Over the ground, countless bodies lay motionless. The soil, the grass, the human-made walls—everything had been painted dark crimson.

As the metallic tang filled the air, the crows continued to pierce and devour the dead remains.

In the middle of this calamitous scene, an old man sat unfazed. His body was entirely intact, as no crow closed the distance with him.

It was as if they were being wary of him. The old man was shrouded in the crow's darkness, only revealing a pair of his bright emerald eyes.

"The time is nearing..."

***

*Sniff*

*Sniff*

The faint noises of someone snorting grew louder as a figure neared a small vendor shop.

Lucian stood right beside this shop, holding onto a steaming hot bun.

After half a day's traveling, he had reached the center of Xiangzhan. Walking through the place, he came to find out that many big powerhouses resided in this exact area.

From what he came to know, the world welcomed and divided into three terminologies 100 years ago.

The mainstream, who still stuck to the ideas of meticulous cultivation, formed the righteous alliance, consisting of the six great clans. This alliance was said to be the strongest and currently led the entirety of the martial world.

Then there came those who preferred innovations more than anything, leading scientific inventions in the world of martial arts—Iron-steel fortress.

And at last, the kind that had been buried alongside the Fengs in the great war—Demon Society. This society, although said to be extinct, had already declared its comeback in the martial world a century back.

Though, as weak as they had become, they posed little to no known threats. Thus, were eventually ignored.

Out of these three factions, the first two had established their respective manors in this imperial state, letting it not lose its title.

"Hmm," Thinking about his next steps, Lucian neared his hand and took a bite. His teeth clanked together sharply.

"Ack," Groaning slightly, he looked at his hand with his other hand clasping his jaw. His hand was empty. Though, the wrapper still remained in his hand.

*Nom... Nom...*

The sound of someone munching soundly slipped into his ears as he quickly twisted his head. To his left, a small figure, comparable to his size, stood wrapped in rugged sheets from head to toe.

For a brief moment, he stood frozen with surprise. Gazing at the small, skinny, muddied hands of this child, he could tell that they belonged to the same "discarded" that people were mocking upon his arrival.

Letting out a deep breath, he smiled sweetly and threw the empty wrapper in his hands. This was the meal he had bought with the last of his money.

Lucian, without a doubt, after a day of not eating, was hungrier than he ever was in the last 5 years. However, he couldn't dare disturb this child.

He understood that this child needed this meal more than him. Lucian kept quiet and stood right there.

Several minutes later, as the last bite of dumpling was gone, the child looked relieved. Rubbing their hands on the stomach, the child yawned.

"Are you done?" He asked gently.

Hearing his voice, the child froze and slightly turned around—just enough to catch a glance at Lucian.

"I-I a-a-am sorry..." The girl muttered, tears welling in the corner of her eyes. She bowed her head instinctively and patiently waited to get scolded or be beaten like always.

"Eh, it's fine." Lucian said, smiling. Extending his hand towards the girl, he asked. "Say, what's your name?"

The girl, naturally, looked confused. For, let alone talking nicely and smiling, people loathed even breathing near their people.

At least, that's what she had learned growing up in these cruel streets.

Even amongst each other, the discarded ones never acted friendly. Every day was a struggle to stay alive. Even a day's mercy towards another would've caused the other to die.

Under such conditions, the people had grown violent.

As such, this was the first time someone had talked nicely to her. With the heart of a kid, she instantly beamed and accepted Lucian's hand—the crumbs of the dumpling still stuck to her hands.

"My name's Mira! I don't have a surname, but you get it! What's yours!?" She shook his hand enthusiastically.

Seeing her reckless behavior, Lucian chuckled for a bit and answered. "Nice to meet you, Mira! I'm Feng Tian. Wanna be friends?"

Almost instantly, she froze again. But this time, not with fear. Lucian twisted his neck like an owl in confusion but soon felt something wet on the top of his hands.

Looking closely, he saw a stream of water pouring right on his hand. "Eh?" Looking up, he flinched.

The girl was crying rivers while her lips curled into a wide smile. Letting out a breath of relief, Lucian moved slightly closer and patted the girl on her head.

He could understand her feelings very well. Being an orphan who survived the world on his own since childhood, he could feel what the girl must've gone through.

"This feeling... Getting a new friend that genuinely cares for you... I wish I had..." Just as he was thinking about it, a sharp pain ran through Lucian's spine.

"Ack!" A groan escaped his lungs as his vision grew blurry in a heartbeat. As it continued to darken, he stumbled back and forth. Although getting weaker with every second, he could still hear the girl's voice.

"Hey! What's... happening... Ar...you...kay?"

At last, as he collapsed to the ground, a faint hum rang in his ears. It wasn't something loud or sharp, but gentle.

A feminine voice softly called out to him as if he were familiar with it.

"Lucian..." A faint image began to conjure before his dimming eyes. Dust that otherwise lay on the ground levitated and came together to form a miniature rough physique of a woman.

Although made of sand, Lucian could see her skin perfectly. Her bright red eyes stared directly into Lucian's.

"C—" Almost instantly, a name came to his mind. But before he could say it, he felt a sharp pain coursing through his neck, causing him to lose consciousness on the spot.

While a loud crackling noise lingered in the air.

"It's not time yet for you to remember."

***

At the same time, in an unknown space:

"Hmm?" Silas widened his eyes as he felt a familiar sensation burning in his heart.

He quickly stood up from his chair. At the same time, a man dressed in dark robes slammed his hands on the table.

Silas looked towards the man with a terrified expression. "You... feel that?" He asked, his voice wavering.

"How could I not?" The man replied, his bright golden eyes trembling in shock.

"What happened?" The same girl that Silas had warned before looked concerned.

'The fact that both of these men reacted in such a way... Something must've happened!' She thought, preparing herself to hear the answer.

But both Silas and the other man seemed far from being normal. Exchanging gazes, they both said in unison. "The feeling is gone."

Letting out a deep breathe, they sat back down. The cold beads of sweat that newly formed over their forehead, trickled down their face.

"With this," the other man pointed his finger towards the table. "The first seal has been broken. We must stay more careful. For I am sure we are not the only ones who sensed this."

Silas nodded in agreement, his eyes reflecting the seriousness of the matter.

"Although I do not worry about his safety, since 'He' is currently residing in that world. I fear they might investigate this matter further." Silas shook his head in frustration.

"I'll stay back and make sure no one from their side enters the world." Silas got up from his chair.

"Well then, I'll go make sure nothing bad happens to him." The other man got up from his chair as well.

Walking to the side for a bit, he instantly disappeared into darkness. Looking at the empty space, Silas gave a bittersweet smile.

The girl in the back, although curious, couldn't ask them questions herself. For even she knew that no matter how powerful she would become, they could kill her in an instant.

The mere fact that beings like them were acting docile was nothing short of a miracle.

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