The room resonated with Derek’s solitary footsteps as he paced thoughtfully, his hands clasped behind his back. Despite the old woman’s unresponsive demeanor, her head bowed and back against the wall as if trying to merge with the glass that confined her, Derek continued to speak, filling the void with his vision and a hint of remorse.

“When I first started Project Mars, I never knew I would be able to come this far. I didn’t even bother to think of a better name. It was always a dream, and yet, with the passing of each day, I am getting closer to it. Anyone would say that I am mad for even thinking of such a project, especially considering the sacrifices I had to make on the way and the ones I have yet to make. But the fact that I can pave the brightest path ever for humanity for the first time in history if I succeed is the only thing helping me push forward,” he mused aloud, his voice echoing slightly off the cold, hard surfaces.

Pausing, Derek’s gaze drifted to the cold iron ceiling, his bright blue eye alight with a mix of hope and determination, “One day, we can finally fulfill our ancestors dreams that have been passed down ever since demons began to torment our world. We will no longer have to care about demons and live peacefully forever. Soon, demons will be nothing but a scary myth for our descendants. We will fulfill what the angels have been expecting us to do all this time.”

He turned his attention back to the frail figure in the chamber, his expression softening with a mixture of regret and disappointment, “I really wished that you were by my side for this. It could have made everything a lot easier, especially since you were the strongest Hunter in the entire history of humanity. You could have become a legend people would never forget, even after a million years. It’s a pity that you put yourself in this situation and forced me to keep you here. You knew the future, and yet you chose this.”

Derek paused, his breath catching as he sucked in the cold air through his teeth, a hint of revelation in his tone, “Talking about the strongest Hunter our world once believed to be, I felt like I saw Cedric today, albeit for just a moment.”

At the mention of that name, a subtle shiver ran through the woman’s form, her head lifting ever so slightly, a flicker of response in her otherwise dormant state.

Noticing this slight movement, Derek exhaled deeply, a complex mix of emotions playing across his face, “But of course, it was just some other man, a cripple who was once a S Ranker, strangely enough. I have never seen such similar golden eyes in a different person. To be honest, I never thought anybody else could have golden-colored mana like Cedric,” Derek continued with a shake of his head.

“It makes me wonder just how powerful this young man must have been before getting crippled and what his true background is. Nevertheless, I should keep an eye on him, shouldn’t I? Rachel seems to put a lot of faith in him even though he is practically a stranger to her. Could she be hiding something from me? I have always felt that something had changed about her ever since she was terrorized by that abominable demon, Hellbringer. One of my biggest regrets was not doing anything to destroy him when he was not the demon king. Now, I will have to pray to the angels for a chance to finish him for good before he becomes a bigger threat,” Derek said as his eyes briefly glowed with heavy killing intent.

His expression then relaxed as he once again thought about Rachel and what she proposed, “I wanted to turn down her request but after I failed her multiple times as her father, I couldn’t bring myself to disappoint her again. Even my wife told me to make her happy again. So I made some compromises I usually would never make. My 30 years younger self would definitely admonish me for doing so.”

His eyes then lit up with hope as he added, “But once I can help her move on from her losses, I have no doubt she will go back to being the Rachel I remember.”

He let out a deep sigh as he once again glanced at the still figure of the old woman, “I never thought talking like this, even if it feels like talking to a wall, helps me clear my head. Maybe I can come pay you a visit from time to time. You must be tired of staring at these walls 24

/7 and breathing oxygen with no mana, not that it will be of any use to you.”

He then began to walk towards the entrance when he suddenly froze his steps and raised his finger, “One more thing. Please don’t try to kill yourself like the last few times. I would hate to have you completely restrained. I am not keeping you alive to make you suffer but so that you will live long enough to see my dream come true, and then you might understand my actions. But if you still don’t by that time, then I will release you from your misery.”

Saying so, Derek walked out before the heavy black doors shut together.

The moment Derek left, the old woman’s frail hands trembled as they slowly clenched around her chest.

–

The next morning, a certain city was gripped by a palpable sense of chaos and fear, its normally bustling atmosphere now choked with the thick black smoke billowing from one of its tallest landmarks—a bank now under siege. The structure, partially obscured by the smoky veil, bore the scars of a violent confrontation, with shattered windows and scorched facades. The surrounding streets were littered with the twisted wreckage of vehicles and shattered roads.

Crowds of people huddled at a safe distance, their faces etched with terror, as they watched the unfolding horror. Above, the persistent whirr of helicopter blades filled the air as media outlets circled like vultures, each vying for a clearer shot of the disaster to broadcast across the globe.

But they weren’t foolish enough to get too close and knew how to keep a safe distance.

On the ground, a perimeter had been set up, manned by Hunters who whispered urgently among themselves, their eyes never straying far from the beleaguered building.

“H-Hey…are we going to simply stand around here or accept the quest?” one of the Hunters stammered, his voice barely hiding his anxiety.

“Are you dumb? None of us here is strong enough to take on the Orc Lord, who is a friggin Soul Devourer. We need an S Ranker to handle this mess if we want no casualties among the hostages. The fact that the quest allows more than one S Ranker to join proves my point,” another retorted, his face grim as he surveyed the scene.

“R-Right. If any one of us goes in, we will surely get eaten or gang-raped,” One of the female Hunters mumbled with a look of fear.

“Move away, you cowards. I will take care of this,” someone declared, his voice booming over the murmur of the crowd.

Everyone gasped and turned to see the newcomer stride past them with determined steps—a burly middle-aged man with a thick beard and mustache, his presence almost as imposing as the heavy brown armor he wore. In his hand was a short axe, which seemed to hum with a red energy that made those who looked at it swallow involuntarily.

“It’s Hatchet Hero, Borin, a high-level S Ranker! Wasn’t he retired?” one of the Hunters gasped in shock, his voice a mix of awe and disbelief.

“Didn’t he kill a peak Soul Purger with just a throw of his axe from miles away a few years ago??”

Borin scoffed gruffly as he scanned the gathered Hunters and onlookers, “Which idiot said I am retired? I always am on duty whenever these demons try to take a ** near my home,” he stated flatly.

“F-Forgive me, sir! This junior meant no disrespect,” That certain Hunter profusely apologized before hiding himself away in shame.

With that, Borin marched toward the bank, each step resonating with the resolve of a seasoned warrior. The crowd parted for him, their expressions transforming from fear to a flicker of hope, as they watched this legendary figure take the lead, possibly turning the tide in a dire situation that had the city holding its breath.

Before the besieged bank, a cadre of large, menacing orcs stood guard, their brown, gnarled skin shimmering under the sun as they exuded an aura of brute force and indomitability. *Boom!*

However, their fearsome posture wavered dramatically when a burly figure descended from the sky, landing with an earth-shaking boom that sent vibrations through the cracked pavement. The orcs flinched and stumbled back, their eyes wide with a mixture of surprise and fear.

“You ugly **tards. Bring out your so-called lord unless he is scared of this retired chump!” Borin bellowed, his voice booming like thunder as he stood defiantly before the bank’s shattered facade.

Above, media helicopters buzzed with renewed vigor, the reporters within them eagerly broadcasting the unfolding scene. “The legendary Hatchet Hero, Borin, has bravely accepted the quest to save the hostages and kill the demons, stepping out of retirement to face danger head-on! Since it’s him, we can finally see the hostages getting freed within a couple minutes!” they announced, their voices tinged with excitement and awe.

Outside the bank, the orcs exchanged uneasy glances and snarled instructions to one another, a few darting into the building to alert their leader of this old Hunter’s audacious challenge.

Meanwhile, Borin, his chest puffed out in defiance, swung his hatchet back and forth, the blade slicing through the air with a whistling sound. His display of readiness was abruptly interrupted when the bank’s entrance doors swung open violently, revealing a hulking figure that dwarfed even Borin’s considerable frame.

Standing over seven feet tall, the Orc Lord emerged, his bulky frame casting a large shadow across the broken steps of the bank. His lower canines protruded menacingly, and his eerie black eyes scanned the scene with a contemptuous glare, “What joke is this? This lord asked for ten beautiful Hunters and 10 human children with delicious flesh in exchange for the hostages, and they sent some fat old human? We orcs don’t want you but kill you,” he grumbled, his voice dripping with disappointment and frustration as he casually lifted his huge, rusted hooked machete.

The taunt colored Borin’s face a shade of deep crimson. Pointing his glowing red hatchet at the Orc Lord, he retorted with fiery resolve, “You filthy demon. You are just a mid-level Soul Devourer. Let me hear you say those words when this fat old human spills out your guts!” With those words, Borin charged, the hatchet in his hand blazing with a deadly red light, holding nothing back