaze at Nash, "Master, I just wished to avenge my comrade! Why did you st-"

"That is enough." the indifferent voice of the old Sky Beast resounded in everyone's ear akin to thunder, forcing everyone to shudder with fear despite not being under any pressure or attack at all!

This was especially true for Al, who after hearing his master's voice lowered his gaze to the ground in fear if he raise his head and meets those two pair of cold eyes his life will be taken away from him in a split second!

The old Sky Beast examined Al's complexion before he shifted his gaze at the still unconscious body of Odis and said, "I have seen and heard everything from start to end, and to tell the truth, I am disappointed."

Those words were like a basin of ice-cold water poured down on their bodies while the complexion of each Sky Beast turned ugly as if they have just eaten an insect.

"However..." but soon the old Sky Beast turned toward Nash and continued, "This does not mean I will forgive what you have done to one of my disciples. You will be punished without a question."

"Yes! Kill him Mast-"

Whoosh!

Squelch!

The sound of flesh being torn apart sounded in the air, and even before Al could have finished talking his body was sent flying while at the spot where he stood a moment ago the old Sky Beast appeared, his hand holding a ripped arm which he quickly threw to the side with a cold face.

"After today, you are no longer my student. If I ever again hear you calling me your Master, I won't be as gentle as now to only rip your arm off." the old Sky Beast stared coldly at Al's unmoving and bleeding figure in the distance which currently lay under the weight of several tree trunks and debris, unknown if his life has perished or not.

"And this goes to all of you." the old Sky Beast then glanced at every Sky Beast on the side except for Nile before he turned his gaze at the group of humans and asked, "You, human boy, what is your name?"