Everyone escaped their own ways and they parted quite early on. The siblings stayed together as they fled.

Unfortunately, demons were tracking them too.

After all the fights, ambushes and squirmishes, Rongshen was dying and Rongxia was exhausted and in bad shape too.

They had reached the peak of Mt Gehnikjen. It was a small mountain behind the village. They had stopped and were hiding within the temple that stood there at the top. This temple had been abandonned long ago but its ruins remained standing.

It provided them with a small protection from the exterior but they were quite realist: they would die here.

Rongshen grabbed Rongxia's hand and told her: “Sis, please, leave me here. I am already dying. I will do my best to buy you time!”

Rongxia, in tears, refused: “I won't abandon you! If you die, I will die too!”

They stayed at the far back of the temple. One dying, the other prepared to die.

Time went by and some moments later, they began to hear footsteps and groans. The demons were here. Doors opened and soon enough, a bunch of demons were seen by the siblings.

As their impending fate approached, Rongshen prayed for the first and last time in his life: “Please, Gods and Devils, whoever hears me if any does, I shall give up all I am and have if you could at least save my sister! I beg of you! Save her!”

And it was enough for the Agency to receive this call for help. It had everything required for a hero summoning: a holy place, someone willing to give up all he had and a world-level danger.

The price to be paid for his summoning was 'his everything' and, as his last breath was taken, he saw a circular silver light appear in front of him and from it, someone came out.

“Thank you” were his last thoughts.

- * -

When I got out of the portal, I found myself face to face with a dozen ugly red humans.

Were they humans even?

I was not sure.

I looked around and I was within a temple of some kind. In quite the ruined state. Not the friendliest welcome but not the worst I received either.

Until I saw the red humans point their weapons at me. That made it worst than before.

Human or not, they were enemies now.

Since I was still holding onto Axis, I infused it with mana and swung it horizontally forward. A sharp white sword light escaped it, creating a gigantic arc the cleaved right through everything on its path. All the red humans were instantly bisected from their waist.

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Black blood spilled out everywhere.

Turns out these red humans had black blood.

Since there were no longer any threats, I looked around and that's when I noticed the two other beings here.

Those were the regular humans.

Maybe the red ones were not humans then?

Of the two, one male and one female, both young adults, the male was dead already. Not by long but unfortunately already dead. While I could do a lot, I could not revive the dead.

Or if I did, it would no longer be 'them' so it was worthless to me.

The other one, the female, was in bad shape too. She was not critically wounded but she was badly wounded still. She looked quite terrified and surprised... Her brain seemed unable to process what she saw.

Not that I particularly cared about her state of mind.

I asked her: “Where are we?”

She remained silent.

Then, she began to cry and turned to the male human. She realized he was dead and began to cry even more as she also screamed. There was snot and other liquids all over her face as she did.

I decided to leave her alone a few moments to collect herself since whatever I asked now would remain unanswered.

I moved outside the small ruins of the temple and looked around.

Sunset, the top of a mountain.

I finds myself standing at the edge of a vast mountain range, with towering peaks stretching as far as the eye can see, their jagged tips piercing through low-hanging clouds. The air here is thick with mana, which I love. This is a great place to train.

To the west, the mountains give way to a dense emerald forest, a sprawling sea of towering trees with trunks wide enough for ten men to encircle. The canopy is so thick that only streaks of sunlight pierce through, casting ethereal shafts of light that dance upon the ground.

To the east, not far, in contrast, lies a burning village nestled between this mountain peak and another smaller one. Its walls, carved from stone, are weathered and broken at parts.

The air here smells of pine, earth, and distant rain, with the faintest hint of spiritual herbs and flowers that thrive in the forest's depths but also of the burnt wood.

I, of course, do not know where this is.

But it is obviously a different world from mine.

The mana, no, the energy, is thicker here. The flora is quite diverse and different too, likely due to the air density and energy levels.

My curiosity is piqued and my greed for power rekindled.

I turn back towards the temple ruins.

First things first, I need some more information and context. Right now, there is only one living being left on this peak that could give me those.

I walk back in there.

The female sits next to the corpse, now laid down on the stone cold floor, its eyes closed.

As she sees me arrive, she gets up and bows with her right first within her left hand. She has quite a nice voice though it is slightly hidden from her emotions: “I give my thanks to the esteemed senior for saving my life”

Unexpectedly, she decided to start by giving me her thanks for saving her. I did save her but the other one is dead. To be composed enough to begin by giving her thanks...That's quite the personality.

I like it.

- * -

My brother is dead.

But I lived.

It's thanks to this man. Who is he? How did he arrive here through that weird silver circle? And how can someone be this strong?

More than anything...Why did he not arrive earlier?!

We could have both been saved!

No...He could have saved everyone with that power!

I...

No...

What am I even saying?... It is already a miracle for me to still be alive.

A moment later, I saw him returning.

I decided to give him my thanks first so as to make a better impression compared to the previous one where he saw me cry... I hope that he won't kill me. A single wave of that blade of his would be enough for sure.

No, he would probably need even less.