The Grate Oni
Volume (1) Benoni Chapter (2)
Lifan woke up abruptly in his room, sitting up in shock. He anxiously pressed his hand to his stomach and lifted his shirt to inspect himself. Seeing nothing there, he exhaled in relief and let himself fall back onto the bed. But then, suddenly, tears welled up in his eyes, flowing freely. No matter how strong his spirit was, he was only fourteen years old.
"I'm still alive..."
At that moment, the door to his room opened, and his mother stepped inside. Before she could say a word, she froze for a brief moment upon seeing Lifan in tears. He wasn't a child who cried easily—the last time he did was when he fell from a tree at the age of seven. But now, before his mother, he wept like a child, and she hesitated.
Lifan, too, stopped crying, looking up at her silently. She stepped forward, sat down on the bed, and pulled him into her embrace. His tears poured out uncontrollably as he clung to her.
"I love you, Mom."
His mother chuckled softly, stroking his back as she replied, "I love you too, my dear Lifan."
"Alright, alright, come on. If we sit here too long, we'll miss breakfast."
After a while, Lifan got up from his bed and headed to the bathroom. He pulled off his shirt and inspected himself in the mirror. He had been training consistently, though his young age meant his muscles were still small. His lean frame looked strong, his physique well-proportioned despite his slender build.
"I'm not getting bugger, but I'm definitely getting stronger," he murmured.
"I can feel the energy in my body."
He flexed his muscles in the mirror, admiring the definition for a few minutes before filling a twenty-liter bucket with water.
"I used to struggle with lifting this... but now, it hardly feels heavy."
Satisfied, he grinned to himself. Lifan had always been strong, but now, with the additional power of his growing body, his strength bordered on the extraordinary. Despite his small frame, he carried the force of a grown man within him.
He quickly washed his face, brushed his teeth, and headed downstairs for breakfast. His meal consisted of fried eggs, pork slices, and milk—ideal nourishment for someone his age.
At home, there were just three of them—him, his mother, and his father. His mother was a strikingly beautiful woman, while his father was rugged but impressive—a wealthy man and a respectable one at that. Lifan had inherited some of his father's strong features, including a sharp nose and defined jawline. But his slightly narrow eyes made his face lean toward the rough side. If only his eyes were a bit bigger, he might have been considered truly handsome.
At the breakfast table, his mother watched him carefully and asked with concern, "Is something wrong, dear? You can tell us."
Lifan lifted his head slightly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Ah, no. It's nothing. Just a bad dream."
His mother, realizing he didn't want to talk about it, nodded quietly and didn't press further. Though in her mind, she suspected it had something to do with a girl. His father, on the other hand, eyed both of them with curiosity, but didn't say a word and simply continued eating.
After breakfast, his mother sent him out to buy a few groceries.
By the year 2040, the world had advanced significantly, solving environmental pollution issues. The sky was bright and clear, its vast blue expanse dotted with beautiful clouds. The city hadn't changed too drastically from twenty years prior—except now it was noticeably cleaner and more picturesque.
The store was only a five-minute walk away. As he approached, he noticed a group of thugs in a nearby alley harassing a young boy for money. Lifan simply walked past them, not intervening. After all, there were at least ten of them. He wasn't strong enough to take on that many opponents at once.
But just before entering the store, he stopped.
"No… this isn't the same as before."
"The old me lacked the strength to do anything. But now... I carry the power of a grown man combined with my own."
"Could I win?"
His heartbeat quickened as he turned and stepped into the alley.
Inside, around twelve men lounged about, some smoking cigarettes, while a ten-year-old boy trembled as he handed over his last coins.
"Hey, kid. Are you sure that's all?" one thug sneered.
"If we find more on you, you'll get a punch for every dollar you hide."
The child stammered, "I-I swear... that's all I have."
Without warning, Lifan rushed forward and kicked one of the men, sending him flying into a trash bin.