The Annihilator: Killer Of Gods

June hid behind her mother, clearly embarrassed to be the center of attention. Her mother had always pampered her, so hearing her refer to her as a grown woman now made her feel both sad and shy.

"My name is Yi Ran, but you can call me Lady Yi Ran," June's mother said with a small, forced smile. She still hadn't fully recovered, so even speaking was somewhat stressful. Now that she could be touched, all the elders gathered around her, except for Elder Ben. It seemed that Elder Chen and Lin were part of the same family as Lady Yi Ran.

"My name is Karsha Damon," Karsha introduced himself, storing the book away. He could tell that Lady Yi Ran meant business, so he prepared himself for whatever was coming.

"Karsha, that's a good name. But why would your parents give you a girl's name?" Karsha almost coughed up blood at the question. He cherished his name because it was given to him by someone his mother held dear. She never told him who, so hearing the question almost made him spit a pool of blood in frustration.

"Well, the name Karsha means 'Happiness,' and it's traditionally given to girls. So, unless you're a lady in disguise, I don't know why you'd be named Karsha," Lady Yi Ran smiled, clearly amused by the shocked expression on Karsha's face. It appeared that he had no idea he had been living with a girl's name all this time.

"Well, you can call me Damon, then. It seems my master was drunk when he gave me the name," Karsha smiled before responding.

"Why would your master name you? Don't you have parents?" Lady Yi Ran asked. Karsha had already prepared a backstory to share with anyone curious enough to ask.

"Well, from what I was told, my master found me in a pile of dead bodies after what appeared to be a complete and total massacre. I was the only one left alive, unconscious. He took me away and raised me," Karsha said changing the mood in the room instantly.

"When I woke up, I didn't remember anything—not even my name. So, my master gave me one: Karsha Damon." Karsha sighed before continuing, "Karsha Damon has always been my name and will forever be my name."

The entire room fell silent, all eyes on him. Deep inside, Karsha kept laughing, but as he remembered his life back on Earth and the memories he received from Austin during their battle on the island, he felt a bitter ache. He had lost a lot in his life—things he would never be able to get back. So, even though he was lying, the pain in his heart was real.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Lady Yi Ran said softly, her tone laced with motherly love.

"Don't be. I don't remember anything from my past. And thanks to my amazing, though clearly terrible-at-naming, master, I had 18 years of good memories. I'm happy, and that's what matters," Karsha smiled bitterly. Part of him was lying, but another part was remembering the agony Austin went through when he saw the lifeless bodies of his family.

His reply made everyone chuckle lightly, but despite the laughter, June felt a pang of pain in her heart. She was one of the softhearted ones, and seeing Karsha act tough, she sensed that beneath his exterior, there was a deep, buried hatred. She knew she was powerless to help him, and that knowledge ached in her heart.

"Can I know more about your childhood—your time with your master?" June asked, breaking the silence as no one else seemed willing to ask.

"I had a good childhood. My master was a low-key alchemist—an extremely skilled one. I don't think many people even knew he was an alchemist. He found me when I was five, and since then, he's been teaching me the craft. We traveled a lot together."

He smiled, recalling the fond memories. "He bought me lots of things and even made me secretly attend lectures at sects that taught alchemy. I had a great time with him. But when I turned 18, he said I had matured and it was time for me to go out into the world and make a name for myself.

So here I am. I've been on my own for the past year," Karsha finished, smiling as he reminisced about all the amazing places his mother used to take him and his siblings when she had holidays from work.

His mother often made him secretly attend military drills whenever he visited her at the military camp. Karsha loved her more than he had ever loved anything; even the love he gave to his children paled in comparison.

"Wait, 18 years and then a year? Are you only 19 years old?" June asked, calculating with her fingers.

"Is there anything wrong with that?" Karsha replied, startled by the shocked expression on her beautiful face. He didn't understand why she would ask such a question.

"You're really only 19 years old?" This time, it was Master Artemis who asked.

"Of course! I turned 19 eight months ago," Karsha answered with a smile. In reality, he should be 33 now, but the body he inhabited was 18 when he took possession. The system had already explained that his age was determined by the bone density of the body he was in.

After all, bones are used to determine the age of long-dead people, so it made sense for him to inherit the age of the body he now occupied.

"You are a Monster Kid! This is the first time I've seen a 19-year-old with talent and strength like yours," Master Artemis said, smiling bitterly. In his eyes, Karsha seemed like an old expert, as the cultivation world could be deceiving.

Someone with a youthful appearance could actually be an expert who had lived for centuries. So, upon learning that Karsha was just 19, he couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"If you're only 19, then how come you know all these things? Alchemy is a difficult path; someone your age wouldn't even be allowed to light a Pill Flame, let alone touch a Cauldron," Master Artemis questioned again.

"Well, I guess I'm a fast learner," Karsha said with a smile, not revealing any more information. June and Lady Yi Ran exchanged shocked looks, mirroring those of Xian, the elders, and Fairy Mei Lin.

They were all over 30 years old, and even June, who was deemed a genius of her generation, was now 35. In other words, she was old enough to consider having children with the boy she had promised to marry.

But this is a cultivation world, where hundreds of thousand-year-olds marry those a few hundred years younger, and it's all considered normal. However, the most shocking aspect is Karsha's knowledge. He is an alchemist—a damn good one—and, on top of that, he is also an Array Master, a profession considered one of the most difficult and rarest of all.

If that weren't enough, he survived 60 days on an island full of venomous snakes, and not only did he survive, but he also killed the strongest beings on the island.

If anyone heard this story, they wouldn't believe a word of it. But all those gathered in the room had witnessed the events unfold, and even though Karsha claimed he had help on the island, they all knew he was simply being modest.

"June, you've found yourself a monster!" Lady Yi Ran joked, looking at the shocked yet happy expression on June's face.

"Mom, don't say it like that," Karsha said, hiding his face behind her mother. She was indeed happy, reassured that she hadn't made the wrong choice. Even Xian, despite knowing that Karsha was much younger than him, felt a sense of happiness inside. It seemed he had found a good brother to rely on.

"So tell me, Karsha, what are your plans now that you've joined this sect?" June asked. She had already informed them that Karsha was a new member, but she hadn't mentioned anything about Snake Island or the Varon Great Family.

She had a temperament for not taking things lightly, so she and the elders were worried she would become angry and hurt herself. Once she recovered, they would tell her everything.

"Well, after curing you, I guess I'll do whatever sect disciples do," Karsha replied. He didn't know much about anything, just moving along with the flow. Now that he was back from the island, his only goal was to train and grow stronger for his next quest.

He also had three quests to complete once he accepted the Emperor's necklace, but the current him wouldn't be able to handle any of them.

So, for now, his only plan was to appear normal, and the best way to do that was to engage in whatever sect disciples typically did.

"Then, when you're free, will you help Mei Lin clear a Tier 8 Dimensional Gate so she can finally become a Core disciple?" June quickly asked, noticing that her friend had not planned on asking Karsha for help.

She knew Mei Lin had long since reached her limit for becoming a Core disciple, having suppressed her cultivation base at the late Saint Stage for the past two years.

"I'm up for anything that will be fun! Even though I don't know much about dimensional gates, I'd be happy to help you anytime you ask. Xian and I are a package deal, so he'll also join the team. I hope you don't mind," Mei Lin nodded hastily, smiling.

"Well, it seems you have yourself a team, Mei! You can finally become a Core disciple and breakthrough using the Heavenly Yin Essence Pool," June said with a happy smile. Karsha, on the other hand, was startled when he felt something stir in his soul sea at the mention of the Heavenly Pool. But before he could check what it was, Lady Yi Ran spoke up.

"How do you plan on handling all the suitors that will be coming after June?"