Chapter 1: Prologue

Year 118 of the New Empirical Calendar

Eden de Sylvain

Humanity had fought for survival in a world reshaped by the Awakening for 118 years. Time and time again, they had stood at the brink of extinction, only to adapt, evolve, and claw their way back. Every sacrifice, every victory, had led to this moment—the final war between the last two human empires.

Eden de Sylvain stood at the edge of the battlefield, his expression unreadable as he watched thousands march toward their deaths. His fists clenched at his sides. It was a senseless conflict. The mana gates grew stronger every year, unleashing more terrifying creatures. Yet, instead of uniting, humans fought among themselves. Logically, this war was a mistake. They should be fighting to save their world, not destroying each other. But reason had no place on this battlefield. The empire had forced his hand when they dragged his family into it.

57 Days Earlier

The alert blared across the city, flashing red on every device. A Tier 5 mana gate had appeared in the city center. If left unchecked, it would break, unleashing a catastrophe. There was no time to hesitate. Someone had to answer the call.

Eden bolted toward the gate, weaving through the panicked crowds. As one of the city's strongest Awakened, he knew what had to be done. Steeling himself, he stepped through the portal, prepared for a brutal battle.

The moment Eden stepped through the gate, the world around him twisted and stretched, warping into something otherworldly. He found himself standing in an endless expanse of swirling stars and cosmic light. The ground beneath his feet was solid, yet it shimmered like liquid stardust, shifting subtly with each step he took. It felt like he had been dropped into the heart of the universe, where time and space blurred together in an endless sea of eternity.

His breath came slow and measured, his body tensed, waiting for the inevitable attack. And soon enough, it came.

Figures emerged from the void, forming out of the same cosmic light that surrounded him. At first, they were formless, vague silhouettes of energy, but then they solidified into something eerily familiar—armored knights clad in ancient steel, their visors obscuring any trace of humanity. They stood motionless for a moment, swords gleaming under the celestial glow, and then, without warning, they charged.

Eden reacted swiftly attempting to activate his awakened ability Telekinesis however, to his surprise his ability refused to activate. Confusion from the refusal caused him to lose focus for a moment, and that moment was enough. 

The first knight swung its blade. He twisted his body, the weapon narrowly missing as he stepped back, feeling the air split where the sword had cut. His training kicked in instinctively. He spun, launching a precise counterstrike with his bare hands. His fist met metal, but instead of solid steel, the knight's form fractured like brittle glass, shimmering into the air before reforming once more.

'They're not real,' he realized. 'They're constructs.'

That didn't make them any less deadly.

More knights descended upon him. Eden ducked beneath a sweeping blow, shifting his weight to dodge another, his mind racing. He couldn't fight them like normal enemies. They weren't bound by the same physical rules. He had to adapt.

Summoning the mana coursing through his veins, he struck out with precision, not aiming to break their bodies, but to unravel them. His strikes became sharper, more refined, targeting the seams in their glowing forms. Each impact sent ripples through their figures, distorting them like shattered glass caught in slow motion.

One by one, they fell. And yet, the battle seemed endless. Time blurred, his movements growing automatic, instinct guiding his strikes. Seconds stretched into minutes, minutes into something far longer, yet he had no way to measure how long he had truly been fighting. His mind told him it had been hours, but his body felt as though mere moments had passed.

Then, at last, the final knight crumbled into nothingness, its body scattering into shimmering motes. Eden stood amidst the fading remnants of battle, his breath steady, his body untouched, but his mind reeling. Something was wrong.

The moment the last enemy fell, the world shifted again.

The star-filled void pulsed, the swirling cosmos parting like curtains to reveal a single path forward. The air felt different now, heavier, denser, charged with an ancient power. As he stepped forward, he could feel the very essence of time unraveling around him, warping and stretching like an unseen force was playing with reality itself.

And then, he saw him.

A man stood in the center of it all.

Unlike the knights, he was not a construct of energy. He was real—terrifyingly real. His presence was overwhelming, an undeniable force that made Eden's instincts scream in warning. The man radiated power, not in a violent or oppressive way, but in a manner that made it clear he existed beyond normal limitations. His robes were woven with threads of light and shadow, flowing as if they were untouched by the laws of physics. His silver eyes gleamed with an unfathomable depth, the weight of countless ages reflected in them.

Eden didn't need to ask to know the being before him was beyond human comprehension. Even without sight, he felt the sheer vastness of its presence, like standing before an endless ocean where time itself ebbed and flowed.

The figure was tall, draped in robes that shimmered like the night sky, constellations shifting across the fabric as though they were alive. His features were sharp yet ageless, his gaze piercing despite Eden's blindness. Power radiated from him—not like fire, not like lightning, but something far deeper. A force that had always been and always would be.

The being regarded him with quiet amusement before speaking. His voice was steady, deliberate, carrying an undeniable authority that resonated deep within Eden's soul.

"Time is a river. Some fight against the current, others drift without resistance. Tell me, warrior, which is the correct path?"

Eden's thoughts spun. A test? A philosophical riddle?

Fighting against the current meant struggle—an attempt to defy fate. Drifting meant surrender—allowing oneself to be carried without purpose. Neither answer sat well with him.

"Neither," Eden said finally, his voice steady despite the weight pressing down on him. "Time doesn't care about those who fight or those who submit. The only path is to move with purpose. To use the current to reach where you need to be."

Silence.

The figure studied him for a long moment, and then, a small smirk formed at the corner of his lips.

"A clever answer. But words alone are meaningless. You will prove your worth."

Eden tensed. The air around him trembled. He barely had time to react before the world shattered.

He was no longer standing before the being.

Instead, he was falling.

The sensation of weightlessness consumed him, but before panic could set in, his feet met solid ground. The environment around him was vast and endless—a void filled with floating islands of stone, each one shifting as if they were pieces of a cosmic puzzle.

And then, he felt it.

Something was wrong.

He turned sharply, his instincts screaming a warning—only for a sword to whistle through the air toward him.

Eden barely managed to dodge, twisting his body as the blade missed him by inches. His heart pounded as he regained his footing, feeling the weight of a presence behind him.

A knight stood there, clad in ancient, blackened armor, his visor hiding his face. The air around him crackled with distorted energy, as if time itself was unraveling at his touch.

More footsteps echoed.

Eden's breath slowed.

They were everywhere.

Dozens of knights emerged from the shifting void, each wielding weapons that shimmered with unnatural light. There was no hesitation in their movements, no pause. The first knight lunged again, and Eden moved on instinct.

He ducked beneath the strike, feeling the blade pass just over his head, then lashed out with a counter. His fist struck the knight's armored chest, but instead of impact—

His hand phased through.

Eden's eyes widened. Before he could recover, another blade sliced toward him. He twisted away, narrowly avoiding it, but he was already off-balance. More came, relentless, endless, attacking from every angle.

He couldn't touch them.

They could touch him.

This was impossible.

A voice echoed through the void—The mysterious beings voice. "Time bends for those who understand it. Fight as you are now, and you will lose."

Eden gritted his teeth. "Then how am I supposed to fight?"

The knights advanced. Eden forced himself to move, weaving between the strikes. He could feel them, sense them through their mana—flickering like distorted images, their forms shifting in and out of place.

Time wasn't working normally here.

They weren't solid because they existed in different moments. The strikes that hit him weren't happening now—they had already happened. He was reacting too late.

Eden took a slow breath.

He had to see before they struck.

Closing his eyes, he stilled his mind, letting go of the panic, the doubt. He focused. The blurred figures of the knights sharpened.

He saw it.

A flicker—a second ahead. The moment before they moved.

The next knight lunged. Eden moved before the attack even began, sidestepping effortlessly, his fist lashing out and—this time—connecting. The knight crumbled into nothing.

The battlefield shifted. The remaining knights attacked, but now, Eden was ahead of them. He wove through them, his strikes landing with deadly precision. One by one, they shattered.

And then, silence.

The last knight fell.

Eden stood there, panting, his body aching. Time had blurred during the battle—it could have been seconds, it could have been hours.

A slow clap echoed through the void.

Eden turned. The being stood there once more, watching him with approval.

"You adapt quickly."

Eden exhaled. "Was this the test?"

"No." the voice was calm, almost amused. "This was merely the beginning."

Eden stilled.

The Being took a step forward. "Tell me, warrior—do you wish for power?"

The air around them grew heavy. Eden's heart pounded, but he didn't hesitate. "Yes."

His gaze bore into him, measuring him, weighing him. "Then you shall have it. But only if you are worthy."

The world began to twist again, space folding in on itself. Eden clenched his fists.

Another trial was coming.

And this time, he had no idea what to expect.

The void around Eden shifted again. The floating islands of stone collapsed into the abyss, leaving nothing but a vast expanse of darkness. Then, the world twisted.

A new landscape unfolded before him.

Eden found himself standing in a desolate wasteland. The ground beneath him was cracked and scorched, as if ravaged by countless battles. In the sky above, time itself fractured—stars flickered between existence and oblivion, constellations forming and dissolving in an endless cycle.

Before him, the man stood unmoving, his hands clasped behind his back. His presence was absolute, an unwavering force within the chaotic storm of time.

"You have proven your ability to perceive the flow of time, Now, you must prove your will."

Eden narrowed his eyes. "How?"

The man raised a hand.

And the world burned.

A tidal wave of power erupted toward Eden—an unrelenting force that distorted space itself. There was no time to think, no room to escape. The moment the attack reached him, Eden felt everything—his body, his soul, his very existence—begin to unravel.

Pain unlike anything he had ever known tore through him.

His mind screamed, his instincts roared. This wasn't an attack. It was something deeper.

It was erasure.

He was being erased from time itself.

Memories shattered like glass. His past blurred. His name, his purpose—gone, slipping through his fingers like sand.

"Do you understand now?" the voice echoed. "Power is meaningless without the will to exist. The moment you lose yourself, you will vanish. Now, tell me, warrior—do you have the resolve to defy oblivion?"

Eden couldn't breathe. His body was gone, his thoughts fading. Everything was disappearing.

But deep inside, something held on. A single truth.

He could not disappear here.

Not yet.

Not when he had barely begun.

Not when he had a goal to reach.

A future to claim.

Through sheer will alone, Eden forced himself back into existence.

A spark of mana surged through him—his very soul igniting against the weight of nonexistence. The pain remained, but he pushed through it, clawing his way out of the void. His consciousness snapped back into place, his body reforming, the pieces of himself coming together once more.

Eden took a shuddering breath.

He was still here.

He refused to be erased.

The being watched him with something unreadable in his gaze. And then he smiled.

"Good."

With a wave of his hand, the oppressive force vanished. The world settled. Time, once chaotic, returned to order.

Eden fell to his knees, his body trembling from the ordeal.

"You have proven yourself."

The man stepped forward, stopping just in front of Eden.

"You are not the first to stand before me," he said, his voice quieter now. "Many have sought my blessing. Most failed. A handful survived. But you…"

The god regarded him for a long moment before speaking the words that would change everything.

"You shall inherit my Legacy."

A surge of power flooded the space between them. Time itself bent and twisted around them, forming into something tangible—a radiant, ethereal light, pulsing with the essence of time itself.

He extended his hand.

"Take it."

Eden reached out.

The moment his fingers brushed against the light, his mind exploded with knowledge. Visions of time unraveled before him—past, present, future—all woven together in a tapestry beyond mortal comprehension.

He saw empires rise and fall. He saw the flow of history, the echoes of what had been and what could be.

And then—darkness.

The world faded.

Eden gasped as he came to, his body jerking upright.

He was back.

The void was gone. The battlefield, the wasteland—erased as if they had never existed. He was lying on solid ground, his breath ragged, his heart pounding in his chest.

Slowly, Eden pushed himself up.

Before him, the massive gate loomed once more, its presence unchanged—but now, the air around it felt… lighter.

The trial was over.

He had passed.

A voice echoed in his mind, deeper than thought, beyond sound itself.

"Walk forward, warrior of time. Your path begins now."

Eden took a slow breath, then stepped through the gate.

And the world welcomed him anew.

Present Day

Eden never got the chance to process what had happened inside that gate. Two days had passed in the outside world by the time he emerged—only to find his home reduced to ruin. Fires raged. Buildings lay in rubble. Bodies littered the streets.

His heart pounded as he sprinted toward his home, ignoring the system notification flashing in his vision:[You have received a Legacy.]

He didn't care. He had only one thought. Please, let him be alive.

But fate had no mercy.

The wreckage of his home was nothing but shattered stone and scorched wood. With a wave of his hand, he activated his awakened ability, S-Telekinesis, lifting the debris in an instant.

That was when he saw him.

His father lay among the ruins, torn apart beyond recognition. The only piece untouched was his face, frozen in an expression of sheer agony.

Eden staggered back, bile rising in his throat. His vision blurred, his breath came in ragged gasps. A scream built in his chest but never escaped. Instead, something inside him snapped.

Revenge.

That was the only thing left.

For the next 55 days, Eden fought. He massacred those responsible. Again and again, he cut them down, drowning his grief in blood.

And now, standing amidst the battlefield, he felt nothing. No rage. No sorrow. Just an empty void.

The Final Battle

Two weeks of relentless war had left both sides in shambles. The Lorraine Empire, Eden's homeland, was losing. Outnumbered three to one by the Sinclair Empire, they were being crushed. Even the strongest among them were falling, one by one.

Eden fought harder than ever, but it wasn't enough. His allies crumbled around him, their bodies joining the sea of corpses. In the end, only those within the top 100 strongest in the world remained, preparing for their last stand.

And then, everything changed.

A pressure unlike anything before weighed down on them. Every warrior on the battlefield felt it, their instincts screaming in alarm.

Eden looked up.

A mana gate loomed overhead, the largest he had ever seen. Its energy pulsed violently, and in that moment, he knew. A Tier 6 gate. Something once thought impossible had become reality.

A hush fell over the battlefield. Even sworn enemies hesitated, realizing the truth—their war meant nothing in the face of what was coming. But it was already too late.

The gate shattered, and hell poured out.

The creatures that emerged were beyond anything humanity had ever faced. And they were endless.

Weakened from the war, the Awakened fought desperately, but they were overwhelmed. One by one, they fell. It wasn't a battle. It was a massacre.

Eden lost himself in the chaos.

His body moved on instinct, blade carving through flesh and bone, fire roaring at his command. His telekinesis ripped monsters apart mid-lunge, sending their broken bodies crashing into the oncoming horde. Blood soaked the ground beneath him, pooling with the remains of beasts and humans alike.

He had stopped thinking. There was no time to think. Only to kill.

A monstrous bear-like creature, its body covered in shifting obsidian scales, lunged at him with a roar that shook the battlefield. Eden ducked under its massive claws, twisting mid-motion as he drove his flaming blade through its chest. The creature screeched, thrashing violently—until he clenched his fist.

A pulse of telekinetic force erupted within its body. The monster exploded into chunks of flesh.

[Strength: S → SS]

The system's notification flickered in the corner of his vision.

He ignored it.

Another wave surged forward. Hulking beasts with gnarled horns, wolf-like creatures wreathed in shadow, twisted humanoids with elongated limbs and glowing eyes.

A sharp pain lanced through Eden's side as something slashed across his ribs. He spun, countering with a burst of fire, incinerating his attacker in an instant. His breath came ragged, his muscles screamed for relief, but he refused to stop.

There was no room for exhaustion.

He kicked off the ground, telekinetic force enhancing his movement. He twisted mid-air, dodging a razor-sharp tendril before slamming his fist into the earth. Fire erupted around him in a blazing inferno, consuming everything within reach.

[Agility: S → SS]

Another notification. Another ignored message.

He had no time.

His vision blurred—whether from fatigue or the sheer number of monsters swarming him, he didn't know. His body was breaking, pushing past its limits again and again.

How long had it been?

Hours? Days? Time had lost meaning.

And then—

A roar unlike any other tore through the battlefield.

Eden's head snapped up just in time to see a colossal figure descend from the sky, slamming into the ground with enough force to shatter the land. Dust and debris exploded outward, obscuring his vision.

When it cleared, a towering, four-armed beast stood before him. Its body was covered in runic armor, its molten eyes burning with primal fury. A king among monsters. A true apex predator.

A Grade 6 Boss.

Eden exhaled slowly. He tightened his grip on his sword, fire coiling around his arms. His body was screaming, his mana reserves were running low. But there was no retreat.

This… this was the moment.

The beast charged.

Eden met it head-on.

The battle was unlike anything before. The monster was relentless—each strike carried enough force to shatter mountains. Eden dodged by a hair's breadth, retaliating with precise, devastating counters. His blade found flesh, his flames seared through thick armor, but it wasn't enough.

The creature adapted. It learned. It countered.

His body was failing. His mana flickered. His vision blurred at the edges.

I'm reaching my limit.

The thought barely had time to register before the beast struck.

A fist, the size of a boulder, slammed into his chest. His ribs cracked. His body was sent flying, crashing through the remains of a ruined fortress. He coughed, tasting iron, but forced himself to stand.

Not yet.

The monster charged again, raising all four arms for the final strike.

Eden didn't move.

He couldn't move.

Something inside him was breaking.

No—shattering.

[Grade 5 → Grade 6: Ascension in Progress.]

A sudden surge of power exploded from within him.

Fire roared. Mana flooded his veins. His body transcended.

The monster swung—only to hit nothing.

Eden was already behind it.

His sword burned brighter than ever before. His telekinetic force hummed, bending the very air around him. For the first time, his power felt unshackled.

He moved.

One slash.

A single, perfect cut.

The beast froze. Then, slowly—its massive frame split apart, cleaved cleanly down the center. It collapsed, the light in its molten eyes fading to nothing.

Silence.

Eden stood, panting, feeling the newfound power coursing through his body.

Above him, the sky split open.

Tier 6 Gates.

One… three… six…

How many?

Eden dropped to his knees. His body was broken. His mana drained. He had reached the pinnacle of human strength, Grade 6 Awakened, but it hadn't been enough.

If only he had been stronger. If only humanity had stood together.

His vision blurred. He could barely register the system notification appearing before him:

Eden de Sylvain

Age: 30

Grade: 6 Awakened

Strength: SSS

Agility: SSS

Stamina: SSS

Mana Control: SSS

Mana Pool: SSS

Awakened Ability: S-Telekinesis [Sacred]

Ascended Ability: A-Perseverance [Sacred]

Transcended Ability: A-One With The Sword [Sacred]

Martial Art: SSS Sword of the Mind and Body

Legacy: 1 New Legacy

Through the haze of exhaustion, one line caught his eye.

[Legacy: God of Time - Chronos]

A new prompt appeared.

Would you like to activate this legacy?Warning: You may only have one legacy.

[Yes] - [No]

Eden exhaled slowly. God of Time…

His lips curled into a bitter smile. If he could turn back time, could he fix everything? Could he undo this war?

His finger hovered over the option. Then, with the last of his strength, he made his choice.

[You have selected: Yes.]

Darkness swallowed him whole.