[…]
The atmosphere should have been sheer chaos — panic, screaming, students running for their lives — but it wasn’t. Everyone here was… composed.
Fifteen minutes ago, we received word about a horde breach in Sector 15. Every student, regardless of strength, gathered on the campus field. Some were still trickling in, but the bulk of us were already armed and ready to fight.
No armor. No uniforms. Just casual clothes — easier to maneuver in.
It was a horde-type breach, meaning low-tier creatures would flood in masses. Mortal Rank at best. Their strength was negligible, but their sheer numbers made them dangerous.
And yet… most of the students were laughing. Talking casually. Treating this like another day.
They have no idea what''s about to come.
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. My throat felt dry. This wasn’t just another breach — this was the start. The first domino to fall before Earth’s annihilation.
Because I know how this ends.
In my previous life, twenty years from now, Earth was obliterated in the Galactic War. The combined might of hundreds of galaxies descended upon us — and we lost. Our strongest warriors perished. I was one of them.
But before my death, I forcefully regressed. Using my peak Star Rank strength, I rewound time by 20 years — all to prevent Earth’s fate.
This time, I wouldn’t waste my life making friends or enjoying my youth. No distractions. No bonds. Only strength.
Even so… my progress was painfully slow. After seven months of relentless training, I still couldn’t rival Kaltain.
My eyes locked on him.
Kaltain stood at the very front, effortlessly commanding the aura of a king. He wore a white oversized t-shirt with a black jacket and cargo pants — casual as ever. His chiseled figure and tall frame made him look otherworldly.
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Tch. Wearing something like that to a battlefield… showoff. Or maybe I was just bitter.
Because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn''t surpass him. Not in my previous life. Not even now.
I moved my gaze and caught sight of her.
Edith. My former best friend. The one who died here in my previous life — betrayed by those she trusted.
We haven’t spoken in this life. I made sure of that. But even if we weren''t friends anymore… I wouldn’t let her die again. Not this time.
I exhaled, tightening my gloves. This is my first real battle in this timeline. From here… my mission to save Earth begins.
……
The creatures came like a storm.
Tremors cracked the ground as hundreds of skeletal, crimson-skinned beasts emerged from the rift. Their bones jutted out from their thin flesh, and their crimson eyes dripped with endless bloodlust.
“Crawlers,” I muttered. Fast but fragile. Their strength was in numbers.
The first wave crashed against the front line of students — and it was slaughter.
Kaltain barely moved. His mere presence crushed the approaching horde. The gravity around him intensified, compressing the air and turning dozens of Crawlers into paste.
“Ridiculous…” I gritted my teeth.
The rest of the students still fought, albeit clumsily. They didn’t fear the Crawlers — after all, Kaltain was here.
But I knew better.
Suddenly, a Rift Dweller emerged. Planetoid Rank. Towering 8 meters tall, its grotesque figure emitted a suffocating aura.
Kaltain turned toward it with a bored expression and approached it — and that was when everything fell apart.
The moment Kaltain shifted his attention to the Rift Dweller, the horde broke through. Crawlers surged past the distracted front line, instantly tearing through students. Blood splattered. Screams erupted.
I didn’t hesitate.
I dove into the chaos, grabbing a Crawler’s skull and crushing it with my bare hands. Another lunged — I pivoted, ripping out its spine. Blood drenched me, but I didn’t care.
I fought like a beast.
But the tide wasn’t ending. My vision blurred with red, my knuckles cracked under the strain, and my muscles burned — but I kept going.
I barely noticed when Kaltain started his fight with the Dweller. The clash was deafening. Wind slashes erupted from Kaltain’s hands, shearing through the Dweller like paper. His gravity manipulation compressed the atmosphere, suffocating his enemies.
But he was alone now — and the Crawlers kept swarming us.
“Damn it—!” I roared, grabbing another Crawler and smashing it into the ground.
I could hear Edith’s cries somewhere in the distance. My chest tightened. I need to get to her.
But Kaltain’s delusional fanboys blocked my way.
“You don’t need to fight! Kaltain has this handled!” one of them yelled.
Idiots.
I didn’t waste time arguing. Time around me slowed. Using my temporal abilities, I decelerated their movements to a crawl. Then I ripped through the Crawlers unimpeded. My fists shattered bones, my footwork snapped spines — I tore them apart like a reaper.
By the time my time distortion ended, I stood in a mountain of corpses.
But it wasn’t enough.
Kaltain was now surrounded by 12 Rift Dwellers. His gravity surges were devastating, but he was being overwhelmed.
“Damn it!” I charged toward him.
A Dweller attempted to flank him — I intercepted, caving its skull in with a brutal kick.
Kaltain shot me a brief glance. “…You finally joined in?”
I ignored him, punching through another Dweller’s chest. Blood sprayed on my face.
Kaltain moved like a god. His hand made a chopping motion — and the sky cracked. Hundreds of gravity slashes tore the Dwellers apart like mincemeat.
“…Insane,” I muttered, panting.
The battle dragged on, but I felt it. Something worse was coming.
Then it happened.
An ear-piercing screech erupted from the western horizon. The air turned thick. The ground quaked. The sky distorted.
And I froze.
“…No. Not now. Not this thing.”
Kaltain and I sprinted toward the source — and when we arrived, my heart sank.
Standing in the distance was a creature that should not exist.
“…Tride,” I whispered, my body trembling.
Kaltain frowned. “We need to call in the Planetary Ranks.”