When Chakra opened his eyes, he was back in the white, sterile room of the hospital. The faint beeping of a heart monitor filled the silence, followed by the soft hiss of the air conditioner. For a brief moment, he wondered if everything had been a dream—
the monster, the watch, the battle in that endless void.
But before the thought could settle, a faint ding echoed in his head.
A translucent blue window shimmered into existence before his eyes.
[Quest Complete: Defeat the Past Phantom]
Reward: Skill Upgrade – Temporal Reflection (E → D)
Reward: +2 Stat Points
Chakra blinked, breath catching in his throat as another window replaced it.
[Skill: Temporal Reflection – Rank D]
Creates a temporal space where the user can fight a past opponent.
Cooldown: 20 minutes
Proficiency: 0.0%
He exhaled, relief and awe tangled within him.
It was real. All of it.
When he reached toward the glowing "+2 Stat Points," the window changed again—
transforming into something entirely new.
[Status Window – Opened]
And then it appeared before him: a transparent panel, lines of text describing him as though the universe itself had quantified his existence.
Name: Chakra Verne
Age: 17
Level: 1
Title : Successor Of Time
HP: 89 / 120
MP: 63 / 100
Strength: 8
Agility: 7
Endurance: 9
Intelligence: 10
Perception: 8
Unwavering Will: 18
Available Stat Points: 2
He stared at the numbers. Everything was low—laughably low, even for an E-rank explorer. Except one.
That last stat… Unwavering Will.
He didn't know what it meant. But looking at that number, something stirred inside him—
the same resolve that had driven him to face death rather than surrender.
Maybe this was why the relic chose him.
Then, another notification blinked.
[Additional Reward Acquired: Proficiency +50% to Skill – Temporal Halt]
Chakra's eyes widened. The skill window opened once again.
[Skill: Temporal Halt – Rank E]
Stops time for 30 seconds.
Cooldown: 5 minutes
Proficiency: 50%
"So proficiency increases the skill…" he muttered. "Then… if I keep using them, I can make them stronger."
The thought sent a quiet thrill through him.
He clenched his fists, feeling the faint pulse of energy beneath his skin—the same pulse that had saved him in that darkness.
He wasn't just a weakling anymore.
He had a path.
Just then, the door slid open.
A man in a white coat stepped inside, tablet in hand.
"Ah, you're awake," said the doctor, blinking in mild disbelief as he checked the monitor. "That's… unexpected."
"Unexpected?" Chakra asked quietly.
"You were brought in with severe internal bleeding and muscle damage," the doctor said. "Frankly, we didn't expect you to wake up for at least another week. But now…" He scanned the data again, brow furrowing. "Your vitals are stable, your wounds have nearly closed, and your regeneration rate is off the charts."
Chakra forced a small smile. "Guess I got lucky."
The doctor studied him for a moment longer, clearly unconvinced, but didn't press. "You should still rest. Seven days—minimum. After that, we'll run some final checks and see if you're cleared to leave."
"Got it," Chakra said softly.
As soon as the doctor left, Chakra leaned back on the bed, staring at the faint reflection of the watch resting on the nightstand.
He reached out, touching its cold surface. The watch no longer glowed. It looked utterly ordinary.
But he knew better.
Each night that followed, Chakra tested himself.
The moment the nurses left, he summoned the system window and activated Temporal Reflection again.
Over and over, he was thrown back into that dark space, facing the same monster.
The first few times, he barely survived. Each encounter left him trembling, drenched in sweat.
But he refused to stop.
He needed to grow stronger.
He needed to be worthy of what the watch represented.
And with each battle, he noticed subtle changes.
His movements grew sharper. His strikes more precise. The fear that once paralyzed him began to fade.
Even the system seemed to acknowledge it.
[Quest Progress: 5/10 – "Defeat the Past Phantom until victory becomes certain."]
Day by day, his body transformed. His muscles firmed. His breathing steadied. The faint traces of exhaustion that had haunted him were gone.
By the time seven days passed, even the doctor's eyes widened when he saw him again.
"Impossible," the doctor murmured, reviewing Chakra's vitals. "It's as if your body has… evolved."
Chakra only smiled faintly. "Guess resting helps more than I thought."
The doctor shook his head, chuckling softly. "You're a strange one, kid. But you're cleared to leave."
As Chakra stepped out of the hospital, the sunlight hit his face for the first time in days.
The air was warm, the city alive with the hum of new technology and the ever-present glow of floating screens reporting labyrinth activity.
Humanity had long adapted to this world of gods and monsters.
He made his way home—a small, dim apartment on the city's edge.
There was no one waiting for him. No warmth. Only silence.
But as he stepped inside, he smiled faintly.
On a dusty shelf sat two framed photos—his parents.
The only fragments of a life that once was.
He reached out, brushing the dust off the glass.
"I'll make you proud," he whispered. "This time… I'll become someone no one can look down on."
The faint ticking of the watch echoed in the room, steady and eternal—
like the heartbeat of time itself.