Dust still drifted through the ruined street.

  The Rift Beast’s corpse lay sprawled across broken carts and shattered timber, its massive body already beginning to stiffen. Dark blood soaked into the dirt road, steaming faintly in the cool morning air.

  No one spoke.

  Villagers stood in stunned silence, staring at the impossible sight.

  A monster.

  Dead.

  Killed in front of them.

  Vale leaned against a cracked wall, breathing slowly as the last tremors of system energy faded from his body. His muscles still twitched from forced mana circulation, and exhaustion pressed behind his eyes.

  He hated this feeling.

  Weak.

  In his previous life, fights like this barely registered. Rift Beasts were nuisances cleared by mid-tier adventurers. Now one nearly killed him.

  He clenched his jaw.

  Not again.

  Never again.

  Captain Rellan finally broke the silence.

  “Everyone back,” the guard captain barked, voice shaky despite his attempt at authority. “Get back! Check for injuries!”

  The spell shattered the frozen crowd. People rushed forward, shouting, crying, embracing survivors.

  Some stared at Vale with awe.

  Others with fear.

  He ignored them.

  Attention was dangerous.

  The blue glow returned before his eyes.

  RIFT CREATURE TERMINATED

  EXPERIENCE DISTRIBUTED

  LEVEL UP AVAILABLE

  Vale inhaled slowly.

  Already?

  That was fast.

  Of course… early kills yielded massive gains. The system rewarded pioneers heavily.

  Another notification surfaced.

  AUTHORITY RESONANCE DETECTED

  BONUS SYNCHRONIZATION INITIATED

  UNIQUE TRAIT UNLOCKED

  His heart skipped.

  Unique trait?

  That wasn’t normal.

  A screen unfolded.

  Trait Acquired: Echo of the Godslayer

  Fragments of your former divinity persist.

  ? Killing intent recognition enhanced

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  ? Combat intuition amplified

  ? Authority compatibility increased

  ? Fear resistance against higher beings

  Current Stability: 3%

  Warning: Excessive Authority exposure risks soul collapse.

  Vale’s breath slowed.

  So it followed him.

  Even after regression.

  A fragment of what he became.

  Dangerous.

  But invaluable.

  His mind raced.

  If this evolved…

  He could regain fragments of his former power far earlier than anyone else.

  But stability at three percent meant risk.

  Push too hard, and his soul might shatter.

  He dismissed the screen as villagers approached.

  Old Thom stared at him, wide-eyed.

  “You… saved us, boy.”

  Vale shook his head.

  “Just killed something that shouldn’t be here.”

  The blacksmith frowned.

  “What do you mean shouldn’t?”

  Vale hesitated.

  He couldn’t explain the system yet. People would panic.

  But hiding everything was also dangerous.

  “More are coming,” he said finally. “Soon.”

  Murmurs spread through the crowd.

  Captain Rellan approached slowly.

  “You’re coming with me,” the guard captain said quietly. “Village elder will want answers.”

  Vale almost laughed.

  Answers.

  He barely had them himself.

  But refusing would attract suspicion.

  He nodded.

  “Fine.”

  As they walked, whispers followed him.

  Monster killer.

  Hero.

  Madman.

  Liar.

  Survivor.

  Titles didn’t matter.

  Only survival did.

  Inside the elder’s house, Vale explained as little as possible.

  Danger was coming.

  Creatures like the Rift Beast.

  More of them.

  Soon.

  The elder listened grimly.

  “You expect us to believe monsters will appear from nowhere?”

  Vale met his gaze.

  “They already did.”

  Silence filled the room.

  The argument ended there.

  They agreed to increase watch patrols.

  Prepare supplies.

  Strengthen defenses.

  Not enough.

  But something.

  Better than before.

  Vale stepped outside afterward, tension easing slightly.

  Then the world flickered again.

  Just like before.

  But stronger.

  A pulse rolled through reality.

  Invisible.

  Yet undeniable.

  His instincts screamed.

  A system message appeared.

  SYSTEM DESCENT ACCELERATION DETECTED

  GLOBAL EVENT TIMELINE SHIFT CONFIRMED

  NEW COUNTDOWN: 34 DAYS

  Vale’s stomach sank.

  Two days lost already.

  Someone was actively destabilizing events.

  Another regressor.

  Or something worse.

  Then his new trait triggered.

  A chill crawled down his spine.

  Predator Instinct activated.

  He felt it.

  Far away.

  Somewhere beyond the horizon.

  Another hunter had just awakened.

  And was looking back.

  A man stood atop ruined concrete, overlooking a modern city skyline.

  Cars lay abandoned below.

  Bodies littered streets.

  Smoke rose into gray skies.

  A memory.

  Not reality.

  A simulation.

  A projection from the future.

  The man smirked as blue screens floated around him.

  “So,” he murmured.

  “Someone else came back.”

  The global notice replayed.

  FIRST RIFT CREATURE SLAIN

  He laughed quietly.

  “Good.”

  Competition made things interesting.

  He clenched his fist.

  This time…

  He wouldn’t just survive.

  He’d rule.

  And whoever killed that monster…

  Would either kneel.

  Or die.

  The vision faded.

  Vale exhaled slowly.

  He needed strength.

  Fast.

  Staying here was suicide.

  The next breaches would be worse.

  He walked home in silence, mind racing.

  Options formed rapidly.

  Nearby city.

  Early dungeon locations.

  Military mobilization points.

  Future safe zones.

  Then realization hit.

  The nearest early dungeon.

  He remembered.

  Three days’ travel south.

  A mine collapse site.

  First low-tier dungeon emergence.

  In his previous life, hundreds died there before adventurers arrived.

  Now?

  If he cleared it first…

  Progression spike.

  Equipment.

  Skills.

  Power.

  Enough to actually change events.

  Decision made.

  He packed immediately.

  Knife.

  Food.

  Water.

  Simple gear.

  His mother noticed.

  “You’re leaving?”

  Vale froze.

  Memories stabbed his chest.

  In his previous life…

  She died in the first chaos wave.

  He forced a calm smile.

  “Just traveling for work.”

  She hugged him tightly.

  “Come back safe.”

  His throat tightened.

  This time…

  He would.

  The village slept uneasily.

  Whispers of monsters spread.

  Guards patrolled nervously.

  Vale stood at the village edge, pack over his shoulder.

  One last look.

  Peaceful homes.

  Quiet fields.

  A world not yet broken.

  He turned away.

  Future hunter walking into darkness.

  Then—

  Predator Instinct screamed.

  Vale spun.

  A silhouette stood atop the distant treeline.

  Watching.

  Too far to see clearly.

  But unmistakable.

  Someone was there.

  Watching him.

  Then the figure vanished.

  Vale’s pulse slowed.

  Good.

  Let them come.

  He stepped onto the southern road.

  Toward the dungeon.

  Toward power.

  Toward war.

  Behind him, unnoticed by all

  The sky flickered again.

  And something beyond reality stirred.