Death's door..

Death's Door

A portal appeared out of nowhere.

A crack in space. An ominous rift. A gateway to an unknown, malevolent universe.

From its depths, monsters and demons poured out like an unstoppable tide, tearing through cities, consuming everything in their path.

Humanity's fate was sealed.

Total annihilation.

Screams filled the air.

"Help… somebody… help me—"

A desperate cry was cut short.

Blood splattered. Flesh was torn.

Grrrrrrrr…

A twisted beast loomed over the ruins of a once-thriving metropolis, its jagged teeth glistening in the moonlight.

But then—

WHOOSH!

THWACK!

A flash of steel. A gust of wind.

The monster's head rolled to the ground, its body collapsing a second later.

A lone figure stood among the wreckage, his robes fluttering in the night breeze.

"Run." His voice was calm, unwavering. "Don't look back. Leave it to me."

He wasn't an ordinary man.

He was one of them.

Before the catastrophe, they were nothing more than whispers—humans who had mysteriously awakened martial arts abilities far beyond the limits of normal people. The government tried to suppress the truth, but social media was faster than their cover-ups.

Some called them reincarnated legends. Others believed they were messengers of the gods. Many feared they were possessed by demons.

At first, Awakeners were controlled, monitored, and treated as potential threats. But after the Death's Door Incident, everything changed.

They became humanity's last line of defense—the heroes of mankind.

With each battle, their reputation grew. Survivors worshipped them. Fan clubs and organizations formed in their name.

But the truth was far older than anyone realized.

Thousands of years ago, the world was ruled by martial artists of unimaginable strength. They cultivated divine techniques, shaping history with their fists and swords. Humanity thrived—until disaster struck.

A great calamity wiped out entire civilizations. Martial arts, once widespread, vanished. Generations passed, and the knowledge was lost.

But before the fall, the greatest warriors of that era made a desperate decision.

They sealed their souls.

Waiting. Watching.

For the right moment to return.

Now, after centuries of silence, their souls had awakened once more—choosing disciples, passing down their lost techniques.

And so, the world entered a new era.

An era of martial arts resurgence.

A century and a half has passed since the calamity.

Martial arts now dictate everything—status, power, influence. The stronger you are, the higher you climb. The weak? Cast aside. Forgotten.

Martial arts academies and combat tournaments have become the new normal. Awakener factions hold immense authority. Wealth and power belong to those with talent, while those born weak are seen as disgraces to their family name.

But none of them realize the truth.

They don't know what's coming.

Only he and I do.

Because exactly nine years from now…

The world will end.

I knew this world.

It was from the novel I Return with My SSS-Class Master. A story where the time-traveling hero, Ayush, returns to the past to prevent humanity's destruction.

The problem?

I wasn't Ayush.

And for the past three years, I had been stuck in this world.

I don't know how it happened or why, but one thing is clear—if I don't get stronger, I'm doomed. In a world ruled by the strong, being weak is worse than death.

I glanced down at the documents in my hand, the emblem of SIF (Special Investigation Faction) printed boldly on the side.

Getting this far hadn't been easy.

The moment I arrived in this world, I was surrounded by armed martial artists, their weapons pointed at me.

No ID, no records—just a guy in pajamas appearing out of thin air.

They assumed I was from the Demonic Faction.

I was interrogated. Tortured.

For an entire year, they used every method imaginable to break me—mental, physical, everything. But I had nothing to tell them.

Because the truth was simple.

"Yesterday, I was lying in my bed. Today, I woke up here. I don't know anything else."

I repeated those words a thousand times.

At some point, they must have realized I wasn't lying, because the torture stopped.

For the next two years, they kept me locked in a room, watching my every move.

Then, yesterday, something changed.

Two martial artists and a government official came to see me.

"You've been cleared of all suspicion," they said. "You're free to go."

Just like that.

They even gave me a new identity and offered me five million won as compensation.

I refused the money. Instead, I asked for something else.

I never expected them to actually agree to my request.

But I have a really bad feeling about all of this.

Something is changing.

In these past three years, the only good thing that happened to me was awakening Qi, the mysterious life force that fuels martial arts.

Because of the novel, I already knew the basics of Qi—how it worked, how to train it.

I don't know what happened outside during these three years. If nothing changed, then the story should still be following the Training Arc, moving towards the Academy Arc.

After reincarnating from the future, the protagonist Ayush will awaken in his 15-year-old body, giving him enough time to train and reach Qi Stage 3 before enrolling in Divine Dragon Academy.

It's the only requirement to enter the academy—reaching Qi Stage 3 before enrollment.

In his past life, Ayush was so pathetic that he never even reached Stage 2 until he was 28 years old. His family abandoned him, forcing him to become a low-class hunter.

He lived his whole life as a weakling.

Until the Demon Invasion Arc.

After barely surviving a battle, he awakened his true talent. In his final moments, he was sent back in time and given a second chance.

Now, with all his past life knowledge, he is determined not to repeat his mistakes.

He will become stronger. He will change his fate.

And he won't be alone.

Like the legendary heroes before him, he became the disciple of an ancient soul in his moment of death. With his new master, reaching Qi Stage 3 was no longer a dream.

The Academy Arc will begin soon.

I need to be there.

To understand what happened to me.

To get stronger.

Even if Ayush will save the world…

That's no guarantee for my life.

I won't put my fate in someone else's hands.

I need to get stronger.

Stronger than anyone else

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