Destiny's Reshaping: A Danmachi Reincarnation Tale

The sun began to rise in the sky, casting long shadows inside the canyon. Mark and Vincent quickly got ready, checking the condition of the carriage and the horses. Agata took care of the children, trying to reassure them despite the visible fatigue in their eyes.

"Don't worry, kids. We'll be out of here soon." - Agata said with a smile, trying to instill hope in their hearts.

Mark looked at the sky momentarily, assessing the weather and the chances of further attacks.

"We need to move quickly today. We can't afford to stop."

"You're right. Better not risk it any further." - Vincent nodded, agreeing with him.

What Vincent didn't know, though, was that Mark was truly anxious this time. Seven days had passed again, which meant having to endure the suffering of having his energy drained once more.

He could have waited before leaving, but it would have made little sense, as it meant he would suffer it when they were in areas where his presence was essential.

'We need to find a safe place tonight.'

"Hiah!"

With a yank from Vincent, the horses neighed and began to gallop.

The journey through the canyon continued at a fast pace. The horses, though tired, responded to Vincent's command with vigor. The wheels of the carriage creaked over the rocks, and every now and then a child would complain about a jolt, but no one dared to stop.

Time seemed to pass slowly, and every kilometer covered was a small victory. However, Mark's anxiety did not diminish. His mind kept returning to the moment when he would have to face the debilitating loss of energy. It was a painful process that left him vulnerable and weak for hours.

"A group of hobgoblins ahead, can you handle it?"

Mark nodded.

"Slow down, I doubt throwing rocks at them will help."

Vincent obeyed and nearly stopped the horses. With the carriage almost halted, Mark jumped out and dashed toward the group of monsters.

The first hobgoblin snarled fiercely, but before it could do anything, Mark had already sliced it at the waist. Another pair of monsters tried to attack him, but Mark blocked them with his sword, and with a sweep of his leg, knocked them down before finishing them off.

One of the hobgoblins, however, bypassed him to attack the carriage but found a dagger lodged in its head, thrown by Mark.

Inhale.

Taking a deep breath, he charged forward, and like a meteor crashing to the ground, all the monsters were swept away.

"And you're only eighteen, I fear what you might become in a few years." - Vincent said admiringly.

"Me too." - Mark clenched his hand a few times, feeling its strength.

The speed at which he was becoming stronger satisfied him, and he was curious about the limits he could reach. However, he had to admit that the surge in strength he had obtained after surpassing 50% of the ring formation still surprised him.

[That's because your level of existence has risen.]

'Level of existence?'

[Yes. That's what the level that people with the blessing of this world possess refers to, bringing them closer and closer to the level of a god.]

'Wait, are you saying I could become a god?' - Mark asked, shocked.

[Unfortunately, no. Although your level of existence will indeed rise, becoming a god is impossible because it would mean completely changing your existence.]

Mark massaged his head as he processed the new information from the Guide. Every time the Guide taught him something, he discovered new secrets of the universe, and although he found it very interesting, on a practical level there was little he could do, and sometimes he even struggled to fully understand the context.

They continued their journey through the canyon, trying to maintain a steady pace. Hours passed, and every now and then Mark turned to check that everything was fine with the children and Agata. Vincent, in the driver's seat, kept a vigilant eye on every detail of the surrounding landscape, ready to react to any sign of danger.

The air grew hotter as the sun climbed higher in the sky, and the canyon seemed to turn into an oven. Sweat dripped from everyone's foreheads, and the horses began to show signs of fatigue.

The monster attacks had become more frequent and usually resolved in two ways: they either bypassed them or killed them if they were too invasive.

Crack!

With the sound of something breaking, one of the wagon wheels snapped, causing the wagon to lurch.

"Whoa! Whoa!"

Vincent tried to calm the horses, which had gone wild due to the weight shift, making it more difficult to regain control.

"Calm down, stupid beasts!" - Vincent shouted, pulling hard on the reins.

Seeing the wagon was about to tip over, Mark quickly jumped down and activated 'overload.' Flooded with strength, he firmly grabbed the part of the wagon he was leaning against and dug his feet into the ground. Two long furrows formed in the earth, and with Vincent's help, the two managed to stop the wagon safely.

"Is everyone okay inside?"

Mark looked inside, worried about everyone.

"We're okay, it's just that little Lila hit her head." - Agata said, concerned, holding the smallest of the children.

Seeing the little one sobbing hurt Mark deeply, and he approached her to check that she was alright.

"Let me take a look." - With a caring voice, Mark gently moved her small hands covering her forehead.

Even though he wasn't a doctor, Mark had learned many things from Selene, and after making sure it was nothing serious, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"It looks like you'll just have a little bump." - Mark joked.

"Hmm!" - The little one reached out her arms as if she wanted to be picked up.

Mark went to lift her, but once again, the flash of his bloodied hands appeared in his mind.

'Get out of my head.'

Shaking his head, Mark banished the thought and picked up Lila, who immediately clung to his neck and rested her head on his shoulder, seeming more relaxed.

Mark patted her back to calm her while he thought back to the scenes from a few days ago. He knew those images would stay with him for life, but he didn't want to live in fear that it might happen again, living a life where he couldn't bond with anyone.

"I'll take care of her, you check on the others." - Mark said.

Agata nodded, smiling, and then her expression became downcast again.

"One of the water barrels has overturned."

"That's not a problem, as long as no one is hurt."

After exchanging a few more words and saying goodbye to the children, Mark went to Vincent, who was looking at the broken wheel apprehensively.

"How bad is the damage?"

"The wheel is completely ruined, hm? What's wrong with her?" - Seeing the child clinging to Mark's neck, Vincent asked, confused.

"She hit her head and was a little scared."

"No, I wasn't." - The child protested.

"So, you want me to put you down?" - Mark said in a teasing tone.

The child pouted and clung tighter to Mark's neck, making him smile. Seeing that the child was fine, Vincent felt relieved and continued his explanation.

"Fortunately, there's a spare wheel under the wagon, so I can use that to replace it. The problem is that without the right tools, it will take me at least until evening to fix it."

"Is it not possible to move somewhere else?"

"I doubt it. Moving with the wagon in this state would only damage it more, and because of that wild charge, the horses are weakened. Besides, I think everyone could use a break."

"Haaaa, I know, but I don't like this place."

"Why? It's full of hiding spots." - Vincent asked, confused.

"That's the problem, there are too many." - Mark looked around, worried.

They were in a fairly wide section of the canyon, dotted with abandoned mines surrounding them. This would allow them to find a more sheltered spot, but they weren't the only ones who might have had that idea.

Finally understanding what Mark meant, Vincent also seemed worried, but there was nothing they could do.

"You try to work as quickly as possible. We'll use the carriage to block one of the passages and hide inside one of the mines. As always, no fires and keep noises to a minimum."

Vincent nodded, agreeing.

After organizing everything, everyone prepared to set up camp. They found a nearby mine and entered it for more shelter, using the carriage as a barrier. Agata and the children went inside to find a comfortable spot in the dark mine, while Vincent set to work repairing the wheel.

"Vincent, listen for a moment."

"What is it?"

"Tonight, I won't be able to stand guard." - Mark explained heavily.

"Well, if you're tired, it's not a problem." - Vincent said understandingly, but Mark shook his head.

"What I mean is, it will be impossible for me to act for any reason. You see, I have a strange illness that activates every seven days, immobilizing me for several hours starting at midnight." - Mark made up an excuse on the spot.

"...Is this some kind of joke?"

"Do I look like the kind to make jokes like this?"

Vincent looked at him for a moment, then shook his head.

Having to accept the situation, time passed, and the sky grew darker. Vincent worked tirelessly on repairing the wheel, while Mark kept watch for any monsters, watching the sky darken with increasing apprehension.

As midnight arrived, Mark approached Vincent and woke him. Vincent stretched, still tired, but quickly recovered.

"Stand guard here and remember, avoid making any noise at all costs. It will be truly impossible for me to help. In the meantime, I'll find a safe place to spend the night."

"Got it, but why not stay here?"

"Because when this illness activates, it's not a pleasant sight." - Mark sighed, looking at the others sleeping.

"Also, don't tell anyone else about this, okay?"

"Okay." - Vincent nodded.

With nothing else to add, Mark moved deeper into the mine. Unlike what he expected, the mine wasn't completely dark; stones were emitting a faint light, making the path somewhat visible.

"This should do."

Finding an earthy area attached to the mine walls, Mark dug with one of his daggers to create a recess large enough for his body. After seeing that the dimensions were sufficient, he crawled inside and placed rocks to completely hide himself.

"Let's get this over with as quickly as possible."

Putting a gag in his mouth, he gave the Guide the command to start, and after a few moments, a wave of suffering overwhelmed him, beginning the umpteenth torture.

"VAHHAGH!" (muffled)

(Change of perspective.)

Meanwhile, Vincent, who was left to stand guard alone, paced back and forth nervously, carefully checking that no monsters approached, and even though there were none, the tension was palpable.

Vincent tightly gripped the handles of his two axes, feeling them almost slip due to the sweat on his hands, realizing just how reassuring Mark's presence had been.

"Grrr!"

"!"

Hearing something, Vincent quickly hid behind the carriage and watched intently. Not far away, there was a bipedal monster with a dog's head looking around.

Vincent immediately recognized the monster as a kobold. They had a similar strength level to goblins but were much dumber, so he wasn't too worried, especially when he saw it was about to leave.

Noises.

Maybe because it was dark, but the horses seemed to sense the presence of the monster and began to get agitated.

"No, no, no! Quiet, stay quiet." - Vincent tried to calm the horses, but it seemed impossible and it was already too late.

Even though it was stupid, the kobold sensed the presence of other beings and let out a loud howl towards the sky. Immediately, other howls began to be heard, filling the rocky gorge with just those sounds.

All those sounds and the horses going wild woke up the children and Agata, who looked around confused.

"What's happening and where's Mark?" - Agata asked, worried.

"Now's not the time, give me a hand, we're in a really bad situation." - Vincent said, pale.

Those mines weren't empty like they thought; they were a kobold den.