Bill… is a traitor?
Link stared in shock at the words written in the notebook.
What kind of joke was this?
Bill was General Lannis's only son! Sure, he had a spoiled and arrogant personality, but that was a far cry from being a traitor.
With such a powerful talent, why would Bill even need to betray humanity?
But the notebook detailed everything clearly and unambiguously.
"Bill, the only son of General Lannis, was actually born twenty years ago from the union between the General and a princess of the skymaidens, one of the moonfolk races."
"Due to undergoing a secret bloodline awakening ritual with the Moon Worship Sect, Bill fell completely under their control. He personally poisoned his father's food, leading to General Lannis's death on the front lines."
"And that's not all. Because of his extraordinary talent, Bill rose rapidly through the ranks, becoming a pillar of human strength, eventually ascending to the peak of power."
"But no one expected that once he reached the top, Bill would launch a surprise attack that slaughtered nearly every one of humanity's top-tier powerhouses."
"With the loss of their strongest defenders, the moonfolk seized the opportunity to invade en masse. The result was catastrophic—humanity lost nearly one-quarter of its population."
Reading this terrifying glimpse into the future, Link's fists clenched tightly.
He had thought Bill was just an annoying rich kid—arrogant, maybe, but not worth hating. And after all, he was the son of a hero.
But now?
This bastard was no hero's heir—he was a ticking time bomb, a traitor hiding in plain sight.
He had colluded with the Moon Worship Sect—the very scum of humanity, traitors who revered the power of the moonfolk and sought to join them at any cost. These people stirred up chaos behind enemy lines, hunted down gifted human youths, and did it all for a single goal: a ticket to the moon.
They were, quite literally, the moonfolk's dogs.
And Bill, of all people, was in league with them?
"Now you understand," the notebook continued, "why I told you to kill Bill?"
"Before he fully matures, only you have the chance to end him while he's still vulnerable."
At that moment, Link finally made his decision.
But that didn't mean the task would be easy.
If he was going to kill Bill, he had to do it before Bill analyzed and stole his talent.
Otherwise, he'd be dead for real—with no chance to rewind.
"I know what you're thinking," the notebook read, as if anticipating his anxiety. "Don't worry. I've prepared something to help you."
Suddenly, the ink on the page began to shimmer with spiritual energy.
In the blink of an eye, a small vial of glowing liquid materialized on the paper.
"This is a Concealment Potion. It will hide your aura and presence for exactly five minutes."
"In other words—you have five minutes to die by Bill's hand. Good luck!"
Five minutes…
Link silently gripped the potion, his fingers tightening around the glass.
"Hey Link, we're about to awaken. Are you excited?"
Before he realized it, morning had arrived.
All the second-year students had gathered in the plaza, buzzing with energy and nerves.
At the center stood a strange device—a massive machine covered in tubes and glowing veins of spiritual energy. From a distance, it looked like some kind of monstrous organism, unsettling and bizarre.
But the students around it didn't seem to care.
Most of them were too excited to feel anything else.
Link's friend Jode squeezed in beside him.
"Excited? Not really. A bit nervous," Link replied casually.
Still, his eyes couldn't help drifting toward the front right corner of the plaza.
There stood Bill, surrounded by adoring classmates like a king among peasants. He was smiling with unshakable confidence, basking in their admiration—completely unfazed by his father's death just a day earlier.
He didn't notice the intense gaze silently watching him from afar.
A teacher's voice rang out across the plaza.
"Awakening begins now! When your name is called, step forward and place your hand on the crystal."
"Remember—do not reveal your talent to anyone, no matter what it is."
"Once you've awakened, proceed directly to the library, where instructors will guide you further."
Students quickly formed a line.
Link made his way to the front, quietly switching places with a girl named Karina in the first row.
Following the instructions, he placed his hand firmly on a pitch-black crystal orb.
Immediately, a burst of energy surged into his mind.
[Awakening complete!]
[UR-rank Talent: Death Replication]
[SSS-rank Talent: Death Rewind]
It was all real.
Just as the notebook had foretold.
Link's breathing caught in his throat. Then, unable to contain it, a grin slowly spread across his face.
So it was true—he was destined to become the hero who would save humanity!
With heart pounding, he began to read the detailed descriptions of his talents.
Death Rewind was simple enough: upon death, he would return to a point 12 hours before the moment he died.
Death Replication was more complex. It allowed him to copy the talent of whoever killed him—but only if the killer died by his hands in a later cycle.
One detail stood out.
As Link grew stronger, the power and flexibility of both talents would also increase. Theoretically, if he reached a high enough level, he might even be able to replicate things beyond talents.
His heart started to race with anticipation.
UR-rank talents really were on another level—completely beyond the scope of normal reasoning.
Still, their activation requirements were… insane.
"You there—are you finished awakening?"
A teacher's voice snapped him back to reality.
"There are others waiting. If you're done, please leave the plaza."
Link nodded quickly and stepped away from the crystal.
But he didn't head to the library.
Instead, his eyes flicked toward the still-smiling Bill, then turned sharply as he made his way to the Solar Café, located just outside the school gates.
According to the notebook, the café was one of the Moon Worship Sect's known contact points.
There was a good chance that, after awakening, Bill would head there to meet with them.
So Link was going to be one step ahead.
He ordered a cappuccino and took a seat in the upstairs lounge near the window. Just beyond a frosted glass divider, he could see the entrance to a private VIP room.
Based on what he knew of Bill, the guy always came here after school—to hang out, show off, or do whatever arrogant sons of heroes do.
That made this the perfect opportunity.
He took a slow sip of his coffee and waited.
Sure enough, within minutes, he saw a familiar figure leaving the school grounds.
Bill.
Link's eyes narrowed.
It was time.
His fingers closed around the Concealment Potion, grip tightening as the moment approached.