Chapter 30: Unraveling the Cosmic Plan

The next day, Jinyoung sought out the academy's ancient library. He needed information—anything that could help him understand the cosmic entities and the reason behind the dungeons. The library was vast, filled with scrolls and ancient tomes, many of which were forgotten relics of past civilizations. It was said that within these walls, there were secrets of the old world—clues about the creation of the dungeon system.

Hours passed as Jinyoung combed through dusty tomes and faded manuscripts, his eyes scanning for any mention of cosmic entities or primordial powers. But the information was sparse, fragmented. Most of the records were too old, and many seemed to have been intentionally destroyed.

Then, just as he was about to give up, Jinyoung found a hidden scroll, tucked away in the darkest corner of the library. Its surface was worn, the ink faded, but it was readable. As he unrolled it, his heart raced.

The scroll detailed an ancient prophecy—a prophecy of beings from beyond time who would come to test the strength of humanity. It spoke of trials designed to separate the weak from the strong, to breed warriors capable of facing a cosmic war.

But there was more. The scroll also mentioned a marked one, a warrior who would rise against the cosmic overseers, challenging their control over the dungeons. This marked one would defy the timeline itself, risking everything to uncover the truth.

Jinyoung’s blood ran cold. The description matched him perfectly.

I’m the anomaly, he realized. I’m the marked one.

The entities were afraid of him because he was never meant to pass the trials. He was never meant to return to the past. His very existence had broken the balance of the cosmic plan.

But the scroll contained one final, chilling warning.

The marked one’s rise will be the signal of the war’s beginning. And the dungeons… will be the battleground.

Chapter 31: Shifting Loyalties

The revelation of the marked one haunted Jinyoung. The hidden scroll had confirmed what he had already suspected—the dungeons, the trials, everything was leading to something much larger than anyone could have imagined. A cosmic war was looming, and his very existence was the signal for its beginning.

He sat in the academy's moonlit courtyard, the cold breeze brushing against his skin. His thoughts were chaotic, the weight of his discoveries pressing down on him. Despite the power he had gained, there was still so much uncertainty. He wasn’t just fighting for survival anymore—he was fighting for humanity’s future.

As the stars twinkled overhead, footsteps echoed behind him.

Jinyoung didn’t need to turn to know who it was. Seo Yuna had been watching him ever since their conversation days ago. Her curiosity had grown into something more. She wasn’t just suspicious—she was worried.

"You’ve been distant," Yuna said softly as she approached, her voice softer than usual. She sat down beside him, her sharp, calculating gaze replaced by something gentler. "You’ve discovered something, haven’t you?"

Jinyoung sighed, knowing he couldn’t avoid her questions any longer. He had kept his secrets from her for too long, but Yuna wasn’t just anyone. She was one of the few people he could trust in this fractured timeline.

"Yes," he admitted, keeping his voice low. "Something bigger than the dungeons. Bigger than what we’ve been preparing for."

Yuna’s eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you mean?"

Jinyoung turned to face her, the weight of his knowledge heavy on his shoulders. "The dungeons… they weren’t designed for us to conquer. They’re meant to prepare us for something worse. A war, Yuna. A cosmic war. And I… I wasn’t supposed to be part of it. I was never meant to survive."

For a moment, Yuna was silent, absorbing his words. Her fingers tightened around the edge of her cloak as she processed the enormity of what he was saying.

"And now they’re coming after you," Yuna said quietly, her voice tinged with concern. "The figures you’ve seen—the ones manipulating time. They’re trying to erase you."

Jinyoung nodded, feeling a sense of vulnerability he rarely allowed himself to feel. "I don’t know how long I can keep them at bay."

Yuna’s eyes softened, and for the first time, the cold, calculated mask she often wore slipped away. "You’re not alone in this, Jinyoung. Whatever’s coming, we’ll face it together."

Her words hung in the air, and for a brief moment, Jinyoung felt a connection between them that ran deeper than mere allies or teammates. He had been so focused on surviving, on growing stronger, that he had forgotten what it felt like to have someone genuinely care about him.

"Yuna…" Jinyoung started, but before he could finish, the ground beneath them rumbled.

The air around them shifted, warping as though reality itself was being twisted. Jinyoung immediately recognized the sensation—the entities were nearby. Again.

"Not now," he muttered under his breath, standing quickly and drawing his sword.

Yuna rose beside him, her hands already glowing with icy mana, ready for battle. "They’re here, aren’t they?"

Jinyoung nodded grimly. "Stay close."

The courtyard darkened as a thick mist rolled in from the shadows, and then, out of the swirling fog, stepped a new figure. This one was different from the others. Their form was more human, with silver hair flowing down to their shoulders and a face that looked almost… familiar.

"Jinyoung," the figure said, their voice melodic but carrying an undercurrent of danger. "You’re becoming a real problem."

Jinyoung’s heart skipped a beat as he recognized them. The silver-haired figure wasn’t just another entity. No, this one was something more—a hunter from the future, someone he had once known. Someone he had once trusted.

"Eunwoo," Jinyoung whispered, disbelief washing over him.

Yuna’s eyes flicked between Jinyoung and the silver-haired figure, her confusion growing. "You know this person?"

Jinyoung’s grip on his sword tightened, his mind racing. Eunwoo had been a close ally in his past life, a talented mage and strategist. They had fought side by side in many battles. But here—now—Eunwoo was different. Changed.

"She’s from my past," Jinyoung said quietly, his voice filled with both bitterness and sadness. "But she’s not here to help."

Eunwoo smiled faintly, her silver eyes gleaming with an unnatural light. "You always were sharp, Jinyoung. But you didn’t know everything back then, and you don’t know everything now."

Jinyoung’s chest tightened. This wasn’t the Eunwoo he had known. Something—someone—had gotten to her, twisted her, and sent her back as a pawn of the cosmic entities. She wasn’t just a rival now. She was here to erase him.

"You were one of us," Jinyoung said, his voice filled with a mixture of anger and regret. "How could you…?"

Eunwoo’s smile faded, replaced by cold indifference. "I saw the truth, Jinyoung. I saw what you couldn’t. The dungeons, the trials—they’re not just a test. They’re a safeguard. Humanity isn’t meant to pass them because humanity isn’t meant to survive."

Yuna’s eyes widened in shock. "What are you talking about?"

Eunwoo turned her gaze to Yuna, her expression unreadable. "The cosmic war that’s coming—it’s not a battle we can win. The dungeons were designed to keep humanity in check, to prevent us from becoming too powerful. The overseers are preparing for a greater conflict, and they see us as nothing more than fodder."

Jinyoung’s heart pounded in his chest. "And you think destroying me will stop it?"

Eunwoo’s eyes flickered with a strange intensity. "It’s not about stopping the war, Jinyoung. It’s about preserving the timeline. You weren’t supposed to come back. Your existence is disrupting everything. If you keep going down this path, you’ll drag us all into oblivion."

Jinyoung’s blood boiled. His very existence had been a mistake, an anomaly, and now even those he had once trusted were turning against him. But he wasn’t going to back down—not now. Not after everything he had been through.

"I won’t let you stop me," Jinyoung said, his voice low and firm.

Eunwoo’s smile returned, colder than before. "You don’t have a choice."

Chapter 32: The Battle of Past and Future

Before Jinyoung could react, Eunwoo raised her hand, and the air crackled with raw, temporal energy. Time itself bent around her as she cast a spell, freezing the world around them in a shimmering field of distorted reality.

"Everything ends here."

Jinyoung barely had time to dodge as Eunwoo unleashed a barrage of spells, each one warping the very fabric of space around them. His Ultra Instinct flared to life, allowing him to move faster than thought, his sword cutting through the temporal distortions.

BOOM!

A blast of magic tore through the courtyard, sending debris flying in every direction. Yuna quickly summoned a barrier of ice to protect herself, but even she couldn’t keep up with the speed of the fight. Eunwoo was stronger than any opponent Jinyoung had faced before—stronger, because she knew him.

Jinyoung lunged forward, his sword glowing with both light and darkness, but Eunwoo twisted the flow of time, stepping out of the way as though she had already seen his move. She retaliated with a pulse of temporal magic, and Jinyoung felt his body slow, as though he were moving through molasses.

"You can’t win," Eunwoo said, her voice echoing through the fractured reality. "I’ve seen every outcome. Every path you take leads to the same end."

Jinyoung gritted his teeth, fighting against the temporal hold she had on him. But the more he struggled, the tighter the grip became. His heart pounded in his chest, frustration rising. She was toying with him—just like the cosmic entities.

But then, through the haze of distorted time, Yuna’s voice cut through.

"Jinyoung!"

In that split second, Yuna unleashed a massive wave of ice magic, sending a torrent of freezing energy toward Eunwoo. The sudden attack caught her off guard, forcing her to step back as her temporal hold weakened.

Jinyoung didn’t waste the opportunity. Summoning all his remaining strength, he broke free from the temporal freeze and lunged forward, his sword glowing with raw mana. The clash between him and Eunwoo was deafening, the force of their battle shaking the ground beneath them.

But as their swords locked, Eunwoo’s eyes flashed with something—something unexpected. For just a moment, her expression softened, and Jinyoung could see the person she once was—the ally, the friend. And in that brief instant, he hesitated.

That was all Eunwoo needed.

With a flick of her wrist, she unleashed a burst of temporal magic that sent Jinyoung flying backward, slamming into the ground with a sickening thud. Pain shot through his body, but he forced himself to stand, blood dripping from his lip.

"You’re still weak, Jinyoung," Eunwoo said, her voice filled with both pity and disdain. "That’s why you’ll fail."

But Jinyoung shook his head, his resolve stronger than ever. "No. Not this time."

As he stood, the system reappeared in his vision, its words burning into his mind.

[Warning: Temporal Manipulation Detected.]

[System Update: Unlocked New Power – Time Disruption.]

Jinyoung’s eyes widened as he felt a surge of energy flow through him. His body felt lighter, more fluid, and the world around him seemed to slow down, just like Eunwoo’s spells had done.

"I don’t believe in fate," Jinyoung said, his voice steady. "And I’m going to prove you wrong."