章 37: Valerie's letter: A turning point
The night sky was illuminated by the crystal-clear light of the stars. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves and grass, creating a sense of calm. It was a serene night, like many others in the forest.
Suddenly, a blinding light flashed, turning the night into day for a few moments. From within the light, a figure emerged and fell lifelessly to the ground before the light vanished.
Dan remained on the ground with his face buried in the grass. He lay there lifelessly, emitting feint sobbing sounds. The event was truly traumatizing, and hearing Cornelius's last words made it worse.
He began blaming himself for everything. He wondered if he had listened to Valerie, would any of this have happened?
Dan rolled himself over to face the night sky. He couldn't see it, but he felt it.
"I can't see," he chuckled dryly.
Seems like his free trial is over.
Dan sighed and closed his eyes, wishing he could disappear into the ground.
"I think dying would be better."
An image of Ana and Naya flashed in his head. He gritted his teeth so hard that blood began rolling from his mouth.
"It's hard, damn it! It's not as easy as you think. How can I not blame myself for your deaths, how?!"
Dan wept bitterly.
After some time, Dan pulled himself up, sitting on the ground. The cold night breeze froze the blood on his wrists. Dan didn't budge; counting the pain he experienced today, this was the least of it.
He stood up and saw the small house. Relieved, Dan tried to take a step, but pain invaded his brain. Every part of his body ached. He fell to the ground, screaming his lungs out. He thought he was going to die, but little did Dan know his body was changing.
His screams echoed through the forest, chasing away the inhabitants. His body grew in size, his muscles becoming more defined.
Dan had just undergone a rapid aging process.
After a while, the pain vanished. He lay on the ground, catching his breath and gathering his strength.
Dan staggered to his feet, feeling odd and heavy, as though he couldn't control his body weight. After some struggle, he stood upright.
He ran his fingers across his face, neck, and body, noticing he had increased significantly.
"What the hell?"
His voice was deeper.
"Wow," he exclaimed.
Dan examined himself, taking note of the changes. Not only did he grow physically, but he also experienced some inner growth. He could visualize the energy around him more clearly and in more detail than before. He could finally feel sound waves with his feet, giving him more information about his surroundings.
Almost as if he could see, but in a blurred black-and-white vision.
Dan made his way to the house.
Upon entering, he noticed a trace of Valerie's aura and traced it to a table. On top of the table was a scroll with a ryo inscribed letter
"Wow," he exclaimed and began reading.
"Yo, my annoying little students. If you are reading this, it means you are back from your vacation trip. I cannot ask you how it was because I won't get an answer, but I hope it was not bad.
First and foremost, anything that happened back there, I want you to put it behind and move forward. None of what you saw was real. I can't use the term real; let's say none of it was recorded in this world's time and history.
You experienced a sudden change in your physiology. That's the world fixing you back in the timeline you originally belonged to. Speaking of timelines, I didn't tell you this, but the time in Durakon and this world are two separate entities. I waited for two years for your arrival but got bored and left. Sorry, I didn't know you would take that long.
Finally, I want you to move forward and become stronger. I don't know your dream, but I think I can help you achieve it. And by helping you, I mean your eyesight. I know of a place where you can regain your eyesight. The capital.
I know it's like marching into the lion's den, but knowing you, I know it means nothing.
You need to change your looks, change who you are, and start a new life. That's the only advice I can give you as your master. If fate ever brings us together again, I hope we won't be enemies then."
Upon finishing the letter, Dan rolled the scroll and dropped it on the table. He sat beside the table, removing his blood-stained clothes.
"Move forward, huh… It sounds so easy, but yet…"
Dan clenched his fist tightly but then released his grip.
Minutes later, he washed up and treated his wounds. The injury on his left hand was severe; his thumb and pinky finger were broken and dangled freely, while his right hand sustained deep cuts all over his wrist, luckily not affecting his veins.
Dan went around the house looking for food but found none. He sighed and got ready for hunting, remembering who Valerie was. He expected as much. It wasn't that she couldn't cook or hunt, but she was too lazy to do so. She would rather die of hunger than hunt and cook her food; that was why she took Dan with her.
Dan journeyed through the dark forest. Unlike other humans who relied on light, he just needed his senses and his feet to navigate. With the help of his heightened abilities, he avoided big animals such as wild bears and dusk prowlers. He wasn't physically fit to fight those.
While advancing deeper into the forest, Dan stumbled upon some rare beasts: wild wolves.
Unlike other beasts such as bears, boars, and in some cases reptiles, wolves have high intelligence.
The wolf family has four growth stages. First is a normal wolf. Secondly, the wolf will evolve into either a trail wolf or a wild wolf. The next stage is a trail king/queen or wild king/queen, and lastly, wolf emperor/empress.
During evolution, the criteria needed for a wolf to evolve into a trail wolf is totally different from that of a wild wolf. Trail wolves are products of forcefully absorbing human energy through consumption, thus gaining human-like features like the most common: standing upright on two legs and understanding human speech.
Wild wolves, on the other hand, are products of cannibalism. They absorb energy from their fellow wolves, increasing their own. They don't get any major physical changes; the only visible change is they are bigger in size compared to other wolves and much stronger and faster.
The final stage, the wolf emperor or empress, can never have two at the same time. Wolf emperors appear once in a century, and after their death, another will rise. They have the ability to transform into humans but retain some wolf features such as whiskers, auburn eyes, long ears, and pointed mouths. But there is an exception.
Dan hid behind a tree, taking note of their movements. There were four in number, and among those four, one was injured, most likely by the remaining three, Dan thought as he observed them.
The three wolves gently walked towards the wolf on the ground, showing off their sharp fangs. The injured wolf lay on the ground, its leg bleeding profusely, but it still tried to defend itself, even though it stood no chance.
Dan picked up a stone, emulating Valerie. He placed it between his index finger and thumb and threw it with all his might. It whizzed through the air, impaling the first and second wolves, but the momentum ended with the second. The third wolf, seeing its comrades dead, ran off deeper into the forest.
Dan walked towards the dead wolves and picked them up. He glanced at the injured one but ignored it and headed to the house, certain of having dinner.
The injured wolf whimpered as Dan walked away, finally getting his attention. Dan turned towards it.
"Sorry, but I can't help you. See what your kind did to me?" He showed the scar on his left hand and continued his journey back to the house.
Dan arrived back home, prepared the meat, seasoned it evenly, and began to feast. As he ate, memories of Ana and Naya flooded in. He felt a tingling sensation in his eyes, and then tears began to roll down. He immediately wiped them away.
"No! I have to focus on moving forward!" He clenched his fist. "Besides, I'm not a crybaby anymore. I am a grown man now. How old should I be again, sixteen…seventeen?" Dan made a prideful face.
"Seems like you've adapted quite well again, Sir Dan," a voice came from the bushes.
Dan jumped out from the chair, clenching his fists regardless of the injuries.
"Oh, relax, Sir Dan. I am not here to fight with you."
"The bush won't help you. I can see you," Dan voiced, staying alert.
"Yes, yes… I figured," a young boy emerged. By looks, he was the same age as Dan, seventeen, but not as sturdy. He had long dark hair that covered both eyes.
"Long time no see, Sir Dan. A year? No, two years. Yeah, two years."
"Who are you?!" Dan asked.
"How rude of you to forget your friend… Hmm, what can I say to make you remember me?" He held his chin. "Oh yeah, what about Dan the Reaper?"
"You are…" Dan's eyes widened in shock. There was only one place they called him that, and only one person who kept calling him 'Sir Dan' even though he told him to stop.
"...the small boy. You are that boy."
"You know I have a name, right?"
"But how did you get here?" Dan asked.
"First off, let's start by knowing our names first. You can call me Zel, although that's not my real name; I just feel comfortable with this one."
"Alright, Zel! How did you get here?"
"Hmm… let's say I am not from that world either. When the gates were opened for you to leave, I followed too, but we didn't end up at the same time. I got back here two years before you and waited for your arrival," Zel made a long face.
"Then how did you find me here?"
"I know my sources."
Dan sat on the chair and continued his meal.
"So, what do you want?"
"Nothing in particular, not now. I just came to make myself known because from here on out you will see me more often."
Dan glanced at Zel while munching his food. He had many questions but decided to stay silent for now. One thing that bothered him was how he hadn't sensed Zel despite his heightened senses.
"If that is the reason you came, hurry up and leave," Dan urged.
"Sure, I'm on my way. And by the way, you have a visitor," Zel said and disappeared into the forest.
Dan scanned the area and beheld the injured wolf again. "You…!" Dan sighed.
He grabbed one of the pieces of meat and threw it at the wolf. Without a second thought, it rushed the meat, devouring it, bones included.
"Oh? I like your energy… Hmm, I think I might reconsider," Dan carried the wolf on his shoulders and treated its wound.
"Hmmm… What should I name you?" He contemplated.
"Are you a girl or boy?" Dan touched under the wolf, feeling it. The wolf let out a whimpering cry and rolled over, seemingly blushing.
"Oh… you're a girl, huh…?"
"Then how about I call you… Luna. How do you like it?"
The wolf whimpered and jumped on Dan, licking his face.
"Then Luna it is."
"Luna, I have decided…" Dan laid on the ground, looking into the sky, even though he couldn't see.
"I will keep moving. I will get stronger and go to the capital. I will change the world and make it a better place for everybody, for Ana and for Naya." Dan clenched his fist tightly, his expression becoming stoic. "And lastly, I will kill everyone who took what was important to me…even if it's a god!"
***
In a place beyond time and human understanding, something amazing was about to happen. It was a strange space, both far away and close, where the event had already happened but was also still to come—a place no ordinary person could reach.
In this mysterious space floated a grand hall with no foundation. At its center was a round table with three chairs. Two were already occupied by figures who seemed to possess energy on per with celestial beings, but the fact they were once humans was eminent. They radiated an energy that was both calm and intense, as cool as ice yet as hot as lava.
The two figures were waiting impatiently for the third. Their patience was running out when another presence appeared.
"Sorry, am I late?" A figure appeared, looking like a woman. She walked casually to the empty chair. "Time flows differently across dimensions, you know."
Once she was seated, one of the others, a man with long, white hair, stood and gave a slight bow.
"No need for formalities. Your presence is enough, Lady Lionheart," he said, sitting back down.
"Well then, shall we start the meeting?" she replied.
[NEXT: TWO YEARS TIME SKIP]
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A/N: Hello guys, I want to thank you all for your support and also reading up to this chapter
It was not an easy journey for me, yourselves and also Dan.
I want to inform you all that this will be my last free chapter as I will be participating in next month mgs
I will really love it if you all continue to support me and I hope to meet up to your expectations. Thank you.
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