Somewhere in a deep forest where towering trees were seen as the norm, there was a lake that was tens of kilometers wide.
In the middle of that lake was a boat that was moving with the help of the slight waves that the lake made and the gentle breeze that was in the air.
On that boat was an old man holding a fishing rod, trying to catch something in the middle of the night. This lone old man was none other than Hart.
Suddenly, countless streaks of light could be seen reflecting on the surface of the lake.
Hart raised his head and looked at the star shower. With a smile on his face. "So, it has finally started. I didn't expect I would live long enough to see a second one."
At that moment, Hart felt something pulling on his rod. "Good things come all at the same time but what may be good to some, it may be bad to others.
"Now, come here, you little fishy." Hart pulled the rod hard, and something came to the surface of the lake. A huge basin, probably the mouth of some fish-type beast could be seen under the clear water.
…
"Hmmm, the age of chaos has come. I should let the young ones." In a chasm, a hoarse voice resounded.
In a royal chamber, where the world's most expensive objects could be found, a burst of laughter escaped. "HAHAhaha… I have the biggest harem, Gods! Watch as I finally conquer the world with my kids."
Just like them, many influential figures and old monsters woke up, trying to get a piece of this giant pie that was coming.
The stories told by Hart, which many didn't believe in, shocked them now, as they didn't expect a random old man's story to come true.
…
'System, which one is my daughter?' Max eagerly asked as he couldn't calm down his heart.
[ Host, you first have to pay the price. ]
'Just take it!' Max spoke quickly, as he felt he might miss this chance.
[ Host has made a high-level request. ]
[ Approximately 150 years have been subtracted from the host's lifespan. ]
[ A wide-ranging search has been initiated. ]
Max's eyes shot wide open in shock, as he hadn't anticipated such a massive cut. The effect of deducting so much from his lifespan was taking a toll on his body.
His hair started to have white tints here and there, while his body started to become skinny and his skin wrinkly.
Finally, it stopped there. Max felt he had aged much more than he expected.
Ravenna also noticed Max's change when he started breathing heavily earlier. She gave Max a careful look and saw his body aging, which shocked her. She asked with concern. "Max, what happened to you?"
"Nothing," Max calmed down his breathing and said. "I was using a forbidden technique to find something."
"Find what?" Ravenna asked, tilting her head.
Max looked at her face, then shifted his attention to the sky, where stars of various colors were shooting down. He felt in his heart that he should tell her some truth at least, as he believed Ravenna had become someone close to him and the only companion other than the system.
"Ravenna, I am finding my daughter." Max looked at the star with yearning.
"Daughter?" Ravenna became heavily confused. She might be new to this world, but she has already seen only the adults who had children.
"I know you are confused, Ravenna. This daughter is from my past life." Max answered her truthfully.
"So, Max, you've reincarnated." Ravenna tapped her chin and thought of the answer.
Max was surprised to hear that from Ravenna. "How do you understand that term?"
"I don't know why, but I feel like I know. It feels like it is engraved in my memory." Ravenna answered after pondering a bit. "Also, Max, reincarnation is normal. Many great demons do that."
Max's eyes widened as he felt thunder struck in his mind. Ravenna just revealed something that explained many things. But he quickly tossed those thoughts away as he saw the star shower was done.
[ Ding ]
[ The search is complete. ]
[ The target, 'Ana' - Her soul has been locked. ]
[ A map has been made using the host's lifespan. ]
[ Host can check the soul's position on the map. ]
Max stood up and spoke to Ravenna. "Let's go to sleep now. We will leave this place early in the morning."
"Also, Ravenna, I hope you don't tell anyone about my secret," Max spoke softly as he entered the hole.
"Of course not," Ravenna said with a giggle. Inside her mind, she thought. 'How can I let anyone know you are a reincarnation of a great demon? I knew Max was someone great and mighty, I am glad he picked me.'
With that thought, she also entered the hole and slept beside Max.
…
The sun just shone on the land, waking up Max from his sleep.
Ravenna also woke up as she felt her body pillow move away from her clutches.
"Wake up, sleepy head. We will leave." Max said as he left the hole.
Ravenna rubbed her drowsy eyes and jumped from the hole where she tripped and fell.
Fortunately, Max was there to catch her and safely let her stand on the ground. Max wasn't angry at her for that, as it was a daily occurrence.
"Let's go, we will eat something on the road." Max started walking while Ravenna followed behind him, holding his sleeves.
A map appeared in front of Max's eyes as he walked out of the forest.
The map was mostly gray, and red dots could be seen everywhere with only a small clear patch in the bottom right corner. He could see an arrow that moved as he changed directions. 'So, that's me and…'
Then he shifted his focus to a couple of green dots that were not far from his position. 'The red dots may be the maximum level of danger where I could potentially get killed, and the green dots are the safe place.'
Finally, Max's eyes landed on a blue dot with 'Ana' written on top of it. This dot was also not far from him. 'Ana, I am coming.'