The Guidance of Fate II

"What are you doing?" The bull asked.

"You can sense what's inside my heart but you can't pry into my memories. You see old bull, I've heard this kind of story before. Our meeting may be caused by fate or something but I am not here to follow fate… I am here to make my OWN!"

"The instance I could grab your soul I am convinced you have no power left. With this space falling apart, it all indicates your time is running out."

"At the start, you deemed me weak, talentless, ignorant, and my purpose was foolish wasn't it? You were right! Oh, you were so right, wise old bull! And then you want to guide me, assume the role of a mentor and channel my actions for good, to become someone that brings light to the world, to be a sword against the darkness, to BLEED for the many, to SACRIFICE for the many, to SUFFER for the many!"

"I've seen through the veil of heroism. That is what being a hero is, o wise bull. All their deeds and actions spread far and wide, commended by everyone, venerated by the masses. Where is the hero? When people showered praises on their names? Most of them were already dead, wasn't it? So why the tales spread far and wide gilded in gold plating for some dead person?"

"Because the people want some fool to pick up the mantle and become the next hero! To have the poor fool bleed so they do not have to bleed, so the fool hurt instead of everyone getting hurt. Guess what Guo Song… O wise Guardian Beast, protector of the Ancient Seal, you have your offer and I have my answer."

"—But I REFUSE! One of the things I want to do at least once in my life… is to find people who think they're some hot shit and said NO straight to their stinkin' arrogant faces!"

Viers gripped at the ball and squished it strongly.

"Uuoooohhh… Why? Why do you refuse? If the world is faced with the threat of darkness, it is your duty as the one chosen to bear the gift, and as one living in this world to protect it!" Guo Song said with pain in his voice.

"HAH! There will be others. There will always be another that will pick up that burden. For their family, for their friend, for their home, for their love, for their revenge, for all kinds of things! No need to worry old bull, the world is full of people who will jump into the abyss of heroism, it's just that I am not one of them!"

"If those heroes are so incompetent and the world is coming to an end, I don't mind giving help once or twice. I am living in this world too you see, if it's destroyed where would I live? But it shall be on my terms and only if I am strong enough."

"I also noticed you did not say anything about the world's destruction. You said strife, suffering, darkness, threat, and catastrophe. In case you didn't notice old bull, the world is always full of those things! Maybe the coming Dark Age will inflict more of those to the world, but the strong, oh it was always the strong… and the fittest who will survive. It's just survival of the fittest. The law of the jungle! It's old news, boyo."

Viers shrugged while squeezing the soul ball, snickering.

"Aaarghh… How can you be so wicked? Have you no pity and compassion for other life besides your own? How can one such as you passed the trials to bear the gift of higher beings? Impossible, this cannot be, for the gift to land on the hand of someone so depraved! Your craving for power has blinded you. At the end, your very strength will become your own doom!"

'Oh? Trials hmnn? I didn't think I had those from the flower.'

"I heard those words before, no need to worry guardian bull, for I already drink the water from the Spring of Wisdom. It will guide me well."

"Spring of Wisdom!? Impossible! The Spring has dried up since the Age of Gods ended, it is not possible for any Water of Wisdom remained!"

'Well, well, would you look at that? So the Spring of Wisdom really existed? Well, it's dried up now, no need for concern.'

"Heh, it does not matter. Let's get back on track, shall we? The next issue is that you want to get inside my soul, even if you were speaking the truth and will cause or meant no harm for me but you will be INSIDE me. You shall be whispering advice in my ears, judged my actions through your eyes, you will teach me as I see more of the world. You will be my spirit guide… and I don't like it."

"If you are inside me. It will set my path merged with yours, I will be involved with your mess! The darkness, the seal, the catastrophe, yadda-yadda. Nope, no thank you. This is my PATH and mine alone! I will walk my path however I wish. If fate brings us to meet and fate wants me to do this and that, then fate can go eat shit!"

"Sacrilege! You know not of what you speak, vile human… You will regret your decisions this day! When the cries of innumerable suffering souls haunt you in the night. I will not lend my power to you, in this road you tread, death will find you before you succeed!"

The bull sounded angry, the soul space eradication was almost complete, the darkness was only a few meters left from Viers's location.

"Ah yes, the power you mean to lend. I do not like using any powers on loan. If it was given but with strings attached, I'd rather throw it away before it backfires on me. However, it was not your call to make old bull. I will TAKE what I want!"

Viers smiled diabolically.

"You do not have the method to take away my power… What do you mean?"

"You will know soon enough… Or perhaps you won't, either way, this is where we part. Thank you for the cryptic monologue, Guo Song. Die in peace… if you can."

Viers crushed the ball of light and he was enveloped with light.

***

When Viers opened his eyes, he'd returned to the real world. He did not know how much time had passed but he guesses it was not very long. In his mind, all soul talks were like that; long on the inside, mere seconds on the outside. The rain already turned into a drizzle, lights from the sun penetrated the clouds and created the illusion of light beams. Viers looked at the opponent in front of him, the bull… was dead.

Viers approached the body, with a knife in hand he stabbed at the bull. His knife broke. The bull's hide was too tough, it was an ordinary knife he took from a common nobody, Viers threw it away and reached out for the replacement.

He pulled out the broken spear on its stomach, the spear of the woman Viers killed. It was a beautiful spear, the patterned metal head reminded Viers of Damascus steel. It looked ordinary but he knew it was not. It was soaked with the bull's blue blood. The shaft was broken but the spear tip, the metal on the sharp end was undamaged.

He used the broken spear as a substitute for a knife and cut open the bull's stomach. It was a terrifying sight, blue blood and nauseating smell, but Viers did not back down. He cut a fistful of flesh, whether it was innards or organs Viers did not know. He looked at the flesh covered with blue blood on his hand.

'For power.'

Viers went out here to find something to enhance his healing factor. Ordinary ingredients certainly wouldn't be of any use but what about the flesh of a god-like bull in front of him? The bull was hands down the strongest being he ever met in this world, would someone like Viers waste this opportunity?

He steeled his resolve and put the flesh on his mouth, raw, uncooked. This bull was a monster or spirit or something completely different, Viers only knew this bull was a higher life form compared with the animals he hunted earlier. He cannot waste any flesh and blood that he could eat.

He did not dare to cook it, afraid of losing whatever nutrients or magical effects contained inside. He also had another concern, the battle was already over and the dark clouds were dissipating. Viers was afraid of people coming here to investigate the commotion.

'I can't waste time, I must eat all that I can and get the hell away from here as fast as possible.'

Viers ate the bull vigorously, the sound of moist flesh as his teeth sink into it entered his ears. The taste of blood filled his mouth, each bite he took disgust him but he refused to stop. As soon as he finished swallowing, he put another meat into his mouth.

'To reach places no one has ever been before.'

'To see vistas that will take my breath away.'

'To defeat any enemies standing on my path.'

'To survive…'

Under the dark rainy sky, a fat boy feasted on the corpse of a bull like a starving savage animal.