I WAS The Rank–1 Hero

The way Maria greeted him made me question all the gods.

Ruby, from my side, whispered.

"Are we sure she didn't bow to the wrong old man?"

I have the same thought.

"He's the God of Time? He looks like my grandpa…"

The golden helix on the back of my hand flickered.

"Mue knows it's been forever, but please be respectful. Lord Karton deserves your highest regard."

This was the first time I'd heard her sound so serious.

Ruby and I shared another quick glance.

Lord Karton stopped working and slowly looked up at Maria, covering his eyes from the sunlight.

"You don't have to bow every time we meet, Frostvile," he said.

Maria straightened her posture before nodding.

"It's a habit, my lord."

Karton smiled and began standing up.

As much as I know about gods, I can tell that his frail posture was just for show. After all, he was a god. There's no way he'd actually struggle to stand—

"Oh… my back," Karton muttered, holding his lower spine as he stood upright.

Maria quickly stepped forward, running beside him and taking his arm. "Careful, my lord."

I felt my eyelid twitch.

"What am I witnessing?"

Ruby softly nudged me with her elbow. "Hey Zane…"

I knew exactly what she was going to say.

"Don't," I whispered back.

Karton gazed towards me and Ruby.

"So, you came," he said, directly looking at me.

Immediately, I lowered my head into a respectful bow.

"I'm Zane Skylark, holder of Paradox and Death," I introduced myself formally. "It's an honor to meet you, Lord Karton."

With Maria supporting his arm, Karton slowly made his way over to us.

"No need for all that," he said warmly. "You can speak to me as you would an old friend."

'An old friend indeed,' I mused internally, almost letting out a chuckle.

Ruby, sensing my expression, bumped me with her shoulder.

"Hey," she whispered, "don't think something rude."

Karton let out a gentle laugh, clearly overhearing us.

"Hoho, it's quite alright. After all, I am indeed an old man."

His gaze shifted to Ruby as his eyes lit up with curiosity.

"And who is this lovely lady with you?"

Ruby gracefully lifted the side of her dress in a small curtsy.

"Ruby Oliver. I'm here accompanying Zane."

Karton nodded approvingly, and a serene smile appeared on his aged features.

"Very well," he turned gently towards Maria. "Frostvile, please lead them to the villa. I'll join you all shortly, once I've finished sowing a few more seeds."

Maria gave a respectful nod, then she gestured silently to her maid, who moved swiftly to guide us toward the impressive villa.

"This way, sir, ma'am."

We passed through a blooming rose garden on the way to the villa.

The moment we stepped through the villa doors, I was hit with an entirely different atmosphere.

Just as it appeared modern from the outside, it was modern from the inside.

A marble floor stretched beneath us, and matte-black furniture. A floor-to-ceiling. You could see the whole damn island from here.

Ruby's eyes darted across the room.

"I feel like we just walked into a billionaire's vacation home," she whispered.

Same thought.

"Please, have a seat," Maria said as she stepped further inside.

She motioned toward a wide, low couch in the center of the room.

The maid, with a calm nod, excused herself.

"I'll brew some homemade coffee," she said with a polite bow.

Homemade coffee?

Out of nowhere, Mue chimed in.

"I don't believe I'm inside my Lord's house!"

'Indeed, this is some extreme-level luxury.' Said Sera.

Ruby and I exchanged a glance before sinking into the couch.

Across from us, Maria took a seat with perfect poise, resting one foot on top of the other.

Thud—

Then something hit me near my foot.

I blinked and looked down.

And saw a black disc-shaped thing that was quietly sliding across the floor.

Ruby leaned forward.

"Is that… a house cleaning bot?"

"I think it is," I said, squinting at it.

Maria crossed one leg over the other and spoke with a calm tone.

"Lord Karton enjoys blending the old with the new."

"That I can see," I muttered. "An old man with back pain and modern architecture. He's really living both timelines at once."

Ruby chuckled.

"Do you think he has a gaming console too?"

I would be surprised if he didn't have one.

My mind wandered elsewhere.

I thought about Agroth. The moment I met him that time, when he revealed to me everything about how he was sealed beneath Nova while maintaining the balance of the Elementals.

He was the reason this world has this balanced Elemental division in the first place.

'Sera, did you know about this?' I asked.

'This is the first I'm hearing of it,' she replied.

'In my time, there was no division between Elementals. Anyone could wield all five. It's only after I awakened inside your consciousness that I noticed how much the world has changed.'

She never realized that Agroth was the one behind it all.

Well, now that I have returned to my own timeline, which means my sister was alive here.

"Sigh…" that was one hell of a trial.

To be honest, I never wanted to go through that again.

But the threat wasn't gone. It had only been delayed.

As long as those bastards were out there, lurking in the shadows, playing gods and monsters under the name of the Hero Association, I wouldn't rest easy.

The first thing I needed to do...

I needed to expose them to the world. To the people they manipulate.

And this task won't be easy.

Even a silent whisper of movement in the wrong direction could alert Markus Bloodstone.

That meant I needed allies.

Not just strong ones, but loyal ones. The kind who didn't blindly worship the system.

Ruby and Master Envy would definitely agree to be on my side.

And maybe even a few other Authority Holders whose values still aligned with humanity, would be on my side too.

If the Authority Holders needed favors from me, I'd demand something in return.

And considering who I was. The one from the prophecy. The one even the gods were making contact with.

They wouldn't say no.

I needed to build my own organization.

Something that could stand toe-to-toe with the Hero Association.

And maybe then... I could reshape this world.

Clank—

The door behind me creaked open.

I snapped out of my thoughts and turned to greet the old man with the straw hat.

But my voice got caught in my throat.

Standing in the doorway wasn't an old man.

It was a boy.

Maybe around seventeen. Long, white hair, golden eyes that shimmered like polished glass.

He wore a loose hoodie, pajama pants, and held a tablet in one hand, still dripping faint steam, as if he was fresh out from a hot shower.

He looked... absurdly handsome. I almost mistook him for a model.

'Who is this? Where's the old man?!''

My brain scrambled.

"Sorry for the wait," the boy said casually. "I went to take a shower after I was done farming."

Ruby choked. "H-Huh?"

Maria stood up instantly and bowed. "Worry not. Your guests have been well-behaved. Please take your time, Lord Karton. My maid is preparing breakfast."

My jaw dropped.

"Oh, Frostvile," the boy—no, Karton waved a hand. "You don't have to go that far."

He walked over, plopped down onto the couch beside us.

I was stunned.

This boy, this teen, was the same god who was digging dirt and groaning about back pain ten minutes ago?!

"But how?!"

'Shit, I didn't even mean to say it aloud.'

But Karton heard me.

He smirked.

"Time doesn't move in one direction for me, Zane." He tapped his temple. "Sometimes I feel like a wise old man. Sometimes I feel seventeen."

I blinked.

Okay. That actually explained... everything.

Soon after, the maid entered.

She set out a few veggie sandwiches and coffee on the table.

Ruby leaned in, whispering, "Are all gods like this?"

"I hope they do not," I muttered.

"Oh, all of these look amazing. Thanks," Karton said, flashing a warm smile at the maid as she placed the tray on the table.

With elegance, he reached out and picked up a veggie sandwich.

"Delicious," he murmured, taking a bite.

Ruby blinked at him.

"You eat normal food?"

Karton glanced at her, still chewing, and nodded.

"Mhm, I farm, I cook, I eat. Gods are still living beings. Just... a bit more complicated."

"A bit?" I repeated.

He swallowed, wiped his fingers with a napkin.

"You should try one too," he said, pointing to the tray. "They're from my farm."

"They're made with vegetables from the eastern patch of my farm. I've been tending them for a while.

I wasn't hungry before, but now I wasn't sure if I should eat or bow to the damn sandwich.

Ruby slowly reached out and grabbed one herself.

"Well," she said, inspecting it, "if this is God-approved, I can't say no."

Karton laughed.

"Smart girl."

s he said this, his gaze instantly fell on me. "Now then—"

Snap—

He snapped his fingers, and in that moment, everything around me suddenly froze.

I turned to my left and saw Ruby suspended mid-motion, her hand hovering in the air, her mouth open wide, just about to take a bite.

I blinked at the teen seated to my right.

"Shall we begin, Mr. Zane Skylark?"