Venessa's mind raced. What she just saw had revived the hope that had been dead for a long time. "Only if it was him and not me," she whispered. "I need to know how he did it."
She tried to push her body up to stand. But no use. "Damn it." She cursed.
She then threw her body to the ground. And then started crawling toward Derek.
Dust was still hanging in the air when she was advancing toward him bit by bit.
Her legs were trembling. Her hands scraped against rubble. But she didn't stop. Not even once.
Derek was still lying there, unconscious.
"Derek…" She called out while crawling forward, trying to wake him up. But no use.
He wasn't moving at all. Venessa wasn't even sure if Derek was still alive. But she still kept moving forward.
And after a long time which felt like eternity, she finally reached him, face pale and soaked in sweat. She raised her trembling hand slowly and her fingers touched his cheek...
It was cold.
"Derek!!" she shouted again.
No response.
She pressed two fingers on his neck. There was a pulse…but too weak. And Derek wasn't moving at all. No twitch. Nothing. Even his breathing was so subtle that it felt almost unnoticeable.
Venessa gritted her teeth. She started chest compressions.
"One… two… three…"
But still nothing.
"Damn it! Get up, you dumbass!! Don't you dare die on me like that." she yelled.
And then…
Smack!
She slapped him.
Once.
Twice.
And on the third…
Khak!
Derek coughed out blood violently while his eyes snapped open in shock. His breathing was rapid, panicked. Like waking up from drowning.
"W-What…?"
Venessa grabbed his collar and pulled him up slightly.
"What was that?" she demanded. "That aura… that transformation… What the hell was that?!"
"What are you talking about?" Derek, who had just woken up, was dumbfounded by such sudden and unexpected questions.
"Don't you dare play dumb at this moment." Venessa snapped.
"But I really don't understand what you are saying." Derek still looked lost. He couldn't remember anything from what had just happened earlier.
"You killed two of those upper ranks. And very easily at that." Venessa lashed out.
Derek blinked. He was totally shocked. "Captain, I did what?! You aren't joking, right?"
"Listen Derek. I am serious right now. We don't have much time. So spill it out already." Venessa was feeling impatient.
"I… don't know… I really don't."
Benessa stared into his eyes, searching for truth. And she finally believed him. She had known him for a long time.
She sat down beside him, breathing hard.
For a few seconds, neither spoke.
Then Venessa's voice turned serious. "Listen to me, Derek. Listen very carefully."
He nodded weakly.
"When you go back in time… awaken this power of yours as soon as possible. Train harder than you ever thought necessary." She had finally made a decision.
But Derek's brows furrowed. "Back in time…?"
Venessa didn't stop. "The fate of humanity depends on you. Remember this, this is the only chance left. I've already used the remaining nine."
"Nine?" Derek looked totally confused.
"Yes. And I failed. Every time. I've lived through this war over and over. Tried every possible strategy I could think of. Tried to change outcomes. Tried to warn others. But every time… something went wrong. I thought I had seen all the variables."
"But…" Her voice cracked. "If only I knew… You had something hidden inside you. Something this powerful."
Derek sat stunned, unable to speak.
Venessa grabbed his collar again. "There won't be another chance. No more timeline resets. No more second tries. Either you succeed… or everyone you love dies. Again."
Derek's lips trembled. "W-What do you mean by—"
But before he could finish, Venessa leaned in… and locked her lips on his.
A deep kiss. Firm. Direct.
Derek's eyes went wide.
"C.. Captain?!" He thought in his mind. It was his first time kissing someone. He had a crush of his own but was betrayed. So this totally came as a jolt.
He didn't even know how to react. His thoughts scattered.
"What the hell is the captain up to now? Did she have a secret crush on me? So she is now fulfilling her last dying wish?!"
But just then—
Something inside Venessa's stomach began to glow.
The light spread toward her abdomen. It was faint but full of warmth.
Then….
It started to move.
A faint golden spark first floated from her stomach to her lips and then from her lips into his mouth.
Derek could feel it. A foreign heat. A strange sensation entering him.
The golden light traveled down, passed his throat, and shot into his own dantian.
Venessa broke the kiss.
Her eyes were serious. "Derek, if possible, join the Arcadia Hunter Academy. I know that, as a cultivator, it's hard to get admitted there. But with all your memories intact, nothing will be impossible this time."
Derek, still stunned, stammered. "Captain, you know you're freaking me out, right?!"
Tears rolled down her cheeks. "I wish I had enough time to explain everything. But I don't. Derek, just promise me one thing. That you won't let this last chance go to waste."
Derek had no idea what was happening, what last chance Venessa was talking about. Everything was going over his head.
But seeing Venessa's painful appearance, he knew she was dead serious about what she was saying. And so...
Finally, he nodded. "I promise. Whatever chance you are talking about, I will utilize it with everything I have."
She finally closed her eyes in relief and whispered:
"Repeat with me.
Regression confirmed."
Derek stared at her. She looked dead serious. But still her word made no sense at all.
"Regression confirmed?" he blinked.
She opened her eyes and glared at him. "Just say it, will you? And you will know soon enough what fate has just handed to you.
Now, quit messing around and just repeat with me.
Regression confirmed."
Derek exhaled in resignation.
"Regression confirmed."
And the moment those words left his lips…
Everything vanished.
Void.
There was no ground. No sky. Just light.
Everywhere.
Derek was floating. His body felt weightless.
Then his body started to drift, slowly at first and then faster….like being sucked into a current.
"WOOOOAAAAHHHHHH—!"
His voice echoed in all directions.
The light suddenly vanished.
And then...
Silence.
His eyes were shut tightly.
But there were sounds. Faint… muffled.
Voices. One of them was a female.
"Congratulations, Martha!"
"He's so adorable!"
"He sure looks healthy!"
"He's surely going to be a playboy, stealing other girls' hearts."
Someone laughed. Someone cried.
It was hard to tell.
And then…he opened his eyes. Slowly.
What first came into his view was a blurry ceiling. His sight still wasn't clear.
Soft white sheets. And there was a face hovering just beside him. His mind jolted noticing the face.
His mind couldn't process it.
It was her.
His mother. Martha Hale.
Young. Alive. Smiling.
Derek's heart froze.
"This can't be real."
It had to be a dream.
A hallucination from dying.
But then…
"Look at him! He's blinking!" someone said.
"He's awake!"
His mother leaned closer, tears in her eyes.
"Welcome to the world, honey." She pressed her lips softly on Derek's forehead, filled with warmth.
Derek's mind screamed.
"This isn't a dream. This… is the past.
Captain, what the hell did you just do?!!!!!!!!"