Sam stayed and talked about a lot of things with his family that night.
For once, they weren't discussing monsters, gates, or survival systems.
Instead, they spoke about favorite childhood memories, the quiet summer mornings before the world changed, and the dishes Sam's mother used to cook when his father came home late from the lab. It was a moment that shouldn't have existed in a world tipping into chaos—but it did.
And Sam treasured every second.
The Next Morning – Earth
The sun rose higher than ever—more radiant, almost aggressive in its glow. Sam squinted against it, wondering if the thickening ozone layer was amplifying sunlight. Either way, it felt strange.
Activities on Earth resumed like the catastrophe yesterday had just been a storm that passed.
The world didn't have time to grieve, only to adapt.
Governments moved quickly.
Every nation was trying desperately to clear the gates that had formed within their borders.
Most were still struggling with just two. It wasn't going well—but it wasn't hopeless either.
There were no fantastical rewards for monster hunting. No "level up" sounds. No stat boosts. No freebies.
Just pain, blood, and the brutal reality of death.
After parting ways with his family—his mother's hands lingering on his arms a moment longer than usual—Sam mounted his high-speed bike and made his way to the lab.
The streets of Osaka were quiet.
Soldiers patrolled intersections. The sky felt heavier.
Upon arriving at the lab complex, he noticed more scientists had returned than before. The exodus from yesterday had begun to reverse—slowly.
Most of the halls were still too quiet.
As Sam entered his personal lab sector, a wave of synthetic voices greeted him.
"Welcome back, Dr. Coer."
"Mainframe stabilized. Security perimeter: green."
"KIRA online. Awaiting input."
KIRA chimed in.
"Reading logs sent by Alpha."
Sam moved toward the control panel.
"Nothing serious has occurred in Antarctica," KIRA reported.
"Rate of E-Rank gate clearance has increased, as per Earth Spirit's prediction."
Sam exhaled.
He stepped into his core lab chamber, where the regen tank glowed faintly.
Lab Notes – Personal Progress
I've made progress.
I've achieved regeneration.
At least an edge of it.
Every organ… except the brain.
The serum was functional.
He'd tested it on himself with calculated risk. The result?
Eternal youth.
Regeneration of muscle, skin, heart, lungs, liver—even bone.
As long as the brain remained intact, he could repair anything else.
In a peaceful world, this would have been his magnum opus. His dream.
But peace was dead.
Now, reality has changed. I need strength above all else.
To survive... it's either kill or be killed.
For now, Earth was suppressing the demons.
But everyone could feel the ticking clock.
"System," Sam called.
"Show timer status."
A translucent blue interface appeared before his eyes.
🕒 TIME REMAINING UNTIL CATALYSM
:24 DAYS – 8 HOURS – 56 MINUTES
The countdown had increased. Barely.
Thanks to the combined efforts of global militaries…
the timer extended.But once all E-Rank dungeons are cleared…
the real nightmare begins.
No current weapons were advanced enough to defeat what lay beyond.
Fifty years of human progress—and they were still far behind.
We need a way forward.
He turned to KIRA.
"Kir—"
But before he could finish, the System's interface burst open in a brilliant flash of crystalline blue light.
🔷 SYSTEM NOTICE 🔷
UNIVERSAL SYSTEM HAS FOUND PATH OF ADVANCEMENTS
Updating… Please wait…
— Planetary Suitability: Excellent
— Side Effects: None
10… 9… 8… 3… 2… 1… Update complete.
✅ New Paths Available
✅ ESSENCE UNLOCKED (New Shop Currency)
✅ RIONA HAS AWARDED 1,000,000 ESSENCE(Contribution in path advancements)
Sam blinked, confused.
"…What? Who is Riona?"
Alpha's voice spoke through the main lab speaker.
"There is no individual named Riona with exceptional records on Earth, aside from those five anomaly-tagged entities."
Sam narrowed his eyes.
"It's reasonable. Riona might be part of that group…"
He tapped the interface.
"Open Path Advancement."
🔷 PATH OF ADVANCEMENT UNLOCKED 🔷
Mana Cultivation– Provided by Riona of the Sunblood Family.– A mystical path that cultivates pure mana to evolve strength, defense, and perception.
– Requirement: Must be able to feel or sense ambient mana, vital energy.
Blood Awakening– Provided by Riona of the Sunblood Family.– Designed for those who cannot sense mana. This path tempers the physical body to inhuman degrees.–Requirement: A higher level of pain tolerance and willpower.
Sam exhaled slowly.
"This is serious, Alpha. These people—whoever they are—just shared their power system with us."
Two advancement paths…
Mana Cultivation and Blood Awakening.
Are they incompatible? Can I choose both?
"Can't I just cultivate both paths?" Sam asked.
KIRA stayed quiet.
Sam reached forward and selected the first entry.
"Let's check Mana Cultivation first."
OPENING MANA CULTIVATION MANUAL…
A new set of glowing runes and instructions etched themselves across the interface.
The secrets of an alien legacy, gifted by a crimson-sun survivor, were about to be unveiled.
Sam's journey toward power had just taken a terrifying turn.
And somewhere—across the stars—Riona was watching.