The ground beneath Roy trembled.
A low, guttural roar rolled across the blood-soaked wasteland, carrying with it a pressure that seemed to squeeze the air itself. Roy froze, fingers tightening around the broken tusk he had picked up from the ground. He gulped, his heart hammering so violently it hurt.
That… that sound can't be a normal animal.
[ Ding! Warning: The Silver-Fanged Lion is approaching. ]
The system's calm voice almost felt mocking in contrast to Roy's shaking legs.
A figure burst through the crimson fog — massive, towering at nearly two meters in height. Silver fur glistened like polished steel, and its fangs… its fangs looked like forged blades.
The Silver-Fanged Lion.
A creature with awakened Essence of Life.
"Damn… damn it… it's huge."
Roy muttered as he stumbled backward. His breath grew shallow; panic crawled up his spine.
The lion stepped forward, its massive paws crushing bones beneath it like dry twigs. Its silver eyes locked onto Roy — cold, predatory, intelligent.
Then it charged.
Roy barely rolled aside before the lion slammed into the ground where he stood, carving a crater into the flesh-like landscape. Blood sprayed from beneath its claws.
"Too fast—!" he screamed.
The lion didn't give him time. It pounced again.
Roy lifted the tusk and tried to block, but the sheer force flung him like a broken toy. He bounced across the ground, flesh and bone splattering around him. Pain exploded through his ribs.
He tried to breathe.
He couldn't.
"Ah… ah—"
Each breath burned like fire.
[ Host's physical condition: Critical. ]
"No… really? You think?!" Roy snarled through tears.
The lion approached slowly now, like a predator enjoying the fear of its prey. Every step echoed like a countdown to death.
Roy forced himself to stand.
His knees gave out.
He pushed again.
His legs shook violently… but he stood.
"…I can't die. Not here. Not before anything even starts…"
His voice cracked.
The lion lunged forward.
This time Roy didn't dodge — he couldn't. The creature's shoulder slammed into him and he felt bones crack. He screamed as he hit the ground.
But the lion wasn't done.
It opened its jaws, silver fangs gleaming, and sank them into Roy's left arm.
Roy didn't feel the pain at first.
Then it hit him.
"AAAAHHHHHHHH—!!"
The lion jerked its head. Flesh tore. Bone snapped. Blood erupted like a fountain.
His left arm flew through the air and landed several meters away, twitching.
Roy collapsed. Vision blurry. Breath fading.
"…My… my arm… no… no… no…"
He was dying.
And the lion knew it. It slowly approached again, ready to finish him.
Roy watched its silhouette through fading vision.
Is this how it ends? After everything?
After losing my parents… after finally trying to start again…?
Is this really it…?
He closed his eyes.
The lion's roar filled the air.
But before it could leap—
Everything stopped.
Not slowed.
Stopped.
The dust froze mid-air. Blood droplets hung motionless. Even the lion became a statue of silver fury.
Roy's eyes fluttered open weakly.
[ Ding. Host has reached Death Threshold.
Initiating Forced Awakening. ]
Golden light erupted from Roy's chest — warm, powerful, ancient.
His remaining arm lifted involuntarily as strands of glowing energy spiraled around him.
[ Awakening Life Essence…
10%…
40%…
80%…
100% ]
Light exploded outward.
Roy felt as if the laws of nature were entering his body forcefully.
[ Awakening Time Domains... Completed. ]
Roy gasped as energy surged through his veins, replacing pain with burning life.
[ Awakening Eternal Eyes… completed. ]
His eyes snapped open — now shimmering with complex golden patterns like rotating clockwork.
[ Awakening Eternal Body… completed. ]
His skin shone briefly, reinforced, strengthened — bones knitting, wounds healing, vitality returning.
[ Awakening Soul Weapon… completed. ]
A shape materialized in front of him — the same bronze clock, glowing brightly.
But now, it shifted, transforming fluidly into a weapon: a gauntlet of bronze gears, a chain-whip shaped like clock hands, shifting forms as if alive.
The watch… had become his Soul Weapon.
[ Healing host's physical damage… ]
Flesh reformed. Blood returned. Bone grew. Nerve threads reconnected.
Even his severed arm regenerated entirely, golden light shaping it back into existence.
Within seconds, Roy stood whole again.
Stronger.
Awakened.
Changed.
Time began moving again.
The lion dropped to the ground, confused, sensing a change. It growled, baring its fangs.
Roy stepped forward.
His new arm tightened into a fist.
Golden gears spun behind his pupils.
"…Round two, you bastard."
The lion roared and charged.
Roy raised his hand.
Time bent.
Roy used a time field and put time inside him as if he was used to it.
The lion slowed — not stopped, but dragged through a thick temporal field. Roy moved through the distortion, dodging the slow strike, and slammed his fist into the lion's jaw.
It flew backward, crashing into the ground, whimpering.
Roy blinked, stunned.
"That… was me?"
But the lion stood again, injured but not dead.
Roy's expression hardened.
"I won't die here."
He dashed forward — faster than before — and grabbed the lion's mane, pulling himself onto its back. The lion bucked wildly, but Roy wrapped his new chain-whip around its neck.
"JUST DIE ALREADY!!"
He pulled.
The whip tightened — gears rotating like grinding teeth — until the lion's neck snapped with a sickening crack.
The creature collapsed.
Dead.
Roy dropped beside it, panting heavily, staring at his hands as the golden glow faded.
[ Mission complete.
Rewards applied. ]
"…I'm alive," he whispered.
Then he laughed. A broken, disbelieving laugh.
And finally, he collapsed onto his back, breathing heavily as the system spoke again.
[ Host. Prepare to receive information. ]
Roy closed his eyes.
"Fine… talk."
[ You are currently inside a Time Knot.
The only place in existence where the natural laws of time do not apply. ]
Roy frowned.
"A… Time Knot? Why here?"
[ Because this place exists outside of reality. You will return here many times for future missions.
It is the birthplace of your Soul Weapon… and also where your enemies can never reach you. ]
Roy looked at the transformed clock-weapon floating beside him.
"…This thing. My Soul Weapon. It's… only a piece, right?"
Roy's hair with the soul weapon, As if it was a part of him.
[ Correct. ]
The system's tone deepened.
[ The Complete Soul Weapon consists of six parts.
Five are scattered across the Five Great Kingdoms:
1. Valinor — Kingdom of Humans
2. Elvarion — Kingdom of Elves
3. Dormak — Kingdom of Dwarves
4. Varymos — Kingdom of Vampires
5. Draavon — Kingdom of Dragons
Roy repeated the names slowly, each one carrying mystery and danger.
"And the sixth… is this one?"
[ Yes. The Time-Core Fragment.
You hold one piece out of six. ]
Roy swallowed.
"…So what's the mission?"
Golden text appeared in his vision.
[ Main Quest Unlocked:
'Reforge the Eternal Clock.'
— Find all five missing fragments.
— Explore the Five Great Kingdoms.
— Uncover the secrets of your ancestors.
— Prepare for the enemies of time. ]
Roy stood. Weak knees, trembling hands… but burning determination.
"…Looks like my new life started in the worst way possible."
He looked at the dead lion, then at his glowing eyes reflected in the bronze gauntlet.
"But I'm still alive."
He smirked.
"And I'm not planning to die anytime soon."
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I hope u enjoy it, guys😊