Chapter 3: A Childhood Uprooted

At the tender age of four, my childhood, which should have been carefree, was forever altered by a profound tragedy.

I watched in horror as my parents lay pale and lifeless on a cold bed, their bodies unresponsive to my frantic calls.

An unsettling atmosphere permeated the air, making it feel as though I was inhaling sand rather than breathable air.

Surrounding them were relatives and acquaintances, familiar and unfamiliar faces, all expressionless, as if observing a macabre sleep.

Although I couldn’t comprehend what was happening, I vividly remember being held by my uncle, witnessing his genuine grief.

Unlike the others, his eyes were red and swollen, his mouth twitching, and his body trembling. Even though he didn’t cry, I could hear the sound of his silent tears.

“Child, your parents are going to work overseas and will be away for a very long time. You’ll be living with me from now on, and I’ll take care of you as if you were my own,” my uncle said.

From that day forward, my uncle took me into his home, caring for me with the same devotion my parents would have had.

Gradually, our bond grew stronger, and at times, I felt closer to him than I ever did to my biological parents.

My uncle had a daughter, a young cousin who, unlike some children, welcomed me into the family with open arms.

She spent almost every day playing with me, whether it was make-believe, swinging on the swings, or playing with the neighborhood children.

In contrast, my aunt, my uncle’s wife, seemed to resent my presence. She often argued with my uncle, claiming that I was a burden to the family. However, over time, she seemed to accept me, though I never understood why.

One day, she had the idea to buy a bunk bed, so my cousin and I could share a room. I wondered if she was trying to treat us as her own children.

“You know, I’ve been thinking. We should change your name,” my uncle suggested.

“Why change it? It’s a perfectly good name,” my aunt replied.

“Child, it means ‘son carrying on the father’s legacy.’ What if, in a few years, he asks about his father? How do I explain that to him?”

“Just tell him the truth. His parents are dead,” my aunt snapped.

“He’s still so young. How can he handle that kind of truth? Have you considered how it might affect his psychology?”

“You’re being strange. It’s as if you care more about him than your own daughter! Let me tell you something, this boy will definitely be sent away someday.

Before he turns eighteen, we need to figure out how to get our hands on the inheritance his parents left behind. We can use it to buy a few more properties and live comfortably.”

“How can you say that? You’re not human!”

“How isn’t it? Don’t you know how expensive it is to run a household? Ever since this boy came, our expenses have skyrocketed.

Soon, he’ll need money for school, living expenses, and even dating. All these miscellaneous costs add up, and we’re using their inheritance to cover it. What’s wrong with that?”

“My brother died young, and Child is still so small and pitiful. I’m just trying to take care of my nephew. I won’t let you touch a single cent of his money. I plan to use it to send him abroad for further studies!”

“You think you can stop me?”

“Not until I’m dead!”

”You—!!”

The sound of their argument penetrated the walls, waking me and my cousin from our slumber.

We lay still, listening as if it were a radio program, and the next day, my uncle, with dark circles under his eyes, took me to change my name to Hu Junan.

“Little Junan, always be happy and safe. I hope you grow up quickly,” my uncle said.

“Y-yeah…”

Perhaps some words, when said in certain situations, have a poisonous effect. Happy days didn’t last long. By the time I was in the third grade of elementary school, my uncle was diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer.

After several painful rounds of chemotherapy, the family couldn’t afford a major surgery, so my uncle endured the agonizing pain until his final days. As he lay dying, he called for me, gripping my hand tightly.

“Junan, I’m useless now. I can’t take care of you anymore. I’ll watch over you from heaven…” Tears streamed down his face as he spoke, his eyes filled with anxiety and confusion.

“Remember, be a good boy. Don’t cross the street without looking, don’t trust strangers, and don’t eat at roadside stalls.

In this world, there are more bad people than good. The only ones you can trust are your own family, do you understand?”

Three days later, my uncle passed away.

At the funeral, the familiar scene triggered a delayed sense of sorrow. My aunt and cousin cried loudly by my uncle’s body, and so did I, though not as intensely.

As the pillar of the family, my uncle’s death brought disaster to the household, and our once prosperous life became strained, even affecting our ability to pay school fees.

But there’s a saying: ‘No matter how tough things get, life goes on.’

My aunt quickly took action, trying to use my parents’ inheritance to sustain the family. However, things weren’t as easy as she thought.

Each time she tried to access the inheritance, bank employees would visit to confirm that the money was being used for my benefit, and social workers kept a close eye on her activities.

“Little Junan, your aunt says she wants to enroll you in a summer camp worth over 30,000. Is this true?”

Knowing our financial struggles and my cousin’s need for school funds, I didn’t expose my aunt’s deception. Instead, I nodded, helping her hide the truth from the investigators.

This way, my parents’ large inheritance continued to support my aunt, cousin, and me. To avoid suspicion, my aunt took on multiple jobs, creating the illusion of financial stability and preventing neighborhood gossip.

[Root Awareness] Special Ability Generated….

By the age of ten, I realized something wasn’t right. Not only could I quickly sense others’ movements, but I could also clearly distinguish distant sounds.

However, these enhanced senses only manifested at home, disappearing when I left.

Years passed, and as a teenager, I began to notice my cousin’s beauty, feeling an inexplicable attraction. Around the time I was in middle school, my aunt started arranging separate rooms for us.

Initially, my cousin wasn’t comfortable sleeping alone and would sneak into my room at night.

“Checktan, how can you be so brazen? Boys and girls should sleep separately. Didn’t you hear your mother?”

Several times, I stood by silently, not knowing how to intervene. It wasn’t fear of getting scolded; I simply didn’t understand the situation.

After countless scoldings, my cousin finally stopped sneaking into my room. I felt a strange emptiness, and often dreamt of her climbing into my bed, the heat of desire overwhelming me.

[Nutrient Absorption] Special Ability Generated….

Around the time I was in junior high, my cousin, who loved to dress up, started to drift away from me. I, too, became strange, finding nothing in my life worth pursuing except for studying.

During this period, my grades skyrocketed, earning me the reputation of a prodigy among teachers, while my classmates’ performance declined slightly, with no one showing the kind of improvement I did.

It wasn’t until high school that we shared our first non-family moment: we both got accepted into the same prestigious municipal school.

However, she was admitted as an arts student, while I was renowned for my academic achievements.

Although my cousin was intelligent, she preferred to hang out with a group of girlfriends, relying on her good looks to get by.

At night, she would come to my room in a loose nightgown, asking for help with her homework. Sometimes, she would unbutton a few extra buttons, leaving me tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

My mind would fill with vivid fantasies, each one more intense than the last, until I found myself touching places I shouldn’t.

The next morning, I would question my own foolishness, yet the next time, I would succumb to my animal instincts again.

[Infinite Spores] Special Ability Generated….

There was no doubt that my feelings for my cousin had become complicated, and I began to resent my lack of self-control, fearing that one day, my instincts would overcome my reason.

To avoid these distractions, I started running laps on the school track every day after class, followed by a visit to the gym, where I would work out until my muscles ached and sweat poured down my body.

Only then would I return home, exhausted. This method was rough but effective. After a shower and brushing my teeth, I would fall asleep instantly, deep and dreamless, undisturbed by anything.

[Rapid Regeneration] Special Ability Generated….

Soon, my cousin noticed my unusual behavior and came to my room, concerned. ‘Brother, why do you always run on the track these days? Don’t you want to come home with me?’

With a feigned expression of indifference, I replied, ‘I just feel like I’ve been too focused on studying. A balanced life needs some exercise, that’s all.’

But one day, my cousin appeared on the track, holding an energy drink and a towel, staring at me from afar. That moment disrupted my entire routine. Was she here for me?

As I stood there, stunned, she smiled like an angel and offered me the energy drink. I didn’t know whether to be relieved or sad when the drink ended up in Sun Daeyoung’s hands.

He was our class’s track captain, always training after school, far more skilled than me, and completely dominant.

During the winter break of our senior year, my cousin and Sun Daeyoung’s relationship blossomed. She would often tell me about the places he took her, his new running records, and the gifts he gave her.

I would respond with a cold smile, not knowing how else to react. I couldn’t express my true feelings, whether with tears, laughter, or anger. None of these emotions could convey what I felt inside.

The college entrance exams arrived, and with thorough preparation, I breezed through every subject. But I couldn’t overcome the emotional hurdle.

After the exams, my cousin and Sun Daeyoung’s relationship became public knowledge, and there was nothing I could do but smile and wish them well.

To escape a reality I couldn’t accept, a sudden idea entered my mind, pushing my orderly life toward an unknown future. Little did I know that from that moment on, everything would spiral out of control.

***

In the dimly lit living room, the flickering screen of an old television displayed a news broadcast, the announcer’s voice fading in and out, ‘We interrupt this program to bring you an urgent news update…’

Across the threshold, I slipped on boots more suited to a jungle than a concrete jungle, slung a rugged backpack over my shoulder, and, like a warrior about to embark on a mission, pushed open the steel door.

Yet, I didn’t leave immediately. Instead, I paused, looking back at the three-bedroom apartment, a mix of emotions welling up inside me.

It felt like a memory or a thought, and after a moment, I took a deep breath, steadying myself. With a final glance, I stepped out into the world, taking the first decisive step toward my destiny.

As the door closed behind me, the television turned to static, the announcer’s voice replaced by a soft, girlish whisper, ‘We watch you from the stars beyond.’