The laughter faded quickly.
The system announcement remained suspended in the sky for several more seconds before dissolving into countless motes of light.
Ethan stood motionless.
His mother was alive.
That single piece of news was enough to silence every other thought in his mind.
He had prepared himself for the worst ever since the sky shattered.
Every ruined street, every corpse, every burning building had made him wonder if she had become one more victim of the apocalypse.
Now, for the first time in days, hope returned.
“I have to find her.” His voice was quiet, but firm.
Captain Reyes nodded.
“You will.” Azrakel, however, remained silent.
The emperor’s golden eyes were fixed on the horizon.
“The world will not make it easy.” Before Ethan could ask what he meant, the sky above the Gate darkened.
Every surviving person on Earth received another notification.
[GLOBAL EMERGENCY.] [THE FIRST GATE BREAK HAS BEGUN.] [Location: Eastern Europe.] [Threat Classification: Crimson.] A map appeared before everyone’s eyes.
One point glowed blood-red.
Then another.
And another.
The crimson spread like ink through water.
Captain Reyes felt her stomach sink.
“What is a Gate Break?” Azrakel answered immediately.
“A failed dungeon.” The emperor’s voice carried none of its usual calm.
“When a Gate is left uncleared for too long, it no longer remains a prison.” He looked toward Ethan.
“It becomes a doorway.” Silence.
“The creatures are no longer trapped inside.” The realization hit Ethan immediately.
“They invade Earth.” Azrakel nodded once.
“The First Universe called them Breaches.” The system confirmed his words.
[Bronze Gates: 72 Hours Until Gate Break.] [Silver Gates: 48 Hours.] [Gold Gates: 24 Hours.] [Higher-ranked Gates: Unknown.] Sarah stared at the screen.
“There are thousands of Gates across the world…” “Yes.” “They’re all counting down?” “Yes.” Nobody spoke.
Humanity had assumed survival meant killing monsters.
Instead…
It was racing against time itself.
The ground beneath their feet trembled violently.
A deafening roar echoed from beyond the ruined mausoleum.
Ash immediately stepped in front of Ethan.
“My King.” “There it is again.” “The enemy approaches.” The ruined battlefield changed.
The countless broken spears scattered across the earth began vibrating.
One after another, ancient weapons rose into the air.
Not because of magic.
Because something beneath the ground was pulling them.
The earth cracked open.
A massive skeletal hand burst through the surface.
Then another.
Then another.
Hundreds of gigantic arms climbed from beneath the battlefield.
Each belonged to a warrior several dozen meters tall.
Their armor had long since decayed into stone, but their empty eye sockets burned with blue flames.
The system identified them instantly.
[Ancient Grave Guardians.] [Level: 40.] [Status: Awakened.] Captain Reyes slowly lowered her pistol.
“…We’re dead.” Azrakel shook his head.
“No.” The emperor stepped forward.
The enormous skeletal warriors immediately stopped moving.
One by one…
Every giant lowered its head.
Every giant knelt.
The battlefield shook beneath their weight.
“They still remember.” Azrakel’s voice became distant.
“They were my soldiers.” Ethan looked between the emperor and the kneeling giants.
“You had an army this size?” “No.” Azrakel smiled sadly.
“It was much larger.” The answer somehow made the battlefield feel even smaller.
One of the colossal guardians slowly raised both hands.
Resting upon its palms was an enormous black chest covered in silver chains.
Unlike everything else within the Gate…
It looked untouched by time.
The system reacted instantly.
[Legendary Reward Detected.] [The First Legion Vault.] [Access Requirements Met.] [Shadow Legion Heir Confirmed.] Ethan frowned.
“Heir?” Azrakel nodded.
“It belongs to you.” “I’ve inherited far too many impossible things recently.” “You will inherit more.” The chains surrounding the chest unlocked one after another.
Not by force.
By recognition.
A deep metallic sound echoed across the battlefield.
The lid slowly opened.
Darkness spilled from within.
Not ordinary darkness.
Living shadows.
Thousands of them.
They flowed across the battlefield before gathering around Ethan like loyal wolves returning to their master.
None attacked him.
Instead…
They bowed.
Ash stepped forward and knelt.
“The Legion welcomes its King.” The surrounding shadows repeated the gesture.
Captain Reyes could only stare.
Sarah’s eyes sparkled with disbelief.
Even the Spear King lowered his head.
Inside the chest rested only three objects.
A sword.
A ring.
And a weathered journal.
No treasure.
No mountains of gold.
Just those three things.
Ethan reached toward the journal first.
For some reason…
It felt familiar.
The cover was made from dark leather worn smooth by countless years.
Across its surface, written in faded silver ink, were six simple words.
“For the day you return.” The moment Ethan touched it…
The entire Gate froze.
A woman’s voice echoed gently inside his mind.
“So…” The voice carried warmth unlike anything he had heard since the apocalypse began.
“…you finally made it back.” His vision blurred.
A single tear rolled down his cheek before he even understood why.
The system appeared one final time.
[Memory Synchronization: 5%.] [New Main Quest Unlocked.] Find the owner of the journal.
[Quest Difficulty: Impossible.] Ethan gripped the journal tightly.
Somewhere…
Someone had written these words for him.
Not for the Devourer.
Not for the Hunger.
For Ethan.
And for the first time since the apocalypse began…
He wasn’t chasing power.
He was chasing an answer.
Who was waiting for him…
At the end of eternity?