A wave of helplessness surged through Harvin as he stood on the burning deck, tears welling in his eyes. Screams of agony echoed through the air as people were engulfed in flames. Others, desperate to escape, hurled themselves into the sea—only to be torn apart by the monstrous creatures lurking in the dark waters. The truth hit him like a dagger: the priest had summoned sea monsters to the cargo ship through some twisted teleportation spell. It was a massacre.
Harvin stood surrounded by flames. The heat seared his skin, smoke clawed at his throat, and the world was collapsing around him.
"If I have to die... I'll fight till my last breath," he whispered, voice cracked with resolve.
And with that, Harvin leapt into the ocean.
The cold water was a stark contrast to the flames above, but no less terrifying. As he plunged deeper, his soul quivered—horrified by the gruesome sight of people being butchered by the monsters of the sea. Sharks with split jaws. Tentacled beasts with barbed teeth. Even the U.S. Navy soldiers, armed to the teeth, were being overwhelmed. Their bullets were nothing against the abyss.
Harvin pushed forward, swimming with all the strength his body had left. But suddenly—SNAP—a sharp, unbearable pain shot through his leg. He looked back. Blood clouded the water. A shark had bitten off his leg. Panic surged in him, but he pushed harder, gasping and thrashing.
Then came the second strike. This time—CHOMP—his arm was gone.
"I… I have to live…" he thought, face twisted in agony. "Vasu… for you, I can't die yet!"
But fate was cruel. Another monstrous creature lunged from the depths and tore away half of Harvin's body in a single, horrifying chomp.
His vision dimmed. Blood leaked from his mouth as he began to sink into the endless blue. Regret filled his fading eyes.
> I failed to protect you, Vasu... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... please forgive me...
His last breaths escaped in gurgles. His eyes closed. He fell.
But the sea had more to offer.
Beneath the chaos, hidden in the ocean's abyss, there was a cavern—a place untouched by human eyes. Darkness loomed at first, but then a radiant light began to spread. A golden tree, glowing like the sun itself, stood in the heart of the cave. Its branches shimmered, leaves pulsing with ethereal energy.
Harvin's mutilated body, carried by the current, drifted toward it.
A low hum filled the water, vibrating through the rocks. A single golden leaf detached from the tree, drifting down... and landed gently on Harvin's chest.
In an instant, the cavern exploded with blinding light.
-— System Online
Far away, in Kolkata, an AA-rank dungeon had broken open. Red gorillas—monstrous, muscled beasts with terrifying strength and cunning—rampaged through the city, slaughtering civilians. Hunters poured in to stop them, risking their lives to escort people to safe zones.
Among them was Varna Hari, dragging an unconscious man out of the rubble. A gorilla lunged, its fists ready to crush, but before it could strike—SWOOSH!—its head flew off. Standing behind was Adi Mane, an AAA-rank hunter with lightning speed and calm eyes.
"Get that man out of here, now!" Adi barked.
Varna nodded and ran, only to be surrounded by more gorillas. He slashed fiercely, taking many down—but they kept coming. Just as he was about to fall, a wave of fire engulfed the area.
"Come! I'll roast every last one of you!" Mahesh Rana, laughing wildly, wielded his flame powers with terrifying glee.
Suddenly, from the upper floor, a massive gorilla lunged—only to be ripped apart mid-air by thread magic. Alisa Ansade stood calmly, her hands glowing with thin, sharp threads that danced like snakes.
But then—BOOM! The king of the red gorillas appeared, crushing the ground beneath him as he landed. The hunters struggled under the weight of his power.
Then the sky cracked.
A blinding bolt of lightning struck the king, and an explosion rocked the battlefield.
As the smoke cleared, Aarya Desoza, second heir of the Desoza family, descended from the sky.
"How long does it take to kill a few monkeys?" he said, annoyed.
Mahesh shrugged. "We were almost done, boss, but you just had to steal the spotlight."
From a corner, Alisa mocked, "If we're late again, someone's gonna miss shopping."
Mahesh raised a brow. "Oh, no. If we go shopping with her, she'll cook the whole day and ask 'Is this good?' every two minutes!"
"Who's not coming with me?" Alisa snapped, appearing suddenly, shopping bag in hand.
Mahesh gulped. "Who said that? I'm coming! Always was!"
They laughed.
--- — Resurrection
On the shoreline, somewhere far from war and fire, a body stirred.
Harvin gasped violently as his eyes shot open. He screamed in disbelief, hands clawing at the sand. Both arms were intact. His legs, whole. His body, healed.
He sat up, trembling, staring at himself. "Wh-what…? How is this possible? My body... it's all back... I was—" he choked, remembering the agony, the monsters, the pain.
And then—
> [System Initialization Complete]
Host: Harvin
Status: Fully Recovered
Welcome, Chosen One.
A transparent blue screen hovered before his eyes.
Harvin froze.
His heart pounded. He blinked. It didn't go away.
> [The Golden Tree of Genesis has accepted you as its heir.]
[You have been granted the unique skill: "Rebirth Protocol".]
[Would you like to open your status window?]
He whispered, "…System?"
The interface responded instantly.
Harvin stared, stunned. His lips trembled. His eyes widened with both fear and wonder.
> What… is happening to me…?