Chapter 212: Truth About His Past

Daniel’s comprehension of the Law of Eternity began to rise explosively, as if no limit existed—it kept going higher and higher.

He could slowly feel a strange stream of power flowing through his veins, a power his body wasn’t familiar with. However, it was so faint that it was better to ignore it.

[Your comprehension of the Law of Eternity has increased by 0.5]

His speed of comprehension was even more terrifying than during the sermons of the two Paragons. The golden aura surrounding him became deeper and deeper.

It didn’t take long before his aura began interfering with the perception of others.

"What the hell is that? I can’t concentrate!"

"That aura... why do I feel like I can sense Eternity from it?"

"That’s impossible, right?" The followers began whispering as they noticed his aura.

However, Daniel ignored them and kept listening to the Prophet’s words. At this moment, nothing was more important to him than the sermon.

This was a once-in-a-billion-years opportunity—maybe even rarer. After all, there were no Prophets in his era. And now, he had the chance to listen to one.

"They say to become eternal, you must let go of the past and the future and cling to the present... but that’s wrong. Eternity means to unite the past, present, and future. To be everywhere and nowhere. To be alive and dead."

"If you want to reach Eternity, you must accept your past. Accept it as part of yourself. Forgive it, with all its mistakes and sins," the Prophet said calmly—but his voice felt like it reached the heavens.

Many frowned upon hearing his words. How were they supposed to accept their past? Wasn’t it already a part of them? How could anyone do something like that?

They wanted to complain about the Prophet’s cryptic message, but they knew it would be pointless. The Prophet had spoken—it was up to them to understand or not.

Accept our past? Daniel frowned at the Prophet’s words. He too was among those who didn’t get it.

He narrowed his eyes, lost in thought. For a moment, all the years he had lived in this world with his mother and sister flashed before his eyes.

Was that the "past" the Prophet meant? But he cherished every moment of those years—he deeply considered them a part of who he was.

’Wait... could it be?’ A sudden thought made his expression tighten.

Could the Prophet be referring to his previous life?

He opened his eyes and looked at the Prophet. His face was hidden behind the mist—completely unreadable.

Yet Daniel felt as though the Prophet was looking at him.

It feels like his words were directed entirely at me... how is that even possible? He didn’t want to believe such a ridiculous thought—but that’s exactly how it felt.

’Sigh... maybe he meant the moments we regret—the ones we always try to run from’ he closed his eyes again.

Still, if that assumption was correct, it would include his past life too. Ever since he was reborn, he had always tried to escape those memories.

He had always tried to bury that life—that ruthless and terrifying version of himself—in the deepest parts of his mind.

And now the Prophet was telling him to accept that again? Was something like that even possible for him? Could he accept his former self without changing who he was now?

How could he see that bloodthirsty monster—who had killed so many innocent people—as himself?

In the end, that was me... I made all those decisions. And if I had to go back, I’d do it all again, he sighed.

Even now, if something happened to his loved ones, that bloodthirsty monster inside him would surely awaken again.

He unlocked his memories—the sealed memories of his past life—and suddenly all of them began replaying before his eyes like a film.

He watched every moment, every reason that turned him into a monster, and even the things he did after becoming a bloodthirsty beast.

In his past life, he was just an ordinary soldier in a moderately wealthy country. During that time, he had fallen in love with a noble girl.

She had fallen in love with him too. They met in secret and had even planned to run away together.

Unfortunately, a series of wars had started, and the flames of war were slowly approaching their borders.

Though their country was rich, it lacked a strong army.

In order to preserve their power, the girl’s family arranged for her to marry a prince from one of the powerful nations.

She didn’t want that and ended up taking her own life. When Daniel heard the news, he was consumed with rage. He wanted revenge—but he couldn’t...

Still, he didn’t give up. With a plan he devised, he seized control over the weak army and staged a coup. He became a dictator and began building a powerful military force.

Eventually, he joined every war. He massacred governments and nations alike. He ordered the execution of the girl’s family. The prince responsible for her suicide was captured and forced to watch as his homeland was bombed.

Even the man Daniel considered his closest friend—like a brother—betrayed him, thinking Daniel would destroy the world. That friend had even planned his assassination.

Daniel watched all of these memories, scene by scene. Yet his expression didn’t change—even he was surprised by that.

So I guess I was never really sorry about my past life... He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

But he felt like his mind had become freer—clearer. Lighter, even? That heavy mental weight was gone.

"So I’ve finally accepted that I can be both Daniel and the bloodthirsty monster. I’m both," he murmured to himself.

Until now, he had been afraid to accept his past life. Afraid that he would turn into that monster again—that cold-blooded beast who massacred countless nations.

But this was where he had made a mistake. The past couldn’t be erased or changed—especially for someone like him, who wasn’t even remorseful and would take the same path again if needed.

So the best path forward was to accept that kind of past.