Like a rat fleeing a cat... yes, that was how I followed through that rift in space-time, opened by the sacrifice of my little ones.
— "A hero, the strongest, the savior? Nonsense! Those titles were always a weight I struggled to carry, but I never had enough strength for it."
"This time I will do it differently; even if it's not my world, just for once I want to see a happy ending for everyone."
These were the thoughts of Daniel, the strongest of the human race's hunters. His heart was turbulent as he walked through the distorted darkness of that rift in space and time. He didn't even care that his skin was being torn and his muscles shredded by moving thousands of times the speed of light, heading seventy years into the past.
Daniel decided to set aside the bitter feeling and focus on the mission he had to complete. This time, he would make sure to make humanity strong enough; sure to dominate the Murim world, and sure to clean up the corrupt filth of Earth's rulers. Worse than those of the Murim world were our own leaders with their corruption, causing many hunters to die in vain due to unbridled greed. He knew he needed to put these wolves on a leash—a leash they would never be able to remove as long as they lived.
Year 2000, Amazon rainforest region.
A snap, like the sound of breaking glass, echoed and space cracked, revealing a deep, black rift. When the portal emerged, a suction force was created, pulling in everything around it. Nearby trees were uprooted instantly. The vacuum was so strong that, within a ten-kilometer radius, everything disappeared, leaving only a desert region behind.
It lasted only ten seconds, and the rift closed as if it had never existed. Now, only a dying man remained, standing in that place. There was no skin on his body; he was covered in blood, and one of his arms had been taken.
At that moment, Vivian's orb appeared, floating before him. With a verdant glow, a beam emerged from the artifact, hitting Daniel, and his body began to regenerate rapidly. His destroyed muscles restructured; one could see fiber by fiber covering the blood vessels and molding the shape of his muscles like new.
Soon, a white layer of skin began to grow, covering his entire body; then, hair appeared, and finally, bones formed where he had lost his left arm. Blood vessels, muscle fibers, and skin joined together and, without delay, the limb was there, as if it had never been severed. In seconds, he was fully restored; no one would be able to link his current appearance to that bloody piece of meat from moments ago.
But something was different, and Daniel knew it. Conjuring a Rank F magic called Reflection, the space in front of him distorted, and a small circular mirror of mana reflected his face. It was no longer the face of a fifty-year-old man; the face he saw now was distant in his memories. It was from when he was twenty, yet very different from his true original face.
Daniel clenched his fists tightly. That youth was the fruit of his disciples' life force. He felt bitter inside; he couldn't forgive himself for being weak enough to have to sacrifice his family like that.
— "One day, one day... I will return, my children, and I will surely avenge you all! All one thousand and one hundred of my disciples!"
He swore in a cold, sharp tone, like a sword ready to shed blood. Daniel decided to turn the pain into fuel to accomplish what he could not in his original timeline.
In the moment he was still losing himself in the pain of his soul, the orb that had previously healed him glowed in a blue tone and a large holographic image appeared. It was a recording, and there she was: Vivian.
— "Cough... cough... if the master is seeing this recording, it means everything went well in the end..."
She was silent for a while. Daniel reached out his hand, bringing it close to the hologram's face. She had black hair and stunning dark skin. Vivian was so beautiful that, if the world hadn't collapsed, she would have been a famous celebrity just for her beauty and perfect features.
He had cared for her since she was three years old, when he found her hidden under thousands of decomposing bodies in a Dungeon. Despite being small, Vivian didn't cry; in fact, she showed no emotion at all. Trauma had left her that way, but over time she opened up and accepted him as family. Later, they found a four-year-old blond boy; at the time, she was already six. Like her, he was traumatized, but ignoring her own pain, that little girl hugged him and said:
— "You... don't be afraid... I know how you feel, but you are not alone anymore... from today on, you are my little brother!"
That little boy cried and never left her side again; that was Lucas. Looking closely at the hologram, Daniel noticed twenty people behind her, sleeping in a heap. A tear ran down his eyes. They were all disciples who had died years before the dragons appeared. This proved that his disciple had been planning this for a long time.
"This girl... she was always talented at acting without my consent, but all aimed at our well-being... that's why I trusted her," Daniel thought with melancholy.
After a thirty-second pause, the hologram continued:
— "The master I know is probably blaming himself, saying something like: 'I am so weak that I sacrificed my family,' and must be planning to live for revenge..."
Daniel looked on, surprised at how well that brat knew him.
— "Enough, master!" she said in a loud tone, with tears in her eyes. "That's enough! Please, enough of all this. Don't you know how much it hurts to see you like this? Do you know how much it hurts us? So please... I know what you have to do and I know you will succeed, but look at yourself a little, take care of yourself... my dear master and father, just be happy this time! It's what I ask in the name of all of us."
Her tears flowed freely. Daniel's heart tightened.
— "Master... you gave your life for the world, for all of us. You educated us, played with us, were there when we had nightmares, hugging us and loving us... always giving of yourself. You dedicated your life to us and we are only giving back. If you are seeing this, it's because we decided together that we would give our lives—lives that you loved—to give you the right to be happy."
Lucas stood up and stood behind Vivian.
— "Master... my sister is right. You know, you're going to have a surprise when you look at the date you're in, so do your best. We're rooting for you!"
Finishing his speech, he looked at Vivian with a playful smile: — "I didn't know you were such a crybaby~"
In the same instant, the image showed Lucas falling to his knees, clutching his stomach after a blow from Vivian. The recording ended and silence returned.
Daniel's heart ached as if a knife pierced it, but at the same time, a warmth enveloped him. He was an orphan and had vague memories of his parents; he remembered only an older sister leaving him at the door of an orphanage at age four. He never found her again. But the world gained color when he found those he loved.
He saw himself in those children and, for that reason, never refused to take them in as disciples, even those without talent. Daniel invested everything he had to nurture them.
Soon, the hologram changed. Now the ten main disciples appeared. Linia was in front, recording, while the others rested in the background.
— "Little Master... your Lininha wants you to be happy, marry and have children. I know we are like children to you, but try having your own family... it's a secret no one knows, hehe, I'll tell you..." she lowered her voice, making sure no one heard. "You know, Little Master, my dream was to be a mother... I wanted to give someone the care you gave us. Your heart is huge; if you only knew how much I admire you! So be happy... and name one of your daughters Linia, hehe! That way you'll never forget your Lininha. Bye, kisses!"
— "Silly girl! As if I could forget you, you show-off brat!" Daniel replied to the wind, smiling at the face of the cheeky redhead.
She acted that way, but she was the most inflexible with enemies. Daniel understood; that girl had had a miserable life. Kidnapped with her mother for five years, she went through horrors he didn't even like to imagine. When he found her, her eyes were those of a beast. It took years for her to see him as family. There were nights when he woke up with a knife against his neck, stared down by her deathly gaze. In those moments, he just hugged her.
— "Linia... you are the apple of my eye... I won't let anyone hurt you, don't be afraid, I'm here!" he would whisper. She would cry, but say nothing.
It took ten years for her to open up fully to everyone, but anyone who wasn't part of the family was always in danger. As more years passed, she improved, but still, she caused a bloodbath in the Murim world; the entire Demonic Faction fell by her hands.
"She awakened as a saint, but I taught her everything I could. Then I let her do whatever she wanted until she was satisfied."
Daniel still vividly remembered that day. Recalling the scene, he saw the capital of the Demonic Faction in flames, with thousands of bodies piled everywhere, forming macabre mountains of flesh. Blood gushed like a crimson river, snaking through the soil, while the sound of screams and laments was constant in the air. The word "monster" was the only cry that escaped the throats of those trying to flee desperately.
At the epicenter of all that chaos, he watched his little girl. At the time, she had just turned eighteen, and he had left her free to follow her own choice. Alone, she had exterminated the Demonic Faction with her own hands; she had ripped out the heart of the Heavenly Demon—the supreme leader—and executed the seven sons who vied for the cult's succession.
She had simply appeared before them like a specter of death. Despite her youth, she possessed a strength that transcended that of the Ten Supremes of Murim. However, after fulfilling her objective, the young woman was now on her knees, staring at the sky with a vacant look. The crimson red of blood covered her entirely, and the tears streaming from her eyes left clean tracks on her small, stained face.
Daniel walked slowly toward her. Several survivors passed him, fleeing in terror, but he did not look away from his disciple. She was on her knees, covered in crimson and crying. Upon reaching her, he knelt in front of her and wrapped her in a protective and tight hug.
— "Master... I am a monster!" she had said with a trembling voice.
— "No... you are my girl, you always will be! Even if the world says otherwise, to me you will always be my little Lininha!"
She hugged him so tightly that her hands shook against his back.
— "Master... I did this... I thought I would feel good... but it's so bitter... my mother won't come back!"
— "Yes, she won't... but I am here and I won't leave you!"
After that day, she gave herself one hundred percent to the family. Everyone Daniel saved was, in some way, wounded by fate, and he couldn't leave them alone.
The hologram changed one last time. All ten disciples appeared together.
— "Thank you, master, for never giving up on us! Thank you for loving us until the end! We love you, Father!" they spoke in unison.
The recording ended and the orb disintegrated into particles that circled Daniel, fusing into his soul. He didn't stop them; he knew it was Vivian's last gift. The words "We love you, Father" echoed in his mind, making him smile in helplessness.
Daniel stood in silence for a long time, looking at the void where the image had been.
— "I raised a bunch of mischievous children, who only know how to break a poor old man's heart, haa... You bunch of brats, you were always my joy... did you never notice that?"
He took flight and, like a meteor, shot toward the starry sky, breaking the sound barrier as he left the desert behind.