As a rat fleeing from an inevitable predator... yes, that was how I moved through that rift in space-time, opened by the sacrifice of my children.
— A hero? The strongest? The savior? Nonsense! Those titles were always a burden I struggled to carry, yet I never truly had the strength for them.
"This time, I'll do things differently; even if this isn't my world, just this once, I want to see a happy ending for everyone."
These were the thoughts of Daniel, the strongest hunter of the human race.
His heart churned 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 apart and his muscles shredded as he moved thousands of times at the speed of light, heading seventy years into the past.
Daniel cast aside the bitterness and focused on the mission he needed to accomplish.
This time, he would ensure humanity became strong enough; he would dominate the world of Murim and cleanse the corrupt filth among Earth's rulers.
Worse than those of Murim were their own leaders, whose corruption caused countless hunters to die in vain due to unchecked greed.
He knew he had to put those wolves on a leash — one they would never be able to remove for as long as they lived.
°°°
Year 2000, Amazon rainforest region.
A crack, like the sound of shattering glass, echoed as space itself fractured, revealing a deep, black rift.
The moment the portal appeared, a powerful suction force pulled everything around it. Nearby trees were uprooted instantly.
The vacuum was so intense that, within a ten-kilometer radius, everything vanished, leaving behind nothing but a barren wasteland.
It lasted only ten seconds before the rift closed as if it had never existed. What remained was a single dying man standing in that place.
There was no skin on his body; he was covered in blood, and one of his arms had been torn away.
At that moment, Vivian's orb appeared, floating before him.
With a verdant glow, a beam shot out from the artifact, striking Daniel, and his body began to regenerate rapidly.
His destroyed muscles reformed; it was possible to see fiber after fiber covering the blood vessels and shaping his muscles anew.
Soon, a layer of pale skin began to grow, covering his entire body; then his hair emerged, and finally, bones formed where his left arm had been lost.
Blood vessels, muscle fibers, and skin fused together, and without delay, the limb was there, as if it had never been severed.
In seconds, he was completely restored; no one would be able to associate his current appearance with that bloodied mass of flesh from moments before.
But something was different, and Daniel knew it.
Casting a Rank F spell called Reflection, the space before him distorted, forming a small circular mana mirror that reflected his face.
It was no longer the face of a fifty-year-old man; the face he saw now was one distant in his memories.
It was from when he was twenty — yet very different from his original appearance.
Daniel clenched his fists tightly. That youth was the result of his disciples' life force.
Bitterness filled him; he couldn't forgive himself for being so weak that he had to sacrifice his family in such a way.
— One day... one day I will return, my children, and I will surely avenge all of you! All one thousand and one hundred of my disciples!
He swore in a cold, sharp tone, like a blade ready to spill blood.
Daniel decided to turn his pain into fuel to accomplish what he couldn't in his original timeline.
°°°
As he was still lost in the pain of his soul, the orb that had healed him glowed blue, and a large holographic image appeared. It was a recording — and there she was: Vivian.
— Cough... cough... if Master is seeing this recording, then everything must have worked out in the end...
She fell silent for a moment. Daniel reached out, bringing his hand close to the hologram's face. She had black hair and stunning tan skin.
Vivian was so beautiful that, if the world hadn't collapsed, she would have become a famous celebrity solely for her beauty and perfect features.
He had taken care of her since she was three years old, when he found her hidden beneath thousands of decomposing corpses inside a Dungeon.
Despite her age, Vivian didn't cry; in fact, she showed no emotion at all.
The trauma had left her that way, but over time, she gradually opened up and accepted him as family.
Later, they found a blond boy, four years old; by then, she was 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're not alone anymore... from today on, you're my little brother!
The boy cried and never left her side again. That was Lucas.
Looking closely at the hologram, Daniel noticed about twenty people behind her, sleeping in a pile.
A tear rolled down his face. They were all disciples who had died years before the dragons appeared. That meant she had been planning this for a very long time.
"That girl... she was always talented at acting without my consent, but always for our sake... that's why I trusted her," Daniel thought, filled with melancholy.
After a thirty-second pause, the recording continued:
— The Master I know is probably blaming himself right now, saying something like, "I'm so weak I had to sacrifice my family," and planning to live for revenge...
Daniel looked on, surprised at how well that brat knew him.
— Enough, Master! — she said loudly, tears in her eyes. — That's enough! Please, just stop all of this. Do 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'll succeed, but take a moment to look at yourself too. Take care of yourself... my dear Master and father, just be happy this time! That's what I ask on behalf of all of us.
Tears streamed freely down her face. Daniel's heart tightened.
— Master... you gave your life for the world, for all of us. You taught us, played with us, stayed with us when we had nightmares, hugging us and loving us... always giving of yourself. You dedicated your life to us, and we are only returning that. If you're seeing this, it's because we all decided together that we would give our lives — lives you loved — to give you the right to be happy.
Lucas stood up behind Vivian.
— Master... my sister is right. You're going to be surprised when you check the date you're in, so do your best. We're rooting for you!
After speaking, he looked at Vivian with a teasing smile:
— Didn't know you were such a crybaby~
In the next instant, the image showed Lucas dropping to his knees, clutching his stomach after being struck by Vivian. The recording ended, and silence returned.
°°°
Daniel's heart ached as if pierced by a blade, yet at the same time, a warmth enveloped him.
He was an orphan and had only vague memories of his parents; he remembered only an older sister leaving him at the door of an orphanage when he was four. He never saw her again.
But the world gained color when he found those he loved.
He saw himself in those children, and for that reason, he never refused to take them in as disciples, even those without talent. Daniel invested everything he had to nurture them.
The hologram changed again. This time, the ten main disciples appeared. Linia stood at the front, recording, while the others rested in the background.
— Master... your little Linia wants you to be happy, to get married and have children. I know we're like your children, 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 could hear — You know, Master, my dream was to be a mother... I wanted to give someone the same care you gave us. Your heart is so big; if only you knew how much I admire you! So be happy... and name one of your daughters Linia, hehe! That way you'll never forget your little Linia. Bye, kisses!
— Silly girl! As if I could ever forget you, you cheeky brat! — Daniel replied to the wind, smiling at the face of the bold redhead.
She acted like that, but she was the most inflexible when facing enemies. Daniel understood — that girl had lived a miserable life.
Kidnapped along with her mother for five years, she endured horrors he didn't even like to imagine.
When he found her, her eyes were those of a beast. It took years before she saw him as family.
There were nights he woke up with a knife against his throat, facing her killing gaze. In those moments, he simply 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 cried, but said nothing.
°°°
It took ten years for her to fully open up to everyone, but anyone outside the family was always in danger.
As more years passed, she improved — but even so, she caused a bloodbath in Murim; 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 remembered that day vividly.
As he recalled the scene, he saw the capital of the Demonic Faction in flames, with thousands of bodies piled everywhere, forming grotesque mountains of flesh.
Blood gushed like a crimson river, winding across the ground, while screams and wails filled the air.
The word "monster" was the only cry escaping the throats of those who tried to flee in desperation.
At the epicenter of all that chaos, he watched his little girl. At the time, she had just turned eighteen, and he had allowed her to follow her own choice.
Alone, she exterminated the Demonic Faction with her own hands; she tore out the heart of the Heavenly Demon — the supreme leader — and executed the seven sons who fought for succession.
She had appeared before them like a specter of death.
Despite her youth, she possessed a strength that surpassed that of the Ten Supremes of Murim.
Yet, after fulfilling her goal, the young woman now knelt on the ground, staring at the sky with empty eyes.
Crimson blood covered her entirely, and the tears streaming down her face left clean trails across her small, stained features.
Daniel walked slowly toward her. Several survivors ran past him in terror, but he did not take his eyes off his disciple.
She remained there, kneeling, covered in crimson and crying.
When he reached her, he knelt in front of her and pulled her into a tight, protective embrace.
— Master... I'm a monster! — she said with a trembling voice.
— No... you are my girl, and 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 trembled against his back.
— Master... I did this... I thought I would feel better... but it's so bitter... my mother won't come back!
— Yes, she won't... but I'm here, and I won't leave you!
After that day, she devoted herself completely to the family.
Everyone Daniel saved was, in some way, broken by fate, and he could not 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!
The recording ended, and the orb dissolved into particles that circled Daniel, merging into his soul. He did not stop them; he knew it was Vivian's final gift.
The words "We love you, Father" echoed in his mind, making him smile in helplessness.
Daniel stood in silence for a long time, staring at the empty space where the image had been.
— I raised a bunch of troublesome kids who only know how to break an old man's heart, haa... you 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.