Silas closed his eyes and muttered, “Return.” It had been a long time since he had last set foot in the human world. His heart was filled with carnage, and he needed a change of environment. Even though he hadn’t faced much danger here, nothing compared to the feeling of being home. Moreover, there were things he needed to check, so he decided to return and take care of them.


    Silas opened his eyes and immediately felt the surge of power coursing through him. His evolution points had reached the maximum limit for the Iron rank. A smile formed on his lips as he sensed his strength—it was exhilarating. He had completely bypassed the usual one evolution point per day limit imposed on humans. Perhaps it was different for other races, but Silas didn’t know for sure. A hundred days might not seem like much at this stage, but as one advanced to higher ranks, the requirements became exponentially harsher. To reach Bronze rank, he would need 1,000 evolution points—a tenfold increase. Silver rank required 10,000 points, and the pattern continued. Progression wasn’t just about accumulating points; stringent requirements also came into play. For instance, one needed to find a martial spirit at Silver rank. That was precisely why humanity lacked high-ranked evolvers.


    "Inventory," Silas muttered. A screen flickered before him, revealing his stored items. He let out a sigh of relief at the sight of his condo and the dungeon core. Now, his plan could proceed smoothly. He retrieved the dungeon core from the inventory. It was a large, fist-sized object adorned with intricate golden runes. He examined it briefly before putting it back, lost in thought.


    With the ability to transfer resources between both worlds, Silas could now buy special items to strengthen his human body. He also considered capturing powerful beasts as summons and forging a grimoire that would enhance his abilities. His human form needed more combat strength. Should he bring that little lass over here as well? She could be useful. The possibility intrigued him—after all, if the Star Fruit Tree from the dungeon core could be taken to the human world, then perhaps she could too. Once the grimoire was complete, he could allocate a page for Nina, creating a way for her to travel between realms.


    The sheer complexity of the universal system fascinated Silas. Who could have created something so extraordinary? The inventory alone was a mystery. If he focused on a beast-taming or summoner lineage, he was certain he could eventually acquire exotic beast eggs. The thought of riding a dragon, instilling awe—ahem—being revered by the masses, filled him with anticipation.


    With another thought, Silas opened the Universal Point Shop. "Good, this works too," he muttered. He could now purchase items directly in the human world, even those beyond the inventory’s handling capacity. A truly mysterious system indeed. Could he capture a Nether Demon and tame it? That giant thing seemed powerful… His mind wandered with possibilities.


    Meanwhile, in one of the human world’s major cities, a high-level meeting was taking place. The atmosphere inside the conference hall was grim. Top-ranked evolvers and military officials sat around a table, their expressions dark with concern.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    A man slammed his fist down in frustration. "Mr. Kim, you said we had another decade before the merge was complete! Why is everything accelerating?"


    Mr. Kim frowned deeply. "I don’t know either. Based on our previous calculations, the barrier between worlds should have held for at least ten more years before showing signs of weakening. But something… something on the other side is rapidly draining its energy. Whatever it is, it’s accelerating the collapse far beyond our expectations. We don’t have time. We need to move to Plan B."


    Another official grimaced. "Our nuclear arsenals were already depleted after that disaster. Right now, we have only eight Diamond-ranked evolvers and about a thousand Gold-ranked ones. Based on our power assessments, we’ll be absolutely crushed once the barrier falls."


    Silence fell over the room.


    Mr. Kim sighed. "I know what you’re all thinking. But the truth is, we didn’t have enough time to develop further."


    Mr. Shaw, one of the eight Diamond-ranked evolvers, leaned forward. "Back when the mana awakening happened, Blue Star experienced an unprecedented catastrophe. Seventy percent of the world’s population perished in a single day. Most people assumed it was a side effect of the mana awakening—but it wasn’t." His voice was grim. "The truth is, even the awakening itself was a side effect of something much bigger: a world crashing into Blue Star. The surge of mana we experienced was a mere leak from that world. Fortunately, a mysterious barrier protected our planet, preventing direct destruction. But even the shockwaves were enough to wipe out most of humanity.


    "And now, that same barrier is deteriorating at an alarming rate. It was supposed to hold for much longer, but something has accelerated its collapse. Just last week, we detected a severe drop in its energy levels. We barely have any time left."


    The weight of his words settled over the room like a suffocating fog.


    "If we can’t stop this," Mr. Kim continued, "our only option is to abandon Blue Star. We’ll have to retreat into the gates. Only awakened individuals can enter. The rest…" His voice trailed off, as the image of his wife and their young daughter appeared on his mind, even if he faltered.... he should not as one of the pillars of humanity


    Their silence spoke volumes. If they couldn’t stop this disaster, they would have to leave the majority of humanity behind to perish. They couldn’t even announce it publicly—it would cause unnecessary riots and chaos.


    Now, within a week, they needed to locate every awakened individual and move forward with the contingency plan. If the crisis was averted, they could return. If not…


    The highest-ranked evolvers—their world’s last line of defense—would stay behind and fight.


    The war protocols were initiated. A full information blackout was enforced. Top officials were barred from contacting their families to prevent leaks. The next seven days would decide humanity’s fate.


    On the massive screen behind them, a countdown appeared:


    175 hours 45 minutes 23 seconds to extinction.


    A heavy silence fell over the room. Some inwardly cursed whoever had thought of adding that countdown—it wasn’t helping their sanity.


    Alerts were sent to world leaders, and a global virtual war room was established to strategize one last time… to survive.


    —


    Oblivious to the existential crisis looming over his home world, Silas was preoccupied with something far more personal—hatching schemes to shake the world with his power and establish himself as a celebrity.


    After spending a few peaceful hours at Uncle Jay’s shop, he finally decided to return to home.


    But as he was heading home, his phone buzzed.


    A new message had arrived…