Five years later.
Heavy rain poured endlessly from the dark sky, Marco trained alone beneath the storm. Rain struck his bare skin as his sword sliced through the air, his body was lean but powerful, every muscle defined from years of brutal training, scars crossed his chest and abdomen—old memories carved into flesh.
He exhaled slowly and closed his eyes, For a moment everything felt still, the rain seemed to freeze mid-fall. Marco stepped forward, his blade curved through the air in a smooth arc as his torso leaned forward with precision.
His wet blond hair clung to his face as the sword cut through suspended droplets. Then— he flipped backward, Several hidden knives flew from his hand toward a distant target. The knives tore through the hanging rain before striking the target behind him, Marco landed softly then the rain resumed falling, water streamed down his face as he looked up at the sky.
"Seriously… does this rain plan to stop anytime soon?" he muttered.
Marco was now fourteen years old, In this world fourteen marked adulthood. He had mastered every skill he had been taught and created many of his own, at thirteen he had already become an adventurer.
Marco picked up his equipment and began walking toward the city through the heavy rain. The northern gate slowly appeared in the distance, two guards stood beneath a wooden shelter. Marco approached calmly.
"Halt!" Both guards spoke at once and Marco stopped, the younger guard stepped forward cautiously and aimed his spear.
"State your business. Where are you headed?" the younger guard asked
Marco didn't answer immediately, rain dripped from his hair covering his face. A flash of lightning illuminated the road and the older guard suddenly stiffened because he had seen the scars on Marco's body.
"Wait—lower your weapon," the older guard said quickly, and the younger guard frowned.
"What? Why?" he asked confused
"Because that's Marco." The older guard answered, the younger guard blinked.
"Marco…?" the younger guard asked,
"A-Rank Adventurer Marco." The older guard corrected himself immediately as the younger guard's eyes widened. The older guard bowed respectfully.
"Forgive us for stopping you." He added as he grabbed the younger guard's head and pushed it down into a bow.
"There have been many bandit attacks near the northern road lately," he explained. "We mistook you for one of them."
Marco walked past them without stopping.
"I understand, Uncle Bernet." Marco answered
The older guard gave a stiff nod, Marco disappeared through the gate and the younger guard whispered.
"Who exactly is he?" asking the older guard Bernet looked toward Marco's fading silhouette in the rain.
"He's the youngest A-Rank adventurer the guild has ever recorded." Bernet answered and the younger guard swallowed.
"That kid…?" the younger guard asked, Bernet lowered his voice.
"They call him the Bounty Hunter." Bernet said as he paused.
"And the Labyrinth Slayer." He finished
Marco heard everything despite the rain, but he didn't react he simply continued walking.
The streets were soaked and half empty because of the storm. Water ran along the stone roads as Marco continued walking shirtless beneath the rain without an umbrella. Eventually, he reached the Adventurer's Guild, inside the hall was lively, adventurers filled the room—eating, drinking, laughing loudly after their completed quests.
The door suddenly creaked open and cold rain blew in with the wind. Marco stood in the doorway, his silhouette framed by the storm behind him and the entire guild fell silent.
"…That's him."
"The survivor of that tragedy."
"The A-Ranker who hunts labyrinths alone."
Someone scoffed.
"Look at him walking in half naked… how indecent."
Whispers spread across the room.
Marco ignored them and walked straight toward the reception desk, leaving wet footprints behind him.
"Good evening, Marco." The receptionist greeted him with a bright smile.
"How may I help you today?" she asked
She was a petite woman about five feet two inches tall, with coffee-colored hair and bright green eyes. Her pale skin and lively expression made her stand out in the dim guild hall.
She reached beneath the counter and handed him a towel.
"Thank you, Miss White." He said accepting it as he dried his hair and wiped the rainwater from his body.
"Look at him doing that here…"
"Who does he think he is…"
The murmurs continued.
"Don't pay them any attention, Marco," Miss White said quietly.
"It's fine." Marco answered as he turned his head slightly and glanced at the crowd Instantly silence fell over the guild hall and he looked back at the receptionist.
"I would like to take the bandit suppression jobs in the northern area." Marco said, As he spoke he lightly waved his hand, mana flowed from his palm.
"Umbra Wind — Dragon's Warmth." He said
A gentle wave of warm air spread through the hall, within seconds Marco's hair and clothes were completely dry. The guild suddenly felt warm and comfortable despite the storm outside.
"You're always mysterious." Miss White said then she looked back at him.
"A job at this hour?" she asked
"Yes." Marco answered
"I was almost attacked earlier because I was mistaken for a bandit." Marco explained
"I should deal with them." His expression hardened as he finished
Miss White sighed softly before nodding Marco walked to the job board and pulled down several request papers, he placed them on the counter.
"I'll take these." He said as Miss White began counting.
"One… three… five?" she finished as her eyes widened and Marco nodded, She sighed again and stamped each request.
"Here you go." She said handing the documents back to him.
"Thank you." Marco muttered quietly before turning toward the door.
"Be careful out there!" Miss White called out, the door closed behind him.
Outside, the rain was still falling and Marco walked straight into the storm.
"what are we going to do about him" miss White asked herself
"Marco is going on anther job?" another female voice came from behind the receptionist, miss White turned to see the guild master
"Gui…. Guild master Scarlett??" she shouted in shock as everyone shifted their attention to ward the reception table
"shh"
"I don't want them to know I'm here." Scarlet said as she used her hand to cover White's mouth
"only you can see me right now." Scarlett added
"I'm sorry, I was just thinking out loud." Miss White said as everyone's attention shifted back o what the were doing.
"Marco, I would love to meet him in person, when he arrives back." Scarlett said
Marco walked through the northern gate he showed the pass to the guards, he went through a magic barrier of tier II, it is strong enough to stop hordes S rank monster from entering the city.
Marco who was walking up the Northern forest mountain ls got to the site where the latest bandit attack had taken place.
A destroyed carriage lay abandoned on the roadside, broken wheels, torn luggage, and scattered supplies were strewn across the muddy ground, soaked by the relentless rain.
Marco knelt beside the wreckage and took a slow breath then he closed his eyes, the falling rain suddenly froze midair. Droplets of water hung suspended around him like tiny floating crystals.
"Abyssal Water." Marco said as he opened his eyes, both of them had turned completely black. His vision merged with the water suspended in the air, every droplet became an eye, every ripple a sensor. Through them he saw everything, the rain extended his perception in every direction, five kilometers, eight, ten, the world unfolded in his mind. Marco pushed further, Fifteen kilometers.
The pressure struck immediately, his breathing grew heavier as the strain clawed at his mind, but he endured it. Images flickered rapidly through his vision—forests, cliffs, streams, abandoned roads. Then—He saw it, Deep within the Forbidden Mountains, a hidden cave. In front of it stood a wooden cabin that clearly served as a hideout, torches burned outside, bandits patrolled the area.
"Found you." Marco said as he slowly opened his eyes, the frozen droplets of water fell again as the rain resumed, he leaned back against a nearby rock and caught his breath slowly.
The strain from extending his magic lingered, but after a minute his breathing steadied.
"I pushed it a little too far…" he said as he stood up.
"…but it was worth it." he added glancing toward the dark forest ahead.
"Let's get going." He said placing his palm on the large rock beside him.
"Void…"
A deep purple glow slowly spread across the stone surface.
"Owl's Path." He finished and the rock rippled like disturbed water. A door-shaped portal of dark violet light appeared, humming softly with void energy, Marco stepped through and the portal vanished instantly. Several miles away near the bandit hideout, the exit portal opened silently on the trunk of a massive oak tree. Marco stepped out and the purple light faded without a sound, he immediately lowered his presence.
"Shadow Step." He activated and his movements became almost ghostlike, even the rain seemed to avoid making noise when it touched him. He moved through the forest carefully until the cabin came into view.
Bandits stood guard outside, some leaned against the walls, others patrolled lazily with weapons in hand.
Marco observed them from the shadows.
"There you are…" he said as his eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for the safest approach. Then a sharp ringing pierced his head, Marco's vision suddenly blurred out, his body stiffened, then screams exploded inside his mind, his eyes rolled backward and fragments of voices echoed violently in his head.
"I have to go help them!"
"I'll come back!"
"I promise!"
The voice sounded distorted… like it came from a memory, more screams followed, the sounds of battle, crying, and chaos.
Marco staggered as his balance failed
THUD.
He collapsed to the forest floor.
The rain continued pouring over him..
"Hey!!" One of the bandits patrolling said calling his partner
"what is the matter??" The other bandit asked in response
"didn't you hear a sound?" he asked
"yeah I hear the rain dropping, thunder clapping, I hear it all..." the second bandit answered
"no I hear something from the oak trees over there." The first bandit replied pointing his spear towards the dark surroundings, as the lightning flashed and light up the area nothing was spotted
"see I told you." The second bandit spoke gesturing with his hand pointing in the oak's direction
"nothing is there." He finished and the first bandit turned around to return to his post and behold a towering 6ft figure standing behind them, his eyes widen as fear gripped him the second bandit who the figure was standing behind was flustered at the first bandit's reaction.
"what is the matter?" the second bandit asked as a hand ran through his torso, his vision blurred and lightning flashed, the first bandit shouted and other bandits came out to see the two bandit laying lifeless in the rain.
"are we being attacked?" the bandits which came from inside asked as the ran into he rain and looked around the area but they could find anything or any one they were on their guard and super cautious. The lightning flashed and they saw a silhouette so fast it disappeared again
"what was that?" One of them asked
"Don't go anywhere—stay together!" one of the bandits warned, his voice tense as they scanned the forest cautiously. The rain poured harder drumming against the trees, lightning flashed across the sky and for a brief instant, the forest lit up and a figure stood among them as one of the bandits blinked in confusion.
"…What—?" he asked
By the time their eyes focused on the silhouette, it was already too late, a violent gust of wind exploded outward, something moved too fast for the human eye to follow, a blur cut through the group like a phantom.
Slash, Slash, Slash.
Bodies jerked violently as crimson lines opened across armor and flesh, before anyone could scream the storm swallowed their voices, the wind roared again, spinning rain and leaves into a savage spiral.
Then silence fell and the figure stood still at the center of the clearing. Behind him the bandits collapsed one after another as the rain continued to fall, it ran across the ground stained a deep dark red colour.
The storm washed the blood away, carrying it slowly through the mud.
The figure lifted his head slightly, his expression calm.
"Too slow." It said with a distorted voice
"boss JD!!" A bandit who saw everything happening outside ran calling a man who was sitting on a bamboo throne which was decorated with a Bear fur in a large room with wooden cages hanging form the ceiling ladies dancing entertaining the high ranking crowd and four other bandits with different aura behind the throne standing guard for the boss on the throne.
"what is going on; why the commotion?" The boss asked as he sips down the wine from a goblet in his hand.
"all the watch team are dead…" the bandit said as the boss eyes widen in amusement, he clenched his fist and the goblet folded like a paper, the music stopped before JD; the boss could stand up, the door flunged open and a thunder crashed with after a lightning flashed, as the figure appeared at the door.
"he is here." The bandit said with terror in his voice
"is that a monster??" JD asked in his thoughts as he swing his left hand signaling the four guard to take care of the issue as the dancers cleared away.
The four bandit ran towards the figure as the first used a chain sickle to try and hit the figure, the figure doges it by a hair breadth turning around the second bandit swopped in simultaneously with a double edged word as he swings it targeting the figure's neck and leg, the figure threw stunts passing in between the slashes, keeping it's head and leg from harm, the first bandit's projectile came ricocheting back just before the figure landed and the projectile held on to the figure's left leg pulling and slamming the figure into the floor
The boss of the bandits; JD laughed as he clapped
"your death was certain since you stepped here." He shouted as the fourth high ranking bandit came out of the shadow of the third and strike the figure with his double head sickle causing fatal injuries.
The figure became limp and showed no sign of movement, the other bandits watching cheered for victory, JD walked over and laughed as he praised his four right hand men, instantaneously the four ranking bandit froze and could not move.
Their body were still frozen and JD looked around at the figure, At first it was subtle, a twitch of the fingers, a slight jerk of the shoulder
Then the transformation began, The figure rose slowly from the ground in a disturbing, unnatural motion. Its spine which was bent the wrong way shifted back as bones shifted beneath the skin.
Crack… crack… crack.
The sound of bones snapping and resetting echoed through the hall.
The chest caved inward for a moment before expanding again as ribs forced themselves back into place. Flesh rippled like something alive beneath the skin.
The wounds that had torn open moments ago began to crawl shut.
Muscle fibers pulled together like threads being stitched by invisible hand and blood reversed its flow, sliding back into the body as torn flesh sealed itself.
Within seconds, the injuries that should have killed it were gone.
The figure's head slowly tilted upward,
"grave frost." The figure said with a distorted voice as it stomped it's foot and everyone froze up and could not move.
"void rift: dimensional severance." The figure said as it raised it hand and a small black orb appeared pulling everything into itself.
"So you can wield magic without chanting a spell?" JD said chuckling as he broke free of the frost spell and a dark red aura seeped from him and he grew in size as horns burst out from his head and fangs grew he swooped and hit the figure with a barrage of attack.
The figure was helpless as the barrage kept coming,
"hehe… so what are you going to do now." JD asked as his voice had a mix of bass in to it, the figure clenched it's fist and punched the air upward creating a force that rend the atmosphere throwing JD offset.
"Lightning God: Thunderclap."
The figure spoke, and the strike came first—
the sound of thunder followed a moment later, shaking the entire area.
In that instant, the figure moved.
With a tearing motion, he seized the mutated JD's right arm and ripped it off using Void Rift: Dimensional Blade. The space around his hand distorted like cracked glass before snapping shut.
JD screamed in pain, his teeth grinding together. Sweat poured down his face, yet he forced a smirk through the agony.
"Tartarus: Five fire seals." JD said moving with desperate speed he thrust his index and middle fingers forward like spears. His fingers pierced five points on the figure's body; the center of the chest, the abdomen, both shoulders, and the forehead.
Five small holes opened instantly and the technique activated, dark energy burst from the wounds like escaping steam, halting the figure's movement mid-step. The darkness that had been shrouding his body began to disperse into the air like smoke carried away by the wind.
Then Marco collapsed to the ground, unconscious, as the last remnants of darkness left his body, for a moment the battlefield went silent.
The leader of the bandits slowly dropped to his knees beside Marco's fallen body, breathing heavily before letting out a low chuckle.
"So it was just a young adventurer all along…," JD muttered shaking his head, he wiped the sweat from his face and looked at Marco with a crooked grin.
"And yet… he managed to put an end to the Demonic Bandits." He added as he chuckled again.
"how ironic." He added as he looked up to the hostages who were watching all along.
"I will release you all, take this young one back to the city he has earned your freedom." JD said finished as he formed crimson magic blades and cut down the ropes hanging the cages as they landed he freed them all they took Marco back to the guild hospital where he rested and was looked after
Marco opened his eyes to a strange, familiar void—a skyless expanse filled with countless stars stretching endlessly.
"This is—" he whispered, his voice trembling.
"Welcome, Juan… or should I say Marco." A familiar voice called, echoing softly through the void. He turned, and there, before him, floated the goddess Orrynthis.
"You…" Marco's voice cracked, his face darkened with anger. Without thinking, he lunged forward, gripping her by the neck.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded his voice sharp.
"I don't want to see you," he shouted, the words choking on his own pain.
"Where have you been all these years? When I called for your help five years ago… why did you remain silent?"
He shook her as if shaking the truth out of her. "Why didn't you show up… why didn't you appear… why didn't you save them?"
"Why—why?!" Tears streamed down his face as his grip tightened and all his fury and grief pouring out in raw emotion. "WHY NOW?!"
Orrynthis said nothing. She only stared back, eyes calm, almost impossibly empty.
"I… I needed you!" he whispered with his voice cracking and tears falling freely now.
Finally, she stepped forward, phasing through his grip, and embraced him gently.
"I have come to bring you back," she said with tears glistening in her eyes.
The stars around them shattered, the void splintering like broken glass and Marco's consciousness surged back violently, he gasped awake in the guild hospital.
He clenched his fists, biting down hard on his lips until blood welled, his body shaking.
"Damn it…" he muttered, his voice barely audible, trembling with the weight of everything he had lost. Tears streamed down his cheeks.