Mischievous Destiny

"Master Heavenly Swordsman, we implore you to relinquish that book to us," the high-level warriors from various sects beseeched, their voices echoing around the man known as the Heavenly Swordsman. "There's no need for secrecy any longer. Its existence is common knowledge. The longer you hoard that book, the more your greed becomes apparent. You're no longer young. Do you wish to be remembered as avaricious?"

They continued, "You must realize, that book holds immense potential for the younger generations." Their words, although seemingly forced, were spoken with the future in mind, as if their siege was a necessary act for the sake of those who would follow in their footsteps.

The book that the Heavenly Swordsman held was no ordinary tome. It was a record, a legacy left behind by a warrior who had transcended the worldly realm. This book, known as the War God's Chronicle, was a testament to a life beyond the ordinary. A person who has transcended worldly life leaves behind more than just a book. They leave treasures, and traces of their journey throughout the world.

The existence of the one called the War God remains shrouded in mystery. Yet, many believe that he has ascended to a higher realm. Several of his relics have been discovered, bestowing great benefits upon those fortunate enough to obtain them. The War God's Chronicle, containing traces of the War God's own journey, has driven people to the brink of madness in their quest to possess it.

The Heavenly Swordsman has kept the War God's Chronicle for himself. Yet, he has found nothing extraordinary within its pages, save for the daily records of the War God. His possession of the book has become a beacon for those consumed by their own desires, illuminating the path to their own downfall.

Surrounded by the leaders of various sects, he found himself at the ends of the earth, pursued for a mere notebook. The man holding the book had no choice but to flee, but his flight had to come to an end.

His sword-wielding hand had claimed many lives, all because of the notebook he believed to be a harbinger of disaster. Despite his assurances that the book held nothing special, his pursuers remained unconvinced. A peaceful handover of the book might have been possible, but it would only lead to greater bloodshed.

He found himself regretting his choices, longing for a simpler life. Most people would choose a life partner, raise a family, and work to meet their needs. But he had been too focused on reaching the pinnacle of power, chasing the dream that the War God had achieved.

Now, he was forced to guard the harbinger of disaster from the greed of those who refused to hear the truth.

Under the cloudless, bright blue sky, he did not want the rarely trodden land to be sullied by the greedy.

'After this, people will be angry. When will I find peace in life? Is this the reward for someone who did not reciprocate her love until the end? Wait a little longer, I will meet you there. Sorry, I was too ambitious, but in the end, it's like this,' he mused, looking back at the Endless Abyss shrouded in black mist, the boundary of this world.

The warriors continued their futile attempts to convince the Heavenly Swordsman, waiting to see who would be the first to forcibly take the War God's Chronicle.

"You want this, don't you? Take it!" With a swift motion, the Heavenly Swordsman hurled the book into the Endless Abyss. The warriors surrounding him stared in disbelief.

"What are you doing?!" they cried out. "You madman! You've thrown away the War God's legacy!"

None dared to retrieve the War God's Chronicle that had plummeted into the Endless Abyss. Although they could fly for a short time, they were unsure if they could withstand the dense air pressure within the Abyss. Moreover, everyone knew that the Abyss was incredibly deep, possibly bottomless, and its gravity was thousands of times stronger than it should be.

In their rage, they intended to tear the Heavenly Swordsman apart. With their numbers, even the unparalleled Heavenly Swordsman wouldn't be able to withstand them, let alone fight back. So, with full confidence, they charged at the Heavenly Swordsman with all their might.

The Heavenly Swordsman didn't attempt to flee or counterattack. He knew that he would eventually become everyone's enemy. In this life, he might not find peace, but it wasn't impossible after death. Sheathing his sword, he leaped into the Endless Abyss.

The warriors certainly didn't anticipate the Heavenly Swordsman's choice. All they could do was watch his departure, unable to harm him with their own hands.

The Endless Abyss might truly be bottomless. His entire life's memories replayed as he fell at a terrifying speed. The surroundings held no interest, save for the darkness. However, he felt alive again, as feelings he had long forgotten resurfaced.

The air pressure became much denser. Cracks accompanied by black lightning began to appear around him. He ignored the chaos that started to harm his body. Before he could reach the bottom, his body was shattered by the black lightning and the strong pull of dimensional cracks.

"I'm coming. Greet me with your anger, my love."

Meanwhile, the book that brought disaster to the Heavenly Swordsman was unaffected by the friction of the dimensional cracks or the powerful black lightning. The book arrived at the bottom of the abyss, where there was a black vortex that was the center of chaos. The black vortex swallowed the book just like that, before a greater chaos occurred as if cheering for having swallowed something highly nutritious.

***

As the sun slowly set, only half of it was visible over the hilltop. The air grew colder, seeping into every pore. The birds that had been flying in the sky were replaced by bats.

A thin, curved wooden rod with its end tied towards the water's surface indicated a pull from beneath. The vibrating line in the calm river stream signaled a fish nibbling at the bait. The young man sitting by the river, his eyes vacant, began to take notice. His hand quickly grasped the handle of the wooden rod planted in the ground.

Fishing had become a hobby to accompany his solitude in recent times. Although the fish in the river were mostly small, he didn't mind.

"True to the name of the Evler River, almost all the fish here are Evler fish," he mused.

The fish were long, about the size of an adult man's thumb. Evler fish didn't have scales, and there were whiskers near their mouths. Their flesh tasted savory even without seasoning. It was one of his favorite foods. Unfortunately, not many people sold this fish in the market because it was hard to come by, only once a month in large quantities and at a high price. Perhaps because of their delicious taste despite their small size, nobles and conglomerates always bought them until they ran out.

In the same spot, after catching enough Evler fish, he cooked them until they were done.

The sun had completely set, but he was still there. He usually returned home late at night. No one knew when he came or went, as he always did so quietly. It was easy to watch him, and he knew that no one cared about him, which is why he felt alone even though his family was considered intact.

People say that the lives of nobles are enjoyable. Whatever they want, they get. When they command civilians to do something, no one can refute them, or their lives become a gamble because they are considered rebels. Without having to work hard, they receive many benefits.

He extended his hand, and on his palm appeared a slowly rotating blue glowing card. As the owner of the innate Devourer Card ability, he still didn't know what the card actually was, why a mere card could become his power.

His eyes glared at the card in his hand, a look of hatred etched on his face. He wanted to crumple the card into oblivion, but he refrained.

Something shimmered in the sky. The young man looked up. "What is that?" he wondered aloud. A small object was falling from the sky. As it pierced through several layers of the atmosphere, it ignited. "Could it be a meteorite?" he thought, silently observing the falling object. As it drew closer, he realized it was heading straight for him.

"Oh? The meteorite is falling here, huh…" He busied himself finishing the last of his grilled fish. Bite by bite, his chewing slowed. Something was amiss, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was.

"Wha-… Damn it!" After his last bite, he finally realized that a meteorite was hurtling towards him. But he didn't have enough time to dodge; the meteorite was about to crash into him. He might die in a ridiculous manner, just as fate had toyed with his life.

One of his hands moved unconsciously, throwing the Devourer Card towards the meteorite. The Devourer Card shone brightly. The young man, who had closed his eyes because he didn't dare to witness the end of his life, peeked from the corner of his eyes.

He could imagine his ludicrous end. The bright light slowly dimmed, revealing the Devourer Card floating in the air, while the meteorite that should have crashed into the young man mysteriously vanished.

"Hm?" The young man looked around; there were no signs of a fallen meteorite. "What… What just happened?" He was sure the meteorite would fall and take his life. Or was it all just an illusion? He thought so because that was the only reasonable explanation in a situation that defied his common sense. Then, as he picked up the Devourer Card, which was faintly emitting a blue light, he noticed a change in his card.

The Devourer Card, which initially had the same pattern on both sides, now had an illustration of a book, each side of the card representing the book's cover. Influenced by what he saw on the Devourer Card, he imagined a book with the same cover. Unexpectedly, the Devourer Card in his hand suddenly transformed into a book. The book had a cover like the illustration depicted on the Devourer Card.

A plain, dark blue old book appeared, its emergence quite surprising. Stunned for a moment, he wanted to open the book to see its contents, but the sound of a dry twig snapping behind him interrupted his thoughts. Someone clicked their tongue before emerging from the darkness.

"Bertio, the loner loser. You better go home quickly. Your father is calling you."