Waking up in pain is not a great way to start the day.

Groaning, Cale opened his eyes and tried sitting up, only to curse and fall back to his soft bed. Not only did the visible parts of his body such as his arms have black bruises, he felt that his cheeks were swollen and that his left leg is broken.

"Damn, that vicious punk really showed no mercy to me."

However, he couldn't find it in him to be bitter. Instead, he was smiling to himself.

"That damn god of death really kept his word."

He recalled the moment he lost his consciousness.

He felt like he was submerged underwater, the cold ironically giving him a warm hug.

"Cale."

He heard someone call his name.

He ignored it, hoping it would go away.

He felt extremely comfortable right now.

Unfortunately, his wish was ignored like always and he soon felt someone pulling him out.

"What?"

He asked in annoyance as he opened his eyes, only to see a man sitting in front of him with white hair, black eyes, and a gentle smile.

"Welcome, Cale Henituse."

"Who the fuck are you?"

The man looked surprised before laughing briefly, a nostalgic look in his eyes.

"Ah, you remind me so much of a child I adored."

Cale didn't care.

He was tired.

He just died.

He wanted to rest.

"Just answer the question."

"How impatient."

The man laughed before looking at him intently.

"You are an interesting human."

Cale looked at him in boredom.

It wasn't the first time someone told him he was interesting so he really didn't care.

"Are you the god of death?"

The god looked surprised and pleased.

"Oh, you really are smart."

"That's the only one who can communicate with dead people. But anyway, what do you want from me? Or is this some kind of dead protocol because if it is, then get on with it."

"Sigh, why am I always interested with humans like you?"

The god sighed.

"I do agree that you have bad taste considering you found me and Cage interesting."

The god just laughed which was irritating, in Cale's opinion.

"Anyway, just tell me what you want. Damn it, Cage was right in calling you annoying."

The god pouted for a moment before looking at him seriously.

"As I said before, you're an interesting human."

Cale sighed, deciding to amuse the god.

"And why am I an interesting human?"

The god smiled.

"Well, for starters, you were supposed to die a long time ago."

Cale narrowed his eyes as the god raised both his hands in a 'I'm innocent' gesture.

"Excuse me?"

The god shrugged.

"It's the truth. However, your fate was always interrupted by your loved ones."

"Explain."

Cale demanded, his heart beating harder as he felt cold sweat all over his body.

"You were supposed to die along with your family in the Henituse war. However, your father ordered you to get something in another city which saved your life."

Cale looked at him with shaky eyes but stayed silent, his mind trying its best to absorb the god's words.

"You were supposed to die in the war with the empire but your guild members protected you by pushing you away from the dead mana bomb while some used their body to hide you underneath them."

"You were supposed to die fighting against the lion king and bear king but your orange-haired butler saved you by teleporting you away, sacrificing his own life."

The god looked amused at his next words.

"Ironically enough, you were never supposed to die by the White Star's hand but you did because you protected the hero."

Cale was already on his knees, staring at the god with dazed eyes as he murmured incoherent sentences.

"I...I was...dead...what...?"

The god stayed silent, understanding that the human in front of him needed some time to gather his thoughts and emotions.

After some time, Cale looked at the god with dead eyes.

"Why are you telling me this?"

He let out a broken laugh.

"I'm dead. We're all dead. In the end, it isn't important anymore."

He looked at the god with teary eyes.

"Are you telling me this just to mock me? To show me how futile their efforts were in saving me?"

"I might be the god of death but even I am not that cruel."

"Then why?"

Cale asked, his voice cracking at the end.

"The White Star should never win."

The god stated with a firm voice before he deflated.

"Unfortunately, he won."

"As expected." 

Cale felt bitter and disappointed. 

"One person isn't enough to defeat that demon."

"You had so much potential." 

The god continued, ignoring the red-haired man's words. 

"If you had explored your skills without worry, you could have changed the tides."

The god shot him a sad smile.

"But you cared too much for your new family."

Cale stared at him directly without fear.

"And I don't regret it."

It was true.

Even after hearing everything the god said, Cale didn't regret sacrificing his dignity and character for his family.

He knew this.

The god understood this.

And this was why he sighed.

"I'll turn back time and give you a second chance."

Cale looked at the god in shock.

"Turn time...is that possible? No, why me? Why not the hero?"

The god looked at him intently.

"I told you, you have the potential to kill White Star, you just needed time to explore it."

"Then are you sending me back to when I was only a child?"

The god shook his head with a sigh.

"Unfortunately, I can only turn back time until the moment after Choi Han beat you up. Anymore and the world will be destroyed."

"Then I won't have time to prepare!"

Cale frowned at him.

The god smiled at him.

"I know which is why I will send you back with memories."

"I don't know the full story. I only know the gist of everything. Can I win with just that? Isn't it better to send Choi Han back? He was the one who fought the White Star through everything."

The god scoffed.

"Believe it or not, that man could only do what he did with your and your group's help."

"We didn't help him too much."

"But your support was essential. If you hadn't discover the dead mana pool in the forest of darkness, the mermaids would have been strong enough to defeat the Whales or at least harm them enough to consider them useless during the next battles."

Cale was about to open his mouth but the god interrupted him.

"If you didn't steal the crown artifact from the Paerun kingdom, the enemy would have been strong enough to defeat the heroes."

The god smiled at Cale.

"Although they were usually coincidences, your decision to take and share it with the others became a huge factor in hindering the enemies. Imagine if you become a strategist, won't the enemies be defeated?"

"You're extremely confident in my skills but you should know that my mind and body are average."

The god smirked.

"Whatever you say won't dissuade me, Cale Henituse. I've seen what you can do with little effort and it isn't little at all."

Cale sighed but the pleased look on his face never vanished.

"Well, who am I to disappoint a god?"

Cale smirked before looking thoughtful.

"Will you help me, though?"

"Unfortunately, I can't help you too much or the balance of the world will be destroyed."

The god sighed.

"However, I can assure you that I will send someone to help you while also promising that I will appear the moment a supreme being shows itself."

Cale narrowed his eyes at the god who looked sheepish before nodding in agreement.

"Alright, I'll take it. I know you gods have your own important rules that can't be shared. So, when are you sending me?"

The god smiled.

"Now."

That was the last thing he heard before everything shifted and left him to where he was right now.