Lumian's eyes snapped open.
A sharp, stabbing pain spread across his chest—slow, deep, suffocating.
It felt as if something inside him was still tearing him apart.
"…Ah…"
A weak groan escaped his lips.
For a few moments, he lay still.
The world around him felt distant… blurry… unreal.
The air was dry.
Heavy.
Almost suffocating.
He slowly turned his head.
Mud walls surrounded him—cracked, rough, lifeless.
Above, faint rays of sunlight filtered through the gaps in a straw roof, casting broken shadows across the room.
Dust particles floated lazily in the air.
Everything felt… quiet.
Too quiet.
"…Where… am I…?"
His voice came out hoarse.
Then—
A whisper echoed inside his mind.
"You must take my revenge."
Lumian's pupils trembled.
"…Revenge…"
He repeated the word slowly.
That wasn't a normal word.
It carried hatred.
Blood.
A weight that pressed against his soul.
Suddenly—
His body jerked upright.
"Wait—!"
He jumped down from the bed.
His breathing grew rapid as he started checking his body.
His arms.
His chest.
His neck.
"…Nothing?"
No wounds.
No scars.
Not even a trace.
His fingers trembled.
"That pain… it felt like I was dying…"
"…Then what was that thing?"
His thoughts tangled, slipping out of his control.
Before he could think further—
A voice cut through the silence.
Cold.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
"Lumian."
The air in the room seemed to freeze.
"Do you feel no shame… humiliating me like this?"
Lumian froze.
His heartbeat skipped.
Slowly—
He turned around.
And in that instant—
His breath stopped.
"…Father."
Standing at the doorway was a man whose mere presence crushed the entire room.
Tall.
Still.
Overwhelming.
The air around him felt heavier—like invisible pressure pressing against Lumian's chest.
Wuyu Kiv Laimian.
Second-in-command of the Wuyu Clan.
One of the only three Immortals.
A man standing at the peak.
Yet his eyes held nothing but disappointment.
Disgust.
Because his son—
Was nothing more than a Rank-2 Mortal.
A failure.
Without warning—
Laimian stepped forward.
Grab!
His fingers tangled into Lumian's hair.
"Ugh—!!"
Pain exploded through Lumian's scalp.
Before he could react—
He was dragged across the rough ground.
Dust scratched his skin.
His body slammed against the floor again and again.
"Father—please—!!"
His voice broke.
"I'm sorry! I won't—!!"
But Laimian didn't stop.
Didn't hesitate.
As if dragging something worthless.
Clang!
A metal cage door swung open.
Before Lumian could process—
He was thrown inside.
"Father!!"
His scream echoed through the room.
Ignored.
Completely ignored.
The cage lifted.
For a brief moment—
Time froze.
Then—
SPLASH!!!
The cage plunged into deep, dark water.
Coldness swallowed him instantly.
The light above disappeared.
Everything turned black.
"I—I can't breathe—!!"
His chest burned.
His limbs thrashed violently.
Panic consumed him.
Death crept closer.
Then—
"…Huh?"
Everything… stopped.
The water wasn't touching him.
It surrounded him—
But couldn't reach him.
An invisible barrier held it back.
Silence fell.
Deep.
Unnatural.
Then—
A presence.
Right behind him.
Cold.
Ancient.
Watching.
Lumian's body stiffened.
Slowly—
He turned.
And his eyes widened.
"…You…"
"The man from my dream…"
The middle-aged man stood there calmly.
Unmoved.
As if he had always existed in that space.
He let out a faint scoff.
"Dream?"
His voice echoed strangely.
"Dream?"
His gaze turned sharp.
"I showed you reality."
"You think I would appear in something as insignificant as a dream?"
Lumian's throat dried.
The man stepped closer.
Each step carried weight.
"You don't remember, do you?"
A pause.
Then—
A whisper that shook his soul.
"You are… a fragment of me."
Boom.
Lumian's mind went blank.
"…A fragment…?"
"When?! How?!"
The man placed his hand on Lumian's shoulder.
Cold.
Unnatural.
"This world…"
"It doesn't accept the weak."
"It doesn't forgive the foolish."
"It doesn't need the helpless."
His grip tightened slightly.
"You only have value… when you are useful."
"Just like your father sees you."
Each word—
Pierced through Lumian's heart.
Tears gathered silently.
"…Then what should I do…?"
His voice trembled.
"I'm weak…"
"I can't reach him…"
"I'll never become someone he acknowledges…"
"Wrong."
The word exploded.
The water around them trembled violently.
"Wrong! Wrong! WRONG!!"
The man's eyes burned with something terrifying.
"All of that… is a lie."
"I am not weak."
"You are not weak."
"…We are not beneath him."
Lumian whispered—
"…But I am."
"That's reality…"
In an instant—
The man grabbed his chin and forced his head up.
"Reality?"
A faint smile formed.
"You created that reality."
"You chained yourself."
His voice lowered.
Dark.
Dangerous.
"Do you want power?"
Silence.
Lumian's breathing shook.
"…Yes."
The man smiled.
Cold.
Satisfied.
"Then listen carefully."
The space around them darkened.
"From now on…"
"Whenever I desire—"
"I will take control of this body."
A long pause.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
"Do you agree?"
Fear crept into Lumian's bones.
"…What does that mean…?"
The man began fading.
"Agree… and live."
"Refuse… and drown."
Suddenly—
CRASH!!
The water slammed into Lumian's body.
Pressure crushed him.
His lungs burned.
Vision blurred.
"I—!!"
"I AGREE!!!"
Silence.
Absolute.
Then—
Something changed.
Subtly.
Unnaturally.
Lumian's face shifted.
Not completely—
But enough to feel wrong.
His lips moved.
And a voice came out—
Cold.
Ancient.
"…Reyax never dies."
---
The water trembled.
Reyax raised a finger—
Tap.
BOOM!!!
A terrifying force exploded outward.
The cage shattered instantly.
The water roared violently.
Above—
Laimian's eyes narrowed.
"…What was that?"
He stepped closer—
And leaned down.
That was his mistake.
A hand shot out from the water—
And grabbed his throat.
"Ghk—!!"
Before he could react—
He was dragged into the air.
His breathing stopped instantly.
Then—
BOOM!!!
His body slammed into the ground.
A massive crater formed.
Dust exploded outward.
Laimian staggered to his feet.
"…Impossible…"
"That trash… did this…?"
Rage exploded inside him.
He charged forward.
But—
Reyax moved first.
Effortlessly—
He grabbed Laimian's head.
And something terrifying happened.
Laimian's power—
Didn't respond.
At all.
Reyax spoke calmly.
"Calling someone like you my father…"
"…is shameful."
His grip tightened.
"You should never have been one."
Blood began flowing from Laimian's eyes.
Reyax smirked slightly.
"Let's have some fun."
Crack.
Crack.
CRACK—
"LUMIAN!!!"
A scream shattered the moment.
Reyax clicked his tongue.
"…Tch."
"You ruined it."
Instantly—
Their souls switched.
Lumian returned—
Mid-air.
"…Huh?!"
THUD!!
He crashed to the ground.
Pain shot through his body.
Lu ran forward in panic.
"LUMIAN!!"
"What did you do?!"
Lumian looked completely lost.
"I—I don't know—!!"
Lu didn't listen.
She ran to Laimian.
His body lay motionless.
Unconscious.
"…No…"
Her voice trembled.
Behind her—
Lumian stood frozen.
"…How did I get up there…?"
"What… happened…?"
His mind couldn't process anything.
Then—
"LU!!"
A woman's voice rang out.
It was Chesse—Lumian's mother.
She rushed forward.
Her face pale.
"What happened to him?!"
Lu remained silent.
She couldn't answer.
She couldn't accept the truth.
"CALL DALI!!" Chesse shouted desperately.
"He won't survive!!"
Servants rushed in panic.
Moments later—
An old woman arrived.
She froze upon seeing Laimian.
Her face turned pale.
"…Half-murdered…"
Her voice trembled.
"The Second Supreme Elder…"
"…his neck was nearly snapped."
"This is no ordinary attack…"
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Crushing.
"…Who did this?"
Lu's mind went blank.
Her thoughts shattered.
Only one name echoed again and again—
Lumian.
Her lips trembled.
"…What… happened to you…?"