A man hovered hundreds of meters above the ground, completely naked.
His name was Daniel.
As he took in his surroundings, genuine surprise crossed his face. It had been decades since he had last seen the vibrant green of a forest.
The sight made his eyes gleam with a long-forgotten intensity.
In his original era, nature had been nothing more than a distant memory. The world had long since collapsed into deserts and ruin.
But now… Azure was alive. Thriving.
And that alone ignited something within him.
This time, his resolve was absolute—he would protect everything precious to him.
"Lucas mentioned something about this point in the past… didn't he?" he muttered, resting his chin against his hand.
He tried to recall what kind of surprise awaited him.
Though he appeared to be a man in his nineties, his true age far exceeded that.
Daniel had spent countless decades training within matrices and accelerated time zones. It was that relentless discipline that allowed him to surpass the Supreme Peak of Martial Arts.
He had reached the Half-Transcendent Realm, extending his lifespan to a thousand years—plus another three hundred due to his SS Rank.
He was used to a body worn down by time, covered in scars.
But as he looked at his hands—at his well-defined arms—he immediately noticed something was different.
He looked… young.
A man in his twenties.
Yet not quite the same as before.
His body stood at 1.85 meters, flawless in every sense. Every scar, every trace of fatigue, every imperfection had vanished without a trace.
His face was sculpted with near-supernatural symmetry, giving him a beauty that went beyond ordinary human standards.
And yet… it wasn't simply beauty.
There was depth in his gaze—an unfathomable weight that concealed centuries of experience, pain, and understanding behind youthful eyes.
Closing his eyes briefly, he extended his spiritual sense—and immediately understood.
His eyes snapped open.
The Chaotic Martial Physique.
A legendary constitution once possessed only by the Celestial Demon—the ruler of Murim.
The moment he felt that power flowing through his veins, a heavy pressure settled over his heart.
Among the few surviving records, this physique ranked among the three greatest martial paths ever known.
Daniel only knew of it because of Linia. After she destroyed the Celestial Demon's cult, countless hidden truths had come to light.
According to those records, the physique granted a perfect body and a unique energy—deep oceanic blue, laced with dark streaks.
For any martial artist, possessing such a physique made everything effortless.
Even a third-rate martial artist with a martial physique could easily defeat a standard first-rate expert.
It would be like a stray dog bringing down a tiger.
And in this case… the "dog" would be the one with lower rank—yet vastly superior potential.
Still…
Daniel knew the truth behind this power.
It had been born from a forbidden sacrifice.
The vitality and strength of his own disciples—each one at SS Rank, each one at the peak of the Martial Realm—had been consumed.
That weight would never fade.
The power he now possessed would forever be stained by that truth.
They had given everything… so he could transcend.
Silence fell over him.
The pain remained.
And it always would.
But he had no intention of forgetting it.
Instead, he steadied his thoughts.
"As far as I remember, the first portal appeared in China in 1998… then others followed. Russia, the U.S., South Korea… by 2000."
He remembered it clearly.
The documents he had obtained after eliminating Azure's traitors had detailed everything.
And the truth was bitter.
Humanity hadn't fallen solely because of external threats…
But because of its own greed.
As for his true age…
He no longer knew.
Nine hundred years? A thousand?
He had stopped counting after four hundred and five.
Throughout his life, he had denied himself everything in order to fight the unknown enemies emerging from dimensional rifts.
He had been humanity's shield.
And more than that… he had carried the burden of raising countless children.
His days had been relentless.
Even the smallest moments of rest were a luxury.
More often than not, he used his own power to eliminate distractions.
Rest… had never truly been an option.
Still, there were small things he cherished.
Simple things.
Like taking a bath—quiet reminders that he was still human.
A faint smile touched his lips, tinged with loneliness.
The silence felt wrong.
He had grown used to chaos.
The constant arguing between the two brothers…
Linia and Lucia always plotting something suspicious…
Lucky and Sebastião locked in endless duels…
Romeo and Jack, as always, trying to sneak a peek at the girls…
And Sindy, effortlessly playing with men using nothing but a smile.
"Hmph… those two… I should've beaten them a few more times…"
He let out a quiet sigh.
"A real man should have integrity… not spy on what he can't have."
…
From the very beginning, Daniel had been aware he was being observed.
"The technology is primitive… am I in the '90s?" he wondered.
Even so, he didn't mind.
If anything… he was satisfied.
His "sponsors" had finally revealed themselves.
Though… being naked was still mildly inconvenient.
With a mindset forged over centuries, embarrassment meant little to him.
Still… he preferred a well-tailored suit.
"A black suit would be more fitting… unfortunately, mine was destroyed."
His previous battle attire had been a masterpiece.
Crafted by the finest tailor of the Eragon Empire—a realm where advanced technology merged with soul-forging techniques.
The suit had been embedded with SSS-rank protective runes.
Due to limited resources, only ten had ever been created.
And his disciples…
Well, that group of delinquents had made sure to "inherit" most of them.
"It's only natural for disciples to surpass their master in certain areas… even if it's exploiting a defenseless old man."
A faint smile appeared once more.
In the end, the last suit had been destroyed during the battle against the dragons—its remnants lost within a temporal rift.
…Heh. Here I am… smiling at the past… or is it the future?
He exhaled softly.
It didn't matter.
These were memories worth keeping.
But the light in his eyes held something more than nostalgia.
This time…
Things would be different.
His gaze drifted toward the distant horizon.
And in silence…
He made his decision.
The game wasn't just beginning.
He already knew how it would end.