The Annihilator: Killer Of Gods

"Austin, wake up, or you'll be late for the assessment!" A voice rang in the ears of a young boy about 12 years old, jolting him awake and nearly causing him to jump out of his luxurious bed. The room he was in was extravagantly decorated with the finest furniture.

A giggling sound came from the other side of the bed, making the boy named Austin turn and look. A beautiful woman, appearing to be in her early thirties, looked back at him with a loving gaze, her smile enchanting like the stars. Seeing her warm, motherly expression, Austin couldn't help but smile.

"Mother, why didn't you wake me up earlier? It's almost eight," Austin said, trying to look serious, but the small blush on his cheek gave him away.

"I came in earlier, but looking at your handsome face made me reconsider, so I just sat here watching you sleep," the woman replied, her beautiful smile painting the moment.

"That's creepy, Mom," Austin joked as he went in for a hug.

"I don't mind being creepy," the lady replied. They laughed and then broke the hug.

"Hurry, go take your bath. You don't want to be late for your assessment. Who knows, we might just get another cultivator in the family by the end of today," the lady said. Quickly, Austin dashed toward the bathroom, where a young lady in a maid's uniform was waiting.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The woman watched her son enter with a happy smile. However, once he was out of sight, a guilty look appeared on her face. Soon, tears started falling down her cheeks. "I am a terrible mother," she whispered to herself.

"We are terrible parents," a masculine voice came from the door. Turning toward it, a handsome young man in his early 30s walked in. He quickly went to the woman and hugged her, letting her soak his clothes with her tears.

"What kind of parents would do such a barbaric thing to their son?" the lady asked with a shaky voice, her demeanor shifting from loving to weepy.

"The kind that wants their son to survive at all costs, even if they have to become villains to do so. Cathy, you heard what the Old Lady said and what needed to be done. We can't allow Austin to fall with the rest of us. He must live. He must live on," the man said, rubbing his hand on her back in a comforting manner.

"I know that, but still. Look how happy he is about his awakening ceremony. But we all know that by the end of today, that happy smile will be lost forever," her tears intensified, flowing like a waterfall.

"I know, I know," the man persisted with his comforting hand rub. "I just hope one day when he finds out, he will forgive us."

"I hope so too," the lady echoed. They left the room a little after that, making sure Austin didn't see them in that state.

"Mother, Father, your son will come back a cultivator," Austin declared as he jumped inside a carriage, his shoulders held high. His parents waved back at him, and soon, the carriage pulled away.

Austin is the fifth child of the future patriarch of Caleb's Great Family. His father, Max, is a formidable cultivator and a scholar with a knack for politics. The Caleb family is renowned for its scholarly focus on cultivation research. They have extensive knowledge about rare and powerful techniques, skills, scrolls, maps—almost everything there is to know about cultivation.

Despite not being as physically powerful as most martial families, the Caleb family's influence in the Drono Kingdom is significant. They've played a crucial role in helping many cultivators achieve great feats, which has made them both popular and wealthy.

However, their influence has also stirred up jealousy among others. Recognizing this, the current patriarch has made it his top priority to ensure the family's survival no matter what. But this is easier said than done. A few years before Austin was born, the family discovered a secret of immense importance.

Realizing the potential danger it posed, they decided to bury the secret and prepare for the worst.

Despite their extensive preparations, the Caleb family could not avoid their fate, especially after the oracle foretold both their doom and the path forward. In response, Max and Cathy, Austin's parents, made the most difficult decision imaginable—they sacrificed their humanity to ensure their son's survival.

Austin is now the result of this forbidden act, a poignant blend of love and sacrifice. As their beloved son faced the heartbreaking news of his future, Max and Cathy could barely bear it. Yet, their decision was already made, and their actions had sealed their son's fate.

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That evening, while many children returned home smiling and celebrating their entry into the path of cultivation, Austin came back a different person. The usually happy and easygoing boy had no smiles, only tears. To most, he was now seen as a cripple on the path of cultivation.

Austin had faulty meridians, which meant he was destined to live as a mortal and face an early death. When he received the news, his innocent heart shattered into a million pieces. That day, he locked himself in his room and stayed there for a whole month, speaking to no one—even his loving mother.

His world had turned upside down. For a moment, Austin contemplated suicide, but the thought was quickly washed away as if someone was guiding him away from it. Instead, he was driven by an intense desire to seek knowledge and find a way to overcome his problem.

Thus began a new chapter in Austin's life. The cheerful, easygoing boy was replaced by a mature, intelligent, and desperate individual determined to defy the heavens and carve out a path to cultivation and immortality. He poured over thousands of books and studied countless charts on human anatomy, but every avenue he explored seemed to lead to dead ends.

On his 15th birthday, Austin finally made a breakthrough when he discovered Alchemy. He realized that studying this path might offer a way to address the curse on his body. Over the next year, he focused intently on alchemy, devouring books on the subject and seeking out an alchemist who could help him find a solution.

Thanks to his family's wealth and his supportive parents, he managed to discover a method—the Meridian Regeneration Pill. That day, joy flooded through him, and for the first time in four years, the smile he had buried deep inside resurfaced. He began researching the pill, and while he made some progress over the first few months, he knew he lacked the skill to concoct it himself.

So, he went to his parents to ask for their help.

"You found a way to fix your destroyed meridians? How?" His father asked, sounding surprised, even though he had been instrumental in guiding Austin towards discovering Alchemy.

"It's a pill called the Meridian Regeneration Pill. From my research, I found that a Rank 2 Heaven Grade Meridian Regeneration Pill could not only repair my meridians but also make them stronger than most cultivators'," Austin explained, his voice brimming with excitement. But when he saw the concerned expressions on his parents' faces, his mood shifted.

"What's wrong? Why the long faces?" he asked, puzzled.

"Austin, the grade of pill you need is incredibly expensive. Even if we pooled all the wealth of the family, we wouldn't be able to afford it," Max said. Austin's heart sank, and his world seemed to crumble once more. After years of searching for a solution, he was now faced with this crushing disappointment. However, he quickly composed himself and devised a plan.

"Father, Mother, how influential is our family?" he asked, his tone serious. Recognizing the gravity of his son's question, Max immediately understood where Austin was headed. "Influential enough," he replied.

"Then do me this one favor," Austin said, "and if it doesn't work out, I'll accept my fate." He proceeded to explain his plan to his parents, determined to find a way to achieve his goal.

A few months passed, and during this time, Austin spent as much time as he could with his parents, especially his mother. He knew that if his plan succeeded, he would be leaving home and might not see them for many years. Understanding how deeply her son was feeling, his mother spared no expense and devoted herself entirely to spending time with him.

"Austin, I've reached out to a friend in Sunlight City," his father said. "He's an alchemist, and while he doesn't have the means to make the Rank 2 Heaven Grade Meridian Regeneration Pill himself, he has enough influence to acquire one for you. However, you'll need to become his apprentice permanently. Don't worry, once you become a cultivator and are strong enough, you can visit us."

Austin hugged his father tightly, filled with gratitude for his efforts.

"But before you go to Sunlight City, you'll first need to travel to Peitin City to collect something from a friend there. It's a three-week journey, so start preparing," his father added. Without hesitation, Austin dashed off to prepare in the bathroom. Seeing her son's familiar, determined demeanor, his mother couldn't hold back her tears.

Her tears were for the painful reality that this would be the last time she would see her son. They had done everything in their power to ensure his departure before their own impending doom arrived.

Just a few days after Austin left, three Great Families and some mysterious powers launched a coordinated attack. Within a single day, every last member of the Caleb Great Family was killed—everyone except for the crippled mortal, who was expected to die within a few years.