In a lavish forest that spanned endless miles, at its center stood a bustling city with high-rise buildings.
The lights of the buildings shone brightly as billboards advertised countless appliances, shows, and animations. The atmosphere was busy, and the sound of hurried footsteps filled the air.
On top of one of those buildings stood a boy, 18 to 19 years old, standing at 5'5". He had black eyes and black hair, wearing nice yet overly worn clothes. His presence made the atmosphere heavy, and those who looked at him felt pity.
He stood at the edge of the skyscraper, looking down at the people beneath his feet, observing their focused states.
His gaze was empty, as if he had no soul, yet his expression remained neutral.
A cold breeze passed as he looked toward the horizon, the sun shining brightly, illuminating the busy streets.
"I never knew the world could be this beautiful, yet it's only now that I see it," he said, looking off into the distance silently, as if seeing a past no one else could touch.
"My world is but empty, a shell of what it formerly once was." His hands trembled behind his back as he silently looked at the rising sun.
He was an orphan living with his grandmother. His parents had died several years ago when he was still young.
It was a car accident — a hit-and-run — but they were able to find the driver.
The driver was just an 18-year-old kid who had recently bought a Ford Mustang.
He wanted to test it out and ended up getting into a car accident with Li Hao's parents.
After that, he was taken to court shortly afterward, but he had financial backing and power from his father.
With top lawyers and a bit of bribery, he was able to walk free from his crimes.
For Li Hao and his grandmother — the ones who took him to court — the cost was extravagant, and they ended up broke.
With no way to provide food for him, his grandmother took on two jobs, working herself to the bone just to make ends meet.
Yet that brat who killed his parents still walked free with a clear conscience.
"The world has no justice. Justice is but a term used by the weak, a faith to make up for their lack of power," Li Hao said, his tone serene yet full of hidden meaning.
He thought, "In this step lay mysteries — mysteries the world can't explain. Yet those who seek to escape this world choose to take this step."
"Will I... follow in their footsteps? The path that leads to one end, an inevitability that all will reach, yet..." He looked at his cellphone.
There was a picture of his grandmother.
She was in the hospital, taking her final breaths as she died under the dim light of the cold room.
"In this world, I no longer have anyone... those I trust, those I love, and those I cherish," he said. A slight dimming of the light in his eyes occurred, like an old memory resurfacing.
In his school years, he had been a bright student with a good academic record. But ever since his parents died, he had lost his edge.
His emotions spiraled, and his character changed. Over time, he became distant from those around him. And that made him the perfect target for bullying.
His bully — one of the boys at school — started by mocking him and the death of his parents.
But over time, it escalated. The bully targeted his poverty, his social status, his clothes, and more.
In the end, it became both physical and mental abuse — torturing him for his very existence, as if he had a choice in the matter.
Li Hao, with his constant bullying and status as a social outcast, began to read novels.
Romance novels — dreaming of a future wife and kids.
Psychological novels — dreaming of using his superior intellect to outsmart and outplay those around him.
And eastern fantasy novels — dreaming of the great Dao, of reaching the high heavens and stepping on those who bullied him.
Li Hao raised his hand as if grasped at the mysteries of the world. He asked,
"Is there really no true immortality — to reach the apex of power and strength?
To be unrivaled under all heavens?" Li Hao said.
"I guess my fate ends here. I will see what the true Dao of death looks like," he said as he took a step forward, jumping off the building's edge.
As he felt the wind passing his body, he looked at the ground, which drew closer with each second.
As he reached the solid surface, his body hit the ground with untold force — breaking apart into a smash of blood, organs, flesh, and bones.