Chapter 1…..
Rewinding time of <Server: Earth>
āHa.ā
Saebyeok exhaled the suppressed breath as she looked at the black mass melting before her.
The <Destruction> that sputtered up filth and faded away was utterly disgusting.
āā¦Itās over.ā
It had been a long battle.
If counted from the moment she first awakened, more than ten years had passed.
!! Notice !!
The <Destruction> infiltrating <Server: Earth (S3-EH)> has been eradicated!
<Scenario: Reason for Destruction> has been completed.
Finally, she had finished that damned <Scenario>.
At last.
But Saebyeok felt no joy at all.
How much blood had been shed to reach this point? How many sacrifices had been made?
She lifted her battered body and slowly surveyed the surroundings.
It was desolate.
The world, devoid of life, even swallowed the sparks scattering from her spear.
āHaā¦ā
Saebyeok let out a long sigh from her core and looked down at her hands.
Rough, scarred, and callousedāthese hands were coarse. There was a time she had proudly thought of them as proof of survivalā¦
āā¦I survived.ā
Alone.
āā¦.ā
It was hollow.
āSister, please⦠save me! I donāt want to dieā¦!ā
Her younger brother, whom she had ultimately failed to protect.
āLeave this to me and just run forward!ā
Her childhood friend, who had remained righteous to the end.
Her comrades, who trusted her no matter what, and the association head who entrusted the future to her.
Countless connections flashed through her mind. Not a single one had been meaningless.
Yes, even that man who survived with her until the very end.
āIf only one of us can live, itās better that itās you.ā
āEven if I stubbornly survive like this, what can I do alone?ā
The overwhelming power that could dominate the world, the fiery breath bursting from her chestāit all meant nothing alone.
A cynical smile formed on Saebyeokās lips as she watched the world fade away.
āLook. Thereās nothing left.ā
āThere must be a reason all this is called a <Scenario>. So survive until the end, Han Saebyeok.ā
She had clung to his words, full of speculation, as her last hope. And she had survived.
But there was nothing.
āIn the end⦠you were wrong.ā
The emptiness, indescribable even with the word āhollow,ā scratched at her heart.
Saebyeok slowly raised her arm and placed the spearās blade against her neck.
āIf I die, will we all meet again?ā
Would he be angry at her for surviving? Still, she had seen the end of the <Scenario>, so maybe heād praise her a little.
Scolding or anger was fine. She just wanted⦠to see him one last time.
It was then.
Ding!
With a cheerful bell sound, a notification window appeared before her eyes.
!! Notice !!
You have been confirmed as the sole survivor of <Server: Earth (S3-EH)>.
All conditions to become the server administrator have been met.
After awakening, the holographic window she had seen so often made another incomprehensible announcement.
!! Public Notice !!
Han Saebyeok, the Dawn Lancer, is appointed as the administrator of <Server: Earth (S3-EH)>.
A public notice even though there were no other survivorsāwhat kind of mockery was this?
Her expression briefly twisted in frustration, then relaxed with a hollow laugh.
Even anger had lost its meaning.
It was all meaningless.
As she tried to strengthen her grip on the spearā¦
!! Notice !!
As a reward for completing <Scenario: Reason for Destruction>, <Skill: Guardian of Time (EX)> has been unlocked.
A notification halted her movements.
āGuardian of Timeā¦?ā
The moment she muttered, a massive hourglass appeared before her.
It was dazzlingly beautiful, exuding a mysterious aura as if containing the entire world.
Saebyeok froze.
<Skill: Guardian of Time (EX)>
Everyone makes mistakes. Server administrators are no exception. Shall we rewind time slightly to fix a mistake?
ā» Currently inactive. Will activate when conditions are met.
The ability to rewind time.
Having lost everyone precious to her, even the last comrade, that man, Saebyeok had searched desperately for this item.
Clinging to the hope that she could start everything over.
āWith so many abilities in the world, there must be something that can rewind time somewhere.ā
She had bet everything on that manās passing words.
But no matter how she searched, she couldnāt find a clue. She had eventually given up, thinking it was a mirage born of desperationā¦
āNot an item, but a skill.ā
Perhaps she had started the search at the wrong point.
āEX-rankā¦ā
A grade above S-rank, beyond humanityās scale. Beyond human measurement toolsāpeople called that level āthe realm of gods.ā
She had never seen an EX-rank skill before; usually, EX referred only to items.
Saebyeok extended her trembling hand toward the hourglass.
The mysterious artifact, like it contained the universe, engulfed the world in night sky the moment her fingers touched it.
The unnecessarily beautiful dawn, the barren land that brought only despairāit all vanished.
The sheer majesty of nature overwhelmed her, as if showing that this power was beyond human reach.
With a low whisper, Saebyeok spoke to it, as if daring it to test her:
āā¦<Guardian of Time>, activate.ā
!! Notice !!
Checking activation conditions for <Skill: Guardian of Time (EX)>.
Verifying usage conditionsā¦
Confirming user identityā¦
Checking serverā¦
Notifications appeared faster than her eyes could follow.
Her heart, which she thought would never race again after losing her brother, thumped violently.
Check complete!
A cheerful sound announced the message:
!! Notice !!
<Skill: Guardian of Time (EX)> has been activated.
Saebyeokās thoughts froze.
But the system did not wait for her to regain composure.
!! Notice !!
Using <Skill: Guardian of Time (EX)> on <Server: Earth (S3-EH)>.
Rewinding time of <Server: Earth (S3-EH)>.
The hourglass began spinning with a blinding light.
Saebyeokās emotions tangled with it, her breath caught as she stared.
Specify the point in time to loadā??ā?
Beeeepā!
The system emitted a sharp alarm, releasing a torrent of warnings, while the system window began to crack.
!! Warning !!
Problem detected:
Insufficient administrator privileges
!! Warning !!
Penalty applied for using <Skill: Guardian of Time (EX)>:
Randomized load point
Along with the crimson warning, a roulette-like wheel appeared, spinning before stopping at one point.
Proceeding with <Maximum administrator privileges>.
Calculatingā¦
Calculatingā¦
Calculation complete!
!! Notice !!
Returning to March 27, 2025, 18:18:18.
At that moment, an immense gravity crushed Saebyeokās body.
There was no time to consider that the system-chosen date felt strangely familiar.
Was this what being sucked into a black hole felt like?
Even her S-rank body struggled to withstand the force.
Her internal mana went out of control; her body contorted in pain. Organs felt ruptured, every bone threatened to shatter.
But Saebyeok did not cancel the skill.
Even if her body were torn into thousands of pieces, she could not stop.
āEat, sleep, eat, sleep, what a pig⦠Huh! Sis?! Since when were you listening?!ā
āFinally realizing my greatness? Hahaha! Then buy lunch!ā
She could see them again?
āHan Saebyeok. Donāt die.ā
She could even trade her soul.
!! Warning !!
Temporary compression due to administrator privilege conflict!
!! Warning !!
Unique privileges not fully transferred detected!
!! Warning !!
Server hardware damage worsening!
!! Warning !!
?ā???ā??
Amidst the blindingly flashing warnings, she finally blacked out.
It had been a long time since she experienced such darkness. After awakening and surpassing human limits, even the sound of an ant walking could wake her.
āā¦Right.ā
Her ears buzzed as if underwater.
But soon, the sensation of someone tapping her legs pulled her mind from the mire.
Like the moment one wakes from sleep paralysis, all senses returned at once.
āGet up and eat this, you pig⦠Huh!ā
Her eyes flew open, and she grabbed the legs of the one kicking her thigh and shoved what she was holding into his neck.
Years of surviving while being chased by destruction had honed her reflexes.
But when their eyes met, Saebyeokās eyes widened.
āā¦Han Saejin?ā
āWhoa, you scared me.ā
The one she had grabbed, brushing off the shock, was her younger brotherālong dead, yet here before her.