I opened my eyes. My breath was labored.
-Thump, thump.
My lungs constricted, and the sound of my heart pounding filled my ears.
My fingertips trembled. It felt as if I had endured a long while submerged deep underwater, finally managing to surface.
“Ahh…”
The sound that escaped my throat was rough and cracked.
I… was alive.
Still, fragmented scenes lingered in my mind. Was it a dream, or reality?
At this moment, it was impossible to distinguish.
But one thing I was certain of was that I had either failed or was destined to fail.
I looked around me. As I exhaled, the air felt heavy, pressing down. A damp, clammy atmosphere seeped into my skin.
Even the air sinking deep into my lungs felt oppressive.
The walls were made of roughly carved rock. It wasn’t a naturally formed cave but seemed to have been sculpted by something. Scattered were intermittent gouge marks and fractured rocks.
I slowly lifted my head.
There was no sky, only an immense ceiling arched like a stone dome above me.
And when I lowered my head again…
An enormous form loomed before me.
It felt like my breath had stopped.
A towering body, like a mountain of stone.
A massive silhouette that seemed capable of swallowing the entire cave.
Even though it didn’t move, its presence was overwhelming.
I knew who it was. I just hadn’t expected to meet it so soon.
The massive, deep-red scales gleamed.
They exuded an almost transcendent aura.
Slowly,
It opened its eyes.
A red light emerged from the darkness.
Civilization-ending Beast.
Aldebaran.
The primordial dragon was looking down at me.
I looked around once more. There was no weapon.
Even if there had been, it wouldn’t have made a difference.
Its crimson pupils scanned me.
I remained seated, waiting quietly.
“Did it feel bearable?”
A deep, resonating voice echoed throughout the cave.
Before, when I passed out, it was like a forced hallucination inside my head. Now, it was clear: the master of this space was directly addressing me.
“I almost died.”
I hadn’t expected to face it this early.
The original plan was simply to draw out the true form of the Catastrophe. A proper encounter with it was supposed to happen after I was prepared.
But it reacted far more strongly to the fragment’s mana than I anticipated.
Aldebaran tests those who awaken it.
And I got thoroughly beaten.
I opened my mouth.
“What exactly are you?”
I truly meant it.
I was genuinely curious.
Aldebaran is a being that surpasses the flow of time.
Thus, its trials appear in various forms: the most painful moment, the saddest moment, or perhaps an emotional peak.
From the past, or the future. You have to endure these scenarios to pass the trial.
And the fact that I had arrived here meant…
[“Clear Mirror Water Technique resists the ancient dragon’s trial!”]
This confirmed I had passed to some extent.
Though, I almost didn’t. I suffered greatly.
Anyway, it was an ordeal I never wanted to experience again.
But that’s not what I was most puzzled about.
I don’t remember everything from the trial, but I was certain I had failed.
There were several differences between the me in the trial and the me now.
I hadn’t consumed Iano’s elixir, nor did I have the Vitality Bracelet. Most importantly, I lacked the shard.
Technically, I was also less skilled.
And the most shocking revelation I encountered was this:
At the Vanguisher’s mission site, not one but three Apostles had appeared.
Whether this was a vision of the future or a patchwork of information from within my mind created by the ancient dragon, I couldn’t tell.
But one thing was certain: if there truly were three Apostles, then all the plans I had so far were inadequate and needed complete revision.
Even the combined strength of Vanguisher and me would be insufficient.
“Is this a Future Sight?”
The massive being gave no answer, only gazing down at me.
“Or is this just a joke?”
It was an important question.
But Aldebaran slowly chuckled.
“I don’t know. Even I can’t predict everything.”
I frowned.
“Does it even matter? In the end, what you want is to prevent that despair, isn’t it?”
Taking a deep breath, I realized he was right.
Even if it was only a possibility, I had to stop it.
I chuckled wryly.
“So, what? Are you going to lend me some strength?”
The ancient dragon slowly rose, its sharp scales clinking against each other.
The sound of its massive bones shifting echoed through the cave.
As it fully stretched, the cave seemed darker.
The first trial had tested my mental fortitude; the second trial was about proving my worth.
“That’s a different issue.”
The ancient dragon stood up from its perch, filling the cave with its enormous form.
Its crimson eyes locked onto mine.
I slowly stood up as well.
The sound of metal clanging echoed as a spear flew from somewhere and embedded itself into the ground.
Its blade was black like obsidian, sharp and ominous in appearance.
Catastrophe.
Without hesitation, I picked up the spear and glanced around.
This would surely become a familiar place in the future.
“Be careful.”
With all my strength, I charged forward.
*
An elite hospital operated by Glory, equipped with the finest facilities. The topmost VIP suite.
The room was heavy with a tense atmosphere.
A man lay on the bed, eyes closed as if deeply asleep.
And standing beside him were three women, their expressions varied but all sharing a note of worry for the unconscious man.
The door burst open violently.
Black hair, crimson eyes. In pristine formal attire, someone rushed into the room.
Kang Ah-rin.
She quickly entered and asked the other women.
“Is this it?”
Her finger pointed to a black obsidian spear placed on one side of the room.
Yoo Hana quietly nodded in confirmation.
At that moment,
-BANG!
-BANG!
Kang Ah-rin struck the spear with a powerful punch.
But even with such a fierce impact, the spear didn’t budge an inch.
Cheon Yeoul, with a calm expression, dimmed the lights to shield the noise from escaping outside. This also served as a protective barrier around Jung Hae-in to safeguard him from her reckless attacks.
Kang Ah-rin took a step back and clenched her lips tightly.
“Will you come out or not?”
She addressed the spear.
Though it seemed insane to anyone watching, surprisingly, the spear responded.
“You’re quite impatient.”
A plume of black smoke rose from the spear.
Though it didn’t form a figure, a voice came from it.
“What exactly are you doing?”
He had been unconscious for five hours already.
While the other women remained quiet, their thoughts mirrored each other.
“It’s a trial.”
There was a sigh from within the room.
They were concerned, of course. It seemed too harsh to simply dismiss it as a trial given the nature of his life—any random moment could pass as a trial worthy of being called brutal.
And they understood this more than anyone else.
“When will it end?”
“Hmm, I believe he just died for the 4,500th time.”
The temperature in the room plummeted instantly.
All eyes widened, glaring at the spear and the black mist with murderous intent.
4,500 times.
The number corresponded to the most brutal future they knew of.
“That’s… impossible.”
Hashion’s hand flew to cover her mouth in shock.
Cheon Yeoul shot up from her seat, a surge of blue energy exploding around her.
“Bring him back now.”
Her voice was low, but the anger coursing through it burned like fire.
“That’s not how it works.”
“Since he’s using my power, I have to return the favor.”
The voice was deep, echoing like a cave.
“Do you wish to die?”
Cheon Yeoul’s expression turned icy. Anxiety gripped her. She needed to wake him up immediately.
All four people in the room shared the same thought: this trial was beyond what a human could endure.
“It’ll be over soon.”
“And do you still not understand why this guy is going through this insane trial?”
The black smoke writhed and distorted in ripples as it continued.
“It’s the repressive force of the world.”
“The backlash and counterreaction of the flow you all twisted for your convenience—it’s falling on his shoulders again.”
The expressions of all four people in the room hardened simultaneously.
“Well, it’s still better than going through it directly, a hundred times over… So be patient.”
At that moment, the black smoke twisted oddly.
And with a sharp, cracking sound, the smoke retreated into the spear.
She stretched out her hand too late, but it was already gone.
At that moment, a subtle movement on the bed caught their attention.
The tips of Jung Hae-in’s fingers twitched, subtly drawing the four women’s attention.
And suddenly, the man on the bed slowly sat up.
“Wow, damn, this dude is too strong, isn’t he?”
It was a genuine whisper of astonishment.
Breathing heavily, Jung Hae-in turned his head slowly.
His gaze swept around the room before finally landing on the four women.
“Eh, guys, what’s the surprise?”
Jung Hae-in’s face was etched with genuine surprise.
“What… are you guys doing?”
Despite his casual tone, a wave of emotions rippled through the women.
