After fifty years…
Inside a hospital.
"Why are you late today?" Jun Si asked quietly, his voice low but sharp. "Did you forget what day it is?"
"Oh… I'm extremely sorry," Sui replied, bowing her head slightly. "I was busy completing my quest. That's why I'm late."
Outside the hospital room, people had gathered in silence. Hunters from different nations stood shoulder to shoulder, their presence heavy with unspoken respect. Some were legends in their own right. Others were disciples, students, or rivals. All of them had come for the same reason—to see the man lying on the hospital bed.
Shiddharth Malhotra.
Unlike them, he was still a normal human. His body had finally reached its limit. Death stood close, waiting patiently.
Those who entered the Tower barely aged. Time flowed differently inside it. No matter how long one stayed there, the body remained unchanged. But time on Earth was cruelly honest. It showed no mercy. And since awakeners spent most of their lives inside the Tower, very few truly understood what it meant to grow old.
Shiddharth had lived his life outside it.
The door to the emergency room opened, and the doctor stepped out.
Jun Si moved immediately. "Doctor, what happened? Did the medicine work?"
The doctor shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry. It had no effect. At most… he has one more day. You should spend what time you have left with him."
With that, the doctor walked away.
Shiddharth's family entered the room soon after. It had been a long time since they had all sat together like this. Despite the sterile smell of the hospital, Shiddharth smiled warmly when he saw them.
"It's okay, Mom," he said gently, lifting his hand to wipe away her tears. "You know I'm strong. Nothing will happen to me. So please… stop crying."
"Should we move him to another hospital?" Arvind Malhotra asked desperately. "There are doctors who could extend your life by ten more years."
Shiddharth shook his head, a peaceful smile on his face. "I've lived my life well. Now I want to rest. Please don't force it, Father."
His parents could only stand there, hearts breaking, as they watched their child approach the end of his journey.
After a while, they left.
Then his disciples entered.
When Sui saw his face, pale but calm, memories flooded her mind.
Fifty years earlier…
Inside the training arena.
She rushed forward, sword raised, intending to finish the duel in a single strike. The blade cut through the air—but Shiddharth ducked effortlessly and struck her back with the handle of his sword.
"Don't rush like a madman," he said calmly. "Use your skill. Look through its eyes. Feel how it works. Let it guide your movements. Move with its flow."
Her breath steadied as she activated her skill.
The world changed.
Everything around her dissolved into pitch-black darkness. Only the space directly in front of her remained visible. When her opponent moved, she could see the path of his sword clearly, as if fate itself had drawn the lines for her.
She became unstoppable.
Each attack was predicted. Each strike was blocked. To the onlookers, she appeared like a goddess of fortune, effortlessly dancing through every move.
The watching hunters were stunned. Whispers spread rapidly.
"Is she overwhelming the master?"
"Is this the day someone defeats him?"
Shiddharth, however, remained calm.
He was surprised—genuinely so—but he continued attacking, watching carefully as the girl read through every movement. Not wanting to crush her confidence, he allowed the duel to flow naturally.
Fifteen minutes passed.
Neither side showed signs of defeat.
Then the bell rang, signaling the next training session.
"Let's end this," Shiddharth said softly.
Suddenly, everything changed.
His movements became chaotic—yet precise. The sword paths she saw were still there, but they no longer made sense. It wasn't that he had become faster.
It was that he no longer followed his own sword path.
Each swing carried a different intent. Each step shifted into a new direction. Attacks overlapped, diverged, and merged unpredictably.
Her skill tried desperately to keep up.
The more sword paths appeared, the harder it became to see through them. Her movements slowed. Her blocks came late. Every time she attempted to respond, a new blade path struck her.
In the end… she fell.
A message appeared before her eyes.
[ You were defeated ]
[ Undefeated Sword Master Will has developed by one level ]
[ Undefeated Sword Master Will is now SS class ]
[ You got new skill : One who never gives up ]
[ One who never gives up : S class ]
She stared at the messages, stunned.
She had never imagined defeat—especially after activating her skill.
She had once defeated the master who taught her swordsmanship, an S-class hunter who had climbed sixty floors of the Tower. Yet this man… this commoner… had crushed her without a single supernatural ability.
He was a monster.
And the thought terrified her.
If someone like him had entered the Tower… what kind of existence would he have become?
Back in the hospital room, Sui clenched her fists.
She had grown strong.
But she had never surpassed him.
And now… she was about to lose him forever.