My depressing and disdainful self was already a ghost of the past. I am rich, I have more confidence, and I am no longer afraid to keep moving forward in my life. I think I gave Nair the greatest shock of her life, because, when she saw that I was not messing with her, she lost strength in her legs and had to look for a seat on a bench that was near us.

  The first thing she said after regaining her composure was:

  —How?

  —Casino.

  —Why?

  —Ash.

  —How?

  —Luck.

  —Lie.

  —I swear to you.

  Nair stands up and walks toward me. Stopping, and then pointing at me with her finger, she says:

  —I know you, I know when you lie. Tell me how you really did it.

  Angry, I knew she would not give me peace until I told her. But if I revealed my power, as in previous situations, things would end badly. I do not know how, but things have always turned out catastrophically wrong when a person learns about my ability.

  The half-truth I told her was:

  —Ash used some tricks from his time, but I cannot reveal them to you, or he will cause a disaster.

  With that, she calmed down. Thoughtful, she then asked:

  —How is it that he did not dedicate himself to that instead of being a mercenary? If what he wanted was money, he could have lived off that.

  And here is where the pyramid of lies that I will have to build just to keep the tip comes in.

  —Well, you have already experienced it. He is basically crazy. No matter how greedy he can be part of the time, he is one of those types who live for war.

  —Yes, you’re right. I suppose that in the end it is true that money does not bring happiness… or at least for some it is like that —she said, reflecting.

  —You make it sound like having it would make you happy —I exclaimed.

  —Uff, everything that would make me happy… and even so I would ask for more. I suppose I am very greedy —she said cheerfully.

  Without fear of success, then, jokingly I asked her:

  —If you want, we can get married and that way you become a millionaire. What do you say?

  After finishing saying that, there was an uncomfortable silence. She looked at me with a serious and incredulous face, and, by the time I was desperately about to retract, she let out a big laugh.

  —Ha ha ha ha!

  She laughed nonstop, even started to cry. The wretch fell to the ground after losing control from laughing, and this went on for about five minutes. After finishing enjoying my accidental and successful comedy show, she said to me:

  —Ah… were you serious?… hahaha —and resumed.

  Already tired, I asked her:

  —Are you done?

  —Yes, yes, now —she said, while wiping her tears.

  —It was a joke, by the way, and I think it came out very well —I declared, grumbling.

  —If you want, we can talk about the subject after all this mess with the lunatics from the past —she mentioned optimistically.

  —If we survive —I replied pessimistically.

  —So you will continue with the job —she realized.

  —It’s not as if I have many options —I said.

  —How is that?

  —Well… it’s like I have to do what Ash wants, for the moment, because I am rich thanks to him.

  —I suppose… everything has a price.

  Finishing the topic of the conversation, I asked:

  —It’s already night, do you want to come to my house? We can order whatever you want to eat.

  —Uff, I can’t today, I have to do some paperwork, sorry, but leave it for another occasion, okay? —with a soft rejection.

  Receiving the blow with all its force, I had nothing left to say but:

  —Well, I’m leaving now, see you later.

  Dante and Nair take separate paths without knowing that from afar Ash was spying on them. He, using the army’s binoculars, and also somewhat burned on the face and emitting smoke, mentions to himself after seeing Dante and Nair separating:

  —Uy, Dante, what a bad move, surely tonight there will be some affection. Just wait to see the surprise I have prepared for you, hahaha.

  At the time of waking up in the morning, Dante, struggling to open his eyes completely, hears a loud metallic noise and that of a powerful engine.

  —BOOM!

  A powerful crash shakes the house. Dante, alarmed, goes toward the entrance, which is the origin of the tremor. Upon seeing what had happened, he is left open-mouthed. Ash had knocked down the door along with the wall with nothing more and nothing less than a tank, and he, all cheerful with a helmet and accompanied by three gorgeous women, says to me:

  —DANTE! DANTE! Guess what I bought.

  With the purest sarcasm I asked him:

  —I DON’T KNOW! MAYBE… A FUCKING TANK?!

  —Pff —he makes— No, look —he points— This nice helmet, the tank came as a gift.

  —WHY THE HELL DID YOU DESTROY MY HOUSE?! HOW DID YOU GET A TANK?! —I shouted at him.

  —Well, actually it’s rented. Yesterday I went for a walk, I saw it, I liked it and after a bit of paperwork, some bribes (and intimidations), I got it. And as for the first thing, one cannot resist driving a tank, you want to do it. Besides, these young ladies want to have some fun for a while.

  Ignoring everything that happened before, I find myself in need of some female affection, I want to forget for a while what happened yesterday, and above all: it’s a fucking tank! Everyone wants to drive one, and I am no exception. And, responding to Ash:

  —To hell with it, you convinced me.

  I got into the driver’s seat, and Ash gave me a helmet and said:

  —Good! Let’s move.

  Reversing, I slammed on the brakes and asked:

  —Where to? And how do you drive this?

  —I don’t know, and it’s like riding a bicycle. Is there someone you want to show off the tank to? Because after all, that’s what one has a tank for.

  Taking a few seconds to think about it, a light bulb went on in my head and I set the tank in motion.

  Already at the university where Cain studies, arriving at lunchtime, we waited for him sitting on the tank eating some hamburgers, and of course I have some for him.

  —So we’re waiting for your brother? —Ash said, bored.

  —Yes, he won’t be hard to distinguish.

  —Are you the older one?

  —Yes.

  —And is it okay for you to come bother your brother? Seriously tell me, because I don’t know.

  —If you think this is wrong, a few days ago he had entered my house without my permission, and I caught him in dracino.

  —Why was he in your house?

  —I don’t know.

  One of the girls draws our attention and says:

  —Oh! I think it’s him.

  And she was not wrong. Raising one of my arms from afar, I call his attention. He, apparently surprised and cautious, coming toward us says:

  —What the hell?

  —What do you mean what the hell? It’s a tank, have you never seen one? —jokingly I greeted him.

  —Yes, I know what a tank is. The “the hell” is from “Why the hell do you have a tank?”, “Why the hell is there a suspicious guy with you?” and “Why the hell are there three pretty girls with the tank?” —he says, somewhat annoyed.

  Ash says confidently:

  —That’s simple, because I am a dangerous subject from another time, who went to the casino with your brother, we got rich and today we enjoy a tank, whores and hamburgers.

  —Don’t call us whores, idiot —says one of the girls.

  —They came with us because I paid them, I have a tank and I bought them food, they are whores —Ash replies.

  Offended, the girls get off the tank and leave to their own destinations, and after that we do not know anything more about them.

  Ignoring how there goes my day of sex, I say to Cain:

  —Well, since we don’t have to put up with the pansa anymore, how about we go for a ride?

  —I can’t, I have things to do —Cain replies with rejection.

  —Come on… you don’t get the opportunity to drive a tank every day, do you?

  —I would love to, but work comes first.

  —Come on Cain, be rebellious at least once.

  —I’m sorry, but no.

  Giving up, about to leave, Ash says:

  —You waste time that way, let me show you how we did it in my time.

  Next, Ash pulls out his weapon and points it at Cain and orders him:

  —Get on.

  —Yes sir —Cain replies, with his hands up and then getting onto the tank.

  While giving his helmet to Cain, Ash says to me:

  If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  —See? The trick is in how you say it.

  —And… where are we going? —Cain asks.

  —I don’t know, I guess we’ll drive around a bit —I answered.

  —I propose that we destroy more houses —Ash said.

  —One is enough —I answered angrily— I suppose we’ll go to the bar.

  And I set course to that destination.

  Already at the bar, except for Ash, we started drinking, I a delicious bottle of divinifrus, and out of curiosity I asked Ash:

  —Don’t you drink?

  After taking a sip from his glass of water, he answers:

  —I can’t.

  —What? Don’t you like it or do you want to take care of your health?

  —The second, it is poisonous to me.

  Dante, Cain and Alfred laugh at Ash’s comment.

  And Dante says between laughs:

  —You are a dangerous individual who terrorized the world eighty years ago and you tell me that alcohol is poisonous to you?

  Ash, without saying a single word, keeps staring at us, then grabs Cain’s glass and, in one gulp, drinks all its contents. Raising his index finger at us and signaling that we should wait a moment, he vomits a torrent of blood on us.

  Disgusted and surprised, we remain in shock because of the recent event. Ash gets up from his seat, covering his bloodied mouth, and then leaves through the door vomiting blood and tells us:

  —I’m going to detox.

  —Ehgg —murmurs Alfred— I’ll go get something to clean.

  Next, he leaves to get it. Cain and I, without opening our mouths for fear of ingesting some of Ash’s doubtfully wholesome blood, quickly look for a napkin to wipe our mouths and, without taking risks, wash with a bit of alcohol.

  By the time we feel safe, Cain asks me:

  —What happened to you?

  —What do you mean? —throwing the napkin aside.

  —You bought a tank.

  —Ash “rented” a tank, and well… it’s what one can do when one is rich —I told him, showing it off.

  —I still have doubts about how you won so much, especially “you” —he told me distrustfully.

  —Well, I’ll just say that there are methods that even the casinos have not known yet.

  —I don’t believe you, but I know you won’t tell me. However, that’s not the whole story.

  —What do you mean?

  —When you suffer a defeat you look for someone to talk to, and according to my deduction, seeing you today accompanied by girls, this has to do with Nair.

  Without wanting to deny it, and with a bland face, I asked:

  —Is it that obvious?

  —Oh brother, for the first time you try to step out of the friendly relationship and you fail immediately, but don’t worry, I’m here to help you.

  —Pff, what would you know about women, you haven’t even had a girlfriend as far as I know.

  —Yes —he tells me, giving me all the reason, but continues with—: I’ve never had a girlfriend… I have two.

  Surely the face I had at that moment was that of a guy who had seen a completely incredible feat, but deep down refused to believe it, because that was how it was.

  —Yeah right, you don’t have to make things up, you know?

  He took out his phone and shows me a series of photos where he is seen sharing romantic moments with two different women.

  —That proves nothing —I tell him.

  —I don’t have to prove anything to you —he said indifferently— I’ll tell you that one is my teacher, and the other my supervisor at work.

  —Well… so you’re one of those who look for women older than oneself —I suggested.

  —Rather, I look for women who are mentally mature —he corrects me.

  —I still don’t understand how you got into that situation.

  —Everything starts by talking, spending time together alone and gradually shortening distances.

  —I’m not referring to that, but… how do you dare to go out with two people at the same time?

  —Oh, shut up. We are Mongols, idiot. Grandfather was never in favor of polygamy, and of course uncle Himo’s case was the other extreme. I don’t think I’m doing anything of another kind —he said, and I, unable to argue anything against that logic, asked—: So what do you think I should do?

  —Drop your pants and offer it politely —he told me.

  —Come on, tell me something serious.

  —I’m not joking. You just need to be more direct, you’ve known each other for years already, and she’s not with Aghat for nothing.

  —What do you mean by that?

  —Are you seriously an idiot? Find out for yourself.

  —I don’t want to play detective. Besides, these last few days I’ve improved my life, my attitude and myself a lot, and even so I didn’t achieve anything important with her.

  —That’s because in reality you haven’t improved at all, nor have you changed even a little. You’re still the same depressing and alcoholic emo who has just had a good streak. She’s too intelligent and easily sees that, in fact, we all do… except Agnar, I think.

  Indignant, I reply:

  —As much as that may be true, now I am on another step than the one I was on before. One does not go down to the same lower step after climbing many.

  —You don’t go down to the same one, but you can go down much further than where you were at the beginning. Uncle Juruvu is proof of that. Besides, you’ve only been lucky. You can be good in combat or not give a damn about dying, but in the end everything depends on staying focused and alert to any event.

  —There is nothing that can take me by surprise. I remind you that I’ve been hanging around with a potential war criminal lately, and the only things that have happened to me are good ones. Besides, you don’t have to worry about me dying, that is impossible.

  Cain, silent, gets up from his seat and leaves the tip on the table. Quietly he heads to the door and, stepping outside, stops, looks at Dante sideways and says:

  —There are worse fates than death, brother.

  And he leaves.

  With my bottle almost empty, and having this bad taste in my mouth, I order another one to forget about the recent matter. By the time I served my glass, Ash comes in through the door. He returned completely clean and healthy, but he seemed to emit a bit of smoke, so I asked him:

  —Are you still alive?

  He laughed loudly and said to me:

  —You have no idea how difficult it would be to kill me.

  —Someday I’ll find out —I replied dryly.

  —Maybe, but first you’ll have to learn how to do it. And believe me, they could make an entire encyclopedia about that —he says while sitting down and ordering a glass of water.

  —Don’t you think you’re being arrogant? After all, you lost to my grandfather —I said to make him angry.

  —He sealed me because he was not capable of killing me, and I inform you that I am incapable of being arrogant, I am realistic.

  —Weren’t you the one who said that you could kill the second one alone and then you shit your pants for not having gone alone?

  —Of course I was afraid. Who is not capable of feeling that emotion? It is engraved in the soul. However, it seems that you are the exception. Thanks to the nature of your power, it seems that your survival instinct was completely suppressed.

  Alfred arrives and gives me a towel with water and tissues, and leaves again.

  —You exaggerate —I tell him while cleaning myself where I can.

  —No, not at all. And the proof of that is Shāng —he tells me.

  —What do you mean? —I ask, with discomfort.

  —When one becomes immortal, their body undergoes a change depending on the type of curse. In Shāng’s case, it is a curse that turns him into a fixed point in the universe. It is something as powerful as what you have. However, his body begins to get rid of what is unnecessary to it, and one of those things is every man’s treasure.

  —Did his dick fall off?

  —Almost. It just stopped working. Being immortal and having an indefinite life energy, his body saw it unnecessary to preserve his reproductive function, and things like hunger and sleep were completely discarded. Of course, he also has an enormous mana capacity, but he cannot further develop his body, so no matter how strong he is, he will not be stronger than he already is.

  Dante said:

  —Are you saying that my power will have side effects on my biological nature?

  —You are already suffering them. Just look at how calm you are after having died about twenty times. Death is a traumatic experience, and that is observed in the undead.

  As much as it bothers me, he is right. I still remember my first death: it was when I was seven years old. Inspired by the heroic image of my grandfather, I would leave the house in search of my own adventures. My routine was to go to a forest that was a couple of kilometers from my neighborhood. From time to time I would see some creature flee from me. Of course there was one or another dangerous animal, but the ranger was always attentive to his territory, and I believed myself invincible for being an Akyane, so yes, I was very stupid.

  Which led me to become more and more reckless. With each small feat I accomplished every day, my arrogance grew more and more, and it grew much more after dying. That time I set out to go beyond the forest, and aimed to climb the mountain that followed it. I had never gone alone to a mountain, but with only a couple of visits I believed it would only be a heavy walk.

  I was wrong. It was much worse. By the time I thought I was reaching the summit, night had already fallen. In the middle of a cluster of trees, I found myself alone, scared, hungry and thirsty. And when I thought nothing could be worse, I heard some sounds around me.

  About to shit my pants, I searched the ground for whatever I could grab, and from there I took a branch and a stone. On alert, I looked around me, which was almost useless due to the overwhelming darkness that flooded my vision. I barely distinguished the scene thanks to the little light that one of the moons supplied me.

  I had no idea what to do, so, frightened, I tried to act brave and shouted:

  —Who’s there?!

  As a result, the leaves of a bush began to move, and I, terrified, threw the rock at the bush. It was a terrible decision, because next a Daichin wolf came out of it, a canine and enormous creature, fierce and ruthless. They have reddish and very hard fur, which serves as protection. The beast looked angry and hungry. No matter how stupid I was, I knew that if I did not escape, that thing was going to devour me.

  I still cannot forget its enormous fangs. No matter how dark it was, that time I saw them clearly: white, perfectly pearled, especially the two largest that protrude at the tip of its snout. They were bigger than an adult’s fingers.

  I threw the stick as a distraction and started running desperately, with the weak hope that the ranger was nearby. I wanted to shout “help,” but my mouth and lungs were very busy supplying air to my body in order to escape from the beast. Running as I had never done in life and with a lot of luck not to trip over anything or crash into a tree, I felt how the animal’s footsteps were stepping on my heels.

  Tears began to come out of my eyes, fearing that I was going to die because of the beast, but nevertheless, the ironic darkness of hope was found in front of me: a small cave I managed to discover in my desperate escape, and with no other options, I threw myself straight into it. It was fortunate that the small cave could shelter my small being and prevent the fierce wolf from entering.

  However, the animal was not going to give up, and since it could not enter nor reach me with its paws or fanged mouth, it stayed stalking me at the entrance. The wolf’s patience was admirable. One would think that after the first night it would leave, but no: it waited for me to come out for two whole days.

  As much as hunger and the smell of urine made me uncomfortable, which I had to do aiming my penis toward the exit of the hole, I knew that if I went outside I would be a dish served on a silver platter. I had not died of thirst because it had rained the day after I hid, and I had not died of cold because the water did not flood the cave, and I kept making any movement possible to stay warm during the night.

  The wolf was not stupid. It tried to deceive me, pretending that it was leaving and waiting for me to be curious or tempted to go out and return home, but fear saved me on more than one occasion.

  On the second day I already felt weak and sickly. Above all, I had to shit in the lower part of the cave, and not being able to stand the smell I was forced to grab my shit and throw it outside the cave. Now that I think about it, maybe I should have thrown it at the wolf, to see if it would run away frightened by the smell, but I could not think clearly at that moment.

  I did not have much left before losing consciousness. Nevertheless, some shouts began to be heard in the surroundings. From my cave I saw how the wolf began to watch everywhere and in the end got scared and left. I did not know if it was a last attempt to deceive me, but having known it for two days, I understood that this time its body language was different, or to be more precise, I sensed it.

  I crawled out of my hiding place, and with all my strength I stood up. I moved toward a rock on which I could lean, which was at the edge of a slope. With great effort to concentrate on seeing, a few dozen meters away, it was there that I found that my mother, my father and the ranger were coming to rescue me. I was about to cry with happiness, and unable to contain my joy, I ran downhill in search of my mother’s arms.

  I literally thought of nothing other than reaching my mother, so all the care and caution I had cultivated at that moment vanished like the smoke of a cigarette about to finish, and thus, I tripped.

  It was not a pretty fall. I rolled over hard and sharp small rocks that were buried in the ground. I felt how my flesh tore with each impact I received every second, and for the grand finale of the painful course, I crashed against a large rock, ironically the size of the wolf. My head felt cold and unreal, totally paralyzed, I could only see how my mother was coming totally horrified and desperate toward me.

  Her screams flooded the entire silent forest, and as my consciousness faded, as I saw my mother being swallowed by the darkness, I died for the first time.

  I was right on the rock where I had leaned and had my foot raised just to take the first step. And before doing so, I froze. The first thing I thought when I restarted was that I had a déjà vu. I had no idea what expression I was making, but one thing I am sure of is that it was not the one from a moment ago.

  My mother was coming toward me at an impressive speed for someone who was climbing a mountain. There she came, with her reddish and long hair being lifted by the wind that was blowing and by the impulse of her speed. I can clearly remember the expression of great concern that sculpted her face, but also, in the shine of her light blue eyes, the happy calm of having found her firstborn.

  On another occasion I would have worried about the scolding she would give me (in the best case) and in the worst I would have been crying nonstop in my mom’s arms, but at that moment I was still suffering from the shock of my death.

  Skipping the details of what happened afterward, I will mention what kept me distracted for months, and that was the subject of my death. At that moment, the first thing I came to conclude was that I could see the future, or at least see how I would die. After suffering a tragedy, I would end up discovering the true nature of my power.

  —Dante —Pum! Ash called me while slapping me in the face, and then said—: Seeing that you drifted off for a moment, I think you grasp the consequences of your deaths. Tell me, have you committed suicide? No, better... how many times have you committed suicide and why?

  I did not like that question, and turning my eyes to the side I answer him:

  —Maybe it has been like five or six.

  —I suppose with that you have already satisfied your “call of the void need,” right?

  Without answering, I just turn my head to the side feeling ashamed.

  —Don’t you have something better to do? —I say to him unwillingly, already tired of his questions.

  —Well, I am in a new era, there is much to do, and that makes it very little. But if it bothers you so much to talk about your suicidal fetish, we can start planning how to sleep with Nair.

  —Alright, stop with that. It is not as if from one day to the next we are going to be together, besides she has Aghat and her job.

  —She does not plan anything with Aghat nor does he with her. Besides, she is still a virgin.

  —What? How can you know that? Are you one of those who read a person just by looking at them?

  —Well, reading you is quite easy, but that is not the reason. You see, I have a good sense of smell, and the scent that Nair gives off is new, you understand me.

  —Damn pervert, how dare you be smelling every woman you have near you? —Dante said angrily.

  —You know it is not my fault, besides I do not think they complain if most of them use perfumes, I mean, it is so that people think “Oh, you smell good,” right? Although most of them have horrible taste in perfume.

  Knowing that there is no remedy in scolding him, I ask him:

  —And why do you say that Aghat does not want anything with her?

  —Seriously?

  —Cain also tried to tell me something like that, what do you mean?

  Ash stays looking at Dante, crosses his legs and begins to think, grabbing his chin with his fingers, moving his eyes from one side to the other.

  —You know what? It will be more fun not to tell you —he says to Dante while getting up from the chair.

  —Wait, where are you going?

  —I’ll go find someone else to bother; meanwhile you go and invite Nair to dinner, she won’t say no to you, and take your time. If something happens with Shāng, I will take care of him myself.

  Ash flies out as he crosses the door and I am left alone in the bar; however, an idea crossed my mind and I would put it into practice, after all I am rich.