Chapter 16:Even Animal Have Destiny
"My God, this is truly incredible!" Aiden's voice burst with unrestrained excitement as he pressed a hand to his forehead, where the Third Eye—or rather, the newly evolved Revealer of Secrets—now rested. It had become far more powerful than he had ever imagined, responding to any riddle or question he dared to ask, offering him answers of dazzling clarity.
He shifted his focus to the floating screen before him, reading through its content with patient concentration. The information displayed there was profound, worthy of deep reflection.
Though raised among the mountains, Aiden had never been the hermit others might imagine. He was an avid reader—especially of myths and fantastical tales.
Thus, the terms he now saw were not unfamiliar. "Fate" and "Destiny"—he had encountered them countless times in the Chinese epics he so admired. Fate was the script etched before one's birth, the preordained record of events. Destiny, however, was the end one ultimately reached. Everything in existence carried both—every being, no matter how mighty... save the Creator. The One who forged the laws was not bound by them.
Even the concept of "Infinity," often hailed as the summit of understanding, was merely a construct of the human mind—an attempt to give shape to what lay beyond its grasp. The Creator alone stood outside such measures.
"Well, I might be getting carried away here!" Aiden chuckled at himself.
"More precisely... I need to alter the destinies of a billion beings on this planet. Hm..." His murmur carried both awe and calculation.
Then an idea struck him, and a sly smile curved his lips. "If every living creature counts... hehehe." His eyes roamed across the horizon, lingering on the looming gates and the beings that lurked behind them, watching him since his peculiar battle with the rabbits.
Some stared with caution. Others with curiosity. They would be the first to face him once those portals opened.
His gaze settled on what he sought—a green gate glowing with life-force. Behind it stirred colossal plant-beings.
"Plant lifeforms... this might be tricky," he muttered. He remembered well their uncanny ability to regenerate. Even when cut apart, a single living fragment could restore the whole.
[Revealer of Secrets.]
At his call, his skill unfolded a screen describing the gate:
> [Plant World Gate – C]
Special Information:
This emerald gate is a window into a verdant kingdom of strange flora, bent on expansion and domination. These creatures are no ordinary plants—they are sentient, hostile, moving with a collective will, feeding upon the energies of life and the lands they invade.
[Opening Time]: 5 Days
[World Power]: C
[Forces]: 1,500
[Type]: Plant Lifeforms
"Well, it seems we still have time to prepare." He nodded, then called, "Status Window!"
[ Ding! ]
[Name]: Aydin
[Strength]: House
[Speed]: 150 m/s
[Agility]: 100
[Talents]: Language Comprehension
[Skills]: Strength (Lv. 3), Fast as Light (Lv. 4), Healing (Lv. 2), Skeleton Summon (Lv. 2), Stab (Lv. 4), Rabbit's Leap (Lv. 7)
[Mythical Skills]: Universal Creation
[World Rank]: D
[Destiny Points]: 0
"Hm... my power has grown. I can shatter a house with a single strike now. My speed feels sharper too."
"And that World Rank field... it must reflect my current stage of existence. That makes the path ahead clearer."
He clenched his fists, eyes flashing. "Time to hunt down destiny points. Hehehe!"
With that, he set off.
---
Hours passed as he trekked across desolate paths, until a city rose before him. A weathered sign still clung to its gate: City of Radiance. Yet the radiance had long abandoned it. What Aiden saw was ruin incarnate—crumbling walls, scorched buildings, and a silence heavy as ash.
"By the heavens..." he whispered, stepping forward with care.
Though he had seen destruction before, it never grew easier. Each sight tore at his heart anew.
Amid the ruins, a faint movement caught his eye. A man crawled, body broken and caked with dust. Without hesitation, Aiden rushed to his side.
"Are you alright?" he asked, kneeling beside him.
"I... I..." The man's words broke into a cough.
"You need help," Aydin said firmly. "Let me assist you."
"Water... only water..." the man rasped.
Swiftly, Aydin pulled a flask from his pack, gently lifting the man's head to help him drink. The man's breathing steadied, his voice clearer.
"Thank you... I was dying of thirst."
[ Ding! You saved a desperate soul. +1 Destiny Point! ]
Aydin's lips quirked into a smile. "So simple? Just a little help?"
He realized then: the worth of life was not measured by the scale of one's aid, but by its impact. Even the smallest act could change destiny.
"Stay here," Aiden instructed, helping the man sit in a safe corner. "Are there other survivors?"
"I don't know," the man whispered. "I've been unconscious for hours."
"Alright. No matter." Aiden set food and another flask beside him. "Eat these. Wait here. I'll return."
Before leaving, he added, "If you hear anything strange, hide at once. Safety first."
The man nodded, gratitude brimming in his eyes. As Aiden strode away, his gaze sharpened. He did not rescue out of sainthood or love of virtue. To him, every living being was a purpose—a source of the destiny points he craved.
Whether man, woman, or beast, all were equal before his eyes... carriers of destinies waiting to be rewritten.
Through the ruins he wandered, sifting through debris for traces of life. And treasures he found: dogs trapped under rubble, wounded cats, birds in broken cages, even children clinging to survival.
Golden light shimmered between his palms as he invoked [Healing], sealing wounds, pulling lives back from the brink.
[ Ding! Changed the fate of 3 Dogs. +3 Destiny Points! ]
[ Ding! Changed the fate of 1 Cat. +1 Destiny Point! ]
[ Ding! Changed the fate of 1 Bird. +1 Destiny Point! ]
[ Ding! Changed the fate of 1 Child. +1 Destiny Point! ]
[...]
"Aha... even animals have destiny!" Aiden murmured, watching the points climb with a proud smile.
One by one, he came to see every creature as a chess piece upon the board of fate, each a vessel of potential.
By the end of the day, his tally had reached 189 points. "Magnificent!" he laughed. "Perhaps now I can create something truly useful."
"Excuse me..." A voice came from behind—one of the survivors he had saved. "Thank you, for—"
But Aydin raised a hand, silencing him. His expression hardened from satisfaction to wary alertness. Something stirred in the distance, a presence both familiar and unwelcome.
"Stay here," he ordered, his voice grave. "I'll investigate. Do not move."
Before they could reply, he was gone—vanishing in the blink of an eye toward the source of his unease.