1 Happy New Year

"-—The Goddess of War, Athena, has perished."

"I see." The man on the throne looked at the messenger and sighed. "That is a shame." He swiped his hair out of his face. It was of the color black, black as ebony, just like his eyes. He hadn't cut his hair for years now and it was left unkempt, giving him a wild look, a style suiting his personality. Black seemed to be an occurring theme, as the man wore a black robe, with his limbs wrapped tightly in black bandages. As such, his fair skin was quite the contrast.

The messenger bowed down. "Sir, with all due respect, is that all you have to say?"

The man rested his head on his fist. "Are you unsatisfied with my response?"

"It's not that," He shook his head. "I was just wondering. She sacrificed her life for us. The girl laid her life on the line and perished without leaving any legacy at all. She died, never being able to live out her dreams." The messenger grit his teeth. "And all you have to say is 'that is a shame'?"

A girl quickly jumped in and stopped him from talking. "Alan, Stop!" She hugged him with crying eyes. "Stop it, I beg you. Don't say anything more, please."

However, Alan didn't listen. His eyes turned red from his fury. "She stood alone in that hopeless world, holding the front for us. A divine being she was, a God even. The greatest of all! Still, she had feelings! Her first wish, her first rest, her first own thoughts, her first love, her first happiness..." He gripped his face and his nails dug into his flesh while tears welled up in his eyes. He didn't feel sad, he felt angry. "You were the one who sent her on the suicide mission. You were the one who told her to die. You have her blood on your fucking hands!" He slammed both his fists on the ground and it echoed into the lonely night. "You killed her, and in the end, it was still all in vain..."

The people watched him in silence. They had no words that could console him. They felt like they had no right. They were the strongest—the ones who made it this far and survived, yet they had nothing that could alleviate the boy's anger. Only the sobs of the girl next to him rang in everyone's ears.

She hugged the boy tighter. "Please, stop Alan, you knew how much she meant to the leader. Just for once," she sniffed, "just for once, please, listen to me." Her tears flowed freely, every drop that fell scarred the hearts of everyone observing. "Please."

The man got off his throne. "No, I understand his sentiment." He walked towards the messenger and squatted down. "You're angry, are you not?" He reached for Alan's face.

The boy slapped the man's hand away. He scoffed. "Angry? You're asking if I'm angry?" He laughed, he laughed madly. "What do you think?"

"I see." The man retracted his hand. "I can see that you are. I understand." He turned around and did not say anything for a long moment. Everyone watched with bated breaths, hoping to see his response. "Hey, did you know," the man said, "I used to rule the world. The world, you know. I had everything in my life. I made an empire with my own hands. The lives I've taken to get there are immeasurable. I thought I was invincible. No, I didn't think—I knew I was." He stared into the distance and clenched his fist. "Yet, it feels so far away now. Like a summer night dream, one sure to be forgotten. What is the point of everything if it does not last?" He opened his hands, inside, there was nothing. As he looked around he only saw a meager cave, all dilapidated and broken down. The walls were too damp to even burn a fire. The only light came from the moon, shining upon them occasionally. "Still, I do not regret my choice."

The messenger rested his head low. He listened to the man's words.

"An ant gets eaten by a worm. The worm is snatched by a bird. The bird is grilled by a farmer. The farmer pays taxes to a noble. The noble advises a king. The king invades a country. Many people die. The future remembers his story. That's how everyone leaves a mark. We are all born with marks on our lives, and when we die, we too shall leave a mark. A baton of life, strong, robust, and never swaying. Even if humanity dies—our legacy never will." The man went on his knees, causing everyone to be shocked. "Levi, Ananta, Meiwan, Soilin, Wasandra, Anette, Gil, Barbatos, Ashura, Vil'ette, Emanuel, Vivian, Phoenix, Matheus, La'million, the Dark One, Xteletph, Ali, and of course, Athena. For their deaths, I too feel angry." He slammed his head on the ground. His eyes were sharp as if staring at prey. "For their deaths, I too feel angry."

"Leader..." The girl kept her eyes on the man. "It's fine, truly, it is fine."

He reciprocated her gaze. "Minerva. You were the closest to Athena. I understand this information must not have come easy. Thank you for not doubting me." He then gave his attention to the boy. "Alan. I suppose this was a conversation overdue. I still remember when you were only a small brat on the roadside. You were a nobody. Now, look at you now. They call you the Flame of Existence. What an overbearing name for a brat like you." The man laughed, he then hugged the messenger, "You've held on for a long time. You can rest now."

Alan's eyes widened. The tears he believed to have long dried out flowed unceasingly. He filled the cave with a sorrowful atmosphere. "Master. Master! I'm sorry. I am so sorry. Even though I knew. Even though I knew, Athena was your..." The boy hugged the man tightly.

The man did not deny Alan and placed him in his arms. "It is fine. I do not resent you, child." A long time passed while everyone stood mourning. It was only a loud bang in the sky that broke their embrace apart. Now, everyone in this room got a message.

[The special event has been triggered: New Years' festival.

Happy New Year! The Obelisk congratulates you on another successful year! We are happy to see you still holding strong. Will you be the one to see the end, or will the end come to see you? The Mirage cannot wait and see. Did you know that there's a race that celebrates their new year by offering 1000 sacrifices?

Objective: Slay all the monsters. 1000 remaining.

Rewards: Tears of War.

Failure: End of all life.]

Fireworks shot into the sky. A myriad of them, uncountable by any ordinary human. They grew bright and colorful. Blue, red, green, every color was represented as they painted the clouds with a rainbow. It was a beautiful sight to see, as if it celebrated Athena's death, the death of a Goddess. Yet, every single person in the cave was focused on the quest. They stared at the timer slowly counting down.

[00:00:00:04:44_95]

"This motherfu— surely the people above must be enjoying this situation, no?" A woman grabbed her axe. She cursed, "Tears of War? Those sadistic bastards, how long will they drag Athena's name in the mud? What event? All they are doing is sending us to our early deaths, aren't they?"

"Li Wanfei, calm down. Have we not survived countless situations like this?" Another guy hit his chest. "I'm sure it will turn out fine."

"Emperor of all Blades..." The woman looked at him. She didn't find any words to say. Her eyes fell on his right shoulder and saw the bandaged stump he was left with. There was no way for him to practice his sword art anymore. "I see. Maybe you are right," she said. However, her words comforted no one.

An old man holding a long staff muttered, "If only we had a little more time. No, if only we could start again, starting from the First Advent. The many lives worth, the people we had to sacrifice, how many more need to die before the Mirage is satisfied?" He referred to the beginning of it all, when The Mirage took its roots, the people called it the First Advent.

No one replied. The First Advent was the day where everything began. Oh, how great it would be to return and start over. Yet, there was no need for such a senseless dream. They did not pay heed to an old man's meaningless ramble. Instead, they focused on what was to come, and their faces remained gloomy. The time Athena had bought for them, in the end, was only a mere five minutes.

"So, who has to go now?" The old man asked. In this cave, there was no one he'd put before anyone else, yet, someone had to die today. Someone had to sacrifice themselves to save this world, even if it was meant to be him.

Li Wanfei walked forward. "Look, isn't it alright already?" She held tightly onto the tilt. "Why do we even try this hard?"

"What, what do you mean?" The old man asked back. "Are you telling us to give up?"

"Yes, I am! There's no hope left in this world already! We stand no chance."

"Preposterous," another lady shouted out. She hid her face behind a fan. Her pupils turned into slits. "How dare you insinuate for us to give up? What about the many who have laid their lives down? Can you face them in heaven with this attitude?" Everyone started bickering.

"Heaven... has fallen long ago." A man with tattered wings said. "The souls have no resting place anymore."

"Enough," the leader said. As he did, everyone started to listen. His head, even though he'd slammed it on the ground, was fine. "I will go."

The winged guy looked to his leader. "What, you alone? How can you leave, the people need you!" His eyes turned sharp. "Child of God, are you really looking for a fight or simply a place to rest?"

"Rest? Me?" He took his coat off the shelf. "Raphael, who am I?" The man slowly walked towards the exit.

Raphael's eyes opened wide. The question gave him a shiver. "You are..."

The man shouted out. "Who am I!" He continued speaking without waiting for an answer. "Listen—I am the Slayer of Gods, the Blood Emperor," he continued, louder, "I am the Unifier! The Unarmed King! I'm the one who leads you all!" Putting his coat on, the many people bowed in penance. They took their weapons and slammed them on the ground. The cave shook to their unison. A surge of killing intent wafted through the room as the man smiled, his canines showing. "I am Lee Dojin, the Lightbringer. I know of no rest."

The people in the cave roared out loud. One last time, their motivation had been rekindled. Those simple words filled with confidence riled them up. There seemed to be hope again, yet they cried out tears, for they knew where their leader was going. Lee Dojin walked out. The surroundings were only scorched earth and black craters. The sky had become a hazy yellow with thunder and rain falling, and the air, with its black dust, had grown hard to breathe. Rifts continued to open, ripping time and space apart. He looked at the innumerable monsters rushing out.

"1000 monsters, huh?" Lee Dojin cracked his neck. A smile full of bloodlust appeared on his face. "I only have two hands, so everybody, line up."

A dragon sprang out the line and jumped at him. It had fangs as long as the horizon, its mouth as big as the sky, and the fire it spewed burned as bright as the sun. Lee Dojin lightly waved his hand, the fire dispersed. He grabbed the dragon's mouth, his arms bulged, his grip strengthened, and he ripped the dragon's jaw apart. It squirmed but could not escape the iron grip, until it eventually turned into two, Lee Dojin holding both sides, basking in its blood.

"999 remaining."

The monsters screamed out and rushed at him. He, disappeared, no, he moved too fast for anyone to see. Anytime he threw a fist, a monster died. Anytime he kicked, a monster died. Anytime he moved, a monster died. "996... 991... 964... 800... 700... 500..." He was now so completely dyed red no one could recognize him as human anymore.

An unexpected voice appeared at the last 100. "Oh dear, look at you killing all my precious children."

Lee Dojin turned around. He saw a tall man, his white hair slicked back, wearing a purple suit that fit him well. "You..."

The man bowed down. "It's been a long time, well, since," the man chuckled a little, "since I killed your mother I suppose." He grabbed Lee Dojin's neck, and all his power dispersed. "I missed you too," he said nonchalantly as his grip tightened.

Lee Dojin grabbed the man's arm, but it did not budge. It was as if he had turned into that dragon he first killed. He felt his strength rapidly fade away. His vision turned blurry as he stared at the man in front of him, the monster, known as The Usurper.

"I doubt you'll listen, but struggling is useless. You do not stand a chance. Why don't you say something, you're making me sad." The man suddenly realized something. "Oh, wait, it's because of my hand holding your throat isn't it." He loosened his grip. "You can speak now."

Lee Dojin coughed out blood and lifted his hand to the side. "Go fuck yourself," he said, and a shockwave appeared. 8 more monsters died.

"You bastard!" The man decisively tried to crush his head, but Lee Dojin moved his neck to the left. Still, his left eye, nose, and jaw shattered completely. However, he smiled, again his canines showed.

"Usurper, this round... you lose." A sudden light descended upon him. His whole body started to smoke.

The man looked at Lee Dojin, his eyes opening wide. "You, you couldn't be, you had that kind of skill?" He tried letting go, but Lee Dojin held him down with all his might. "Crazy bastard, go by yourself!" The man screamed loudly, but Lee Dojin heard nothing anymore. His chest felt like it would burst—rather, it did burst, a great white light overwhelming every creature in the vicinity.

Right before he faded away, he mouthed out the word—

Zero.

And thus was the end of the Lightbringer, Lee Dojin.

[Countdown Over. Hidden Blessing activated: Mother's Embrace. Searching for parallel universes. A suitable world has been found.]

[Time before the First Advent: 20 Days]