The cold wind brushed against Ochieng's face as he stepped onto the dimly lit campus grounds. Despite his true identity, despite the power he wielded in the shadows, here, he was nothing more than an ordinary student—or so they thought.
Dressed in plain, faded clothes, he looked no different from a struggling scholarship student. To the outside world, he was poor, weak, and insignificant.
But reality was far more dangerous than what their eyes could see.
His true power lay in the veins of his martial arts mastery—a path few dared to walk.
---
Ochieng had trained since childhood, moving through the foundational ranks of martial arts with patience and precision.
Martial Arts Disciple – The first step, where students learned control over their breath and basic combat moves.
Martial Arts Master (1-Star) – The ability to channel internal energy, enhancing strength beyond human limits.
Martial Arts Master (2-Star) – Speed and agility increased exponentially, and minor wounds healed instantly.
Martial Arts Master (3-Star) – Mastery of external and internal attacks, capable of shattering stone with a single blow.
Martial Arts Master (4-Star) – A level feared across the underground world. Fighters at this stage could kill with a flick of their fingers.
Peak Martial Arts Master – The level only spoken of in whispers. Those who reached this peak could defeat armies single-handedly.
Ochieng?
He was at the Peak. But no one knew.
And he preferred it that way.
---
"Hey, beggar boy!"
Laughter erupted across the hallway.
Ochieng remained silent, his expression unreadable.
A group of wealthy students blocked his path, their expensive shoes glistening under the school lights. Their leader, a young man named Felix, sneered.
"How do you even afford tuition? Do you beg outside the gates every morning?"
More laughter.
Ochieng didn't react.
He didn't need to.
One of Felix's lackeys smirked and shoved him against the wall. "Say something, huh? Or are you too poor to even speak?"
Silence.
Ochieng met his gaze calmly, the depths of his power hidden behind his unassuming eyes.
If only they knew.
If only they understood the weight of the beast they were provoking.
But for now, he stayed silent.
For now.
--
The grand martial arts competition was only a few days away. Students across eight major provinces would be competing, each one a rising fighter in their own right.
Only the strong survived.
Ochieng wasn't even considered for the competition.
Why?
Because to the world, he was a nobody.
And that was exactly how he wanted it.
Until…
---
She walked through the campus halls like a queen.
Liana.
Golden-haired, eyes like a sea of mysteries, and a body that left every man in turmoil.
She was the tempting devil of the university. The kind of girl that could make a man lose his soul in a single glance.
And she was headed straight for Ochieng.
Every male student watched in disbelief.
"No way. Why is she walking toward… him?"
Liana stopped right in front of Ochieng, her red lips curving into an amused smile.
"You. Come with me."
The entire hallway went dead silent.
Ochieng sighed inwardly. He wasn't interested.
But trouble…
Trouble was always interested in him.
---
The moment he stepped into the private lounge, he knew something was off.
Liana was too calm. Too inviting.
And then—
The drink.
The moment the liquid touched his lips, a bitter aftertaste lingered.
Poison.
His vision blurred. His limbs weakened.
Liana only smiled.
"Sleep well, Ochieng."
Darkness swallowed him whole.
---
When he woke up…
He was somewhere else.
A dirty alley. His clothes tattered. His mind blank.
He didn't know his name.
He didn't know who he was.
All he knew…
Was hunger.
And so, the once-mighty Ochieng—the silent king of the underworld—had become a beggar.
A nobody.
A forgotten soul in a city that devoured the weak.
And yet—
Fate was far from done with him.
---
The world had turned its back on him.
He had no name. No power.
But somewhere, deep inside…
The fire remained.
And soon, the world would remember—
The Silent King was far from dead.
He was only beginning.
---