Rui had blanked out for most of the ceremony, only regaining his senses after the vows were made.
He had never expected this day to come, especially after his death. It was one of the major regrets he held in his heart.
Jane tightly held his hand throughout the whole situation, comforting him the best she could. She understood that he was not in the best mental state and that he was pushing himself.
Albert Brown was a man who had postponed their relationship to a stagnant state for years. For him to reach this point, it was only possible after finding resolve in himself.
He had grown as a person, and he now had no more regrets from his previous life holding him back.
Rui found clarity after the knot in his heart was removed—clarity he never expected to experience in a situation like this.
It was like he had unconsciously triggered the Ansuz rune.
----------------------------------------
Inside a small village graveyard, a young man dressed in casual clothes stared blankly at one of the gravestones, his eyes lost in thought.
Rui found himself visiting his mother’s graveyard once again.
He didn’t know why, but after his marriage ceremony was over, he had the urge to at least visit this graveyard one last time.
His mother’s grave was in the best condition compared to the other gravestones, being squeaky clean to a fascinating degree. Flowers, candles, food, and many other objects could be seen laying in front of it, signaling that someone was visiting regularly.
Rui could already guess who it was without much thinking.
Sighing heavily, Rui decided to look up what the man was doing. He wanted to witness how that man was handling life.
Getting his phone out of his pocket, he began browsing the current list of hunters. Since he was someone who had access to all the databases on earth, he could easily look up anyone’s private information and data.
Rui clicked on the ranking list of hunters, making his way to the F-rank list. Double-tapping on the search icon, he inputted his father’s name, waiting for the system to load up the information.
Soon, four individuals showed up in the search results, with pictures and an accurate assessment as a description below their names.
Clicking on his father’s profile, Rui managed to get every bit of information he needed.
With a single glance, he was able to memorize everything. Closing his phone and placing it in his pocket, his figure vanished, leaving the graveyard empty.
----------------------------------------
Frederick Brown was a man with a lot of regrets.
Regrets that he would never be able to fix, regrets that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
After the awakening phenomenon, he became an F-rank hunter, awakening a strange ability that allowed him to communicate with ghosts and spirits.
It was through this ability of his that he regained his humanity and returned to a normal state of mind.
It was as if his entire life was covered in a strange mist, where he was lost to wonder for eternity. He did the most abhorrent things that his sober self couldn’t believe he could have done.
He truly believed that he was not fit to live any longer.
But it all changed once he was given the opportunity to visit his deceased wife’s grave. There, he was able to communicate with her once again, rekindling the fire of hope in his heart.
From that day onward, he listened to any order he was given. As he was still a prisoner with a horrible background and too dangerous to be let loose in society, he was given a position as a mana stone miner.
However, since his attitude had changed so drastically after awakening, he was given a few free days every month where he could roam around freely, of course with constant monitoring from his ankle device.
He had spent the past few months asking around for his son’s grave, to no avail due to Jane’s involvement. Albert’s body was buried inside a private area, which Frederick couldn’t access.
Frederick was currently inside a low-level dungeon, extracting mana stones from the walls using a pickaxe. His body was covered from head to toe in dirt as he fervently swung his pick.
After a few minutes of constant swinging, he stopped to wipe his sweat, grabbing the lump of stones and loading them into a cart.
The cart was already full to the brim, which meant he had to unload it to continue. Frederick sighed heavily, pushing the cart towards the exit.
Since he was constantly mining, he never knew how much time had passed until it was unloading time.
One of the patrolling guards saw his figure approaching, making way for him to pass with the cart.
“No matter how many times I see it, you always bring the largest amount. The others don’t even fill theirs to this extent.”
Commented the guard, whistling in surprise at how much Frederick was gathering.
Frederick only smiled at the guard, his body aching from the heavy weight.
Although he was a hunter, he was of the lowest rank, nowhere near strong enough to constantly carry this much load, especially at his age.
After dumping the cart’s contents inside a giant container, Frederick made his way to the resting area, ready to grab some food to eat.
Some people were already there, also covered in dirt. They were miners in a similar situation as him.
“Fred, over here!”
Shouted one of the miners, waving his hand back and forth so that Frederick could see him.
Frederick couldn’t help but smile brightly at the gesture, making his way next to the man.
“What’s up, Doug? Taking another break?”
He said this, prompting the man to chuckle.
“Well, at least they don’t force us to mine till we die, right? Recently, these old bones feel like they might crumble at any moment. I’m more surprised at how you’re holding on, though. Compared to the prison days, you’ve changed completely. I even heard you’re donating all your salary except a few pennies to buy tickets and flowers to visit your wife. I wonder where that reckless and fucked-up Frederick has gone…”
Doug started commenting on the situation, his mouth never stopping for even a moment.
Surprisingly, though, Frederick was listening to everything he was saying with sincerity in his eyes, trying to understand the man’s feelings. Unlike himself, Doug Allen was a man who was wrongfully imprisoned and sentenced to jail.
He was a man who was betrayed by his company, subordinates, wife, and even children, who were all after his money. It was truly a saddening story about the grand downfall of one of the big giants.
After eating his meal and enjoying his talk with Doug, Frederick went back to mining, only returning once his cart was full.
Repeating his actions a few times, his shift ended, and he exited the dungeon, his figure exiting the portal and appearing inside a prison area.
The prison itself was constructed with the portal as its center, where criminals could enter and exit without having to leave the building.
Frederick made his way towards the showers. After cleaning himself and wearing a new set of clothes, he made his way towards the entrance of the prison.
After showing his identity card and day pass to the guard, he exited the prison and slowly walked to the nearest bus station, which was roughly five kilometers away.
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He diligently waited at the bus stop for around an hour before the bus came. Entering the bus, he greeted the bus driver with a nod, paying him for the ticket, before making his way to the back seats.
Roughly twenty minutes later, the bus arrived at his station, so he exited and made his way towards a community service building. Opening the door, he made his way to the reception area.
“Welcome back, Mr. Brown, Are you here to help once again?”
The lady there recognized him immediately, giving him a bright smile.
He had been visiting places where help was needed for a while now, giving a helping hand to any community he could. From drug rehabilitation to support for the elderly and handicapped, and even home creation for the homeless, he tried to help every person who was in need, despite the unlucky things that would constantly happen to him.
The previous month, he had broken his hand while trying to fix a roof for an elderly home, while this week, a hammer had fallen on his leg, causing the leg to fracture. Thanks to the fact he was a hunter, he was able to heal fast; however, if he were a normal human, these things pilling up would have for sure caused his death.
He was constantly experiencing bad situations, but he always braved through them with a smile.
After all, for him, this is nowhere near as bad as what he had done to others. In Frederick's mind, he would never let go of his sins, even after he sacrificed his entire body for the wellbeing of the world. He always thought of himself as an eternal sinner.
Frederick Brown continued to devote himself to community service, tirelessly working to make amends for his past mistakes. As the days turned into weeks and then months, he found a sense of purpose and redemption in helping others.
While he still visited his wife's grave regularly, his newfound activities allowed him to connect with the living as well. He made friends among the people he helped, shared their joys and sorrows, and slowly rebuilt his life.
Like this, Frederick spent every day devoting himself to bettering the lives of others in exchange for his own wellbeing. He always kept a bright smile on his face, completely unrecognizable from the trash father that Rui knew.
----------------------------------------
One day after Frederick finished his shift in the mines, one of the guards approached with some news.
“Frederick Brown, you have been given permission by the Owen family to visit your son's grave. They have specified the date and rules, so do follow them with absolute care.”
Said the guard, handing Frederick a pass for the private graveyard of the Owen family.
Frederick became too shocked by the news, his hands trembling as he grabbed the letter with extreme care.
Frederick Brown stood there in disbelief, clutching the letter from the Owen family, who had granted him permission to visit his son's grave. The tears welled up in his eyes, and his heart swelled with a mix of emotions he could hardly put into words.
In all the time since the awakening phenomenon, he had yearned for this opportunity—a chance to finally pay his respects and find some closure. It was a gesture that he had not expected, especially after his dark past and the suffering he had caused those around him.
After collecting himself, Frederick thanked the guard profusely, his gratitude overflowing. With the pass in his hand, he decided to visit his son's grave the very next day, as per the specified date and rules.
The guard left as soon as he delivered the letter, giving a nod of approval to Frederick.
The following morning, Frederick arrived at the private graveyard of the Owen family. It was a serene and beautifully maintained place, surrounded by lush gardens and intricate stonework. His heart raced as he searched for his son's resting place.
As he approached the grave, he was met with a sight that left him speechless. Fresh flowers adorned the grave, and a soft breeze rustled the leaves of nearby trees. Someone had been tending to the grave with great care and love.
Tears streamed down Frederick's face as he knelt beside the gravestone, touching it gently. He whispered.
"Albert, my son, I'm so sorry for everything I've done. I never expected this chance to visit you, and I'm deeply grateful to the Owen family for their kindness."
His voice quivered as he continued, recounting his journey of redemption, his newfound purpose in helping others, and the transformation he had undergone.
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Unknown to Frederick, a figure watched from a distance, hidden among the trees. It was his son, Albert, or more accurately, Rui.
Rui had spent the past few weeks observing Frederick’s daily life, from mining to how he interacted with others. The reason Frederick was even able to enter the private graveyard was due to Rui’s approval.
He wanted to see how this man would react to the situation.
Rui bit his lip, his eyes narrowing in dismay.
The man in front of him was no longer the father he knew, but that didn’t mean he could forgive him. No, rather, it meant nothing to the current him.
A connection between the two of them was impossible, even if Rui were to tell him the truth. The past was the past; there was no need to change it. It was these experiences that created the current him.
Sighing heavily, Rui began moving his hand, removing the runic hex he had cast on him.
Thinking back on it, Rui still had some lingering emotions for him to cast this luck curse on Frederick, but now he felt completely disconnected from the situation.
Rui felt like another regret of his was lifted from his shoulders, giving him the same kind of clarity he had experienced after his marriage ceremony was over.
﴾Participant has cleared the Fifth Test.﴿
﴾You will be given an Hour before teleportation begins.﴿
﴾59:59﴿
At that moment, Rui heard a voice in his head, shocking him greatly.
It had already been almost a year since he had returned to earth, so he never expected the test to conclude in such a way.
Without any hesitation, Rui left the graveyard, making his way to Jane.
He didn’t have a lot of time left, so they had to prepare for departure immediately.
Thankfully, he was incredibly fast, his figure rushing through the streets at an astonishing speed.
Soon, he reached the building, making his way through the countless floors through the stairs, not even bothering to take the elevator.
He stormed through their living quarters, finding Jane resting on the couch, browsing social media.
His sudden entrance shocked Jane, who got up in a hurry.
“What’s the matter? What’s gotten you in such a hurry?”
She asked in concern.
Rui opened his system inventory, pulling out an item from it.
[Orb of profound retrieval]
[An orb constructed with dimensional technology and purified ‘mana’. It can store anything and everything inside of it. It freezes time inside, making living beings enter a form of stasis.
Can be stored inside the system inventory.]
This was the upgraded version of the [Orb of retrieval]. It wasn’t hard for Rui to get his hands on it, wanting the best experience for Jane but also for the others.
Looking at the orb, Jane instantly understood the situation, her eyes widening slightly.
“Wait, so we really have to go now? How long do we have?”
She asked in worry, her hands already gliding towards her phone, ready to inform everyone.
“Less than 55 minutes. We have to make things quick."
Rui answered, sighing in relief. He was worried that he wouldn’t make it in time, despite knowing that Jane wasn’t that far away. He had rushed over as fast as he possibly could.
They had already prepared some measures just in case he had to return, from automatic messages to account freezing and even announcing their deaths. They were very thorough.
After roughly thirty minutes, Jane had already finished all the preparations.
The two of them stood there holding hands for roughly twenty minutes, not saying a single word. With five minutes remaining, Rui activated the item, putting Jane inside his inventory as he patiently waited for the countdown to finish.
﴾00:05﴿
﴾00:04﴿
﴾00:03﴿
﴾00:02﴿
﴾00:01﴿
﴾00:00﴿
He glanced one last time through the windows, witnessing the earth for one last time.
His eyesight blurred, and his mind became disoriented. When he regained his senses, he found himself inside a familiar space.
It was a small room with a similar texture to concrete. He was back inside the realm of fortitude.
At the same time Rui realized where he was, so did the creature next to him.
It raised its head, releasing a scream of happiness. Surprised, Rui turned around, his eyes falling on his transformed companion.
“Sunny!”
Rui exclaimed in happiness. Although Sunny’s appearance had changed once more, he couldn’t care less, petting his companion with care and excitement.
Unlike before, Sunny’s size didn’t increase, but rather decreased. He was the same size as a regular crow, and his feathers had turned pitch black. The only things signaling that he was a three-legged crow were his three legs as well as his shining golden eyes.
Sunny cawed in happiness, his figure flying over to Rui’s shoulder as it nuzzled its head on his hand.
Rui couldn’t help but chuckle, happy to see that Sunny was fine.
Just as Rui and Sunny were catching up, another announcement was heard, prompting Rui to turn serious.
﴾All Tests have been cleared.﴿
The guardian's figure appeared before him, its appearance obscured by a mist.
“Congratulations on completing all the trials, though your fifth trial was harder for you than I originally anticipated. You barely managed to clear it.”
The guardians words were indifferent and imposing, making Rui lower his head. He knew he had taken his time in completing the trial, so he felt a little ashamed. Though one couldn’t fault him for not knowing how to complete it.
The requirements were vague to begin with.
“Anyway, despite your blunder, I’m quite pleased with you for even finishing this trial. You know, there aren’t many like you out there.”
The guardian said, his figure fading away in the process, leaving behind a multicolored badge.
"I can't wait to see what you accomplish, young one."
The guardians voice was heard one last time, giving its farewell.
Rui grabbed the badge and witnessed the room before him change for one last time, a portal manifesting in front of him.
Taking a deep breath, he exited the portal.
After getting disoriented for a second, he found himself outside the massive gate, but the previously crowded mountain peak was empty.
Before Rui could even comprehend his return, a system window appeared before him.
[Quest ‘Realm Explorer’ has been cleared]
[Distributing rewards]
[20000 Ѻ have been added to your balance.]
[Skill [Explorer] has been added to your skill tree]
[Explorer]
[An explorer is someone who understands and explores places never before seen.
Gives one the ability to understand their current position at any time.
(Current Location: Planet A23 - The Eastern Mountains - Planetary Coordinates: 41.84201, -89.485937, - Cosmic Coordinates: 488411611566211, 212151811961, -166496496, -88944844)
New flora and fauna discovered will be compiled in a unique menu where the user can read up on all their information.]
Rui ignored the system window for the time being. Opening his inventory window, he pulled out three [Orbs of profound retrieval], activating and releasing the people trapped inside.
Obviously, Jane was the first one to be released, followed by two other figures.
The figures were that of Silas Hayes and Maverick Guthrie.