One Year Later.
Time had quietly reshaped the world.
Twelve months had passed since the great catastrophe that shook humanity. Twelve months filled with battles, rebuilding, sacrifices, and countless new beginnings. Although only a year had gone by, it felt as though an entire generation had lived through it.
Planet Diamond, once scarred by the sudden appearance of dimensional portals, had gradually recovered from its wounds. Entire districts that had been reduced to rubble now stood stronger than before. Roads had been widened to allow emergency military vehicles to travel freely. Massive defensive walls surrounded the largest cities, each embedded with countless formation arrays designed to detect approaching creatures.
Towering skyscrapers stretched into the heavens once again.
Flying vehicles crossed the skies in orderly streams.
Markets bustled with life.
Children laughed in parks that had once been battlefields.
To an outsider, Planet Diamond looked peaceful.
Yet everyone living there understood the truth.
Peace had become a luxury rather than a guarantee.
The Spiritual Realm had grown increasingly unstable.
No one truly understood why.
Some scholars believed the barrier separating both worlds had begun weakening. Others insisted that an unseen force was deliberately tearing open the fabric of reality. Every major organization investigated the phenomenon, yet none could provide an answer.
The only undeniable fact was that dimensional rifts appeared far more frequently than ever before.
Some remained small enough for local government teams to seal within minutes.
Others expanded into enormous gateways that released endless waves of monsters into the Human World.
Whenever one appeared, alarms echoed throughout nearby cities.
Families sought shelter.
Military forces mobilized immediately.
Experienced Awakened rushed toward the battlefield without hesitation.
Fortunately...
Humanity was no longer as helpless as it had once been.
Every nation had established specialized response divisions composed of Awakened, Elites, Masters, Ascendants, and even Sovereigns. Their sole responsibility was defending civilization from monster invasions.
The moment a portal appeared anywhere across the planets, nearby teams received the alert instantly.
Their mission never changed.
Destroy every invading creature.
Seal the dimensional rift.
Protect humanity.
Day after day...
Countless battles erupted across dozens of worlds under humanity's control.
Some lasted only a few minutes before the monsters were eradicated.
Others became desperate wars that continued for weeks.
Cities were defended.
Villages were evacuated.
Entire mountain ranges became battlefields.
Many Awakened never returned home.
Others came back carrying wounds that would remain with them forever.
Yet despite the losses...
New heroes continued stepping forward.
Because of them...
Human civilization still stood proudly against the darkness.
Meanwhile, life continued moving forward.
Far away, on NTOEL, Nora had officially completed every requirement expected of an Initiate.
The timid girl who had once struggled to understand the Spiritual Realm had changed beyond recognition.
An entire year of missions, relentless cultivation, and life-and-death battles had tempered her into an exceptional warrior.
Her essence flowed smoothly through every pathway inside her body.
Her foundation had reached perfection.
Every fragment of power within her had stabilized completely.
She now stood before the greatest milestone of her current journey.
Forming her Gate.
The first step toward becoming an Awakened.
Unlike ordinary breakthroughs, forming a Gate demanded absolute precision. Even the smallest mistake could cripple an Initiate's future forever. Countless talented cultivators spent years preparing for this single moment, unwilling to gamble with their potential.
Fortunately...
Nora possessed guidance that few people could ever dream of receiving.
Awakened Rose had personally accepted her as a disciple.
Throughout the past year, Rose had supervised every aspect of Nora's growth, correcting her mistakes while ensuring her foundation remained flawless.
After recognizing Nora's extraordinary talent, Rose had even arranged a private residence for her near the academy.
It wasn't luxurious.
It wasn't extravagant.
But it was peaceful.
Comfortable.
A place where Nora could cultivate without interruption.
For the first time since beginning her journey...
She truly had somewhere she could call home.
Elsewhere...
On Planet Asterion...
Life had settled into an unusual rhythm.
Although Asterion himself remained absent after entering his final Divine Trial, the planet continued functioning under the protection of its strongest guardians.
Rylan had become busier than ever.
Whenever portals appeared, he was among the first to respond.
When he wasn't fighting invading monsters, he could usually be found training younger warriors or rebuilding destroyed cities with his extraordinary mastery over earth.
Entire streets rose from the ground beneath a wave of his hand.
Collapsed buildings were restored within hours.
To countless civilians...
He had become a symbol of unwavering stability.
To Rylan himself...
It was merely another ordinary day.
Seraphim remained exactly as she had always been.
Calm.
Elegant.
Unshakable.
Terrifying.
Her reputation had spread far beyond Planet Asterion.
Whenever a large-scale portal appeared anywhere under humanity's jurisdiction, governments instinctively requested her assistance.
More often than not...
The battle ended shortly after her arrival.
One bolt of heavenly lightning was usually enough to erase an entire battlefield.
Countless monsters vanished beneath blinding flashes of divine thunder.
The title of Thunder Slayer had only grown more famous throughout the past year.
Across humanity...
A new generation continued awakening every single month.
Some entered prestigious academies.
Some joined government organizations.
Others rejected authority altogether, choosing instead to become independent hunters who ventured into the Spiritual Realm seeking power, relics, and fortune.
The world had entered a completely new era.
An era where becoming stronger was no longer simply a dream.
It had become a necessity.
Because somewhere beyond the countless inhabited worlds...
Beyond the endless Spiritual Realm...
Beyond dimensions that humanity had yet to discover...
Something ancient continued watching.
Patiently.
Silently.
Waiting for the perfect moment.
And although no one realized it yet...
The gears of fate had already begun turning once again.
Soon...
The forgotten name would return.
And when it did...
The world itself would begin to change.