SSS SKILL: DUPLICATE

Vistal reached the hemisphere, then the viper turned into a golden warrior. The arm turned sharp, then it struck toward the hemisphere."COUT! TONY!"

Boom! The pointed arm hit, but the dimensional lock did not budge.

Vistal exhausted all his mana. A sad smile appeared on his face."Tony, the path we took is full of bones. The consequence is now hunting us, but at least we did not remain as nobody. I will go first, brother."

The slturned into jelly and fell to the ground with Vistal.

***

SWORDHEART: PIERCING SKY

Oom! The long sword moved like a beam. There was a huge white line that moved from the sky.

BANG! Swordheart clashed with the spear on Poison Lord's halberd. A shockwave filled with concept spread from the clash and destroyed the poison army.

Poison Lord gritted his teeth as he tried hard to push his halberd. As the huge sword was pushing down his weapon, the past was coming back to his mind.

Thirty years ago, fourteen year old Tony was just like normal boys who don't yearn for much. When he was coming hfrom school, he looked at the shoes of students with envy. He was only wearing slippers.

There was a place in the capital region where the houses did not have urban planning. The steel roofs were rusty and the walls of shouses were made up of plywood. Tony's hwas located in that place.

"I'm home," said Tony when he cto their house.

A middle aged woman named Celia was standing in the house. She was holding something behind her back."Do you know what I am holding?"

Tony shook his head.

Celia showed the new shoes she was holding, causing a big surprise to Tony.

"I-Is that for me?"

Celia smiled and nodded.

Tony wore the shoes with a big smile on his face.

Celia took her necklace with a Sto. Niño and put it on Tony."My mother gavethis necklace when I was a child. It will serve as a protection and a reminder to not lose hope. It will also serve as your guide when you lose your direction. Toto, no matter what, don't lose hope and chase your dream."

Tony smiled and nodded his head.

The next day, he happily went to school, but when he went home, he heard his stepfather Hector shouting at his mother.

"Do you think you can fool me?! Where is the money?!" Shouted Hector while holding Celia's clothes.

There were tears on Celia's eyes while her cheek was swelling and blood was flowing from her lips. She thought that she found a good husband, but Hector deeply hid his alcoholic side."All my earnings from tailoring are spent on our living expenses. The rest are already taken by you."

"You dare lie to me?!"

"Stop!" Shouted Tony as he ran and held Hector's hand.

Hector swung his hand, then kicked Tony to the floor. He chuckled when he saw the new shoes of the boy."So the money is there. It's fine, someone will still buy it."

Celia grabbed the man's clothes while crying."I-I saved the money for him. I gave you the money for your alcohol. Why will you still take it away from my son?"

"Shut up woman!" Shouted Hector as he slapped Celia and kicked her to the floor.

Tony cried, then he saw a scissor on the table. He quickly grabbed it. He screamed and stabbed at the man's back as he closed his eyes. He opened his eyes and was shocked that it stabbed Hector's chest instead.

Blood flowed from Hector's mouth."D-Damn kid."

Hector wobbled then fell to the floor.

Celia was shocked, but she quickly reacted. She touched the blood on the floor. She held the scissor, then wiped the blood to her clothes.

"M-Mom, w-what are you doing?"

Celia wiped the blood on her hands, then held Tony's face. She smiled as tears were falling from her eyes."I did it. Do you understand?"

Tears gushed from Tony's eyes as his mouth trembled.

There was a trial. Although it was self defense, the judge thought that it was not enough to use deadly force. Celia's attorney was able to reduce her sentence for a few years.

Tony was crying in the court as he faced Celia.

Celia looked at his cousin with pleading eyes."Please take care of him."

The man named Jude perfunctorily nodded his head.

Tony regularly visited his mother. He was motivated to study hard and beca lawyer. He studied hard and worked odd jobs to sustain his expenses.

One day, he noticed the difference in his mother's health."Mom, are you okay?"

Celia smiled and nodded her head."How is your school?"

Tony narrated his experience as usual. Celia smiled and nodded her head from tto time.

Tony left the prison and Celia went back inside.

"Did you tell him?" Asked Celia's cellmate named Rona.

Celia's eyes turned teary and shook her head.

Rona sighed.

Celia went to the chapel. She prayed as she cried.

A few months later, Tony was notified that his mother collapsed and rushed to a hospital.

Celia looked frail as she held Tony's hand. She smiled as she gave him a passbook and weakly said,"All my life savings are here. I hid it very well for you. I was planning to give it to you later, but I did not expect this to happen. Use it very well for your study."

Tony's mouth was trembling as he cried."M-Mom, I-Im so sorry."

Celia shook her head."It's not your fault. It was already there, but I thought it was just a simple illness."

Jude also arrived at the hospital and asked what happened.

The policeman woman sighed."Your cousin has late stage colon cancer. Although there is free medicine, the prison doesn't have a good facility and you know the situation in the prison. It isn't a good place for a patient who is taking anti cancer drugs."

Celia succumbed to cancer.

Tony held the necklace as he looked at his mother's tomb with teary eyes. He went home, then kept studying and working hard.

One day, when he needed money for his studies, he didn't have another option, but to rely on the money given by his mother. He took the passbook from a hidden place, but he was shocked that the balance was empty. He rushed to Jude and shouted,"Where is the money?!"

Jude and his family just kept watching TV. He was able to withdraw because he was the legal guardian of Tony.

"I was planning to borrow it. I thought my luck today was good. I was winning, so I can't help but increase the wager. Sadly, I was tricked and lost it to a gamble," said Jude.

Something seemed to have snapped on Tony's mind. Jude kept talking, but he could not hear it. His mother's hard work and sacrifices were gone just like that. His mother's frail body and last moments appeared in his mind."AHHHHH!"

He rushed to Jude and struck. Jude's wife and son tried to stop Tony. They were able to hold his arms, but his face looked savage as stared at Jude.

"Are you out of your mind?! Get out of my house right now!!!"

Tony spit on the floor."I will get out of this house even if you don't tell me. Your disgusting smell reeks."

He swung his arms, then he moved out of the house. He snapped his necklace and threw it to a trash can in an alley. From then on, he roamed the streets, and fought for food. He learned how to survive through any means and beca beast. He was able to join a gang, and catched the leader's attention.

The gang leader named Marquez preferred the nToto because he didn't like the nTony. Tony had to maintain a flattering smile and act like a good dog. It was what he learned in the street, to hide his true face and bide his tlike a viper. When the broken world appeared and magic beasts becrampant, Tony was one of the first to bechyperbeing, then the beast he was hiding within himself showed its true face.

Marquez's face was black and blue. His neck had a leash while he was kneeling on the floor.

Tony was watching television while holding the rope of the leash. Karan and Vistal were standing behind him.

On the television, it was reported that there was no functioning government on Palawan Island, because the officials either died or ran away. Tony smiled, then through their means, they were able to stay on the island and maintain their reign. He was able to pass a trial and becknown to the world as Poison Lord.

There was more determination on Poison Lord's eyes as he remembered his past. Poison energy was suddenly forming around him and flowing to his body and halberd. His height was getting taller.

"What?! Is he starting to understand the elemental authority?!" Said Edgar in his mind.

Poison Lord's recent exploration of a broken world and his past gave him a deeper understanding of himself and the nature of his power. A hyperbeing could not have an authority over power with a weak will. Poison Lord was stepping to the next stage, the 8th circle.

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