Time, an abstract concept in the rift. It is completely devoid of it. One can't tell a second and a century apart if they were stuck in there.

Charon doesn't know how long he's been inside the rift, the only compass he has in this place devoid of time and space is his life force.

He's given up so much of it, that he can feel his life force circulating in every part of the rift intensely. In a way, it's a bit comforting. It's as if the rift had become a part of him.

But how much longer does this have to go on. Just when will this rift collapse.

Just.

When.

Will.

I.

Die.

Charon is slowly losing his sanity. All he wants now is a swift death. But perhaps this is the price he has to pay.

~

~

"Ah, my life force is dwindling away..., my time has come huh..", Charon mutters to himself after what seemed to be an eternity

His seemingly unlimited life force is almost at its limit.

Just as he said that however, the scenery soon would change.

What was before an empty canvas, became a radiant painting, saturated with unique colors. He couldn't believe his eyes. It's been so long since he had seen anything.

To think that he would experience the wonders of dirt after so long, directly with his face no less! How lucky.

Wait, that doesn't sound right.

Charon quickly got up and scanned his surroundings.

"......."

"Where am I?"

At first glance, the surroundings look almost identical to his planet. It would appear that he's currently inside a forest.

However, upon further inspection, this isn't his home planet. When he turns his gaze upward, 2 bright suns would meet his eyes, albeit a lot smaller than the one he's used to.

Not that it mattered. The important thing is that he's out of that hell hole.

He doesn't know why. Perhaps the rift collapsed and had something to do with this shenanigan. Or not? He's not sure. Perhaps his life energy nurtured the rift and somehow transformed it into a space filled with life?

Charon is now recalling his previous conversation with someone he acquainted with before going inside the rift. 'Huh, I guess Mars did try to say something about what would happen if I was able to survive. I shouldn't have dismissed him immediately.'

For now, there's no way to confirm his theories. Besides, even if he knows the reason, in the end he's stuck in some uncharted territory not known to him.

"Urgh, I feel awful. I wonder if the gear I have is still working..." Charon mutters.

Unlike other people, Charon forged his own equipment and gear. Forging has always been a hobby of his, but since he started rising in the ranks of the elite fighters, it became more than just a simple hobby.

As he examines his equipment, he would find that although it's lost most of its functionality, it's still working. Barely.

Charon then transforms his entire gear into what would seem like a smart watch, by infusing a bit of magic into a special circuit, which triggers the transformation. The process is almost instantaneous.

This neat function was a gift from his late comrade. He always found it handy.

'He did a lot for me. In the end I was never able to repay the favor...', Charon thought.

A plain black shirt and a pair of pants are revealed with the armor now no longer covering his body. They're made of high-quality fabrics, being able to withstand high stretching force.

Charon then uses the watch to check his current status.

The following information is displayed.

_________________________________________

Status : Alive

Life force : 50

Armor condition : 5/340 (Badly damaged)

Current Debuffs : None

Current Injury : None

Location : Unknown

Further information cannot be accessed due to limited functions.

_________________________________________

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

'Yikes, I'm in a rough shape... but that's understandable. I had to give up everything to the rift. Mars wasn't kidding.' Charon now recalling his conversation with Mars again.

'It's a miracle I was able to make it out alive, although by the looks of it, I'm never getting back to my prime' Charon thought to himself, feeling a bit dejected.

'I guess I should set up a shelter for tonight' Charon now changing his train of thoughts.

And so Charon was off to explore the forest to find a good spot to set up his shelter while gathering for materials and foraging whatever goods he can find.

~

~

~

Charon spent the entirety of the day setting up a basic shelter in a cave he found that's located in the middle of the forest. The size of it was very modest. The location is also quite convenient as there's a stream of water flowing through the forest, not far from the cave.

He started a campfire at the cave's entrance, and erected a simple workshop inside so that he can craft simple tools.

He didn't bother making a tent because the cave provides ample protection from the weather.

He then goes back to the forest to gather a bed of leaves to cover some part of the stone flooring inside the cave. It just makes it more comfortable for him.

With that done, he decided to call it a day and spend the rest of his time inside the cave.

Now he can catch his breath and reorganize his thoughts.

'Hm, I wonder if civilization exist here. As far as I can tell, the creatures that I encountered so far are new to me, and they are pretty interesting too.' Charon thought, whilst recalling his previous encounters as he was exploring the dense forest.

Charon then continues his train of thoughts, 'Well, it's best that I proceed slowly, so that I can recover part of my strength back just in case I encounter anything dangerous.'

Charon knows how important it is to always be prepared. Otherwise, he wouldn't have survived in his world let alone thrive. Before skills and talent, preparation is the most important thing one must tend to.

That is why he decided to stay in the forest, to gather as much information as he possibly can.

'Ugh, my head is throbbing. Perhaps I need rest. Haven't had one in ages I suppose.' No one could possibly measure how much time Charon had spent in the rift. Its a miracle that he's still sane.

After patrolling the area around the cave for a bit to make sure nothing gets in the way of his rest, he finally allows himself to lay down on the bed of leaves he had prepared earlier.

This will be a good night he thought.

~~~

"Zzzz" Apparently Charon's a loud sleeper

~~~

"Zzzzzz"

~~~

THUMP. A loud noise reverberated across the forest.

"Hahaha, to think they would stab my back and go against me. Pathetic cowards." the woman cursed out. Although she's very frustrated, she is still maintaining a calm demeanor.

The voice belongs to a woman has a long silky hair, which wears the color of golden yellow. Her eyes are pristine blue, which matches well with the color of her hair. Her body is quite slim and healthy, although some parts of her body are decorated with scars she had mostly acquired from hard fought battles. Her attire was those of a noble, while having some resemblance to a warrior's attire.

She had fallen from up above. It's quite a mystery how she had survived that long descent. She had made quite a big crater.

"I can't possibly imagine being in a situation worse than this. Even those that previously sided with me is turning their back on me... Ha " she lets out a weak snicker.

'To think I'd be pushed this far to come here, to confirm some wild rumors.... how far have I fallen. Tsk. No time to let my guard down. This forest is dangerous', she thought internally.

Apparently, words have it that a mysterious secluded master resided in this forest. If anyone can find him and pass his tests, it would grant them unrivaled power.

However, this forest is unlike any forest. It houses many dangerous creatures and is typically known for its hostile environment. An average adult wouldn't last an hour here.

This fact alone is enough to discourage anyone to confirm the rumor.

'Ah, I've truly gone desperate.' the woman realized.

But it doesn't matter anymore. She's here. All she should be doing now is to focus all her energy and effort to find this so called master.

She quickly examines her surrounding to find traces of activities that could help her. And the result did not disappoint.

A black smoke can be seen rising to the sky from the center of the forest, the source is probably from a campfire.

'Is the rumor actually real. Or is someone crazy enough to live in this place.' Many things were going on inside her head. But she knows that her questions will be resolved if she can find the source to that smoke.

So with that information, she went on her way to the heart of the forest.

~

~

She was progressing quite smoothly, but it all halted once she noticed a pack of Varg near her proximity.

Varg. A dangerous creature that's able to manifest hounds out of nothing. Thankfully, it only resides in this forest and prove no threat to the people.

However, not the same can be said for the woman who's only steps away from the pack. She could probably take them on and win but she'd rather not as it wouldn't be an easy fight. She'd lose more than she would gain. With that in mind, she sneakily walked past them, without announcing her presence.

After a few turns and more encounters, she finally arrives at the source of the sooty smoke.

A campfire, lighted Infront of the entrance of the cave.

`I see. Whatever lit that campfire is currently residing inside the cave.' she deduced

Reluctantly, she forced herself to the entrance of the cave.

She then tries to peek inside. Her vision is greeted with the sight of a man, sleeping his days away.

"Zzzzzz"

'That man has an obnoxious snoring' the woman thought to herself.

Is this person really the great master they all had mentioned. In her eyes, he looks terribly normal. But nothing can be deemed as normal in this forest. If this man can sleep without worries in this hostile place, he's probably plenty strong.

As she takes a step inside the cave, the man immediately moves swiftly to take a defensive stance as he was clearly taken by surprised.

"##### @@@@ §§§§" the man lets out. It's a language she had never heard of before in 28 years of her life.

Not knowing what to say, she decided it's best to ease the mood and introduce herself.

"Pardon for my intrusion sir, my name is Eva Q. Martie. May I know if you're the master that's been residing in this forest for years?" Eva inquires. She doesn't know if the man would understand him.

In response, the man did some weird gestures. From the looks of it, he is tinkering with the watch on his hand.

"Language calibrated." The watch on his hand lets out.

The man then replies, "Eva huh. Nice to meet you. My name is Charon. So, what brought you here?"

Charon is able to decipher the language Eva is using thanks to his watch.

However, he doesn't know who the master she mentioned is. But playing along might give him some valuable information.

"I.... I want to learn from you. Please O great one. Pass me down your teachings and make me strong!" She said respectfully while bowing.

Charon now a bit taken aback, dropped his stance and said "Uh, listen. You are probably mistaking me for someone."

Impersonating someone would bring Charon more trouble than benefit. So, he decided to be honest.

The woman then replies, "I'm not looking for anyone specific. I'm here in this forest to find someone strong. Someone that can make me stronger."

Although she didn't get any verbal confirmation that he was the secluded master mentioned in the rumor, she could see it in his eyes. This man has been through more battles than she could possibly fathom.

More than that, the stance he took. It was incredible. No matter how hard she tries, she couldn't find any opening. He was a man with great skills.

'Hm, there's no use in deceiving her.' Charon mused by the thought of acting pathetically weak in front of this woman.

'Ah. It's been awhile since I had interacted with a human being, a beautiful girl no less!' Charon realizes.

'I guess I should accept her request. It would benefit the both of us. I need to learn more about this world anyway. This woman will be a great step towards that.' Charon tries to reason with himself.

After a moment of silence, Charon would say, "Ok, but with a few conditions."

"First. Whatever you learn from me, I hope that you would keep it to yourself and not teach a soul." Charon states while pointing up his index finger.

"Second. Each of your words to me must be honest and contain no lies."

"And lastly, always remember that you owe me a great favor" Charon finally finishes stating his conditions.

His gaze then locks onto Eva. It seems like she's thinking about this very deeply.

After what would be another few minutes of silence, she would say "Alright. That seems reasonable enough. I acce-"

Charon then interjects her before she could finish her sentence. "Before that, I need you to know one thing."

"As of my current state, I'm way weaker than you due to complicated reasons. That being said, I can still impart meaningful teachings that will help you greatly. What say you?"

Charon thought it would be wise to just let her know of his current condition. He doesn't sense any malice intent from her. So sharing this information should be fine. In addition, it would save him a lot of trouble. Although, the girl might change her mind.

Inside of Eva's mind, 'Weaker than me? No, I shouldn't doubt his skills. Although I might have an upper hand against him physically, he's proven himself to possess great skills. If I could learn that stance, I'll be way stronger than I am now......perhaps I could even turn around my current situation If I can master it.'

Eva then would repeat the same sentence as if Charon hadn't told her about his current state moments ago, "I accept your conditions."

'Ah, now that I think about it, she's my first student isn't she. Hopefully I'll be able to perform well.' Charon said to himself internally.

"Great, for now we should rest. It's the middle of the night, you won't learn anything with a tired mind." Charon says, trying to dismiss her for the day.

Eva then would respond, "I understand. Also, one more thing, will you allow me to stay in this cave with you for the entire duration of my training?"

"I'll only provide you with space, you have to figure out the rest yourself. You may set up whatever you need on that side of this cave" says Charon, while pointing to his left.

"If that's everything I'm heading back to sleep now. See you tomorrow morning."

With that said, Charon went back to his sleeping spot and dozed off. Tomorrow will be the start of a new experience.