The current era of the world was known as The Age of Peace.
For nearly three decades, no large-scale war had erupted between the great powers.
This fragile stability existed because of a single man.
Arthur Veridian.
The legendary hero who had united the four human kingdoms under a sacred pact known as The Veridian Accord.
Because of that agreement, the kingdoms of humanity stopped fighting each other.
Borders stabilized.
Trade flourished.
Armies remained vigilant—but idle.
To the common people, the world looked peaceful.
But those who truly understood the balance of power knew better.
Peace in this world was not maintained by treaties.
It was maintained by strength.
At the top of the world stood the rulers of the great races.
The current King of Humanity was
Xenovar Von Astrael.
A ruler whose power had already reached the terrifying level of SS+ Rank.
Equal to him stood the other great monarchs.
The Elf King,
Sylvarion Elaris, guardian of the ancient forests.
And the Demi-Human King,
Drakar Thorne, the warlord who united the beast clans.
All of them stood at the peak of SS+ Rank.
They were beings capable of destroying armies alone.
Yet even among these monsters of power—
Two individuals existed that stood above them all.
They were anomalies.
Legends.
The first was Ragnar Zephyr.
The Storm Sovereign.
The Sword King.
A man feared even by kings.
The second was the ruler of dragonkind.
The Dragon King,
Vorthalyx the Eternal
Both had reached a realm of power thought nearly impossible in the current era.
SSS− Rank.
A level that placed them above even the strongest monarchs.
These two were considered the pinnacles of the world's power.
And because they existed—
No one dared break the fragile peace.
But that wasn't the entire truth.
Hidden in the shadows of the world was another force.
One that cared nothing for kingdoms or treaties.
A group feared by every government and organization.
A group known only as—
Saviant.
Eight individuals.
Each one a monster in their own right.
Every member carried a bounty so high that entire kingdoms hunted them.
Each one possessed power at the level of SS+ Rank.
And among them—
One name had begun appearing more frequently in whispers.
The mad clown.
Jester.
A man who left behind only chaos and corpses.
Yet even he was not the true leader.
Because at the very top of Saviant stood a figure whose identity was completely unknown.
A being whose strength had reached the same terrifying realm as Ragnar Zephyr and the Dragon King.
SSS− Rank.
But this truth…
Was known only to two people in the entire world.
Ragnar Zephyr.
And the Dragon King.
The rest of the world still believed the balance of power remained intact.
They believed peace would continue.
They believed the kings controlled the future.
They were wrong.
Because somewhere in the shadows—
Saviant was already moving.
And the clock had started ticking.
Tick.
Tock.
Chrono leaned back slightly in his chair.
"…Paradox."
The faint blue light appeared again in front of his eyes.
"Show me my status."
A translucent screen formed in the air.
[STATUS WINDOW]
Name: Chrono
Age: 18
Academy: Eldoria Nexus Academy
Academy Rank: 2500 / 2500
Attributes
Strength: E−
Speed: E+
Defense: E+
Mana Core: D
Charm: C
Chrono stared at the panel quietly.
Just two days ago most of those had been F.
Now they had slowly begun to rise.
Still…
He was last place in the academy.
Chrono leaned back in his chair and sighed.
"…Still pathetic."
But the blue interface flickered again.
[Paradox Notice]
Growth Rate: Abnormal
Chrono raised an eyebrow.
"…What's that supposed to mean?"
The screen pulsed once more.
[Recommendation]
Continue training.
Growth potential detected.
Chrono closed the window with a flick of his hand.
"…Yeah, yeah."
Chrono simply looked at the quest list that had been there since the beginning.
The quests that had been given to him the moment Paradox awakened.
[QUESTS]
Main Quest
Survive the Dungeon Incident
Time Remaining: 87 Days
Reward: Unknown
Penalty: Death
Chrono remembered the moment that message first appeared.
The Dungeon Incident was one of the biggest disasters in the early arcs of Leon's Odyssey.
Hundreds of students would die.
In the original novel Chrono Zephyr had died right here at chapter 17.
Chrono slowly exhaled.
"…Right."
His gaze shifted down.
[Beginner Survival Trial]
Description:
The host currently possesses extremely low combat and academic ability.
To increase chances of survival, basic competency must be achieved.
Objectives
• Reach Top 1000 in the Academic Ranking at Eldoria Nexus Academy
• Reach Top 1000 in the Physical Examination
Time Limit: 28 Days
Chrono let out a quiet chuckle.
"Top 1000…"
He looked at his academy ranking again.
2500 / 2500
Dead last.
Yet despite that—
He had already started climbing.
Then his eyes moved to the last quest.
[Hidden Quest]
Beat Leon Ardent - The Rising Hero
Deadline: 1 Year
Reward:
Memories of Chrono Zephyr — 100% Unlock
Chrono stared at the words silently.
The name Leon.
The protagonist of the novel.
The man who would eventually become the strongest hero in the world.
Chrono closed the quest window slowly.
For a moment, the room fell quiet again.
Then he leaned back against the wall.
"…Yeah."
His voice was calm.
But his eyes were determined.
"I already knew all this."
His fists clenched slightly.
He wasn't the weak Chrono who first entered the academy anymore.
He had Paradox.
He had knowledge of the future.
And most importantly—
He had time.
Chrono stood up slowly.
"…One year."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Leon."
"I'm coming for that spot."