Atop a forsaken mountain peak, where storms howled and lightning carved jagged scars across the sky, knelt Erdan Vale. Shackled to a weathered stone platform, his body trembled as a pool of blood spread beneath him.
How did it come to this?
He had never seen it coming—the betrayal that would end his life.
Before him stood four figures. Three were his closest friends. The last was her—the woman he had once loved.
Her cruel, twisted grin sent a chill through him. With a gleeful chuckle, she stomped his head against the jagged rock, grinding his cheek into the unforgiving surface.
"Ahaha! How pathetic." Her voice dripped with venom. "Did you really think obtaining the Codex would change anything for a failure like you?"
She laughed, a haunting melody that echoed in the storm. "I knew you'd do anything I asked. But even I was shocked when you actually went through with it." She sneered, her tone shifting from amusement to disgust. "It's almost cute—if it weren't so revolting, coming from a weakling like you."
Erdan's body ached, his strength fading fast, but he forced himself to speak. His voice, weak yet seething with sorrow, anger, and betrayal, barely escaped his lips.
"Why?…"
The four of them didn't even flinch. But then, one of his so-called "friends" smirked, stepping forward to answer.
"Why else?" He spread his arms mockingly. "We're far above you, Erdan. Do you have any idea how much ridicule we endured—just for being associated with a talentless loser like you?"
He let out a hearty chuckle.
"I mean, seriously. I get it—not everyone can be a genius. But to have not even a sliver of talent? That's just absurd." He clicked his tongue. "Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't end it yourself years ago."
And as if on cue, they all laughed. Together.
Erdan's heart pounded, his emotions a swirling storm of rage and despair.
Everyone hates me. Why? Because I'm weak? Because I'm not some prodigy? Because I wanted to live a normal life?
That's not fair. That's not fair at all.
How dare you! If I make it out of here… I will slaughter every last one of you! Even if I have to sell my soul to a demon!
A sharp crack rang out as a boot slammed into his face, sending his head snapping to the side.
"How dare a worm like you make such a face?"
A fist gripped his hair, yanking his head upward, forcing him to look into the eyes of someone who had once called him brother—now filled with nothing but hatred.
And in that moment, Erdan understood.
He was truly, utterly alone.
His vision blurred, but not from pain. From tears. They welled up at the edges of his eyes, defying his will to hold them back.
After all these years of mockery, of humiliation, he had never given up.
But now, he knew.
It was over.
I'm such a fool. I'm nothing. How could I have ever believed I could fight back? How could I even graze them, let alone kill them all?
I bet even a demon wouldn't make a deal with someone as pathetic as me…
His breaths came in short, ragged gasps. The cold seeped into his bones. The agony that had long since settled into his body now numbed.
Why…?
Why am I so weak?
Why did the heavens forsake me?
Why was I even born?
If I couldn't be strong… I, at least, wanted a normal life.
But in a world where the strong are predators and the weak are prey… even that was too much to ask for.
His body shuddered. The pain no longer mattered. The blood loss was finally catching up to him. He had been dying for hours—kept alive only by their healing techniques, ensuring his suffering lasted as long as possible.
But no healing could sustain him any longer.
A cold, lifeless smirk spread across his lover's lips as she raised her blade for the final strike.
"Goodbye, Erdan." Her voice was sickly sweet. "I hope the afterlife is just as pathetic as your life."
The sword descended.
But then—
Time stopped.
Erdan's breath caught in his throat. He looked up.
His lover's hand was frozen mid-air, her blade locked in motion.
The world around him—gray, distorted, frozen in a haze.
And then—
A translucent panel flickered into existence before his eyes.
[The Heaven's Archive has recorded your demise.]
[The lost techniques of countless eras await you.]
[Rewinding existence… forging a new path…]
The world began to unravel. Time itself bent and twisted, pulling him backward.
And just before the process is completed—
He closed his eyes.
Erdan's eyes shot open. His breath was ragged. His hands trembled.
He was no longer on the mountain.
He was… home.
An old, isolated room. Familiar. Dim candlelight flickered weakly. Dust coated the wooden shelves, where forgotten books sat untouched. Rolled-up scrolls, yellowed with age, lay scattered across a worn table.
That smell… ink and candle wax… I remember it like no other.
His heart pounded in his chest. His face remained stoic, but inside, his mind was a raging tempest.
How did I get here?
Isn't this… my old room in the sect?
His throat was dry. I feel parched…
And yet, within the chaos of his thoughts, something stirred deep within him.
Hope.
A flicker of possibility.
An infinite number of what-ifs coursed through his mind.
What if I truly… returned to the past?
What if this isn't the afterlife?
What if… none of that ever happened?
His breath came slow and steady as he stood up. The floorboards creaked beneath his feet.
He pinched his arm. Wiggled his fingers. Even tested his voice.
It was real.
"I've returned."
But what confirmed it was the reflection staring back at him.
Disheveled. Frail. Unkempt hair. Deep eyebags.
This was the old him.
I look like I barely eat…
I really had given up on myself, huh?
He clenched his fists.
But that's not me anymore.
He stepped toward the cracked, fogged mirror, wiping away the dust with his sleeve.
"I won't let this second chance go to waste," he murmured. His reflection stared back, his eyes now burning with resolve.
"I'll do whatever it takes."
I say that… but how?
Even with my knowledge of the future, can someone as talentless as me truly change anything?
And then—
A swirl of light formed in front of him.
He recognized it immediately.
The same glow he saw before time was rewound.
A translucent panel materialized before his eyes.
[You now have access to the Heaven's Archive.]
The world around him shifted.
Darkness enveloped him. Before him, a vast land stretched endlessly, filled with countless figures—men and women, warriors of unfathomable strength.
They all look… so powerful…
[This is the land of forsaken paths.]
[Lost to time, these warriors once wielded techniques capable of shattering the stars themselves.]
[Due to your weak body, you must first unblock all chakra points before choosing your first path.]
Erdan clenched his fists, an eager grin creeping onto his face.
This is it…
With this, I can do it.
In this life, I'll do things right.
If the strong define justice… then I'll be the judge!
"This time… I won't be erased."