A ruined city stretched out before them collapsed buildings, flaming cars, and fires raging everywhere. Corpses lay scattered across the streets, some already being devoured by monsters.
In the heart of the destruction, a lone figure stood against a colossal black dragon. Its scales were darker than the void, its wings flared with black fire, and its breath didn't just burn its shattered souls.
The human facing it looked utterly spent. He had long passed his limits. And yet, somehow, he could still move. Still standing.
"Human hero, Ryu Ryeon. Why do you persist?" the dragon rumbled. "All your comrades are dead. Humanity on this planet has been wiped out. You are the last."
"Hero? Don't call me that. I've never seen myself that way," Ryu said, voice ragged and breath labored. His white hair clung to his sweat-drenched face. He wore light armor battered from endless battles.
It all started when dimensional cracks appeared portals through which monsters invaded humanity. Back then, the human race teetered on the edge of extinction… until some individuals awakened supernatural powers and fought back. The world changed overnight. These people were called Awakeners.
Since it all felt like a Manhwa, many Awakeners somehow instinctively understood how to use their powers. They banded together to fight monsters and close Gates. Because they were so focused on survival, conflict among Awakeners was rare.
Ryu Ryeon, once a professional programmer and story enthusiast, awakened with a unique trait, Supreme Heavenly Demon. Yeah, it sounded like a villain's skill. But in a world swarming with monsters, any power was welcome.
He trained for ten years to master it. Joined a top guild. Helped repel monster attacks and close Gates.
During that time, he met his life partner Nam Yena. A fellow Awakener and guildmate.
With global cooperation among Awakeners, the Gate crisis began to fade. Peace started to return. But then, a Gate unlike any before opened in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
A massive portal. One that constantly spewed monsters, giant insectoid creatures, like something out of Starcraft. Because of its scale and destructive potential, the world's strongest Awakeners united to destroy it. But it was no use. The creatures were as powerful as high-level Awakeners and came in endless waves.
They were overwhelmed. Cities fell. Humanity suffered.
Worse, among the monsters was one whose power couldn't even be measured. A dragon. Towering. Cloaked in shadows. Its wings blazed with black fire.
After annihilating several nations, it reached Korea.
**
The Awakeners of Korea, including me, stood to stop it. But we couldn't even scratch the damn thing. One by one, everyone fell. Even Yena… died protecting me.
In the end, I was the last one left. I couldn't sense a single living soul besides my own. It really felt like I was humanity's final hope.
I had no strength left. My mana was overloaded. My stamina, gone. I didn't know why I was still standing.
Was I just going to die here? Without even avenging Yena?
NO.
I won't give up. Not until the very end.
If I have to die, I'll at least take the damn dragon with me.
One last move. I poured all my Qi into my fist. Not just Qi every last drop of life force I had. I converted it all into energy and channeled it into a single blow.
SUPREME HEAVENLY DEMON FIST TECHNIQUE – FINAL ART – HEAVEN'S BREAKER!!!
I charged the dragon.
"A final struggle from the last human? What a delight kwahaha!"
It laughed and let me strike exactly what I'd been waiting for.
My punch connected. My fist tore through half its body. The dragon screamed, helpless, as it was destroyed.
"Hahaha! Take that! F*ck you!" my final words before death claimed me.
If I hadn't become an Awakener, I never would've met Yena. But if I could choose… I'd rather have just read novels with her. Lived a quiet life.
*
Relics are ancient artifacts, remnants of lost civilizations or manifestations of condensed energy. Each one has unique powers. Some can even grant ether skills abilities thought to be innate. A few rare texts mention relics with awareness or even personalities.
I believe the skull in front of me is one of those rare, conscious relics. If it's really the embodiment of the Planet Heart… then in a strange way, it's kind of like me.
"So… that makes you my little brother?" I asked instinctively after it introduced itself as the consciousness of the Planet Heart.
"Ha!? Just because I was created later doesn't mean I'm your little brother!"
"The younger one is always the little brother, no matter what world you're in."
"…Tch. Whatever. I'm not your brother. And definitely not your sibling."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm a consciousness born from the resonance between your soul and the Planet Heart. My sole task is to activate this relic and grant you full access to its powers as its rightful owner."
From the books I've read, relics are typically usable by anyone. But some rare ones are soul-bound, only the original owner can wield them, unless access is transferred.
The skull told me the relic inside my body is called Second Origin. Its effect, to grant a second origin to my soul.
"A second origin? What does that mean?"
"There are restrictions... I can't reveal all the details. But I can say Second Origin will grant you a new beginning. A deeper layer of power that only you can wield."
"So... an upgrade?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Call it... evolution. The kind your soul wasn't meant to reach, but now can."
"That doesn't sound ominous at all."
"Don't worry. It's already part of you. I'm just tuning the key."
"…Hmm. If you say so."
"Then I will now activate it. Once it's active, my consciousness will disappear and you'll return to your body. Don't worry."
The skull raised its hand. Light began to radiate from it slowly filling the room, becoming so bright that I couldn't even see the skull anymore.
"Before I go, here is a final message from the consciousness of Planet Matera."
A pure white light engulfed my vision and I woke up. I was back in the library. I tidied the books and left the room.
Live well, stay healthy, and be happy.
That was the final message I heard in the dream. Unlike the skull's voice, this one was warm and soft. I didn't recognize it but it reminded me of sensei, back when she used to speak gently to me.
The light faded. Silence returned.
For a heartbeat, I forgot who I was.
Then the memories hit Ryu Ryeon's final stand, the fall of Earth, Yena's last smile, the dragon's laughter. A lifetime's worth of experiences crashed into me like a tidal wave, each one heavy with pain and purpose.
It felt like I had truly lived and died as him.
I was shaken. I even shed a tear from the weight of it. But I wasn't surprised. Maybe because my sensei used to train me by making me live entire lifetimes in her illusion worlds. Sometimes as a noble. Sometimes a commoner seeking revenge. Once, as a powerful magician who died and reincarnated as someone else.
In those illusions, she sealed my original memories. Forced me to fully live those other lives. Then gave all the memories back at the end.
It was… intense.
And this? This felt just like that.
I sat there a while longer, staring at the screen, watching the cursor blink on an empty search. "Earth." "Ryu Ryeon." "Gate Crisis."
Nothing.
Maybe this world didn't know about Earth yet. Or maybe it was never meant to.
"Tianluo is probably looking for me by now," I muttered with a sigh, rubbing my temples. "All I wanted was a quiet nap... not a second soul, a relic with an attitude, and a flashback to humanity's apocalypse."
I stood and glanced back at the quiet room, lit only by the faint glow of the library's crystal lights.
Live well, stay healthy, and be happy.
The words echoed in my mind, soft and warm. Whoever they came from... I think they meant it.
I walked out, back into the world. A little heavier. A little stronger.