A long time ago, there was a village known for its scenery in the south of the Eastern continent. The villagers always welcomed the guests in their little settlement because they think they would be nice to them, but they were mistaken.
A single wounded man strayed into the village gate at dead midnight. Kind people tended to his wounds as he grew healthier and healthier passing days.
" Hello."
He said in an awkward dialect of the eastern language as he tried the learn their way of living. Obviously, they were happy to teach this person about their culture and history. They even taught him their secret technique.
" Mirror heart."
It was a heaven-defying technique that many drooled for years, but yet no one managed to learn it since they couldn't achieve the tranquility of the inner heart.
Especially mana users were reluctant to abandon their mana for such risk. They were afraid of losing their life insurance to some unknown technique.
However, the man managed to learn it. He even achieved a greater height than the current head of the dojo. She was a kind woman who loved teaching others.
One day the man proposed to the woman, hoping for her answer. Fortunately, she accepted his hand and gave her precious life thread to him.
The man did everything to be with the woman as he was deeply trusted by the villagers. He took the head watchman role in a few years.
" Will you be fine?"
The woman asked, stroking her big belly with a gentle expression. Her tender eyes were filled with worry for the man who was trying to atone for his sins.
The man lightly caressed her head and kissed her on her forehead. He put their foreheads together to ensure his safety since he was going for a week.
" Don't worry, I will be back in a week. You know I am powerful enough to protect myself."
He spoke while showing his arms filled with scars and burns. He was a former war hero in the southern continent. Because of the war, he had to escape to the eastern continent to save his life from the rebellion force.
The man looked back one last time as he picked up his backpack. His broad back shone under the sunlight, showing the might of the hero.
The woman clenched her fists to take back the words that choked her. She knew her husband would return to them with glory since he always completed his promise.
Soon days passed by, days turned into months and months turned into years. No sign of the man showed as the villagers lost hope of his return. They said he was probably dead or captured somewhere since they trusted him.
However, the woman didn't lose hope as she raised their son with her utmost care. The boy was a spitting image of his father and he was much more burly than the kids around his age, but he was unusually kind.
He always loved living beings and his love earned him the blessing of the spirits as they have granted him unimaginable strength. He could do the job of the adult with ease.
" Mom, I hunted a boar today. Let's grill some boar meat today."
The boy said, throwing a big boar to the ground as he smiled brightly.
The woman smiled gently while patting his shoulder with a satisfied look. She knew her son was bound to be a hero like his father soon.
" Pi, your father would be proud of you if he had seen you."
The woman choked while recalling the face of her husband who went away a long time ago.
Pi remained silent after hearing her words. Honestly, he didn't care about his father who left his family behind. He hoped for his death in his heart.
He silently took out his old knife and began to skin it. From a young age, he was a gifted hunter who could do most of the jobs like his mother. He even learned the martial arts of his parents easily.
" Mom, don't talk about him. He left us here. If it wasn't for our villagers, you would have a hard time since you closed the dojo."