Chapter 472: My Biggest Enemy
Time passed in that strange way it does when the world stops making sense, seconds stretching into minutes or maybe hours.
Damian kept glancing at the man beside him, his mouth opening slightly before closing again.
He didn’t know what to say, didn’t know what questions were appropriate or if he should even be asking anything at all.
The man noticed these aborted attempts at conversation and shook his head with a smile.
"You know, a child like you will probably never find a wife."
"Huh?"
Damian’s head turned, confusion written across his face.
The man’s smile widened, amusement dancing in his crimson eyes.
"Women don’t like men who are wishy-washy... If you have something you want to ask, just ask. Don’t sit there opening and closing your mouth like a fish."
"..."
After some time, Damian’s mouth opened again, considering what he actually wanted to know.
"What kind of man were you before the world changed?"
The question came out simpler than he’d intended, carrying genuine curiosity.
The man’s expression shifted slightly, his smile becoming gentler.
"This soul fragment of mine doesn’t have any memories of that time."
He looked out over the landscape.
"But I can tell you what kind of man I became after the world changed, and you can probably work backwards from there."
He paused, letting the silence stretch comfortably.
"A long time ago, I didn’t believe I had it in me to fight the monsters pouring through portals."
His hands rested loosely in his lap, completely relaxed.
"I was just a normal man who’d never seen real combat, never faced death, never tested myself against anything that could actually kill me."
His smile never wavered as he continued.
"So every time I encountered danger, I kept running."
Damian’s face shifted, surprise flashing across his features.
’Running?’
The word didn’t match with the legend of a man who saved millions.
His eyes searched the man’s profile for some sign this was a joke or metaphor.
But the expression remained serious beneath that gentle smile, carrying no trace of humor.
"Running from portal breaks, running from monster attacks, running from anything that might put me at risk..."
The man’s voice stayed level, stating facts without shame.
"I convinced myself it was the smart choice. That survival mattered more than standing my ground."
He looked at Damian, his crimson eyes twinkling.
"I was a coward, plain and simple."
"..."
The blunt admission hung in the air between them.
"Until a day came when I realized there was no place left to run, and nobody was coming to save me..."
Damian’s entire focus was on the words entering his ears.
"That night, I was drowning in despair, trying to find a solution. But every thought that came was worse than the one before. What if the monsters break through? What if I die here? What if there’s no hope left?"
The man continued, looking back out over the landscape.
"And as I was engrossed in my own mind, walking around aimlessly, I saw something..."
His voice dropped slightly, carrying weight despite maintaining that gentle tone.
"A demon fighting a woman who held her baby in one hand and a sword in the other, trying her best to survive against an enemy that was clearly going to kill her."
He paused, the silence stretching.
"Her arms were shaking from exhaustion and blood covered every inch of her body. All of us, including her, knew the fate that awaited her... but she kept on–"
His crimson eyes seemed to glow brighter for a moment.
"–Trying."
The emphasis carried weight that pressed down on Damian’s chest.
"And suddenly, I realized one thing. I never really... tried. Not once in my entire life had I actually pushed myself against something I believed was impossible."
He raised his hand, fingers curling as if gripping an invisible hilt.
"I still don’t know where I found the courage, but I picked up my broken sword and for the first time in my life... I tried. Really tried, with everything I had."
His hand moved through the air in a simple upward arc.
"One swing... That’s all it took."
Silence fell around them completely, even the birds seeming to stop their chirping.
"That was the day I realized something important."
The man tapped his temple with one finger, his smile never leaving.
"My biggest enemy wasn’t the demons or any other monster race... It was my own mind, my own spiral of negative thoughts and self-imposed limitations that kept me weak and afraid."
He paused, giving Damian a meaningful side glance.
"You see... Humans spend their entire lives stuck within their own minds, creating one limitation after another, one false belief after another, never realizing what they’re truly capable of achieving."
His voice became gentler.
"We tell ourselves we can’t do something before we even try. We build cages out of fear and call it wisdom. We choose safety over growth and wonder why we never become strong."
Damian’s thoughts turned inward, examining patterns he’d never quite noticed before.
’How many times have I worried about problems that haven’t even happened yet?’
His eyes remained on the landscape ahead, but his focus had shifted entirely internal.
’I keep spiraling about all of it, building up these massive obstacles in my head before they’ve even appeared.’
The realization spread through him with strange clarity.
’The mind really is the biggest enemy.’
His breathing became steadier, something loosening in his chest.
’Does it even matter how I’ll handle those threats? I don’t have answers now, and I won’t have answers until the moment comes. So what’s the point of drowning in worry?’
A small smile began forming on his lips.
’I just have to... try when the time comes. That’s all there is to it.’
The simplicity of it felt almost absurd.
The man seemed to have noticed the smile, and his own smile widened slightly.
"That’s why later on, when I had children of my own, I made sure they grew up knowing how to try, how to push past what they believed was impossible."
He looked at Damian with those kind eyes.
"And of course, throughout their lives, I made sure they were protected when truly needed. I’m human after all, and no father wants their children to die."
His voice became softer.
"But there’s a difference between protecting someone from death and protecting them from struggle."
He reached out, his hand settling on Damian’s head, ruffling crimson hair with gentle affection.
"When you become a father one day, remember to maintain this careful balance."
His fingers moved through Damian’s hair softly.
"Your responsibility isn’t to shield your children away from all dangers, or to wrap them in safety until they become helpless without you."
His smile remained constant, warm and understanding.
"It is to make sure that even if you are gone one day, they are capable enough to survive on their own."
"..."
Silence fell between them.
Damian sat completely still, but his head moved slightly upward, pressing gently against the warm hand resting on his hair.
His crimson eyes never left the man’s face, taking in the kind expression, the gentle smile that had never wavered throughout their entire conversation.
After some time, he looked away, his gaze returning to the landscape ahead.
’So... that’s why.’
The reason everyone in the Bloodworth family had become legends wasn’t just talent or bloodline or some divine blessing from the heavens.
It was because they had...
’A great father.’