X-Rank Hunter

"You're too weak!"

Ben Cosa still remembered the words of his younger brother as clear as crystal. It was engraved deep inside his heart that he could tell that it couldn't be forgotten anymore.

His brother's eyes glared at him with contempt and pity as if disgusted that he had an older brother such as him.

But what else could he do? He was just six years old at that time and he really didn't care about getting stronger. All he wanted was to sleep, eat, and be merry. He spent most of his time wasting and never he planned to get stronger.

But never he thought that it would deliver him his doom.

At that time, his family decided for him and his younger brother to fight to death to determine the future of the family. Because they only needed one leader in the future and the stronger was no doubt to be the right one.

Besides, it was a 'curse' to their family that they were forced to do such actions.

Ben was just unfortunate that he was the son of the family head and he was born with a twin. What even worse was that he was useless and his younger brother was a genius.

Making a child fight each other to death was not the first time that something like this happened to their family. It was very rare to happen though.

It only happened when a family leader gave birth to a twin child of which they were the firstborn. Every firstborn was the successor of the family head so if they were twins, to whom would be the family head position to go into? Naturally, for an assassin family such as them, and a cursed one at that, they decided for the child to fight to death to determine the best leader.

Ben already knew something like this but he still didn't put any effort into becoming stronger. He was just simply hoping that when that day came, he would just give up his seat as an inheritor of the family leader and willingly give his position to his younger brother.

But never he thought that the family wouldn't agree to that and still decided to make them fight to death. Ben was of course powerless in front of his younger brother who put all his effort to become a great assassin.

At the age of six, he already killed lots of people and no one in his age could be compared to his strength. He deemed everyone in the same age of him as low life that he could trample beneath his feet. And that included his elder brother who unfortunately became his twin brother.

Their father was ruthless and only favored the strong. Seeing that Ben was a useless trash that couldn't be recycled, he gave up on him and didn't care whether he would die or not.

When the fated day came, Ben didn't even last a minute and was put to half death in a single move. Ben really thought that that was his end but at the very last moment, before he breathed his last, his mother appeared on the ring and kneeled in front of everyone. She begged for his life to be spared in exchange for her own life.

That was the most unforgettable moment of Ben's life. Though no one was with him, he knew full well that his mother was the only one who was there. Be it in the shadows or in front of anyone else, his mother was the only one who supported him.

But at that time, he was completely powerless to even protect his only supporter. He couldn't even protect himself. That time, he begged to become stronger but was helpless to do so. Strength didn't come in a single moment, it needed effort and hard work to acquire it, so how could he become strong just because he wished for it?

Ben watched the crowds. Some were laughing, some were disgusted, some were pitying them. Many emotions flooded the crowd but one thing that they came in unison was that; they hated him to the core!

The twelve elders seated above stared at his mother for a while before someone finally suggested, "We will spare the life of your son, but he will be banished from our family. There's no need to take your life as well, you just need to go to the Black Cave... How about it?"

Hearing this made the elders and the crowd mumbled their own opinions. The other elders talked with each other and agreed to the suggestion of that certain elder.

The crowds didn't have any complaints as well and it seemed like they were even happier with that.

Killing Ben was only a one-time pain and suffering but banishing him from the family could make him feel that he was being killed every day. The only thing that they put their concern on was for his mother to be put into the Black Cave. They really felt pity about his mother bearing a useless child.

The family leader, Ben's father, stared at Ben and his wife in coldness as he decided, "Fine then, let's do what did the second elder has come up with."

Hearing this made Ben's mother smile in delight because her son could be finally saved somehow. But on the other hand, Ben couldn't stop crying. He was crying not because he would suffer for as long as he lives but he was lamenting his mother's sacrifice.

Black Cave? That was the place that no one would wish to go into. Even the family leader himself had only a slim chance of getting out of that cave.

Ben wanted to refute what they had decided but no more words came out from his lips. "Why?! You can just leave me alone!" Ben wanted these words to cry out only to be swallowed.

His mother of course knew about his thoughts. She walked closer to him and held her son's cheeks with her warm and soft hands. She smiled while looking into his eyes. "Because you're special. That's why I'm willing to do anything for you."

Ben heard his mother's mutterings as his tears kept coming down. What was so special about him? He could tell that his mother was just consoling him. Or maybe, it was what she really felt. But there was nothing really special about him. Ben could also tell that this special thing was just the feeling of a mother to her son.

He really felt powerless and wished to turn back time to put his effort into becoming stronger so that he could prevent something like this to happen.

But it was too late for regrets now.

His younger brother only listened from what did the crowds had decided and stared at him and his mother in coldness. He then turned around and walked away. But before he could finally leave the ring, he halted his steps, turned his head around, and glared at him. "You're too weak!"

After saying those words his younger brother vanished in the dark leaving without a trace.

He heard those words very clearly and up to till now, it was still engraved in his heart. It was already been five years since then but there was no single day that those words didn't appear on his mind.

Stronger! He wished to become stronger. Not only he wished, not only he believed, but he also put actions with it. The hard work he put in his every effort was beyond every normal human could do. His only rest was sleep. Even while eating, he was still training himself to death and had no time to be merry.

He killed. He slaughtered his way to become stronger. Countless blood had been spilled from his hand as he walked the path of assassination.

The Hunter Association noticed his threat and they put a bounty on him. But on the other hand, his family was as if blind and couldn't even see his effort.

Enmity! The day passed by and his enmity against his family only grew stronger. He wanted to save his mother from the Black Cave but was helpless to do so. Every time he went back to the family, his younger brother would always greet him and he would always get beaten miserably.

No matter how much hard work he put into his effort, he still couldn't go anywhere close to his younger brother's strength. Maybe that was the difference between talent and hard work.

He was even doubting in himself that he could never defeat his younger brother in his life anymore. But it appeared that fate didn't forsake him when one day, one of the Four Greatest Hunters came into him and asked him if he needed powers to become stronger.

Ben was still doubting if it was just a fraud but since he had no way of becoming stronger, he decided to ask for power, and that entity who claimed himself as one of the Four Greatest Hunters really gave the power he sought.

But sadly for him, he thought that he could already go back to the family to save his mother but the entity warned him not to do so and wait for the right time instead. Ben didn't want to agree but the entity assured him that his mother was safe.

Ben then reluctantly agreed and suppressed his emotion and urge to go back to his family.

Right now, Ben was gazing into the moon. Its brightness illuminated his surroundings. The painful memories of the past vanished at that moment and only the smile of his mother was left as he could see her at the moon.

"Because you're special." Those words echoed in his mind and without knowing it, slight tears dropped from the edge of his eyes as he instinctively wiped away the tears with his hand. After which, the moonlight reflected on his eyes filled with resentment.

Only his mother treated him as special. Only his mother loved him. Everyone else from his family only sought power and willing to give up everything in order to acquire it.

A bunch of rotten people didn't deserve to be treated like family!

Ben then raised his rod upwards as he muttered, "I will definitely become stronger and save you, mother. Just wait for me a little longer..."

The rod then slowly transformed itself into a sword as he brandished it in front of him and surprisingly, the land in front was cut into a half, leaving almost a deep and bottomless ravine.

Just how much power did this weapon had to display such strength?