The Clock Turns Back
Chapter 2: The Clock Turns Back
The world around Rei shifted. The once-ruined dungeon felt different—slower, as if time itself had lost its grip on reality. His body, moments ago broken and beaten, now pulsed with an unfamiliar energy. He could feel it coursing through his veins, warping the very air around him.
The Time Eater, a creature that had once loomed over him like an unstoppable nightmare, was now frozen mid-lunge. Its monstrous claws, dripping with the blood of his fallen comrades, hung in the air as if caught between seconds. Its face, twisted in an eternal snarl, remained locked in place.
Rei's breath came in sharp, uneven gasps. He had never felt power like this before—an overwhelming sensation that everything, everything, around him could be bent to his will.
Chronos… he did something to me.
The words of the Monarch of Time still echoed in his mind.
> "I grant you this—a chance to rewrite your fate. But be warned, for even time can betray you."
Rei clenched his fists, watching as faint golden threads of energy flickered around his hands. Was this time itself bending to his will?
He focused on the sensation, reaching out mentally. Instinctively, something within him responded.
[Time Manipulation: Reverse]
A strange, ancient glyph flashed before his eyes. Suddenly, the entire world rewound.
The sensation was disorienting. The air twisted and flickered, and before he could react, everything began to move backward.
The Time Eater's lunge reversed, its claws retracting mid-strike. The blood on the ground rose back into his wounds, sealing them shut. The stone debris scattered around him pulled itself back together, reforming into the dungeon walls.
Rei gasped, stumbling backward as he processed what had just happened. He had just reversed time itself.
The Time Eater was now several feet away, standing exactly where it had been ten seconds ago—before it had lunged to kill him.
This power… Rei thought. It's real.
The creature blinked, confused, its glowing eyes narrowing. It had sensed something—some kind of distortion in time—but it couldn't comprehend what had happened.
And that was Rei's advantage.
A slow smirk crept onto his face.
"My turn."
---
Unleashing the Time Lord's Power
Rei dashed forward, his body moving faster than the flow of time itself. His feet barely touched the ground as he closed the distance in an instant. The Time Eater barely had time to react before he struck.
His fist, infused with the strange golden temporal energy, smashed into the beast's chest. A shockwave rippled outward, and for the first time, the Time Eater staggered back, screeching in pain.
It wasn't just the force of the blow—it was what came after.
The moment Rei's fist connected, he activated his ability again.
[Time Manipulation: Accelerate]
The impact aged the creature's wound at an accelerated rate. The once-fresh injury rotted and decayed, spreading across its body in an instant. The beast howled as the corrupted flesh crumbled into dust, decades of decay condensed into mere seconds.
Rei's eyes gleamed. He could age his enemies into oblivion.
But the Time Eater wasn't done.
Despite the rapid aging of its wound, it lashed out wildly, its claws slicing through the air. Rei barely managed to dodge, twisting his body in ways that should have been impossible.
Time itself slowed around him. The creature's movements, once blindingly fast, became sluggish and predictable.
[Time Manipulation: Slow]
Rei sidestepped another attack, his mind working faster than reality itself.
If I can slow time for my enemies and speed it up for myself…
A plan formed in his mind.
The Time Eater lunged again, but this time, Rei moved before it could.
He flipped backward, placing both hands forward. His power surged.
[Temporal Burst]
A pulse of golden energy erupted from his palms, hitting the monster directly in its core. Time warped around the impact zone, and in an instant—
The creature imploded.
Its very existence collapsed inward, consumed by the warped flow of time. The creature screeched one last time before vanishing into nothingness.
Rei stood there, panting, his hands still glowing with residual power.
He had won.
He had defeated a monster that should have killed him.
And he had done it by bending time itself.
---
The System Awakens
A familiar voice echoed in his head.
[System Integration Complete.]
[Congratulations. You have unlocked the Time Lord Ascension Path.]
[New Title Acquired: He Who Defies Time.]
Rei's heart pounded.
A system? Like a game?
A translucent interface appeared before him, displaying new stats:
[Name: Rei Kaizen]
[Class: Temporal Warden]
[Level: 1 → 7]
[Abilities Unlocked:]
Time Reversal (Reverse short durations of time.)
Time Acceleration (Age objects/enemies rapidly.)
Time Slow (Reduce the speed of enemies.)
Temporal Burst (Condensed time explosion.)
Rei exhaled, his mind racing. He had leveled up six times in one battle.
His hands clenched into fists. This power… it was far beyond anything a normal hunter should have.
But before he could process it all, the ground beneath him began to tremble.
A new rift tore open in the air—an exit portal.
The dungeon was collapsing.
Rei wasted no time. He dashed toward the portal, his body still buzzing with newfound strength.
This is just the beginning.
He stepped through, leaving the dungeon behind.
And as he emerged into the world once more, he knew one thing for certain—
He was no longer just Rei Kaizen.
He was the Time Lord.
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