The city skyline glimmered under the late afternoon sun, glass towers reflecting the bustling life below. People hurried through streets, unaware of the subtle threads of fate weaving around them. Among the crowd, one man walked calmly, seemingly ordinary, yet every step he took radiated a quiet, unshakable presence.
Han Ye, who had traversed countless realms and witnessed the rise and fall of worlds, had arrived in this era for a singular purpose: to find her—the one he had lost across a million lifetimes. A faint smile curved his lips as he glanced around, noting the mortal world's chaos and its hunters—beings of extraordinary skill who hunted monsters and dungeons with reckless valor.
He exhaled softly. "A vacation of sorts… yet even here, excitement lingers."
He had sealed 99.9999% of his power, leaving only enough to move unnoticed in this modern world. The rest, a reservoir of divine might, remained hidden, dormant, lest a single display topple mountains and warp reality itself.
At the other side of the city, Yun Seora moved with lethal grace. An S-rank hunter, she had earned her reputation through unmatched skill and daring feats in the city's dungeon raids. Her piercing eyes scanned the streets, always alert for any sign of danger. To the public, she was untouchable. To those who knew her better, she was just… extraordinary.
Their paths would cross today.
A sudden alarm echoed from a nearby alley—a minor dungeon portal had opened. Civilians screamed, running for cover. Seora dashed forward, dual blades gleaming in the sunlight, eyes sharp and calculated.
Han Ye followed silently, his presence unnoticed. The air around him didn't shift, the laws of physics obeyed him as they always did—but just enough that a human wouldn't sense the danger he could easily obliterate.
The portal shimmered violently, and a monstrous creature lunged at an unsuspecting passerby. Seora reacted instantly, blades flashing. Yet, despite her speed, the creature's claw grazed her shoulder, forcing her back.
A calm hand extended. A barely audible hum resonated as Han Ye's finger traced an impossible arc in the air. The creature froze, suspended mid-strike, and with a soft gesture, it crumbled into ash. Not a sound, not a hint of the power that had just been unleashed.
Seora stared, blinking. "What…?"
Han Ye offered a gentle smile. "Careful. This world can be dangerous."
She narrowed her eyes, instinctively sensing that he was stronger than he appeared, yet nothing in her S-rank experience could measure him. "Who… are you?"
"Just someone passing through," he replied, his voice calm, almost weary. "But perhaps… someone you should remember."
Their eyes met, and for a brief moment, a connection sparked—not of mortal recognition, but something deeper, something familiar across lifetimes.
Han Ye continued walking beside her, his hand occasionally brushing against hers as if by accident. Seora found herself oddly unsettled, yet inexplicably drawn to him.
Little did she know, the man walking calmly beside her was The Great Dao's Venerable, the most powerful being across all realms and eras. And today, a thread of fate had begun to weave their destinies together.