1 Sleeping for 1000 years

"**huff** **huff**"

A 15-year-old boy running for his life in the middle of the night inside the forest while using his right hand to grip his wounded waist.

Blood flowed and left a trail wherever he went.

[To think that the orphanage that I always think of as home is a group of criminals that sell humans as slaves!] He silently thought with resentment.

He was an orphan since he recalled. He grew up in an orphanage with other kids and became close to them. Since he doesn't know his real family, the people in the orphanage were the only family that he could consider as one. The kids that he grew up with were his brothers and sisters while the adults were his parents. This day was supposed to be the day where someone will adopt him and he couldn't bear to separate from his brothers and sisters but since the adults said that he was the one wanted by the adopter, he couldn't say no anymore. However, to his surprise, the so-called adoption is just a cover for their human trafficking activity.

When he realized that his brothers and sisters that were "adopted" were just sold, he couldn't help but bite his lip because of resentment and frustration. His tears began to form but he held on. He wanted to shout with anger but he couldn't.

"That way!" a voice resounded from his back.

His face paled even more after hearing this. He looked behind to search for his pursuers. Thankfully, his pursuers were still far from him and he couldn't see anyone from his behind. Maybe they have tracked him through the blood that flowed from his waist.

He got this wound when he tried to break out from his pursuers earlier. And because of this wound, he is currently struggling to run.

While he was running he accidentally saw a fairly hidden cave. He gritted his teeth and ran towards it. 

"**huff** **huff**" he leaned against a wall and slid down due to exhaustion.

"I hope they couldn't find me." he weakly said, "If they find me, I could only accept my fate, sigh. I couldn't even create my own harem. If I know, I should have made my sisters in the orphanage into my lovers." he regretfully sighs.

What a cruel fate! The place that he thought of as his home was in reality a wolf's den. The people that he thought of as his family, his parents were in reality wolves in sheep's skin waiting for the right time to bare their fangs to their victims.

His eyes became heavy but still fought the urge to close his eyes. As if he knew that once he closed his eyes, he would not be able to open them again anymore.

After a while, he heard voices that passed by. He holds his mouth using his left hand lest he produces a sound that may alert his pursuers.

A group of five middle-aged men arrived near the cave.

"Where is that brat?" 

"The tracks stop here."

"Where are you brat!?"

Strangely enough, his pursuers seem not to notice a cave near them.

The boy worried that he would be discovered at any moment.

"Don't worry they won't find this cave." an ancient voice resounded inside the cave.

The boy's body trembled and immediately swung his head to look for the person.

He found a strange old man sitting on a small rock with a smile on his face. The strange thing is, the body of the old man seems illusionary that would disappear at any moment.

"A ghost!" he couldn't help but shout due to shock. He immediately covered his mouth and turned his head towards the entrance of the cave fearing that his pursuers heard him.

However, he didn't find the entrance, what he saw was just a wall made of rocks. And he couldn't hear the voices that were there earlier.

"Didn't I tell you that they can't find this cave? Because this cave will only be found by the fateful one!"

[Fateful one?] the boy looked at the old man, his brows furrowed with doubt and caution.

"Don't look at me like that, it's not like I will eat you. HAHAHA" he laughed creepily.

The boy couldn't help but shiver.

The old man stopped laughing and wore a serious face.

"Boy, what is your name?" he asked with an authoritative tone.

"M-my name is Azrael." he meekly said.

"Say it louder!' 

This sudden shout startled Azrael. It seems that this old man has a bad temperament.

" My name is Azrael!" he shouted with all his might and he groaned after because his wound began to ache but he forced his pained voice not to let out.

The old man saw this, "What a weak boy but I commend your will."

He then waved his hand.

Azrael felt his wound heals up and the blood he lost earlier recovered at a quick rate. This phenomenon surprised him. 

[A cultivator! Rumor said a cultivator can do miraculous things like healing the wound without medicine. To think I would meet one. If I have this kind of strength, having my harem is not impossible anymore!] He thought shockingly.

"Thank you for your graciousness, great cultivator." He bowed deeply to show his sincerity.

"There is no need to thank me because I will save you no matter what since you were the one who found this cave. To think the fateful for my inheritance is a weakling like you."

Azrael gathered his courage, "Inheritance? Great cultivator, what do you mean by this?"

"Are you an idiot or not!? How can you don't understand my statement earlier! To think that you are not only weakling but also an idiot." the old man snapping said.

[This great cultivator has a great temperament.] he thought sarcastically but he immediately threw it into the back of his mind since this person in front of him is his savior.

"Just like what I have said, you will inherit my inheritance. I made this cave so I could find my successor. But this cave won't be easy to find, and I can't believe that I waited for countless years just to have an idiot and weakling like you to be my successor. I waited for vain." he insulted Azrael again.

"But be thankful because of me you can become the strongest and wisest of all! Now, worship me and revere me." he said maniacally.

Azrael couldn't understand the way this old man thinks. He just stated earlier that he doesn't need thanks from Azrael but now he was saying to worship him and revere him. 

In fact, it's hard for him to comprehend these turns of events. He was just on the verge of death and running for his life earlier. He found this cave and met this old man, healing him and saying that he will inherit an inheritance.

Seeing the silent reaction of Azrael, the old man cleared his throat and said, "Forget about worshiping me and for now..." he paused, "Sleep."

Azrael's eyelids became heavy and he fell into a deep sleep.

***

"Where is this?" Azrael looked around but all he could find was all white.

"This is inside your dreams." an ancient voice resounded.

Azrael turned his head and saw the old man standing.

"Then how are you in my dreams? What about my body?"

"I can enter your dream as I want to because I am powerful! As for your body, don't worry it is safe inside the cave that I made." he paused, "I put you to sleep because I will give you my inheritance. You will be sleeping for 1000 years!"

"1000 years!" Azrael was shocked after hearing this, "Won't my body die?" he anxiously asked.

"Don't worry, you won't die nor will age even for 1000 years. Your body will be preserved."

Azrael sucked a cold breath.[ How powerful is this illusionary old man to do these things? Are all cultivators powerful?]

"This is my inheritance, take it.", he condensed a ball of light then it flew towards Azrael's forehead. 

Many information instantly appeared inside his head, some were clear and some were blurry.

"There are seals inside it because you can't take all my inheritance at once. Once you improve your power you will be able to unseal these seals one by one. Although you will be sleeping 1000 years, it doesn't mean that your dream would only be as long as 1000 years.  You will be dreaming longer because you will enter the world of dreams that I have created. You will experience life as if you are living in real life inside it.  There, you will cultivate, comprehend the inheritance and be the strongest existence. Hundreds of thousands of years or even millions of years may pass there but only one year has passed in the real world."

Azrael is speechless from information that he learned just now.

And before he could even say anything, the old man opened his mouth.

"Now, go, cultivate my inheritance well and surpass me!"

The old man waved his hand and a door appeared out of nowhere. The door opened and Azrael was sucked inside.

His mind became black and he didn't know what happened afterward.

"Waaaah!" a cry of a baby resounded inside the small house and Azrael's life inside the dreamworld began.