A slow, gentle breeze brushed through the knee-high grass, each blade rustling softly as it danced against the next.
Sunlight poured into the clearing, warm and golden, casting a serene glow over the scene—oddly peaceful, despite the sticky, dark mess staining the earth beneath it.
A sharp, artificial scent—like jelly—crept into River's nostrils.
His eyes snapped open.
He scanned his surroundings quickly, instincts on high alert. When he saw no immediate threat, he let out a long, frustrated sigh.
"Sh*t just got more complicated," he muttered.
He propped a hand beneath his chin, his brows furrowing in thought.
"What the hell was that book?"
The image of the floating white tome from the Skill World still burned vividly in his mind. He could feel it now—its presence faint but undeniable, like a quiet hum at the edge of his consciousness, waiting to be summoned.
Curious, he reached for it with his mind.
A red interface blinked into existence with a dull chime:
[ERROR! Host must reach Level 51 to access the Skill Book.]
That same damned prompt.
River waved it away, and the interface crumbled into fragments of light.
"Strange. Very strange…"
He remained still, silent, trying to piece it all together.
Skills were supposed to be innate.
You were born with them. You awakened them. But you didn't gain new ones—not like that.
And yet, in the Skill World, something had happened. Something that shouldn't be possible.
"If Skills are innate… then why did another one appear?" he whispered, eyes narrowing. "That book… shouldn't it have shown up during my first Awakening in the original timeline?"
But this was his first Awakening… in this timeline.
He wasn't the same River anymore. He had the body of his younger self—but the mind, the memories, the soul of the man who had lived through it all.
Sent back.
No records in the future ever mentioned anything like this. No second Skill. No anomalies.
He would've known.
He should've known.
"I'm the first person to go back in time and undergo the Awakening again," River said quietly.
But the Chosen One had returned too.
"So why didn't he get a new Skill?" River asked aloud. "Or did he…?"
He shook his head. No. Impossible. That kid would've told him. They shared everything.
River had raised the Chosen One himself. Trained him. Trusted him. In their final moments, the boy had revealed everything.
If he'd gained a second Skill, River would've known.
"So why do I have one?" he muttered. "And why does it have a level requirement?"
He stood in the quiet clearing, hands supporting his chin, deep in thought—trying to untangle the mystery that had appeared in his Skill World.
His mind raced. The white book appeared in his thoughts again, radiant and overwhelming, like a small sun blazing with silent purpose.
And yet… it felt familiar.
Not just the glow.
The feeling.
It reminded him of something he saw every day.
Someone.
Then his eyes widened.
"No… that can't be… But—what if…" River took a sharp breath. The familiarity of the Skill brought only one person to mind.
The Chosen One.
"Is it possible… that his Skill became mine?"
It felt like a circuit blew in his head—an explosion of sparks and smoke trailing from every corner of his thoughts.
He wasn't a genius like the Engineer of the Last Hunters. He didn't understand everything about Time Manipulation. But there was one thing he excelled at—something not even the greatest minds could match:
Mana Control.
And with that gift, River steadied his breath. He calmed his heart. In a matter of seconds, the storm in his mind settled into stillness.
That was the difference between him and geniuses. They solved problems with logic. He solved them with clarity.
Even in chaos.
Even against impossible odds.
Unless, of course, it was a true dead end—like what had happened against those unseen dimensional beings.
But this wasn't a dead end.
Not yet.
River narrowed his eyes, mind sharpened, thoughts locked onto a single possibility.
It's too early to jump to conclusions. It's just a white book—one with the same Mana Frequency as the Chosen One's Skill. That's all. Could be a coincidence. Could be a fluke. Might not even be a powerful Skill.
Maybe it's just another weak one... like his Bubble Skill, River thought.
Still, there was a chance.
A real chance.
That the white Skill Book was the Skill Book—the one the Chosen One had wielded.
And if that was true...
"I'll have to break through my Max Level," River muttered, voice low but firm with determination.
Having another Skill alongside Bubble shouldn't be possible. It wasn't supposed to be. But impossibility meant nothing to someone like him. People once believed their Max Level was truly the limit—until someone broke it.
Right now, the White Skill Book remained a mystery. River didn't know whether it was connected to the Chosen One or if it was something entirely different. But there was only one way to find out.
He had to reach Level 51.
He had to shatter his Level Limit.
And for that, he needed to find him.
That man.
It was already part of the plan—after he gathered his Artifacts, after he collected the gear necessary to survive even a single hit. Because even at Max Level, River knew he wouldn't last more than a punch against that lunatic.
Just one punch. That's all River needed to withstand.
But now... things had changed.
With the white book haunting the back of his mind, River felt a growing urgency. The man he had planned to meet later—he didn't just know how to break through the Level Cap.
He knew things.
Secrets the world had never uncovered.
If not for that chance encounter in his previous life, River wouldn't have even known the man was still alive—let alone active.
The mystery inside his Skill World—it could be a threat. Or it could be a blessing.
River didn't know which yet.
But if it turned out to be dangerous...
He'd have to go to that man sooner than he wanted.
Hopefully not.
Hopefully, the Skill Book was something that could help him—not another problem waiting to explode in his face.
River sighed, letting the weight of the unknown settle in his chest.
If he couldn't figure it out now, then he'd put it on hold.
For now, what mattered more was leveling up—strengthening himself as fast as possible. And if whatever was inside his Skill World was a threat… then he'd swallow his pride, walk into that man's domain, and ask for help.
Even if it made his skin crawl.
"And the Chosen One…" River exhaled slowly, the breath heavy with buried grief and questions. "I need to find some kind of clue…"
Shaking his head, he raised his right hand and activated his Skill.
As expected—no bubbles appeared.
Instead, a light blue, translucent screen blinked into existence.
[Alert! The Host must end the Awakening Ceremony to use their Skill.You may access your Status Screen in the meantime by thinking about it. Interface will auto-display upon mental request.]
River didn't bother reading the whole alert. He already knew what it said.
He focused on the thought—Status Screen.
The current interface vanished into shimmering particles as a new holographic screen materialized before him.
He stared at his Stats.
Narrowed his eyes.
Then sighed—long and tired, but not surprised.
"It's the same as before."