Noctus woke up the next morning. The faint smell of dust and blood lingered in the air, and the entrance to the temple still stood open — a gaping wound carved by his Time Cutter. The silence inside the temple was unsettling. The wraith was gone. No trace of its eerie presence remained.
For the first time in days, Noctus was completely alone.
His stomach growled softly. Hunger. Something so ordinary, yet grounding in this strange, chaotic world. He sighed, brushed the dust from his clothes, and left the ruined temple. The mountain air outside was sharp and cold. He moved down the slope, scanning the forest below for prey.
It didn't take him long to spot a few rabbits darting between the bushes. With practiced movements and a flicker of aura, he caught them cleanly.
As the small fire crackled to life, Noctus roasted the rabbits with his Fire Core. The flames danced softly — warm, controlled, comforting. The meat wasn't great, a bit rough and unevenly cooked, but it was edible.
He took a bite and smiled faintly. "Not bad."
Cooking was something he'd learned on his own — not out of passion, but necessity. Back in his previous life, his father had been too busy, too distant to care whether Noctus had eaten or not. Loneliness had taught him how to survive.
When he finished eating, he sat on a large rock near the fire, the wind brushing softly against his hair. The morning sky stretched endlessly above him, and for a brief moment, everything was still.
Then the thoughts returned.
He could feel the faint, unpleasant sensation of being watched — that unseen gaze that had haunted him since the temple trial. It hadn't appeared since he woke, but he couldn't shake the unease it left behind.
His eyes shifted westward. That's where the green thread had gone — a faint shimmer of energy, visible only through his Eyes of Chronos. It pulled at him like destiny itself.
"Edward…" he muttered under his breath.
His gut told him the thread led to him — the Time Holder of this timeline. And if his hunch was right, then Edward held one of the Fragments of Time.
That meant Noctus had to face him eventually.
He clenched his fists. "How can a novice like me defeat him?"
He thought of the skills he had — Time Cutter, Time Dilation, the Eyes of Chronos, and his sword. Strong, yes. But Edward had once been the original wielder of these powers. If the wraith was right, then Edward might even possess the same system.
A warrior like him… but stronger. Sharper. Perfected.
Noctus felt a shiver crawl down his spine. "Am I destined to die?" he whispered to the empty forest.
But there was no reply. Only the faint crackle of his dying fire.
He exhaled, then pulled up his System Panel and opened the shop interface. If he couldn't match Edward in power, then maybe he could find something — anything — to change the odds.
The list was long. Too long. Relics, potions, skills, consumables — all priced beyond his reach. He scrolled for what felt like hours until one particular item caught his eye.
His eyes widened slightly. "This… this might work."
He didn't buy it immediately, but the seed of an idea was planted. A plan began to form — risky, but better than waiting to die.
By noon, Noctus had gathered his things and started descending the mountain. His body ached, but his mind was sharper than ever. The faint green thread was still visible in the distance, leading him westward.
As he walked, he thought about the Gaze — that dreadful feeling that had once made his heart freeze. He expected it to return the moment he stepped off the mountain.
But it didn't.
He stopped, scanning the horizon. The world felt… still. No suffocating pressure. No invisible eyes. Just wind and sunlight.
"Strange," he murmured. "Did the one behind it vanish?"
Then, without warning, a cool sensation ran down his neck. The skin at his nape burned faintly — and when he touched it, he felt the faint outline of the scythe mark glowing softly.
It pulsed once, then faded.
Startled, Noctus sent a stream of aura to his neck. The mark answered — a quiet hum of Death Energy, familiar and calm.
"Did the wraith… do something to me?" he whispered.
He wasn't sure what it meant, but for once, he felt safe. Whatever the wraith had done, it seemed to protect him — shielding him from the Gaze that once made his chest tighten.
Noctus smiled faintly. "I owe you one, old ghost."
With renewed confidence, he continued west.
Hours later, under the afternoon sun, a small town came into view. It was surrounded by a crude wooden wall — nothing compared to the grand marble barriers of the empire. The guards at the gate straightened as he approached, their eyes cautious.
An older guard stepped forward, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword. "State your purpose, traveler."
"I'm a warrior," Noctus replied calmly. "Just passing through. I need rations and a place to rest."
The guard studied him suspiciously, then took out a small spherical crystal. It glowed faintly, a shimmer of aura rippling through it. The light inside turned white.
"You're clear," the guard said, lowering the crystal. "Go ahead."
Noctus nodded and walked through the gate. "So… an identification device," he muttered. "Probably to detect anyone connected to the Outer Gods."
Inside, the town was alive. Merchants shouted, children ran through narrow streets, and the scent of bread and oil filled the air. It was a simple, noisy place — almost comforting in its normalcy.
Noctus blended in easily, his cloak drawn tight around him. After some asking around, he found what he was looking for — a modest building with a faded wooden sign that read Information Guild.
He entered quietly. The inside was dim, the air heavy with dust and candle smoke. The clerk behind the counter barely looked up as he approached.
"I need information," Noctus said, lowering his voice. "About the empire… its current rulers… and a man named Edward."
The clerk's eyes flicked up briefly. "That's expensive."
Noctus slid a small pouch of gold across the table. "I can pay."
The clerk nodded slowly and scribbled something on a parchment. "Check back tomorrow. We'll have what you need."
Noctus nodded, thanked him, and left.
He spent the night in the nearby forest. It was safer than sleeping in town. The stars above were clear, scattered like shards of glass, and the air was quiet except for the occasional hoot of an owl.
He began his training.
Day after day, he focused on refining his aura flow, pushing his Fire Core toward its limit. He practiced his sword swings until his arms trembled, experimented with his Time Dilation, and tried to merge both elements — always stopping before the backlash crippled him.
But he could tell. His body wasn't ready. His control was lacking. Every use of his cursed power drained him to the bone.
One night, in frustration, he muttered, "System… what can I do to grow faster?"
A soft chime answered him.
[Sub-Mission: Increase Fire Core from Low Elemental Realm → Mid Elemental Realm.][Reward: Skill – Elemental Fusion.]
"Elemental Fusion?" Noctus read aloud. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
He sighed, rubbing his temples. "Whatever it is, I'll find out when I get there."
And so, he trained harder.
Days turned into weeks. Weeks into months. He hunted in the forest, cooked what he caught, and slept under the open sky. His body toughened, his control improved, and the fire within him grew brighter.
Three days later, he went back to the information guild to collect his report. The clerk handed him a sealed envelope without a word.
The news inside made Noctus's chest tighten.
The empire — once powerful, proud, and vast — was gone. Destroyed seven years ago. Its people now lived scattered, enslaved under the rule of the Corrupted God.
And Edward…
Edward was alive.
He was said to reside in the ruined royal palace, locked inside his chamber. No one had seen his face since the war ended. The few who had served under him claimed he'd gone mad — speaking to things that weren't there, surrounded by unnatural silence.
Noctus lowered the letter slowly. "So the wraith was right… you really lost yourself."
He stared out toward the distant west, where the palace might have once stood. "What are you after, Edward?"
There was no answer. Only wind.
So Noctus returned to the forest. He kept training, pushing, growing — chasing strength like a dying man chasing air.
Ten long months passed.
Pain became routine. Blood became familiar. But he didn't stop. He couldn't.
Until finally, one morning, when the first rays of dawn broke through the trees —
[Sub-Mission Completed.]
His fire core pulsed with warmth. He had finally stepped into the Mid Elemental Realm. His aura felt heavier, richer, alive.
Then the system chimed again.
[Reward Granted: Skill – Elemental Fusion.]
Noctus opened his status window — and froze.
The description flickered before his eyes.
His jaw dropped. "BLOODY HELL…"