25 December 3823, Southern Town
The town was filled with people. All the residents had gathered to celebrate Christmas. Lights sparkled across the streets, and a joyous mood filled the air as neighbors greeted each other warmly.
Among the crowd, a small family of three—father Luther, mother Vanessa, and their son Reo—left their home to join the celebration.
Their son's eyes lit up the moment he saw the towering Christmas tree in the town center. Excited, Reo let go of his mother's hand and ran ahead, waving back at his parents to catch up. Seeing his smile made both parents laugh and quicken their pace.
The family spent the evening together, soaking in the festive atmosphere. They greeted neighbors, shared laughter, and enjoyed a warm dinner from the nearby food stalls.
Reo clung to his cotton candy as he tugged at his mother's hand, pointing at the street performers juggling fire under the twinkling lights.
The joy in the air was infectious, and for a moment, everything felt perfect. But just as the town clock struck midnight, the lights flickered—then died. In an instant, the cheer was swallowed by a heavy silence.
Suddenly, the town became eerily quiet. From the distance, a chilling scream echoed, crawling down everyone's spine.
Sensing something was wrong, Luther immediately grabbed his wife and son, guiding them into a nearby shop for cover. The faint sound of panic grew louder as more people realized something was terribly wrong. Screams filled the streets, and chaos spread like wildfire.
Though it felt like hours had passed, only minutes ticked by before the family, peering through the shop window, saw a horrifying sight—figures in dark robes slashing people in the streets with long blades. Their eyes glowed red, and their mouths twisted into wide, insane grins. They laughed maniacally as they killed, their voices rising in unison:
"May the Lord bless us! We sacrifice the impure for you. Cleanse this world of filth! Give us new life!"
Luther's heart pounded. Vanessa gasped in horror, clutching Reo tightly. The little boy, once beaming with joy, now stared in frozen terror—his innocent world shattered in moments.
"Reo, Reo! Wake up!"
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[Present Year 3834, Southern High School, Karakura town]
Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Reo's eyes snapped open. His body reacted instinctively, and he pushed away from the person near him.
Startled, Roy took a step back. "Whoa, are you okay?"
Seeing Roy's face, Reo blinked rapidly and took a deep breath, calming himself. Just a moment ago, he had almost attacked his classmate.
"Yeah... I'm good. What happened?"
Roy gave him a puzzled look. "Lunch break's over. We need to get to martial arts class."
"I'll be there in a minute," Reo replied, trying to steady his breathing.
Roy studied him for a moment. "You sure you're okay?"
"Yeah…" Reo nodded faintly.
Seeing that he wouldn't say more, Roy gave a small nod and left the classroom. Once the door closed behind him, Reo leaned back in his chair, exhaling deeply.
"Again... the nightmare," he muttered, before rising slowly and heading out.
As Reo left the classroom, he headed straight to the gym locker room to change into his training uniform.
The room was empty when he entered. Without hesitation, he walked over to his locker, entered the code, and pulled out his gym clothes. He removed his shirt and innerwear, revealing the scars etched across his body.
They weren't just on his back—his chest and torso were marked too. But the most prominent one sat above his heart: a wide, jagged scar, as if a blade had once tried to cleave it open.
He glanced at himself in the mirror. The sight stirred something deep—an echo of pain, a flicker of the past. Ten years of torment, suffering etched into skin and soul. Shaking his head to dispel the thoughts, he reached for his T-shirt.
Just then, the door creaked open.
Reo instinctively turned toward the sound. A girl had stepped inside, pausing as soon as her eyes met his. For a few seconds, neither of them moved.
Seeing no reaction from her, Reo calmly pulled the T-shirt over his head. "This is the men's locker room," he said flatly. "You probably took a wrong turn. The girls' locker is on the left side of the stairs."
"Huh? Yeah… sorry for the intrusion," she replied quickly, before stepping out and closing the door behind her.
As she walked away, her mind replayed what she'd just seen—his body, covered in scars. Scars that didn't speak of battles or training... but torture. A lingering curiosity stirred in her chest as she entered the girls' locker room.
Back inside, Reo muttered to himself, "She's the new transfer student, huh? The one everyone's been talking about." He shook his head, uninterested in what just happened. Pulling on his gym pants, he finished changing and stepped out of the locker room.
As Reo was walking toward the martial arts campus, he heard someone calling out behind him.
"Excuse me?"
He turned and saw the new girl—the same one who had accidentally entered the locker room.
"Yes?"
"You must be going to the martial arts campus, right? Can I walk with you? I'm new here."
Reo gave a short nod and continued walking, and she followed.
They walked in silence. After a few moments, sensing the awkwardness, the girl tried to strike up a conversation. "Hi, my name's Lisie. What's yours?"
"Reo," he answered without emotion and glanced at her briefly.
She got the message. The conversation died just as quickly as it had started. The rest of the walk was quiet, and in five minutes, they reached the martial arts building—Room 1E on the first floor.
As they entered, Lisie gave a quick "Thanks" and headed toward the girls' group, while Reo walked toward the boys.
A few students had noticed the two entering together and began whispering.
Fatty Wang, Reo's closest friend, grinned and elbowed him. "Reo, I didn't expect you to be so smooth! Without telling anyone, you already picked up the top-tier babe of the class!"
Reo gave him a sideways glance. "Fatty, say one more word and I'll break your leg."
Wang raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay! Just joking. But seriously, you've changed a lot since the start of the year."
"When you first joined, you were scary—quiet, cold, expressionless. Now you show a bit of emotion. That's progress, man."
Reo didn't reply, but a flicker of emotion crossed his face. One of the reasons he'd changed… was because of Wang. When Reo had first entered the school, no one spoke to him—except Fatty Wang. The guy pestered him nonstop. And now, after half a year, he'd become one of Reo's only close friends.
On the other side of the classroom, Lisie was talking to her best friend, Vaishnavi.
"What happened?" Vaishnavi asked curiously.
"Nothing. I just got lost, so I asked Reo for help," Lisie replied casually.
Vaishnavi narrowed her eyes. "He didn't… do anything, right?"
"No? Why would he?" Lisie asked, puzzled.
Vaishnavi leaned closer and whispered, "You're new, so you probably don't know. When he first joined the class, he was… intense. He didn't speak to anyone. Even the bullies who used to harass us? They suddenly stopped showing up. It's like they're scared of him."
"I don't know why, but… he gives off this dangerous vibe. You should probably keep your distance."
Lisie blinked in surprise and slowly nodded.
Just then, the locker room door opened and the martial arts teacher entered. The classroom immediately fell silent, and the students stood still.
As teacher entered the classroom, and the moment he stepped inside, the atmosphere grew heavy. A subtle pressure blanketed the room, causing every student to fall silent.
With a stern expression, Hendrikson walked steadily to the front and stood tall, his calm gaze scanning the students before him.
After a brief pause, he spoke with an authoritative voice."I know many of you are excited. Today, you will finally begin learning about cultivation—the Martial Path."
He continued, "You might've heard some of this from your history teacher, but I'll explain it again to ensure you understand."
"Before the year 3000, the Martial Path was mere fantasy—found only in novels and legends. But in the year 3000, the tides shifted. Spiritual energy emerged into the world."
"However, spiritual energy is extremely scarce in our region, forcing all beings on Earth to walk only the Martial Path."
Hendrikson turned to the class representative."Roy, can you tell us why that is?"
Roy stood and replied clearly,"Teacher, it's because of the broken laws surrounding our solar system and the few light-years around it. These disrupted laws created what we call a Dead Zone. Since all beings born in the Dead Zone lack spiritual roots, we can only pursue martial cultivation."
Hendrikson nodded."Correct. Humans are naturally compatible with three paths of cultivation—Martial, Immortal, and Soul. But due to the broken laws and lack of spiritual energy, we are bound to the Martial Path."
"However," he said, his tone rising slightly, "that doesn't mean humans have only cultivated the Martial Path. No. Our sovereign, the protector of humanity—the Sword Emperor—broke through the pinnacle of the Innate Realm in 3115. He left the Dead Zone in search of a higher path."
"During his expedition, he discovered that once a martial expert breaks through the Innate Realm, a spiritual root is awakened—allowing the rise of dual cultivators."
The students murmured in awe.
"Now, let's talk about the cultivation realms of the Martial Path." Hendrikson began writing on the board.
"The Martial Path is divided into two primary realms: the Postnatal Realm and the Innate Realm.""Realms above Innate... you are not yet ready to learn."
"Today," he said, turning back to face them, "we will begin with your foundation—the Longevity Technique."