I STACK ATTRIBUTES IN THE APOCALYPSE -MyOwnEdit-

The sheer force of Lu Ming's charge towards the Black Feather Tribe was overwhelming. Amang felt the oppressive weight of a mountain bearing down on him, the air thick with a ferocious aura. Lu Ming's imposing physique and overwhelming presence rendered him momentarily immobile, his breath caught in his throat, his mind a blank slate.

Every muscle in Amang's body screamed in protest, urging him to flee, but his limbs refused to obey. The primal fear emanating from Lu Ming, the apex predator, had paralyzed him.

The other members of the Black Feather Tribe fared no better. They were frozen in place, their eyes wide with terror as Lu Ming unleashed his devastating assault.

Six massive fists, propelled by an unstoppable force, hammered down upon the Black Feather Tribe like a catastrophic tsunami.

A colossal mushroom cloud erupted from the impact zone, its deafening roar and blinding light temporarily overwhelming the senses of all who witnessed it.

Then, silence.

As the dust settled, the battlefield lay eerily still. Only two figures remained standing amidst the wreckage.

One of them was Lu Ming, his towering form unscathed.

The other survivor was Amang, clutched tightly in Lu Ming's massive hand. He looked towards the spot where his fellow Black Feather Tribe members had stood mere moments ago.

Apulan, Arnold, and the rest were gone, vanished without a trace. There was no sign of escape, no bodies to be found. They had simply ceased to exist.

Amang, held aloft in Lu Ming's grip, stared blankly at the monstrous figure beside him. His mouth moved soundlessly, unable to form words.

The outcome was inevitable. The moment Lu Ming unleashed his Desperate State, Amang knew their fate was sealed. Lu Ming's power in this form transcended anything he and his comrades could comprehend.

Amang's wings were shattered, his body riddled with broken bones. Only a last-second activation of a life-saving artifact had spared him the fate of his comrades.

But now, as Lu Ming's grip tightened, threatening to crush him into oblivion, panic surged through Amang.

"Wait..." he choked out, his voice barely audible.

Lu Ming's hand paused, his four eyes fixated on Amang. His deep voice resonated with an eerie calm. "Do you have any last words?"

Last words? Perhaps there was still a chance. Amang was not ready to embrace death.

"You can't kill me," he blurted out.

"Why?" Lu Ming inquired, his voice devoid of emotion.

Amang drew a shaky breath, desperation fueling his plea. "If you kill me, my Black Feather Tribe will surely seek vengeance. Your fellow Tribulation Transcenders, those who came before you, will be the first to suffer. They are close to us. My tribesmen will flay them alive, torture them relentlessly. You wouldn't want your kind to endure such agony, would you?"

Lu Ming paused, considering Amang's words. "No," he finally replied. "I wouldn't."

Despite his immense power, Lu Ming was not without compassion.

Amang's smirk of triumph quickly faded as Lu Ming's tone turned icy. "But I can't do anything about it," Lu Ming retorted. "I'm not a hero, and certainly not a savior. Their troubles are far removed from my own. If you wish to torment them, that's your problem, not mine."

Lu Ming's grip tightened, the pressure around Amang intensifying.

Gasping for air, Amang hastily revised his plea. "Fine, you don't have to care about them. But surely you care about your own people, right?"

"This wasn't my decision alone," he confessed. "I was following orders from the tribe. They know our route and destination. If you kill me, they won't rest until they find you and avenge me!"

Lu Ming's hand paused, and Amang saw a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.

"Let me be clear," Amang continued, his voice desperate. "While you may be strong, you're no match for our chief. You're not invincible here. Release me now, and I'll leave immediately. I'll speak highly of you to the tribe, and we might even offer you protection."

He looked at Lu Ming, hoping his words had struck a chord. Lu Ming remained silent for a moment, lost in thought. Then, he let out a heavy sigh.

"So," he said, his voice low and menacing, "you're saying I have to deal with you all, one after another?"

Amang nodded eagerly. "Yes, exactly!"

"If I kill you, your tribesmen will come seeking revenge, right?" Lu Ming pressed.

Amang, clinging to a sliver of hope, nodded again. "Exactly!"

Lu Ming's lips curled into a wry smile. "I've seen this plot in novels before," he said.

Amang was puzzled, unsure where Lu Ming was going with this.

"In novels," Lu Ming continued, "when the protagonist beats up a junior, the seniors come out seeking retribution. But is there ever a plot where the protagonist spares the junior?"

"No," he answered his own question. "And do you know why?"

Without waiting for a response, Lu Ming explained, "Because showing mercy is seen as a sign of weakness. Fear leads to subservience! Even disregarding reader preferences, from a logical standpoint, there's no reason to spare them!"

"You provoked me first, bullied me first," Lu Ming's voice hardened. "I retaliated, and now you've brought reinforcements. If I back down and spare you, you'll return with even more forces, continuing to bully me until I'm utterly defeated!"

With each word, Lu Ming's frustration grew. His discomfort turned to anger, then to worry, fear, and finally, a cold, calculating madness.

He stared at Amang, his expression eerily calm despite the turmoil raging within him. "So," he asked, "do you know how to handle situations like this?"

Amang wanted to promise he wouldn't seek revenge, but he knew deep down that survival would only fuel his desire for retaliation.

Before Amang could utter another word, Lu Ming's voice turned to ice. "The solution is clear: those who prey on others must be stopped."

Amang's eyes widened, fear finally breaking through his defiance. "You... you wouldn't..."

"Your tribesmen sought revenge?" Lu Ming cut him off, his grip tightening on the struggling birdman. "Then consider this the start."

crack!

Amang's body crumpled under the pressure, a lifeless puppet in Lu Ming's grasp. The stain of his demise marred Lu Ming's hand, but he paid it no mind. Silently, he released his grip and watched as Amang's form shrank back to its natural state.

Turning away, Lu Ming walked back towards the gathering place, his mind racing. He thought of the Black Feather Tribe, their thirst for vengeance, and the endless cycle of violence that plagued his peaceful existence. A sigh escaped his lips, heavy with resignation.

"Black Feather Tribe," he murmured, "I'll remember you."

If he could, he would end this threat before it escalated. That was Lu Ming's way. But poor Amang, in his final moments, had no idea the monster he had unleashed upon his own kind.