Standing atop the peak of a nameless mountain surrounded by other mountains in the wild was a man.

This man was standing up albeit using his old rusty spear to keep himself from falling.

The man was neither too old nor too young, reaching around fifty some years. But he looked nothing like his age. His body was bulky and athletic. His face was filled with scars to the point that it would be harder to find unscarred skin on it. His eyes were lifeless though deep as his gaze freely wandered through the horizon.

In a voice filled with sadness, he said:

"What was the point of this life?"

He had lived for his arts. He had trained to the point where training was more than just that. He fought all those who seemed to be like him. The hidden experts all over the world…

And yet...

And yet, as he looked back, he realized how wrong he had been all along.

Young, he trained. And while he did so, others made friends.

Adolescent, he trained. And while he did so, others formed couples.

Adult, he trained. And while he did so, others made families and advanced their careers.

When he looked back, he saw nothing but a life filled with training and savage battles. What did he earn from all this?

He never got famous. People who shoot balls with their feet were much more famous than him. Scratch that. He was unknown. A sand grain in a beach filled with those.

He never got wealthy. Strength never brought bread in this life. Real strength that is. Not the kind that some showcased as a form of entertainment. Deadly abilities were what he meant. And as he never did anything else, he never got money.

He never got a family. He was so focused on training that he never went after women and the very few who tried to approach him were harshly rejected. He regretted it a lot now. Not to have rejected them but rather, to not have found one with a similar mindset as his.

He never got much in the end...

There was nothing to look forward and nothing worth remembering to his life.

Sure, he was the strongest but so what? This world didn't need strong men but smart ones. The lowest of the smart ones was much more valuable than the very strongest here. And while he was at The Peak now, there was no higher place to climb to. The only way was down.

So why?

Why did he work so hard?

He laughed at the heavens. He couldn't even remember why he began training anyways. He just did.

Then, he said 'goodbye' and jumped down.

As he was free falling to his death, the images of his life didn't flash through his mind. Instead, he had only a single thought before he began to crash on the rocks below.

"Yeah, I can’t stop loving martial arts..."

And he crashed. His bones were shredded, his body torn and his life no more.

...

Then he woke up.

He did die. Certainly. There weren’t any doubts there. His body was likely no more than pieces being devoured by the wild life. So, why was he alive now?

As he was still trying to figure this out, he saw a big face approach his own. A young adult woman with a bright smile. She kissed him on the forehead, making him blush internally. Then, she chuckled and told him:

"Good morning little Jin~"

That's when he realized he might have experienced rebirth...