Hetha

"Grounded for a month? Hah!" I laughed to myself, blow-drying my hair as I eyed the window. "Do you think I'll obediently stay at home this time?"

The scent of my hair oil drifted past my nose as I continued blow-drying my hair, the whirring noise of the hair dryer made me recall memories of being confined to this room.

Whenever I wronged my mother, she would forbid me from leaving the house. Since I wasn't the most athletic person, I was afraid to injure myself after jumping out the second storey of my bungalow to escape from the room. Moreover, the entire household listened to my mother's orders to heart. Even if I managed to escape by jumping out my window, my injured foot wouldn't be able to carry me far. I would be caught by the servants within moments.

"It's around midnight now, and the servants should be falling asleep." I muttered to myself, glancing down at the time on my phone.

Fortunately, I have learnt many things from my previous life, especially living as an S-class hunter with healing skills. I was sought after by countless individuals, and some even tried to kidnap me for their own sick purposes. In those situations, I had no choice but to risk my own life or I'll suffer a fate worse than death.

I picked up my slingbag from the stark white bed sheets, opening the window and glancing around. After ensuring no one was around, I tossed my bag out the window and withdrew back.

"Ready...go!"

I sprinted forward, jumping out the window and positioning myself to do a shoulder roll. I was in a half-kneeling position, stretching my arms out.

"Safe."

At that moment, I noticed my younger brother, Qiu Jun An, standing before me with a torchlight in his mouth. His stunned expression reflected mine, and his torchlight fell from his mouth, rolling on the grass. In his arms, he held a stack of plushies that were characters from his favourite video game.

"..."

"..."

"...ouch." I winced, pressing down on my shoulder. I couldn't avoid hurting my shoulder, but it was better than injuring my spine on the hard ground.

"I...I didn't see anything." Jun stuttered out, walking away hurriedly and he didn't even bother picking up the torchlight. "I didn't hear anything. I did not exist here today."

"Wait, you brat. Where do you think you are going?" I hissed, taking my slingbag and walking briskly towards him. I tugged him back by the collar of his shirt.

"Hey, sis...uh..."

"Why didn't you hold her back earlier, huh?"

"I tried but–"

"Lies. I bet you wanted to walk away from it instead, but that old hag saw you and dragged you in."

A look of pain flitted past his eyes, and Jun gave me a guilty smile. I sighed, picking up the torchlight from the grass and keeping it in my slingbag. I glanced at the plushies in his arms, furrowing my eyebrows.

"Did she try to throw them out again?"

"Yeah, and I thought I kept them hidden in a proper place this time," Jun responded sadly, a hint of hurt in his voice. "I told her how much I treasured them, but she insisted that they were poisoning my mind."

"There is no place in the house that isn't under her control." I rolled my eyes. "What a bitch."

Jun widened his eyes, slapping his hand over my mouth. In doing so, some plushies slipped from his arms and he let out a cry of alarm. I hastily caught them before they fell to the grass, breathing out a sigh of relief.

"What the heck are you doing? Are you trying to get them dirty?" I clicked my tongue, checking the plushies for any dirt stains.

"You know how mom can pop out of nowhere! If she hears that, you'll get into more trouble."

"I know, so that's why I'm not coming back today."

"Where are you going?"

"Internet cafe. Overnight."

A frown appeared on his face. It was unlike his usual lively front which he always put up. I wasn't blind, I knew more than anyone else how Jun desperately wanted to escape. A family where everyone argued with one another every single day, and there was never a day where we truly smiled at one another.

Many commented on how my younger brother has a childish yet charming face. Seeing him like this now, I couldn't help but agree with them. Well, except the charming part.

"Jun..."

I reached my hand out with an urge to pat him on the back.

"Sis...do you really hate us that much?"

"Yes."

"Dad has become more distant after that day, and mom has grown irrational. And I..."

"If I lived another day in that house, I'd end up killing myself. Do you want to see that, Jun?"

"No, definitely not. Just take this then. Whether you wish to wear it or not, it's your choice."

"Low heels? An A-rank item too. Where did you get this?"

"Sis, then...this is goodbye. Don't come back to this hellhole."

"Jun, wait–"

I gasped, my hand halting abruptly. The present day Jun was looking at me with a curious stare.

"What's up?"

"No, nothing..." I trailed off, withdrawing my hand and I forced a smirk on my face. "What's with your frown? Are you worried about me?"

"You are staying all alone in an internet cafe overnight. Will you really be okay?" Jun asked, the concern evident in his voice.

In my previous life, the only reason it took so long for me to be estranged from my family was because of Jun. In the end, I couldn't handle it anymore and reached my breaking point. Jun was suffering himself, and thus, he always played the ignorant victim. Sometimes, he pretended that none of the problems in our family existed. He treated us like a normal family because he wanted an ordinary life.

I couldn't blame him, I couldn't hate him, and thus, I chose a different path. It was only later I realised I had chosen the wrong path.

"I'm three years older than you," I said, raising my eyebrow. "And I have run away from home more than you did. Do you think your older sister is that careless?"

"I-I know, I'm just–"

"I know you are just concerned." I laughed, passing him all his plushies. "I'll be taking your torchlight. I might need it."

"If anything happens, call me."

"Even though you hate getting involved in any kind of problem?"

"It's different if your life is at risk!"

"Fine, fine."

I spun around and gave him a wave. However, another past memory made me hesitate in my steps.

"What's wrong with Jun?"

"The madam found his favourite plushies. This time, she has completely thrown them away. The young master cannot retrieve them back anymore."

"That old hag..."

"Young miss!"

"Now, that brat is just going to distance himself from us even more. This shitshow of a family..."

I was thankful for my mind recalling that particular moment. In this life, I cannot allow my younger brother to sink down any further. Though he might be a useless brat at times, and prefers playing ignorant, he was still someone who stood by my side.

He...was still my dear younger brother.

"Jun."

"What? I'm not going to say anything to mom, so don't worry."

"Your plushies, keep them in a box and hide them in my wardrobe."

Jun widened his eyes in disbelief. He was speechless at my offer.

"I know how much you treasure them, so don't risk it," I sighed, adjusting my slingbag before crossing my arms. "You know my wardrobe is the only place that old hag doesn't touch after I threatened her with my life."

I pointed towards the scar on my neck, and Jun cringed back. He probably recalled the memory from that day, and it was truly a day that the entire household would remember. My wardrobe is the only aspect in my life which my mother never controlled after that day.

"No going back on your words, sis. You offered and said it yourself."

I spun around and flipped him the middle finger.

×××

I spent an uneventful night in the internet cafe and the next day, I hunted down my manager from my part-time job.

"Manageeeer, please..."

"I can't. Do you know how scary your mother was over the phone?"

"That old–I mean, she only barks but she doesn't bite. I desperately need the money, and I'm sure you desperately need people too."

Though your shop will close down in the next two days.

"..."

"Please, manager?"

"Fine."

Thus, I have safely taken back my part-time job from the shop but I would lose that same job a few days later. It doesn't matter since I just needed a reason to remain in this area. I couldn't spend my time here loitering around aimlessly. I stayed at the Internet cafe for another day after finishing my part-time job, and once again, it was uneventful. It was in the wee hours of the night in the internet cafe when I felt tremors accompanied by a low, rumbling noise.

"Wh-what's going on?" I heard the internet cafe employee shouting in panic since he was abruptly awoken from his sleep.

I took out my lollipop from my mouth, tossing the stick away and gulped down the remaining coffee in my paper cup. Standing up from my seat, I approached the confused employee, grabbing him by the seat and pulling him away as he gave me a look of disbelief.

"Melvin Sim. That's your name, isn't it?"

"...ye-yes."

I took out a black mask from the back pocket of my long, black pants. In such a situation, I wouldn't risk wearing anything short, thus, I settled for a long-sleeved light blue shirt. I smirked at him, twirling the black mask around my finger.

So that's him.

The little shithead that caused her to be paralysed waist down.

This was all an event that would happen in the future I experienced.

"I'm sorry, even with my powers, I...I cannot heal your legs."

"It's okay. It's because of that trash that used me as bait for monsters anyway. You still saved my life, Saintess."

"You know what I did to get to this position, yet you still thank me sincerely with such a title."

"You know the consequences you had to suffer if you healed me anyway, but you still did. Hetha, you are not a bad person."

"Well, what if I said I was doing this to gain your brother's trust?"

"If that's your reason you choose to believe in, that's fine too. It doesn't change the fact that you were the only healer willing to save my life."

"...what did you say his name was? The guy who made you like this?"

"Melvin Sim."

Even though I did many atrocious things to reach such a position of power, some people still foolishly believed in me. There was a stupid kid, and there was my younger brother. The last one was the younger sister of a man I refused to get involved with in this life. For someone like her, she didn't deserve a life like that.

She didn't deserve to be paralysed waist down, and be looked upon with sympathetic gazes all her life.

She deserved to run freely.

The rumbles grew louder and louder, and a few seconds later, a screeching noise was heard. The source of the noise came from the yellow swirling mass from our right. It was a signal for me to put on my black mask.

"Aaaagh!"

That little shithead was sucked into the gate along with the equipment and furniture inside the internet cafe, his panicked scream made me feel satisfied. Something flashed before my eyes, and that familiar sight of the blue, system window sent chills down my spine.

[ Welcome User #74882661048

A gate has been detected in your world.

If you overcome this trial, you will witness a new world where endless wealth and power is no longer a dream.

Should you fail this trial...only death awaits you.

Good luck, child of Mother Earth.]

I smiled to myself through the black mask.

Hunters.

Gates.

Monsters and survival.

Endless power, knowledge and wealth.

This time, I swore not to walk down the same path as I did before.

I allowed myself to be sucked into the gate as well, just as I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I sighed, closing my eyes, knowing that it was Jun spamming me messages out of worry. I tightened my hold on my slingbag, ensuring it wouldn't fly off.

"I just said I'll be unreachable for a few hours."

×××

I stumbled, trying to find my balance as I exhaled sharply. Observing my surroundings, I found myself in a vast desert. The scorching sun beamed down on me, making me squint my eyes. I immediately took out a scarf from my slingbag, wrapping it around my head and neck.

"Thankfully, I remembered information about this gate from my previous life." I muttered to myself, treading across the sand carefully.

In my previous life, I was a safe distance from the gate. However, I was still close enough to witness the aftermath of it. The buildings around the gate became ruined, and half of the victims who were pulled in by the force of the gate did not walk out alive. Unfortunately, it didn't just end there. Since this was the first gate to occur in the world, and followed by many others in quick succession, with no one to keep the gates under control, an outbreak was inevitable.

The monsters from the gate slowly trickled into our world, and just like that, half of our country was overrun by monsters.

"I just have to find her, keep her safe and wait for the outbreak." I whispered to myself, taking out my phone from my pocket and snorting how it was malfunctioning. "Once the outbreak happens, he'll finally be allowed to come in."

It was impossible for one person like me to put a stop to this outbreak.

[ Gate: Burned Desert

Rank: ??? (Only identified after clearing the gate) ]

[ Detecting anomaly in User #74882661048

Processing...

Processing...

Data has been compiled.

Welcome back, Saintess.]

I collapsed onto the sand in shock, staring at the system window before me. My hand trembled as I raised it, touching the system window.

"Wh-what's this? My return back in time was by the system?"