That monster was colossal—around 200 meters tall. Its body, composed of a material three times denser than mercury(The Planet), radiated an unnatural pressure. To remain on Earth without sinking into the ground, the creature manipulated gravity itself.


    It had four limbs, each towering at a staggering 40 meters. Its entire form resembled a monstrous tortoise, except far more alien and grotesque. The shell on its back, pristine and glowing, stood in stark contrast to its rusted, cracked skin. A strange, viscous black substance oozed over its face, obscuring its features.


    Later, it would be named Tride.


    A cold dread crawled up my spine. If Tride has appeared, then Edith’s death must be close. I need to find her fast.


    I turned and rushed toward the last place I’d seen her. Interestingly, Kaltain, instead of charging straight toward Tride like in the previous timeline, was now following me. I realized he was likely heading back to regroup the others.


    I didn’t care. My only focus was finding Edith.


    After what felt like an eternity, I finally spotted her. She was locked in combat, fending off a swarm of crawlers alongside another girl. They were surrounded. Desperate.


    And that girl… she was the one responsible for Edith’s death in the previous timeline.


    My pace quickened. My heart pounded. I needed to reach her in time.


    But I was too late.


    In a moment of panic, the girl beside Edith grabbed her and threw her toward the incoming swarm of crawlers — using her as a distraction to escape.


    Veins bulged on my head. Rage boiled within me. That treacherous piece of garbage! I wanted to rip her apart. I was about to turn away, unable to stomach the sight of my friend being devoured again—


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    Crack!


    A sharp, wet sound echoed. But it wasn’t Edith’s bones breaking. It was the girl’s skull.


    A boy stood there, clutching the girl’s head like a grape and casually crushing it. Her blood didn’t even have time to spill—it was consumed by miniature black holes swirling around him, the same black holes currently shredding the crawlers into nothing.


    What… the hell?


    The boy was unnervingly attractive. Raven-black hair, equally dark eyes, and an almost deathly pale complexion. His sharp, defined features and the sheer pressure he exuded were otherworldly. He wore a black hoodie over a white t-shirt, paired with black trousers. A peculiar black ring gleamed on his left forefinger.


    I froze. Who the hell is he?


    He wasn’t present in the previous timeline. Someone with Planetoid-level strength like his should’ve been impossible to miss… and yet I had no recollection of him.


    But what unsettled me more was Edith’s reaction. She didn’t recoil in horror. She didn’t question his presence. Instead, she stared at him in a trance for a moment before…


    She ran to him and hugged him.


    Tightly. Desperately. As if she’d found something she lost long ago. Her whole body trembled. Tears streamed down her face, her nose ran, and her sobs echoed painfully.


    I was stunned. What the hell is happening here?


    Edith never displayed such emotions toward anyone. Even toward me — her only friend — she had always been reserved. But now she was clinging to this man like her life depended on it.


    The man’s bloodlust, which had been thick enough to suffocate everyone, instantly dissipated as he hugged her back. His voice, once menacing, turned unnaturally soft.


    “Are you alright, Edith?”


    That broke her entirely. She sobbed even harder, clutching his hoodie tighter as though he’d vanish if she let go.


    Who is he?


    The crowd of students arrived, drawn by the noise of combat and Edith’s uncontrollable sobs. Even Kaltain and I stood dumbfounded.


    The boy gently pulled Edith away, his expression filled with nothing but warmth. “Calm down, girly. I’m real… and I’m back. I’ll stay with you all now.”


    Edith’s grip tightened again. “You’re not… some abomination playing on my vulnerability, are you?”


    The boy chuckled softly. “I didn’t know I held such a high place in your heart. I must say, I’m rather pleased.”


    Edith cried harder, and he simply ruffled her hair, holding her close.


    Before anyone could speak, a burly boy from the crowd — probably the dead girl’s boyfriend — stepped forward, rage evident in his bloodshot eyes.


    “You bastard! You killed my girl! You think you’ll get away with that?”


    The boy didn’t even turn. “Oh… and how exactly do you plan on avenging her?”


    “Fight me! No abilities. Just a fistfight, like real men. Or are you too much of a coward?”


    A low chuckle escaped the man’s lips, and then he burst into a full-blown laugh. “Ahahahahahaha! Seriously? A mage engaging a barbarian in a fistfight? Are you even capable of thought?”


    “Don’t dodge my challenge! If you’re a man, fight me!”


    The boy’s tone shifted—ice cold and venomous. “Know your place, brat.”


    A wave of bloodlust erupted from him, suffocating everyone present. The burly guy flinched, as did everyone else—including me and Kaltain.


    And then—Crack!


    In an instant, the boy delivered a roundhouse kick to the burly guy’s head. His skull caved, blood bursting from his eyes, nose, and mouth as he collapsed lifelessly.


    The boy turned to the crowd, his voice devoid of warmth. “Anyone else?”


    Silence. Deathly silence.


    Even Edith stared at him, startled by his ruthlessness.


    Who the hell is this guy…?