The temple's stone circle pulsed with energy, wrapping around my body like a cocoon of light. I felt my consciousness stretch, pulled through a tunnel of soundless wind. My breath vanished. My thoughts scattered. And then—
Silence.
I opened my eyes.
The sky was black.
The sea roared.
And the world… was burning.
I stood on a jagged cliff overlooking the ocean. Below, waves crashed violently against the rocks. Smoke billowed from the horizon. Something massive had fallen from the sky—an object, no, a creature—its impact had shattered the coastline and sent tremors across the land.
I wasn't alone.
Hundreds of others stood nearby, all wearing the same ceremonial robes. Their faces were pale, confused. Some were crying. Others stared blankly at the chaos below.
Then I heard it.
A voice. Not from the sky. Not from the earth.
From within.
> [Congratulations. You are the first being to perceive this message. Your wish has begun to reshape reality.]
The same message. But this time… I understood it.
I looked around. Others were clutching their heads, groaning in pain. Some collapsed. A few screamed.
But none of them reacted like I did.
They didn't understand.
Even the hooded elder who had greeted us at the temple stood nearby, his staff trembling in his hand. He muttered the same words over and over:
—"The Origin has spoken… The trial begins… The Origin has spoken…"
But his eyes were empty. He was reciting, not comprehending.
I stepped forward.
—"Elder! What is this place? What is that thing in the sea?!"
He turned to me slowly.
—"We do not know. The words are passed down from our ancestors. We only guide the chosen to the trial. What happens next… is beyond us."
A deafening roar split the sky.
The creature in the sea moved.
Its body rose from the water—towering, grotesque, covered in scales and writhing tendrils. Its eyes glowed like molten gold. And from its back, hundreds of smaller beasts leapt into the air, landing on the cliffs and charging toward us.
Panic erupted.
—"Run!" someone shouted.
—"They're coming!"
The elder raised his staff, but it shattered in his hands. He fell to his knees, whispering prayers.
I didn't run.
I couldn't.
Something inside me stirred.
A memory. A technique. A story.
I clenched my fists.
—"No more reading. No more watching. It's time to fight."
The first creature lunged—a twisted beast with claws like blades and a mouth full of jagged teeth. I dodged instinctively, rolling to the side. My body moved faster than it should have. My reflexes were sharper. My mind clearer.
I grabbed a broken dagger from the ground—its edge chipped, its hilt cracked.
—"Let's see if this works…"
I charged.
The beast roared, slashing at me. I ducked under its arm and drove the dagger into its neck. It shrieked, thrashing violently. I held on, twisting the blade deeper until it collapsed.
Blood soaked my robe.
I looked up.
More were coming.
I wasn't the only one fighting. A few others had found weapons—swords, spears, even rocks. But they were untrained. They fell quickly.
Then I saw them.
A group surrounded by beasts. Three men and two women—wounded, exhausted, backs against the cliff wall. Their guards lay bleeding on the ground, some receiving hurried treatment from others.
The creatures closed in.
I didn't hesitate.
I ran.
—"Get away from them!" I shouted, leaping into the fray.
One of the beasts turned toward me, snarling. I slid under its legs and stabbed upward, piercing its abdomen. Another lunged—I kicked it in the jaw, sending it tumbling.
—"Who is that?!" one of the men shouted.
—"He's not one of us!"
—"He's fighting like a madman!"
I stood between them and the monsters, panting, bleeding.
—"If you can move, help me. If not, stay behind me."
The woman closest to me—her face like something out of a legend, eyes like moonlight—nodded.
—"I'll fight."
She grabbed a fallen spear and joined me.
The others followed.
Even the wounded guards, inspired by our stand, rose to their feet, clutching weapons and charging into battle.
The cliff became a warzone.
Steel clashed. Roars echoed. Blood spilled.
I fought like I'd never fought before. Every move came from memory—books I'd read, techniques I'd imagined. I ducked, spun, struck. I used terrain, momentum, instinct.
One beast tackled me. I rolled with it, stabbing its eye.
Another grabbed my arm. I twisted free, slashing its throat.
The woman beside me fought with elegance—her spear danced like lightning. One of the men wielded twin blades, moving like a shadow. Another summoned bursts of energy from his palms, blasting enemies back.
—"Who are you people?!" I shouted between attacks.
—"We're descendants of the Five Lineages," one replied. "Chosen to protect the safe zones."
—"Then why are you here?!"
—"We were ambushed. That thing in the sea… it's not just a creature. It's a harbinger."
—"Harbinger of what?!"
—"Extinction."
A massive beast charged toward us—twice the size of the others, armored, eyes burning.
—"Fall back!" someone yelled.
I didn't.
I ran forward.
—"Joon, no!" the woman screamed.
I leapt, using a fallen body as a springboard. I landed on the beast's back, driving my dagger into its spine. It roared, thrashing violently. I held on, stabbing again and again.
It collapsed.
Silence.
Then cheers.
The others rallied, finishing off the remaining creatures.
When the last beast fell, I dropped to my knees, gasping.
The woman approached, kneeling beside me.
—"You're not from any lineage. You're not trained. And yet… you fought like one of us."
I looked at her, blood dripping from my chin.
—"I read a lot of books."
She laughed softly.
—"What's your name?"
—"Lee Joon."
She extended her hand.
—"I'm Arin. Daughter of the Moonfire Clan."
The others gathered around.
—"I'm Kael," said the twin-blade wielder.
—"Riven," said the energy user.
—"Talia," said the second woman, her eyes sharp and calculating.
—"And I'm Daro," said the last man, his arm in a sling.
Behind them, the wounded guards received treatment. Some were unconscious. Others whispered prayers.
Arin looked at me.
—"You saved us. You inspired us. But this is just the beginning."
I nodded.
—"That thing in the sea… it's still alive."
She pointed to the horizon.
The creature was rising again.
Bigger.
Angrier.
And it was coming.
—"We need to regroup," Kael said. "Find shelter. Plan."
—"No," Riven replied. "We need to warn the safe zones."
Arin turned to me.
—"Your sister. Where is she?"
—"She's in one of the safe zones. Guarded."
—"Then we need to reach her. If that thing breaks through…"
I stood, gripping my broken dagger.
—"Then let's move."
The group nodded.
We began our descent from the cliff, heading inland.
Behind us, the sea boiled.
The storm had only begun.