2026-08-03 13:40:52The warehouse echoed with countless growls.
One pair of crimson eyes... Became ten. Then twenty. Then more. The darkness beneath the broken floor seemed alive. Arjun slowly stepped back. His breathing remained calm, but his mind was racing. "This isn't a monster nest..." "It's a Gate." In his previous life, Gates had started appearing only after the first day of the apocalypse. Yet one had opened three days early. Something—or someone—was forcing the world into chaos. A notification interrupted his thoughts. **Ding!** --- **Emergency Quest** **Objective:** Survive the First Gate. **Time Limit:** 30 Minutes **Reward:** Rare Equipment **Failure:** Death --- Arjun looked at the black ring in his palm. It was cold. Almost unnaturally cold. The ancient symbols carved into its surface suddenly began glowing with faint silver light. **Ding!** --- **Item Identified** **Ring of the Void** **Rank:** Unknown **Status:** Sealed **Effect 1:** Increases Inventory Capacity. **Effect 2:** ??? **Effect 3:** Locked **Warning:** Owner Binding Required. --- "Unknown Rank?" Even in his previous life, he'd never heard of equipment with an unknown rank. Without hesitation, he slipped the ring onto his right hand. The moment it touched his skin— A sharp pain shot through his arm. The ring tightened on its own. A drop of blood disappeared into its surface. The silver symbols flashed brilliantly. **Owner Confirmed.** Then... Everything went silent. Arjun suddenly felt something strange. The surrounding mana... He could sense it. Tiny blue particles floated through the air like invisible dust. "So this is what mana feels like..." Before he could explore the sensation— **ROAR!** The first Shadow Wolf leaped out of the Gate. Then another. Then another. Five monsters surrounded him from different directions. Arjun exhaled slowly. "Running isn't an option anymore." He opened his status screen. --- **Level:** 5 **Free Attribute Points:** 5 --- Without hesitation, he assigned them. **Strength +2** **Agility +2** **Stamina +1** A warm current flowed through his body. His muscles tightened. His vision sharpened. The world seemed slightly slower. "Better." The wolves attacked together. One from the front. Two from the left. Two from behind. Arjun smiled faintly. "In my last life..." "I would've died here." He charged forward instead of retreating. The first wolf opened its jaws. At the last instant— Arjun slid beneath it. His dagger sliced upward. **Slash!** The wolf collapsed before it even landed. **+150 EXP** The second beast lunged. Arjun kicked a steel barrel. It smashed directly into the monster's face. **Bang!** The wolf stumbled. One clean stab ended it. The remaining three hesitated. They had expected prey. Instead... They had found a hunter. Suddenly— A low growl echoed from inside the Gate. Every Shadow Wolf froze. Then they lowered their heads. As if welcoming their king. Heavy footsteps approached. Each one shook the ground. A giant silhouette slowly emerged from the darkness. Over four meters tall. Its body was covered in dark crimson armor-like scales. A long scar ran across its face. Unlike the others... It carried a massive bone axe. Its glowing golden eyes stared directly at Arjun. A new blue screen appeared. --- **Elite Monster Detected** **Bloodfang Alpha** **Rank:** E **Level:** 12 **Threat Level:** Extremely High --- Arjun's smile disappeared. "E-Rank..." "This isn't a Gate." "It's a death sentence." The Bloodfang Alpha raised its axe... And pointed it directly at Arjun. Then, in a deep, raspy voice, it spoke a single word. "Human." Arjun's heart skipped a beat. The monster... Could speak. **To Be Continued...**
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Chapter 201: The Things We Cannot Decide
The rain had stopped, but water still dripped from the library roof.Nox arrived early the next morning. Mara was already inside, checking the repaired shelves and arranging a new stack of books near the entrance.“You're early,” she said.“I wanted to finish the labels before the children arrive.”“Then I have something else for you.”She placed a small cardboard box on the table.Nox opened it. Inside were several envelopes, a handful of photographs, and a folded sheet of paper covered in handwritten names.“Someone donated these yesterday,” Mara explained. “They belonged to an old community reading group. We don't know whether the people named here want their photographs displayed or their letters kept in the library.”Nox examined the box.“Should we return them?”“We don't know who donated them or how to contact the people involved. That's why we need to be careful.”He lifted one photograph. It showed a group of children sitting beneath a large tree. Their faces were bright with
Chapter 200: The Choice to Knock
Leena returned to the library three days later.This time, she carried a small photograph.Nox was arranging returned books when Mara called him over. Leena stood near the desk, holding the photograph by its edges.“I found this while looking through an old suitcase,” she said. “I thought you might want to see it.”Nox approached.The photograph showed two children standing beside a railway platform. The younger one held a blue cloth bag. The older child stood close, one hand resting on the younger one's shoulder.“Is that you?” Nox asked.Leena nodded.“And the boy?”“My brother Daniel.”Nox looked at the photograph again. The boy's face was slightly blurred, but the expression was unmistakably cheerful.“Do you remember when it was taken?”“Not the exact date. I think it was shortly before we were separated.”Mara brought a clean folder and placed the photograph inside a protective sleeve.“Would you like us to compare it with the photographs in our records?” she asked.Leena nodded
Chapter 199: The Visitor Who Remembered the Ending
The second copy of the traveler's book arrived on the library table the next morning.Nox was helping Mara compare the pages when a familiar voice came from the entrance.“You found another one?”The woman from the previous afternoon stood by the door. This time, she carried no bag. She looked at the two copies lying side by side.Mara welcomed her inside.“You said your brother used to read this story,” Nox said. “Do you remember his name?”The woman hesitated.“Daniel.”Nox looked at the book again.Mara noticed his expression. “Do you know someone named Daniel?”“Not exactly,” Nox answered. “We've heard the name while looking through some old records.”The woman pulled out a chair.“My brother's name was Daniel Vale. We lived in the northern district when we were children. After our mother died, things became difficult. I was sent to stay with relatives, and Daniel went somewhere else.”Nox remained quiet.“Was it an assistance center?” he asked.“I think so. I was too young to und
Chapter 198: The Day the Story Changed
The argument began over a missing page.Nox noticed it while arranging the books in Story Harbor. A thin picture book lay open on the table, its pages held together by an old piece of thread. The story followed a young traveler searching for a place where the stars could be seen clearly.But halfway through, the numbers jumped from twelve to fourteen.“Someone tore out page thirteen,” Nox said.Sami looked over his shoulder. “Maybe it was the best page.”“Why would someone remove the best page?”“Maybe they wanted to keep it.”The little girl who had been listening shook her head. “Maybe it got damaged.”Nox examined the binding. The thread around that section was loose, but there were no fresh tears. The missing page had been removed a long time ago.Mara joined them. “That book has been in the library for years. We don't know its original condition.”“Can we find another copy?” Nox asked.“We can check the catalogue.”They searched the records, but the title appeared only once. Ther
Chapter 197: A Place for the Unfinished
The library’s reading corner was busier than usual.Sami had returned with two friends, and the little girl who loved the first book was sitting beside them. They had gathered around the shelf marked **Story Harbor**, arguing quietly about which story Mara should read aloud.Nox stood nearby, holding a box of donated books.“Can we read one that doesn’t have an ending?” Sami asked.Mara raised an eyebrow. “Every story in this box has an ending.”“I mean one where the ending doesn’t explain everything.”“That’s a different request.”Nox set the box down. “Maybe we can find one.”They searched the shelves together. Some books ended with a journey completed. Others ended with a door opening, a letter arriving, or a character deciding to try again. The children rejected each one for a different reason.“Too sad,” said the little girl.“Too easy,” Sami said.“That one has a dragon,” his friend pointed out.“Dragons can have unfinished stories,” Nox replied.Eventually, Mara chose a short b
Chapter 196: The Book That Came Back
The book arrived at the library in a paper bag.Nox noticed it because Mara set it apart from the morning’s donations. The cover was worn, the spine had been repaired with clear tape, and a faded label on the inside read: **Story Harbor**.“Is it one of ours?” Nox asked.“I’m not sure,” Mara said. “Someone left it at the desk before opening. No note, no name.”Nox looked at the cover. It was a collection of short stories, the kind with small drawings at the start of each chapter. He opened it carefully.A folded sheet slipped from the pages and landed on the table.Mara reached for it, then paused. “You can read it if you want. It was left with the book.”Nox unfolded the paper.*I borrowed this when I was little. I never finished it. I don’t remember who gave it to me, only that someone read the first story aloud. I found it while clearing a box. I thought it belonged here.*There was no signature.Nox read the note twice. “Maybe someone used to come here.”“Maybe,” Mara said. “But w
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