Rebirth of the Shadow Warrior

9 – Dominion trigger

Thaddeus smiled through the pain.

Hu Khan grabbed him again and punched him hard across the cheeks, causing everyone to gasp.

Some even hid their faces to avoid the horrible sight.

" This is what happens... when any of you dares to act foolish again." Hu Khan said, landing another punch on Rael's face

Each moment his fists connected with Rael's face, the system chimed incessantly.

[ PAIN THRESHOLD:28%]

" Stupid boy..." another angry punch slammed Rael's head to the side.

[PAIN THRESHOLD: 58%]

" I'll make sure you learn a bitter lesson this time!" Hu Khan shouted, landing another punch as Rael's cries filled the air

[ PAIN THRESHOLD: 95%]

By now, Rael's face was almost covered in blood but Hu Khan didn't stop.

Just as he was about to land one final blow, a loud voice called from behind, making him stop.

" Enough...”

Hu Khan growled in annoyance and turned.

The moment he saw who it was, he instantly stepped back.

“Y-Young Master.”

Thaddeus slowly opened his swollen eye to see a young man, dressed in dark blue robes embroidered with silver threads that bore the Darkthorne crest.

The robes was simple but designed to stand out among others.

Everyone lowered their heads in respect as the man came closer. Unlike Hu Khan, the man possessed a stable qi equal to that of a great warrior.

The man's eyes scanned the courtyard briefly before settling on Rael's face. He had the kindest eyes Thaddeus had ever seen.

A faint smile tugged at Thaddeus's lips as he remembered him from Rael’s memories.

He was First master Xavier, the eldest son of Grandmaster Darkthorne, leader of the Darkthorne clan. But unlike the rest of his family, he was loved by the servants for his kindness.

Thaddeus could not count the numerous times Xavier had passed through the servants' quarters, offering a smile, a kind word, or a helping hand whenever he could.

Just then, Xavier stepped closer to Thaddeus before turning to Hu Khan with a stern expression.

" What happened here?... " He looked around "Why is he being punished?"

Hu Khan stiffened his back before lowering his head.

“ Master Xavier.. This cripple—”

“…What about him?” Master Xavier shot him a glance at his choice of words.

Hu Khan realized his mistake and hurriedly bowed.

" I'm sorry master. This servant interfered with discipline which is why he's being punished for it "

Xavier's eyes moved from Hu Khan back to the frail boy lying in front of him.

He let out a quiet sigh.

“ Hmmm, a servant interfering with discipline.” he chuckled to himself. That's rare," He thought, stepping closer with hands behind his back.

Hu Khan quickly opened his mouth.

“He was being arrogant, First master. I was about to correct him when you came.”

Xavier ignored him as his gaze swept across the courtyard, taking in Rael's bloodied face, the frightened servant girl and finally Hu Khan’s folded fist.

Unable to maintain the silence, Thaddeus spoke up.

" She did nothing wrong. Her bucket was broken because of someone's careless action, and yet she was the one being punished for it."

Hu Khan’s jaw tightened in anger.

" How dare you talk back to First master, you unworthy thing?"

" Enough, " Xavier raised a hand, stopping Hu Khan, then glanced toward Thaddeus.

A faint smile settled on his lips as his eyes rested on the frail boy before him. Unlike the others, Rael wasn’t trembling or scared which he found interesting.

After a minute of silence, he turned back to Hu Khan.

" So a broken bucket caused all this?” his tone carried a sense of disappointment.

Hu Khan lowered his head further.

“I was handling it, Master...”

Xavier glared at him.

“ Well, you failed because this boy here says otherwise.”

Thaddeus felt numb with shock. He had never had anyone in his life before who went out of his way to look out for him, to protect him and in this body, it was a new feeling to him.

Hu Khan’s fists clenched slightly.

“ Master Xavier... don't listen to him! ”

" Enough, " Xavier silenced Hu Khan with a simple lift of his finger before looking down at Rael.

" Was it true you interfered with discipline? "

Rael limped forward, despite the ache dragging through his leg.

“Yes.”

Master Xavier smiled at the response, surprised.

“And you admit it.”

“Yes.” Rael said again without hesitation.

Xavier paused and asked again.

“Why?”

The little boy before him met his eyes again and gave a soft smile.

“Because it is the truth.”

For a moment, nobody moved.

Hu Khan’s expression darkened in anticipation, as he was expecting immediate punishment but to his surprise.

Master Xavier only smiled.

“That’s an interesting answer.” He crouched, lowering himself to Thaddeus’s level.

" So... who do you think is responsible then? " He asked in a friendly manner.

In that moment, the system suddenly chimed loudly inside Thaddeus's brain.

It felt as if he was asleep and it was trying to wake him up.

[ PAIN THRESHOLD MET ]

[ DOMINION TRIGGER ACTIVE ]

[ EFFECT DURATION: 20 SECONDS ]

Thaddeus's eyes widened as his body jolted from the impact, forcing him to stagger. Xavier quickly caught him by the shoulders to support him from falling.

" Twenty seconds?!..." Thaddeus screamed inside his head.

What was he supposed to do with that?

Xavier steadied him gently, his expression shifting from curiosity to concern.

" Are you alright?" He asked, looking into Rael's face.

Hu Khan frowned slightly as the sight burned through him.

He hated seeing servants being cared for.

Thaddeus slowly took a deep breath as Xavier's voice faded into the background.

" Are you ok.....

His eyes involuntarily closed shut and suddenly every heartbeat around him became louder.

The noise startled him and he hurriedly opened his eyes, looking around in panic.

He could not explain what was happening.

He could see Xavier's lips were still moving, mumbling words but he was unable to hear.

It was as if his ears had stopped functioning.

Was this the Dominion Trigger?

He asked himself in his thoughts.

And at the last second, his senses suddenly returned as voices rushed into his ears all around him.

Xavier sighed and rose to his feet, signaling Hu Khan to come closer.

Thaddeus ignored them as his gaze was already focused on the dishonest servant who caused everything.

Their eyes met and the man quickly looked away in fear.

The system chimed inside Thaddeus's mind.

[ WEAK-MINDED TARGET DETECTED ]

Thaddeus locked eyes again with the man and focused.

The man froze in panic, unable to look away.

Thaddeus looked hard at him, letting the power envelop his senses, then spoke a single sentence.

“Tell the truth.”

Instantly, the servant froze in shock and his eyes bulged.

People around him quickly moved aside when they noticed the man's unusual behavior.