"Something's off," I muttered, looking around.

The atmosphere on Flora Island was electric, the rain hammered relentlessly against the ground, reducing my visibility.

The winds howled, twisting trees into bizarre shapes, and the waves crashing against the Island's cliffs added a dark and powerful rhythm to the chaos.

I stood at the edge of the cliff, my black cape fluttered in the wind.

Tap.

I tapped over the control panel on my wristband, which displays:

[Doombringer]

My weapon.

It wasn't just a weapon–it was a destruction itself, a powerful weapon, one that I wielded with absolute precision and control.

"Activating [Doombringer]," I muttered.

My voice was barely audible over the storm.

As those words left my mouth, I poured my Essence into the Doombringer.

The ground beneath me began to glow as my body emitted lightning of different colours.

My emotions were like a storm mirroring the chaotic weather outside.

I clenched my fists.

'No time for doubt. I need to focus.'

The weapon materialized before me a massive black katana, with a faint glow of violet hue emitting with unstable energy. Sparks cracked along its long-edged length, illuminating the surrounding with its violet glow.

As I gripped the hilt, a surge of familiar raw power coursed in my veins.

For a moment, I felt invincible.

"Enemy detected at ten o'clock!" Mary reported.

Rustle! Rustle!

Growl!

From the distance dozens of [Wraths] emerged from the treeline.

Their glowing red eyes pierced through the darkness, and their guttural growls were barely audible over the storm.

They moved in a horrifying and strange synchronization manner that hinted that some greater intelligence is controlling them.

Haah...

I took a deep breath, narrowing my eyes—I unleashed the [Doombringer].

"Come to daddy," I growled.

'That was cringe, I hope Mary didn't hear it'.

Rumble!

The ground trembled beneath my feet as my blade sliced through the air with fierce intensity.

Swoosh!

The first swing of the [Doombringer] unleashed a devastating arc of energy around me, slicing through the advancing [Wraths] like butter with brutality.

A single swoop of my blade eradicated all the [Wraths], destroying nearly a mile of trees in the process.

" ~Heh, told you it will be overkill."

The explosion of light and heat vaporized the surrounding rain into steam.

"Hmm? …something really off! Hey, Mary, are there any other monster species here except the [Wraths]?"

"…. Negative." Mary answered.

For every [Wrath] I cut down, two more seemed to take its place.

They moved strategically, leading me towards the heart of the island.

Then, I felt it.

It's a trap.

"They're stalling me," I muttered, my eyes darting around the battlefield.

"For what exactl—"

Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine. The air around me grew colder, and the storm seemed to momentarily stop as if holding its breath.

"!?"

As I turned, all my instincts were screaming at me to run away, but it was too late.

From the darkness a figure emerged unlike anything I had encountered before.

Cloaked in darkness, its form was indistinct, shifting and blurring like smoke in the wind. Its eyes glowed with a golden light.

'Who is that?! I didn't even sense him!'

Without any delay I held the hilt of my [Doombringer] and slashed at the figure.

I hit the shadow with my blade.

Before I could react, the figure moved with blinding speed. It caught my [Doombringer] with his bare hands. Golden-colored blood started dripping from the figure's hand.

'Golden Blood?! What is that thing?!'

I narrowed my eyes.

"Who are you?" I asked. My voice came out steady.

No response.

I tensed up.

Then he moved.

"?!"

His movement was fast.

Too fast.

A shadow blurred toward me. Before I could react, something struck my chest.

"Ugh!"

Crash!

I flew back, my feet dragging against the ground, I crashed to a boulder. Pain flared through my ribs. My eyes half closed.

I gritted my teeth.

Who the fuck is that?!

'I won't survive like this!'

I put back my Doombringer inside my Inventory ring.

I focused on my Elementals.

Heat surged through my veins. Red flames roared from my hands, it spinned rapidly, forming a highly accelerated fire bullet.

I launched it toward my enemy in a fiery wave.

Poof!

"What the?!"

It was gone.

The fire vanished, the shadowy figure did something. But I couldn't even see him move.

'Fuck!'

I cursed.

No time to think.

I once again focused, water exploded from my palms, generating a huge towering wave that crashed down on it. I followed up with ice—jagged spears forming midair, launching straight at my target.

Shoot! Shoot!

It was deflected. Effortlessly by the figure.

And once more, I couldn't even see him move.

The tidal wave split into two. My ice shattered before making contact with him. My breath caught in my throat.

This… this wasn't normal.

But just as I was about to launch another attack.

A force struck me again. It was much stronger and faster than before.

My body twisted in the air before slamming into the ground.

Then, something sharp cut through me. A stinging sensation in my left hand.

I looked down.

Warm liquid dripped onto my skin.

My index finger—gone.

And so my Inventory ring, which was on that finger.

"Aaaaghh!"

I screamed. But the enemy gave me no time to react. Another attack came straight to my head.

I barely saw it.

CLANG!

Memories flashed.

My mother. My father. My sister. Their faces appeared one after another.

It had been years. Two? No… three years.

They never knew I was the Rank-1 Hero. What would they think if they did?

Pride? Worry?

Mother would cry. Father… he'd be proud. And my sister—heh. I wonder what face she'd make.

Mary's voice is called through my earpiece.

"Sir [Hope], your vitals are falling! Can… you… hear me?!" Mary's voice. Panicked. "Please respond! Sir—"

No. Not yet.

"This… can't be it," I whispered.

But the darkness consumed me.

***

The battlefield was silent now, As [Hope's] lifeless body lay motionless amidst the chaos.

As the storm began to calm, as if the heavens themselves mourned the loss of the Rank–1 Hero.

The figure that had struck the final blow watched for a moment longer.

"The Fallen [Hope]," it murmured before vanishing into the shadows, leaving no trace behind.

***

Hero Association HQ

News of [Hope's] death reached the Hero Association headquarters within hours.

The sterile, white conference room was silent as the board members—men and women in sharp suits with sharp eyes to match, gathered around a long table.

The air was cold, devoid of emotion, as the president of the Hero Association, a man known as Marcus Bloodstone, stood at the head of the table.

"So, it's confirmed," Marcus said, his voice like steel cutting through the air. "[Hope] is dead."

A murmur ran through the conference room, but it was subdued, restrained.

No one dared to show grief or shock, not here, not in front of Marcus.

"We cannot afford for this information to reach the public," Marcus continued. "The Rank–1 Hero is more than just a man. He is a symbol. A beacon of hope for humanity. If they find out he's gone…"

He deliberately let the sentence hang, the unspoken consequences heavy in the air.

One of the board members, a woman with piercing grey eyes, leaned forward. "What do you propose, Mr. President?"

Marcus's lips curled up into an ominous smile devoid of warmth. "We replace him."

Gasps echoed around the table. Another member, an older man with thin frame, spoke up. "You mean… find another hero to take his place?"

"Exactly," Markus said. "We'll assign a new hero to the name [Hope]. The public doesn't need to know what happened. To them, [Hope] will be alive, still fighting for humanity."

"And where do we find such a Hero who matched [Hope] Description," The woman with grey eyes asked.

"I have a perfect candidate for it," Markus stated immediately.

"But… What about his legacy?" someone whispered.

–BAAM!!

Markus slammed his hand on the table, his cold, calculated demeanour breaking for just a moment. "HIS LEGACY BELONGS TO US!! TO THE HERO ASSOCIATION!!... Cough! Cough!... [Hope] is not a person, it's an idea, a brand. And we cannot let the brand die."

Silence fell over the room again. No one dared oppose him.

"What about his body?" the grey-eyed woman asked.

"Destroy all evidence. Chop his body parts and bury it deep in the island. Ensure that no one ever finds out the truth," Markus ordered.

Thirty days later:

With almost a month having passed, a new hero was chosen. His name was irrelevant, what mattered was his appearance and ability to mimic Hope's powers.

The new [Hope] stood on a stage at a press conference, the Hero Association's emblem gleaming on the backdrop behind him. The crowd cheered.

"We will continue to fight for humanity!" the new Hope declared, raising his fist in a gesture of triumph.

But behind the scenes, the Hero Association moved like a machine, cold and efficient.

Files were erased, records altered, and the real Hope's existence reduced to whispers and ashes.

Thirty more days later

Deep beneath the surface of [Flora] Island, something stirred. Hope's body parts, tossed in a forgotten corner of the battlefield, began to glow faintly.

An unknown energy, pulsed through him, knitting together torn flesh and mending broken bones.

His heart, silent for so long, gave a single, powerful beat.

Ba-dump!... Ba-dump!

***

My eyes snapped open. My body twitched.

Haaah… haaah..!

Pain dulled down.

But something felt... off.

I lifted my hand.

My finger was cut, but now—it was back.

But it wasn't normal.

Thin threads, black and red, coiled around it. Stitching it back onto my hand. My inventory ring which was lost along my finger—still there.

My stomach twisted.

"What the hell just happened?"

Memories flooded back to me, the battle, the mysterious enemy.

But then something else. A fragment of knowledge buried deep within me surfaced.

A skill, hidden within me, has activated in my final moment.

Ugh!" A short pain struck my brain.

"Immortality…?" I whispered.

Was this a new skill?

I pushed this thought away for a moment.

As I stood, I felt my legs trembling as I surveyed the area.

"When will the backup come?" I wished.

I loomed my attention to my wristband and tried to contact the association, but it seemed out of battery.

'I remembered charging it to the fullest. It has to last at least 30 days…is it broken?'

I waited.

One hour passed.

Two hours passed.

.

.

.

Six hours have passed and there is not a single member of the Hero Association.

"What exactly happened?"

Without waiting any longer, I started climbing the cliff.

As I climbed, the brimming light of the sun fell on my skin, erasing my worries. As I reached the top, I witnessed something unusual.

"What the hell happened here?!"

The Island was brimming with people, people were parting on the beach, swimming in the ocean. Cars honking on the roads. Huge sign boards of the Hero Association pasted on the hot air balloons floating above my head.

If I remember correctly.

"This Island was deserted that night…"

I needed answers.

Without wasting any minute I returned to the main Island, I moved in secrecy, as I searched for the clues, my instincts guided me toward answers. What I discovered left me reeling.

The Hero Association's betrayal was laid bare, the press conferences, the new [Hope].

I stood in the shadows of a crowded city square, watching as the new [Hope] in a press conference, flaunting his recent achievement.

I deducted everything.

My fists clenched, as my nails dug into my palms until they drew blood.

"After everything I gave them…" I muttered, my voice trembled with a mix of anger and despair.

Betrayal burned in my chest, a searing pain that threatened to consume me. Anger coursed through my veins, hot and unrelenting.

Agony twisted in my guts, the weight of knowing I was discarded as a tool, my legacy stolen. And yet, amidst it all, there was a flicker of relief.

I Was alive. I had another chance.

But what should I do with it?

Should I take revenge?

Should I leave everything behind?

"I think I understand your words now master." I whispered.

Without any more thinking I went to the island's airport.

'It's been almost three years since I saw my parents' faces. I wonder how are they?

"Hehe!," I chuckled.

As I reached the airport's reception window, a young lady with dark black hair greeted me." Good morning, sir. How may I help you?"

"A flight ticket to Frostvile city," I answered.

"Certainly! Give me a few minutes… Umm... may I check your Identity, please?"

I froze for a moment, showing my Hero Association Card as Rank–1 would definitely cause an uproar. I quickly checked for my [Inventory ring], which was to my surprise still working.

'It's a good thing, my finger got cut.'

If it were not—

Then they would confiscate all my belongings inside it.

"Sir?" The receptionist asked again.

I pushed away my thoughts for the time being.

I checked my Inventory Ring, which to my relief was still functioning.

From it, I retrieved my Citizenship Card and handed it to the receptionist with a calm smile.

"Here you go mam."

The card was a standard 3x6 cm in size and transparent in appearance. Every citizen in this world possessed one. The data on the card automatically updated to reflect any changes in the body, like hair colour, skin tone, age, marital status, or occupation.

It was no different from my Hero Association Card, except for one detail: it displayed my real name, a name even the members of Hero Association didn't know. That was part of the contract I had signed with them—my identity was to remain undisclosed, even to the upper echelons of the organization.

"Alright, sir. Please wait while I verify your details," the receptionist said, studying the card closely.

Citizen of Frostvile Kingdom

Name – Zane Skylark

Occupation – [None]

Age – 17

Birth Place – Honeyford, Frostvile Kingdom

Date of Birth – 12-04-5030

"All done, Mr. Skylark! Thank you for your patience. Here's your Citizenship Card and your ticket to Frostvile, ~Wishing you a pleasant journey!"

After thanking the receptionist, I took a seat in the waiting area. A few hours passed before my flight details appeared on the digital board.

I boarded the plane, settling in for the roughly seven-hour flight from Flora Island.

It was plenty of time to come up with a believable excuse for the 'three years' later reunion with my parents.

End of Chapter.