A middle-aged man staggered along the sidewalk, his hands buried deep in his pockets.

His face was etched with stress, his eyes half-lidded from alcohol and exhaustion. Life had long lost its charm for him.

He was tumbling here and there, barely conscious, his mind flickering between the dull present and the burdens of the past.

That's when he saw her. A little girl, no older than twelve or thirteen, standing at the edge of the road. Long black hair framed her pale, innocent face. A truck barreled toward her at full speed.

He blinked slowly, already composing his condolences in his mind.

"Well, rest in peace, little one. Life's a mess anyway."

He clasped his hands together in prayer, about to bow his head in pity.

"Hey, what the—?!"

Then— "OooouuuAhhhhhhhhhuuuu!"

A powerful shove sent him flying. His body crashed into the girl, pushing her to safety. But in the next instant, he realized he was now in danger.

BANG!

The truck slammed into him, his head crushed beneath its wheels. Blood painted the asphalt red. His last fleeting thought was strangely humorous.

"Well, at least I did one good thing before dying. Guess that counts for something, huh?"

In Another World…..

A breathtaking demoness trudged up an unscalable mountain. Her long black hair clung to her damp face, her curved black horns casting a shadow over her pale, grief-stricken skin. She looked up at the peak—so close, yet eternally unreachable.

Her voice trembled. "How much time has passed? Thousands of years… millions? Even with eternal life, I cannot bridge the gap."

Her sorrow had long settled into a dull ache, an infinite void of longing.

A flash of memory struck her.

She had once been Empress of Demons, standing on the precipice of ruling the world. Yet on the day she had everything, she lost the one thing that mattered.

Her newborn child.

Laughter filled the air as the demoness gently rocked her newborn in the cradle.

"Mama will be back soon, little one."

She turned to the babysitter.

"Watch over her. I'll only be gone for a little while."

Steam curled around her as she sank into the warm bath, letting out a tired sigh. Her maids hummed quietly as they poured fragrant oils into the water.

But suddenly the child's cries shattered the palace halls.

Dripping wet, barely covered by a hastily grabbed curtain to cover herself, she had run toward the room.

Bang! The doors burst open—

Blood. Everywhere.

Blood pooled beneath the cradle. The babysitter lying headless on the cold marble floor.

Her mind refused to break. Her body refused to move. She simply sat, trembling, guarding the lifeless body of her child.

Still. Silent. Lifeless....

Then he appeared.

A presence stirred

A man stood atop the castle roof, a black trench coat draped over his frame, a black flat cap shadowing his eyes. His presence was cold—merciless.

He took a slow drag from his cigarette.

She barely managed to stand, her demonic power surging.

Her hands trembled. Her lips parted. "You…"

But before she could take a step—

FWOOSH!

He flicked his cigarette toward her. The moment it reached her face—

KAAAAA-BOOOOOM!!

Flames erupted, consuming her world in fire and fury.

As he disappeared into the smoke, his voice echoed.

"Mission completed."

The "Hero of Humanity"—a man with no warmth, no hesitation, only the cold efficiency of a killer.

Now, in the present, the demon empress walked through relentless rain. Tears merged with raindrops, her sorrow unending.

She ran toward a massive tree for shelter—only to freeze.

Hundreds of thousands of bodies hung from its branches.

Below, countless figures sat in meditative states, frozen in eternal silence. A sacred cemetery of those who had sought enlightenment… and perished.

Her throat tightened. "This place… what is this?

As she stepped forward, her foot brushed against one of the bodies.

A single tear slipped from her eye, falling onto the body's navel.

A miracle unfolded.

From the lifeless form, a lotus bud bloomed. It unfurled, revealing a child nestled within.

A boy.

He began to cry.

Something in her heart, long dead, sparked to life.

Kneeling down, she scooped him into her arms, cradling him against her chest. But he did not stop crying.

Without hesitation, she pulled him close and nursed him.

The moment he latched onto her, she felt it—her life force draining.

Her so-called "eternal life" was vanishing, Her skin wrinkled, her body aging rapidly. But she did not flinch.

A soft smile graced her lips.

"Thank you, my sweet little child."

As her body withered, her heart felt light. For the first time in thousands—millions—of years, she was at peace.

The boy crawled from her lap, his tiny hands pressing into the earth. Then, slowly, he stood.

His first step shook the worlds.

The heavens trembled.

The gods fell from their thrones.

"What is this disturbance?" The King of Gods demanded, his face filled with unease. "This is no natural event. There is a force at work here that we cannot understand."

Demons scattered, running for their lives.

"What is this?!" The Demon King bellowed, his voice laced with panic. "Nothing has ever caused the ground to tremble like this. What is this power?!"

A general, shaking his head left and right in disbelief, muttered, "Are we under attack? Have the gods finally decided to move against us?"

Humans collapsed, praying for salvation.

A soldier, struggling to keep his balance, shouted. "What in the gods' names is happening?!"

The universe was about to fall apart.

Before he could take his second step, the King of Gods and his celestial army appeared. The strongest demons arrived. The greatest human cultivators and warriors from the most powerful sects gathered.

All united in fear.

"STOP HIM!" said King of the Gods.

The strongest warriors from every realm gathered, grabbing the child's legs.They built mountains beneath his feet, desperate to stop him from touching the ground.

"Please! Don't take another step!"

But the child took his second step.

As his feet reached the peak of the mountain.

And he stood above all realms.

Then, just as suddenly, he yawned.

And fell into a deep slumber.

An old man stood at the peak, watching.

His face was lined with wisdom, his eyes holding an eternity of understanding. His presence was not commanding, yet it radiated warmth—like a gentle grandfather watching over a sleeping child.

He knelt beside the boy, carefully picking him up.

With a small, knowing smile, he whispered, "Sleep well, little one."

Then, without a sound, he vanished.

And reappeared on Earth.

The child was left outside a grand mansion, beneath the vast, starlit sky.