Having been sent back to the past, most people would panic and struggle to figure out their next step. Some would need a few days to accept things. Others might only need a day to get used to being in the past.
However, for River Faelan, the moment he woke up and realized he had truly returned to the past, he accepted it right away.
There wasn't much else he could do but accept it—even if he still thought it was a bad decision on the Chosen One's part to send him back when there were stronger and better candidates out there.
"Should've sent that robot maniac," River muttered with a sigh. He still couldn't understand why the Chosen One picked him. The image of what happened was still fresh in his mind—it felt like it had only been a few hours ago.
The sound of explosions that could shake the entire world still echoed in his ears. He could see flashes of light—like fireworks—whenever he recalled the Last Hunters unleashing their Skills.
"All roads lead to one path…" River muttered, repeating the words of the Chosen One. "Under the red sky… he's always cryptic, but…"
The Chosen One possessed the Skill of Time Manipulation, and he managed to reach max Level in just a few years—while everyone else took at least a dozen years to hit their Limits.
River Faelan's max Level was only 50, making him the lowest-Level Hunter among the Last Hunters.
His 'low' Level made it hard for him to even see their enemies—let alone sense them. River had to rely on the others just to know whether a threat was nearby.
The Bubble Mage always felt like a burden to them. The most he could do was act as their support mage during battle, or teach them a few tricks with Mana when there was downtime—earning him the nickname "Master," which he always told them not to use.
Having Awakened a 'useless' and weak Skill, River Faelan was often bullied. Even when he was just sitting quietly in a corner, people picked on him. But he never gave up. Slowly, step by step, he honed his abilities and refined his control over both his Bubble Skill and Mana.
Even so, his weak Skill kept him from ever closing the gap between himself and the truly strong Hunters.
That distance only grew wider and wider, always leaving him in the dust.
That's why River Faelan chose to focus on just surviving—day by day. Even when his brother Barn was killed… he didn't give up on life.
"I became a coward to survive…" River let out a heavy sigh as he let his body fall onto the bed.
His eyes turned away from the harsh white light of the ceiling bulb and landed on the clock. As he stared at it, the memories came flooding back—all the hard times, from living as a normal human, to Awakening his Skill, to becoming one of the Last Hunters.
Memories that had long faded over the years returned in full force. And suddenly, his entire body felt like it had just lived through all that suffering in one moment. A deep, exhausting weight settled over him.
All that pain. All that effort. For all roads to lead to one path…
Well, wasn't everything pointless, then?
All River wanted was to sleep and forget.
What if… he had never become a Hunter?
What if… he had just stayed a normal restaurant worker?
Maybe… that was the life meant for him—not this, not being a Hunter. A pointless profession, since everything was going to end under that red sky anyway…
River's tired mind told him to stop. He already knew the outcome. Even the Chosen One had given up, passing the mantle to him, a weak *ss Hunter whose only Skill was producing bubbles with his hand.
His eyelids grew heavy, slowly dragging shut.
But the moment his eyes closed, River abruptly opened them and sat up in bed. The tiredness that had washed over him vanished, replaced by a sudden and powerful will to live.
"I can't just give up," River whispered, a frown on his face. "We've come so far… a lot of people died… and the Chosen One… he didn't give up."
The Chosen One, being a Time Manipulator, could travel back in time—but at first, it had only been a theory. From what River Faelan had learned during the final battle against those beings, the kid had actually done it. The theory worked.
Still, the Chosen One hadn't succeeded. River didn't know how many times the kid had traveled back, trying to fix every mistake and achieve the best possible outcome, but he suspected it was at least a thousand.
And even after all that, the Chosen One still couldn't lead the Hunters to victory.
That kid put his trust in me. The burdens of all the Last Hunters—and the remaining humans—are now on my shoulders. If I give up and become selfish… this world is going to end, River Faelan thought as he stood and walked to his closed window.
Sliding the tinted glass aside, River looked out at the district where he had once lived—before he became a Hunter.
The smell of the buildings, the pollution from the cars, and the faint scent of trees all hit him at once. A scent that had once lived only in memory came rushing back.
"The past, huh? A memory of my past… now real," River whispered, breathing in deeply to take it all in—only to instantly regret it as he started coughing.
"Ah f*ck, shouldn't have done that!"
After coughing for a minute, River's gaze shifted to the city in the distance—a solid 20-minute ride from the district he was in.
"Vaulton City… the start of my nightmare," River muttered, frowning as unpleasant memories surfaced.
Shaking his head to clear them out, River started thinking about his next move. He stood there for a good ten minutes, silently planning his steps. He couldn't just charge out and try to save the world without a proper plan.
Once he was done, he raised his right hand and gave himself a solid slap.
The sound echoed through the room, leaving a red handprint on his cheek.
"Good. I'm not dreaming," River muttered with relief. He had great trust in the Chosen One's Time Manipulation Skill, but he still didn't want to take chances. A slap was the easiest way to confirm reality. And now that he was sure he was really in the past, he nodded to himself and looked back at the clock.
"But first, I've got work."
River already had his course of action lined up in his head—but plans could change. For now, the most important thing was simple:
Don't be late for work.