The Heavenly Road: God Hunters
Chapter 001 Little Boy (revision)
My name is Asta Raiken, I'm 7 years old.
"Dad...!! Look at! Can I keep it..?!"
"Aauuu...!!"
The wolf's long howl followed the 7-year-old's footsteps as he ran with the little wolf in his arms.
"What is he really thinking?! Why did he suddenly howl and chase after me?!" asta's mind is upset.
"Dad…!! You were there…?!!" yelled Asta calling his parents.
"Aauuu...!!"
His breathing began to pant, but the wolf did not heed him at all. The people around laughed seeing him enter the village while being chased by his own father's pet wolf.
In one of the modest houses, a man who was feeding his pet marmot was shocked to see his arrival.
"Dad! You have to hurry and see this! This puppy is so cute and adorable...!!" asta shouted while revealing the little wolf in her arms.
"What?! Dogs?!" confused muttering.
He is my father, Arai Ken. He's 27 years old. A swordsman and animal lover.
The howling of the wolf made the group of marmots run in fear. Some hid on the ground, others went into the crevices of collapsed tree branches.
Asta immediately took refuge behind the strapping body of Arai Ken. The wolf reflexively stopped before him with a parched face.
Arai Ken sighed softly, "You scared Zena and the others," he said to the adult wolf chasing Asta Raiken.
"And what's going on here...?" Arai Ken rubbed his forehead in bewilderment as he watched his son return with the little wolf he was hugging.
"Asta, can you explain it in more detail...?" pinta Arai Ken, asking for an explanation.
Haru is the male wolf who was my father's pet.
Asta smiled awkwardly, confused about where to start, "Tell me everything, starting from the moment you went to play with your friends this morning," said Arai Ken, asking Asta to tell you immediately.
Asta nodded his head, still with a shy smile on his face. He also started telling stories.
Asta watches his best friend, Kenshin Utake, fight Shiro Nekoshi to share his experiences. In the middle of the fight, Asta suddenly leaves just like that, leaving his friends with the excuse of wanting to find Haru.
After a long time without meeting Haru, Asta feels like playing with him and riding him, while fantasizing about becoming a great swordsman. However, upon reaching Haru's lair, the one Asta met was actually a cute and adorable little wolf. The thought of bringing her home crossed Asta's mind. The little wolf looked calm and did not rebel.
When Asta turned his body, Haru suddenly appeared behind him. Asta smiled, as he did not need to walk home. However, on the other hand, Haru growled to see Asta carrying the little wolf.
Without hesitation, Haru leaped with the intention to pounce on Asta in one move. Asta was surprised and immediately ran away.
Arai Ken laughed out loud while holding his stomach after hearing the whole story.
"This little wolf is adorable, but that doesn't mean you can take it from him. We've known Haru for a long time" he said, giving advice.
Haru nodded his head as if confirming what Arai Ken said.
"Aauuu...!!" there was another wolf approaching.
"Aauuu...!!" Haru replied to that howl.
She's Eni, the she-wolf. Just like Haru, Eni is my father's pet wolf.
Eni jumped over the fence of the courtyard and approached the three of them while growling slightly when she saw Asta holding the small wolf.
"No...! From now on, Ace will be with me...!" yelled Asta refused to hand it over.
"Ace...?" muttered Arai Ken with a look of confusion.
I gave him a name, Ace. That's name.
"Loe... Eni's... Before, I wanted to congratulate you. But can you trust Ace to my son? I'll watch him" he told the pair of wolves.
They stared at each other for a while before finally nodding their heads with understanding. Ace, the little wolf looked calm and did not refuse. Arai Ken was finally relieved because they were easy to negotiate.
"Hurry to make an appointment with them that you will take good care of him" Arai Ken told him.
Asta nodded his head slowly. Then, he let go of Ace's embrace and hugged the pair of wolves.
"Loe... Eni's... Trust me! I promise I'll take good care of Ace!" he promised the pair of wolves.
After which, the pair of wolves stepped back into the forest.
The sound of a door creaking from the direction of the house, and the head of a woman appeared from behind the door.
That woman is my mother, Aina Misaki, 26 years old. Mother is a loving woman who is attentive and expert in cooking. However, based on what I know from my father, my mother also has skills that are no less great than him in swordsmanship.
"Asta! What happened to Eni?" Aina Misaki looked out in confusion.
"Where did he go? Is that voice really Eni?" ask Aina Misaki to Asta, looking for certainty.
"Ouch..." Asta was silent for a moment, trying to find the right word. "So..."
"Yes, he took his son away, just now" Arai Ken quickly cut off, trying to explain the situation.
"Ehh...?!! Dad..." Aina Misaki looked at Asta with a sharp look, expressing disappointment and disapproval.
"Although they are animals, we should not treat them carelessly. How would we feel if suddenly someone kidnapped us for the same reason...?!" misaki said seriously, giving a piece of advice.
Asta felt guilty and smiled awkwardly. "Mother, I'm sorry," she said in a soft voice, showing her regret.
"All right! Now, let's go in. I've already prepared lunch," Aina Misaki asked the two of them in a gentle tone, trying to restore the atmosphere.
---
The sun was still burning when they finished lunch. Asta sees Ace trying to creep around the marmot cage, and quickly catches him before the action has the potential to cause a fatal loss.
"Mother! Is there any leftover meat...?!" Asta ran over to his mother who was still busy in the kitchen. Aina Misaki showed the meat that had been prepared on the table.
"Thank you, mom!"
When Asta was busy feeding Ace, without realizing it, his mother was crying beside his father. Asta frowned, confused by the situation.
"Dad... Why are you crying?" he was astonished, approaching his parents.
Not knowing what to say, Arai Ken threw the question to Aina Misaki.
"Ehh...?! Is something wrong, mom?" Aina Misaki tried to wipe away her tears.
"Mother is fine, just sad to be separated from you for a few days" she said, smiling.
Asta raised his eyebrows, "Ehh...?! You still think about that?" he said while scratching his head which was not actually itching.
Misaki could only faintly smile, then hugged Asta tightly as if it was the last hug they were going to do.
---
Over the next four days, the relationship between them grew even tighter. Plus, Ace is a smart wolf, so it is not difficult to teach him various things. Asta was already used to the situation where Arai Ken and Aina Misaki went to the city for their work as swordsmen. Normally, only Arai Ken left, while Aina Misaki accompanied him at home.
"If you need anything, go and ask Uncle Helio, I've spoken to him" Arai Ken said.
"Ready, Dad! Be careful on the way!" answer Asta.
"Remember! Do not go home too late, and do not forget to exercise and eat enough. Your growth lags far behind compared to others, aren't you envious of seeing them?" said Aina Misaki.
"Oh, Mom! We'll only be apart for a few days. Even though I trained hard, the results would not be too amazing" Asta replied.
Aina Misaki gave a small smile hearing it, but in her heart she felt sad and heavy hearted. He didn't want to leave Asta for so long.
"Aina.." call Arai Ken, try to cheer him up.
"Yes, yes, I understand," Aina Misaki replied with a faint smile.
Then, Asta took his arrow bow. "Aces! Let's go now before the deer hide again" he asked.
"Mothers... Fathering... I'm leaving now!" he shouted while running followed by Ace.
Aina Misaki and Arai Ken looked at each other and smiled at each other.
"Trust... He is our son" said Arai Ken, tightly holding Aina Misaki's hand.
"I'm very curious about the development after this" he added, looking at Asta getting further away.
Aina Misaki smiled. "Hmph! Of course he's my son. I gave birth to her," Aina Misaki said with a small laugh. Arai Ken laughed when he heard it.
In an instant, the two of them disappeared from sight, leaving a gust of strong wind that blew away the dust around them.
---
On a clear morning, the sun rises slowly in the eastern horizon. A boy and his little wolf ran down the country road towards the exit of the village. The people they met along the way greeted and asked him.
The two of them entered the forest cautiously, wary of any possible missed targets.
"Aces... Get ready," whispered Asta, aiming at a deer eating grass.
"Whusshhhh..!!"
"Grrooooo....!!"
Asta was upset, "Ace... Chase him... Don't let him get away!" asta shouted while pinning her bow on her shoulder.
Ace glides quickly after the deer, followed by Asta who runs behind him.
---
Asta managed to catch the deer after about 2 hours passed. He is satisfied and proud of his achievements.
However, Asta forgot something important, which was to realize where he was at the moment. During his pursuit of the deer, he did not pay attention to the surroundings.
"Ehh..?! Where is this...?" confused muttering.
Asta stood up and walked around, trying to recognize the surrounding environment. However, he did not recognize the place at all. Asta's lost.
"Aces! Can you show me the way home with your kiss?" he said while looking at the little wolf.
"Grp.. Grp.." Ace was seen taking a nap and was unresponsive.
Asta let out a heavy sigh of not being able to rely on Ace at the moment. He had no choice but to explore the surrounding area in hopes of meeting someone.
Not far from where he was, Asta found a 3-meter-high stone that formed a door standing on the ground. Asta was curious and approached him.
When he was in front of the stone, suddenly the stone glowed and formed a radiant gate.
"I never knew there was anything like a luminous door here" Asta said as he touched the blue light in front of him.
Suddenly, the gate pulled him firmly. "Ace..!!! Please..!!" Asta could not resist and was eventually sucked into the gate of light.
His vision shifted to a world he did not recognize. Inside there, there were only large and small color stripes that formed a mess. Among the chaos, Asta flew through the path of light which eventually led him to the end of the path.
"Ohhhhhh..!!"
In just a few minutes, Asta was thrown out of the world of chaos and landed in a garden at the bottom of a valley filled with flowers.
Arriving there, Asta immediately noticed a house in front of him. "Excuse me...!! Is anyone here?" Asta called out with a bit of anxiety.
"Tokay! Geck! Geck!"
"Excuse me...!! Is anyone here?"
Suddenly, a white shadow floated up from behind and stood right behind Asta. The shadow looked like a long-haired man the size of Arai Ken, and he held a pot of plant sprinklers in his right hand.
"Buck! How did you enter this separate world?" the man said.
Asta was startled and reflexively turned to look back. "Ohhh..!!! Ghost...!!!" Asta could hardly believe what he saw.
"Don't eat me! Get out of here...!! My flesh is bitter and I swear...!!" Despite her fear, Asta tries to retreat away from the ghost. However, his legs seemed to be unable to move, and Asta sat on the ground.
His face turned red when he realized that he was calling a ghost. However, suddenly the ghostly face smiled cunningly, as if something was planned.
"Good job! Very nice! It's been a long time since I last ate shredded meat. I heard that kids are so sweet and chewy!" he said while playing his tongue.
Asta was horrified to hear it. With little courage left, he tried to get up and escape.
"Hehe... Where to go, little boy...!!"
What Asta forgets is that ghosts can penetrate everything and move quickly. The man caught Asta's wrist.
Then, the man slowly bit his arm. Asta tried to revolt, but his efforts were in vain.
"No! Please, no! No..!!! Ahh..!!!" Asta shouted while trying to fight back.
Eventually, Asta fell unconscious because of his fear. The man laughed out loud as he felt it worked to frighten him.
"I wonder how many centuries it has been since I died" the man said as he put a necklace with a ring as a pendulum around his neck.
---
"Akhs... Don'tdon't... No...!" Asta woke up from his sleep with a terrified cry.
Seeing Asta scream, Ace looked at him in wonder. "Eh... Haha... It seems like it was just a dream. Thank goodness..." Asta laughed awkwardly while looking at Ace. He was relieved to realize that it was just a dream.
The sun is high in the sky. "It's lunch time. Let's go home, Ace," he asked as he carried the deer that had been hunted.
When they arrived at the village, the people greeted them warmly. Many give praise for the results of Asta's hunt.
---
For the next three days, Asta just stayed at home and played with Ace. He also works out and plays with friends his age occasionally.
On the fourth day, Helio Utake, the person entrusted by Arai Ken, came to Asta's house in the morning.
"Uncle Helio! What's up?" asta asked curiously when she saw who was knocking on her door so early.
Helio Utake, 26, a father with one child, Kenshin Utake.
Helio looked confused about how to convey what he had to say. However, after all, he had to say it to Asta.
"It's about your parents" he said in a soft voice as he swallowed his saliva.
"A messenger came by last night and told them that the group they were escorting was attacked while on the way. Everyone, including your parents, is missing" he said, delivering the news.
Asta fell silent and felt disbelief at the news. Tears began to flow from his eyes. He started crying loudly for a moment.
Seeing Asta in such a state, Helio felt sad, but he could not find the right words to comfort him back then. All he could do was hold her tight.
Ace, who also heard her cries, went straight out and approached her. Likewise with the surrounding residents who heard his crying voice, they came closer. Gently, Helio then ordered them to disperse and gave Asta and Ace time to be alone.
"Why.. is this all... Happened to me, Uncle?" Asta said in a disjointed voice.
"It was a risk to become a cultivator. Kill or be killed, that's what they do. Only by becoming stronger can we survive," Helio said giving an explanation of the risks of becoming a cultivator.
Hearing that, Asta could not say a word. He must accept and strengthen his heart to accept all this. He already knew that the work of his father and mother involved fighting, as described by his father. However, still, it was not easy for him to accept the departure of his parents.
"Uncle, can you help me? And also, do you know who attacked father and mother's entourage?" ask Asta.
Helio was silent for a moment. "I'll help you as far as I can, Asta. However, I really don't know who the group that attacked your father and mother's entourage was," Helio said then asking Asta to let go of a momentary hug so that he could take something out of his pocket.
"This is all that the messenger left behind. He said that there was a piece of paper tied to this ring with your name," Helio gave the ring to him.
Asta is further shaken after seeing the ring, a silver ring that is the storage ring belonging to his father.
"Uncle, can you help me?! I want to be stronger... Teach me how to cultivate... Please, Uncle!" asta pinta.
"Sure," Helio answered briefly.
"Now, calm your mind first. After that, I'll start explaining everything about cultivation to you" Helio said.
Asta hugged Ace tightly. Now, only the two of them were accompanying each other in this house.
Climbing the Path of Heavenly Fate was a common term used to describe a cultivator. Cultivators were divided into two groups, namely True Cultivators and Demon Cultivators.
1) True Cultivators are those who follow a cultivation method that is pure and honorable.
2) Demon Cultivators are those who adopt cruel and immoral cultivation methods. This is what distinguishes them.
To become a cultivator, one needed to choose their own cultivation path, which was also known as the Path of Understanding. The Path of Understanding covered various fields within the cultivation world, of which there were countless. Some examples include the Spirit Master Path, the Swordsman Path, the Medicine Concocting Path, and the Forging Path.
The strength of a cultivator is determined by their level of understanding, which is also known as the realm. There are eleven levels in the realm:
1. Beginners
2. Fighter
3. Wiz
4. Masters
5. Senior
6. Kings
7. Grand King
8. Elders
9. Earth Elders
10. Sky Elders
11. Heavenly Emperor
To increase their understanding, cultivators needed a natural energy called Heavenly Source. This Heavenly Source had various important benefits for a cultivator.
Heavenly Sources are the basic powers that are scattered all over the world. Water, fire, plants, rocks, living things, air, and more had a Heavenly Source in them. It required a special method to gather Heavenly Sources and store them inside the cultivator's body.
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I apologize profusely for this negligence and ignore a story I have assembled. There are a lot of things going on in my life, which require me to stop continuing this revision of the story halfway through. But after this, with great confidence, I will remain consistent to revise this story down to the last part of the update before resuming the story.
The novel is still in the process of revision, so I apologize in advance for that. For the revised chapter I will give a sign, thank you:)
