Seeing Aries' body disintegrate didn't bother him in the slightest. He knew that wasn't the real Aries, just one of his many clones.
And even if, by some chance, it had been his true body, he still wouldn't have cared much. Ever since he transmigrated to this strange world, Tarkan had been sure of one thing, Aries was no ordinary man. He was powerful, perhaps even terrifyingly so. Someone like that wouldn't die so easily.
Aries began training him at the age of two. Weapons of all types, hand-to-hand combat, pressure points, battle strategy, he drilled it all into him. But not once had Aries said a word about the world they were in. Not a name. Not a hint. Almost like it was forbidden knowledge.
He wasn't even allowed to leave the forest.
Something about a family ritual.
Apparently, to be acknowledged as a true Drazmir, one had to reach the Prime Ascension Realm and break into the Second Dimension, all without any outside support, within a single year of awakening. Succeed, and you'd have your name carved onto the Drazmir family tree. Fail, and you'd live the rest of your life as a rogue, a nameless outcast, stripped of all rights to the bloodline. If nothing else, it was a cruel reminder of how much they valued strength over everything else.
Tarkan sighed and rubbed the back of his head.
"What a troublesome family."
From the few scraps of information he'd gotten out of Aries, he knew he had three uncles and an aunt, and each of them was an overlord of their own world. Not kingdom. Not city. a World.
They'd each conquered a world and ruled over it, expanding their territory day by day.
But Aries never said more. He always stopped at the same line:
"You have to earn the right to know. Prove yourself worthy of the Drazmir name. Then, and only then, will you meet the real me."
To think that he, Tarkan, was Aries' only son and heir.
And this forest in the middle of nowhere was all he had ever known.
He had trained until his bones screamed, guided only by a clone. He had never met another soul. Yet he wasn't bothered by the isolation. If anything, he preferred it. Even back on Earth, where he'd been surrounded by people, he'd always felt alone. Always watching his back. Always on edge. Trust was a luxury he could never afford.
But what he did look forward to now was the adventure, this world, its dimensions, the secrets and traditions it held. And beyond that, the other worlds scattered across the universe.
He was eager to explore. To conquer. To entertain himself.
As for the Drazmir family?
"To hell with them," he muttered.
Back on Earth, he'd built a Mafia empire from nothing, an orphan who rose to power through blood, grit, and sheer ruthlessness. He didn't need help then, and he didn't need it now. Even if he knew nothing about this new world, he had one thing that had never failed him.
Confidence.
But there was one thing that had gnawed at his nerves for the past fifteen years, the prompt. The strange prompt that appeared the moment he transmigrated. It wasn't something he could touch or control. But whenever he thought about it, the prompt would reappear, floating before his eyes.
And when he willed it away, it vanished.
That was all it ever did.
Still, he willed it forth once more, and the same words greeted him:
[Timer: 1:36]
[Eternal Monarch Physique (Sealed)]
Since his arrival in this world, those were the only messages it ever displayed. The timer kept increasing, one number per day. He had no idea what it meant. He tried everything, thinking commands, vocalizing them, moving in certain ways. Nothing worked.
Eventually, he gave up trying.
Shaking off the frustration, he stood up and removed his trousers without a care in the world. After all, who was here to judge? He was alone in the forest, and even if someone was watching… well, he had a body forged through years of torture. Let them stare. Besides, he wasn't shy, especially with what he was packing.
Smirking to himself, he dove into the waterfall.
The cold water rushed over his body, washing away sweat, blood, and fatigue. After scrubbing himself clean, he leapt out and walked toward the small cave nearby, a place he'd long since made his home. The entrance was rough, but the inside was clean, too clean to be natural. Aries must have carved it out with precision.
Everything inside was neatly arranged. Folded clothes sat on a handmade wooden bench. A large stone slab served as a bed. It was spartan, but enough.
The animals here resembled those from Earth bears, wolves, birds. Nothing mutated. Nothing magical. Just the raw, primal wilderness.
He glanced at the firepit where he'd stored the bear meat he'd hunted. The beast had been huge, but he'd taken it down alone with strength, strategy, and a blade.
To keep the meat from spoiling, he'd placed chunks near the fire.
Now, he sliced off part of the bear's paw, chewing it slowly as he sat. The flavor was wild but satisfying.
finishing his meal, he wiped his mouth, leaned his sword against the wall, and lay down on the stone bed. No sheets, no blankets. Just the cool stone beneath his back.
Tomorrow was the day.
The day of his awakening.
And the start of everything.