In a heartbeat, she pulled out a well-wrapped paper and handed it to Lucian.

"The man who saved Tian, he told Mira to give it to you."

"The man??" Lucian raised an eyebrow as he unconsciously began to recall the man in question.

He quickly unfurled the letter and pulled out a small piece of paper. On it, a few words were written:

---

Thanks to your recklessness, they have become suspicious of your presence... The time has shortened... 30 years—that's all I can give you, Lucian. That grumpy old man of yours won't trouble you in the meantime. Go wild. Gain strength as quickly as you can, for their sole purpose would be you.

(P.s. - Try not to leave the county. It's the safest place for you for at least the next decade.)

Best,

—Your brother

---

"Huh?" As he read through the letter's content, Lucian's expressions grew increasingly grotesque.

Arching one of his eyebrows as high as he could, he looked at the paper in his hand with an almost disgusted look.

Up until now, Lucian had only lived his life alone. Whether it be the time he spent in an orphanage or the time he spent caged in a small room.

It was all his choice. The isolation—he liked its comfort.

But out of nowhere, someone calls him his brother, that too, in a world where his true name shouldn't have been known.

However, before he could properly study the letter's contents, a sharp sensation surged through his palm. Subconsciously, he jerked the letter off his hand and saw a bright light illuminate out of nothingness.

The striking, fiery color of red raged before his eyes, spreading evenly all across the paper. Mira, who had been noticing everything from a hand's distance, looked curiously as the sudden blaze caught her eyes.

"Waah, Tian!" She called out excitedly, "You never told Mira you knew magic!" Moving closer to Lucian, she curled her hands into fists. Not in anger, but to suppress her excitement.

"Pfft." Staring at her movements, Lucian couldn't help but laugh. 'She really was just a kid.'

*Ding!*

A familiar alert rang soundly in his mind. Lucian's attention instantly shifted. Though, he didn't move. Even if he recognized the voice, Lucian was well aware that Mira was watching.

Even if she were a kid, there was no guarantee that the system would let it slide if she were to become suspicious of his movements.

Right before Mira's face, a system window materialized. Although, this time, it shimmered in crimson.

At the top, "Danger" blinked ferociously as if the system was trying to warn him of something.

---

———————————————————

[#~System Notification~#]

———————————————————

[#_WARNING!_#]

[You have 99+ unseen notifications!!!]

[Due to your actions, an urgent worldwide announcement was sent to all the participants of this gate!]

[Fetching details...]

***

[#-Worldwide Announcement-#]

[Due to the interference caused by the player—Hollow, the main quest of the gate has changed!]

[The system urges all participants to prepare accordingly!]

---

'Wait, what?'

Reading through the notifications, his face slightly twitched. He stared at the system window for quite a few seconds, his brows urging him to frown.

This was a shock, even to Lucian.

On the day of his coming-of-age ceremony, Lucian was introduced to the main quest of this gate. Of this world.

Even then, He felt as though the quest itself was rushed. For neither its objective nor its time limit made any sense.

---

———————————————————

[#~System Notification~#]

———————————————————

[#-Main Task-#]

[• Objective – Survive the Divine Purge!]

└ [Once the time limit reaches zero, the forces of heaven—Immortals and beings beyond the concept of time—would descend on this land to kill the kin of '???'.]

└ [Before such a day arrives, you are to grow stronger by any means necessary and survive this calamity.]

[• Time Limit – 300 years]

[• Difficulty – Unpredictable]

[•Rewards – ???]

└ [Rewards scale with your choices, alliances, and actions within the Gate.]

[• If the player fails to reach the mortal peak, their chances of survival will be reduced to "0."]

[• Failure – Immediate Death]

---

The system screen from that day was still fresh in his memory.

'It was ridiculous, but still achievable for me—considering the number of cheats I had. But it says that such a task has been altered because of me?'

Lucian's confusion was viable and only natural. Starting with an immense boost of an unpredictable element of creation. A system. Authorities that could very well rival gods.

From his perspective, the world looked rushed. One after another, a series of unfinished events poured down on him. And although a few unexpected events caught his attention, it felt scripted.

Without waiting to hear the system's new announcement, Lucian looked away. With his senses back, he slowly stood upright and extended his hand towards Mira.

Mira stared at him silently for a few seconds. She understood that he wanted them to go somewhere, though—where?

Without giving it much of a thought, she took his hand and jumped like a rabbit. Even after standing, she didn't let go of his hand.

To her, it was the first time that she could feel such warmth. The warmth of a foreign body that could comfort her with just a touch.

In complete silence, she followed Lucian with her head looking down.

'I see,' a thought crossed her mind, causing her to curl her lips. 'No wonder those children used to be so happy while holding hands... Turned out it's a beautiful thing...'

In her eyes, the words could be different. What she wanted to say and what she wanted to do could be heavily influenced by her age.

But for once, she was happy. Happy to have found such warmth. A hand that could comfort her tears. A person who could show her affection despite her appearance. A friend.

Thinking about it, her grip tightened on Lucian's hand, reluctant to let go.

Lucian, on the other hand, did not mind such a thing. For he saw a reflection of himself in Mira's eyes. A child who used to experience the same cold expressions from others.

To him, this felt as if an unfinished dream was finally being completed. Not through him, but through this child named Mira.

On the other hand, a part of his mind was invested in the system's alerts.

Time.

Right now, it was the most important thing for Lucian.

'If the main task really has been altered because of my actions, then without a doubt, one way or another, I too am involved in this matter.'

'And frankly, it scares me.'

Lucian frowned, his eyes changing as though he could finally reveal himself truly. Mira was walking behind, so he didn't have to be wary of her anymore. Not yet, at least.

The very ability that made him rise to power so quickly in the real world—Infinity—was lying dormant. And it wasn't just a coincidence, since his abilities, titles, and authorities—everything was sealed.

Right now, all he had to develop his strength was a book. A book that contained the cultivation technique of the Tianlong.

'Infinity and Transcendence...' A thought crossed his mind, 'Are you perhaps testing me once again?'

Lucian was wary of such outcomes; however, his worries werent entirely wrong.

Being the creator of such abilities, Lucian knew just how broken they were. He knew that such powers could not be suppressed by anyone. Even the system.

Just like any living being, they had intelligence. And always sought their hosts to prove their worth. It was their way of expressing themselves, a way to say: We chose "you", not the other way around.

*Sigh*

He let out a deep breath, calming himself down as he noticed a new system window forming before his eyes.

---

———————————————————

[#~System Notification~#]

———————————————————

[#-Main Task-#]

[• Objective – Survive the Divine Purge!]

└ [Once the time limit reaches zero, the forces of heaven—Immortals and beings beyond the concept of time—would descend on this land to kill the kin of '???'.]

└ [Before such a day arrives, you are to grow stronger by any means necessary and survive this calamity.]

[• Time Limit – 30 years]

[• Difficulty – unachievable]

[•Rewards – ???]

└ [Rewards scale with your choices, alliances, and actions within the Gate.]

[• If the player fails to reach the mortal peak, their chances of survival will be reduced to "0."]

[• Failure – Immediate Death]

---

Lucian's eyes widened. Though his steps didn't halt.

300 had been turned into 30. In a cultivator's eyes, 30 years were nothing more than a breath's time. Yet, without his powers, Lucian was now supposed to achieve the impossible.

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