Chapter 6: When the Sky Shattered

  The world held its breath.

  The silence that followed those first two words was suffocating, unnatural, as if existence itself had momentarily frozen in anticipation. Then, without warning, the voice returned—calm, steady, inhumanly vast. It was neither a whisper nor a shout, but it resonated everywhere at once, seeping into the very fabric of reality.

  ["Do not be afraid. This is a necessary step."]

  A beat passed before it continued, carrying the weight of inevitability.

  ["You have been chosen. Your world is changing. And to survive, you must change with it."]

  The words held no malice, yet an undeniable finality settled over everything they touched. There was no choice, no negotiation—this was simply the way things would be.

  ["New forces beyond your comprehension will soon emerge. Some will be hostile, others will be opportunities. To ensure your survival, I have granted you a system—a means to evolve, to fight back, to carve your place in what comes next."]

  ["Every human will awaken. Each of you has been given a unique ability, suited to your potential."]

  Then, for the first time, the voice shifted—its tone turning strangely contemplative, as if observing a long-unfolding experiment.

  ["Some of you will rise to greatness. Others will fall, consumed by their own weakness. Such is the nature of trials. And this… is my gift to you."]

  The sky fractured.

  A deep crimson glow split through the heavens, cracks expanding outward like shattered glass, revealing something beyond—a void of writhing, shifting darkness, swirling with symbols that pulsed like dying stars. The weight of something unseen pressed down upon the world, a force so immense it made the very air feel heavier.

  Every living creature felt it.

  Animals reacted first. Dogs whimpered and collapsed, their bodies curling in submission. Birds, mid-flight, dropped from the sky as if their very instincts had betrayed them. In the far distance, something howled—a sound primal and filled with an understanding that humans had yet to grasp.

  And then, the true chaos began.

  Cities erupted in panic. Car horns blared as drivers lost control. Screams filled the streets, a mixture of confusion and terror. People clutched their heads as translucent interfaces materialized before their eyes, words forming in a language they understood instinctively, even if they had never seen it before.

  But Jisoo…

  He remained still.

  He had expected this. He had lived this before. And yet—

  His interface was different.

  The standard awakening message should have appeared, the same notification that every other person in the world was seeing. But instead, his interface did something no one else’s did.

  It spoke.

  ["Congratulations, Jisoo. You chose well."]

  The text flickered, shifting before his eyes, until it took shape—not static words on a translucent screen, but a voice within his mind. A voice that sounded aware.

  ["System integration in progress. Calculating rewards."]

  A pulse rushed through his body.

  Jisoo staggered, gripping his chest as something awakened within him. Strength. Power. A sensation like fire crawling through his veins—not painful, but overwhelming. His heart pounded, muscles tensed, as his very biology restructured itself.

  The world around him seemed sharper, clearer. The distant city lights burned brighter, the hum of electricity in the wires above suddenly audible. The cold night air no longer stung—his body regulated itself instantly, adapting faster than any normal human should be able to.

  ["Fusion Awakening complete. Initial rewards granted."]

  His vision adjusted to the glowing status screen before him, listing out his rewards in crisp, structured text:

  [Awakening Rewards Granted]

  ? Enhanced Physical Capabilities – Your strength, agility, and reflexes have been significantly enhanced due to your training.

  ? Regressor’s Momentum (Passive Skill Unlocked) – Grants increased XP gain, quest rewards, and skill progression.

  ? Notebook Fusion System Activated – Partial access granted. Some entries remain locked.

  ? Stat Boost Applied – You have been granted an initial advantage over standard awakeners.

  A sharp breath left Jisoo as his body tensed involuntarily. His muscles burned—not in pain, but in overwhelming activation. His heartbeat slammed against his ribs, his lungs expanding as if they had never taken a full breath before. His senses twisted, the world sharpening too fast, too vividly. He stumbled, gripping his arm, trying to steady himself as his body adjusted. He had expected to be stronger than a normal Awakener, but this? This was a cut above.

  His eyes flickered back to the interface, where one final notification appeared—a small glitch in the text, warping and distorting for a brief moment before settling into two words:

  [Locked.]

  A shiver crawled down his spine.

  Jisoo had seen this before. The Awakening had always ended with a final message from the voice. A farewell. But this time, something was different.

  ["Humanity… will… e?r?r?o?r?… be strong. Good—"]

  The words glitched, distorted, like a corrupt audio file skipping at the final syllable.

  Then, silence.

  The red sky faded, the fractures sealing themselves as if they had never existed.

  The voice was gone. But its final, broken words lingered in Jisoo’s mind.

  Was that a mistake? A transmission error? Or… was it something more?

  His thoughts were interrupted by the distant sound of screaming.

  The world had changed. Once again.

  Jisoo exhaled, his mind still processing the final glitch in the voice’s message. His gaze remained fixed on the [Locked.] notification in his interface, an unsettling reminder that there was something more—something hidden beyond his reach.

  Frowning, he turned his attention inward, focusing on the presence within his system.

  “Why does that say ‘Locked’? What exactly is hidden?”

  For a brief moment, there was silence. Then, the system responded in its usual composed tone, clear and direct.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  [“Certain knowledge is restricted until specific conditions are met. You must progress further.”]

  Jisoo narrowed his eyes. “And those conditions?”

  [“Unknown. Some information requires direct experience to unlock.”]

  It was an answer, but not one he particularly liked. Still, it confirmed what he suspected—the system itself had limitations. There were things it either couldn’t reveal or wasn’t allowed to.

  Shaking off his unease, he moved to his next question. “Why was I granted all these rewards?”

  [“Your actions prior to The Awakening were considered exceptional. Your consistent training, preparation, and strategic planning placed you significantly above the average human. The rewards you received are a reflection of that effort.”]

  That made sense. It wasn’t an arbitrary gift—it was something he had earned. Even if this wasn’t what he originally expected, it was an undeniable advantage.

  Jisoo let out a slow breath before asking what he truly needed to know. “What about the Notebook Fusion System? How much of it is accessible?”

  [“Full access to all information you personally recorded has been granted.”]

  His fingers twitched at his side. That was huge. If everything he had written about stocks, business strategies, and market manipulations was available—then financial security was guaranteed.

  However, before he could even ask, the system continued.

  [“Additionally, the system contains supplementary information beyond what you recorded. Some of this data remains locked until you meet specific conditions.”]

  Jisoo frowned. “What do you mean by additional information?”

  [“For example—hidden rooms, undiscovered items, rare event triggers, and crucial details that were unknown to you in your past life. As you progress, these will gradually be revealed.”]

  That changed everything. He had assumed he was only working with what he had written before regression, but if the system itself had more information—then there were secrets even he didn’t know yet.

  “Understood,” he muttered. “Let’s put it to the test.”

  The world outside had already begun its descent into disorder.

  Shouts echoed through the streets. Some people stood frozen, staring at the glowing screens before them. Others were panicking—some from fear, others from reckless excitement.

  It didn’t take long for the first crimes to occur.

  A man suddenly lashed out at another, his newly awakened strength sending the victim crashing into a storefront window. A few blocks away, a teenager set a car on fire with nothing but his bare hands, laughing in exhilaration as flames danced up his arms—his new ability seemingly protecting him from the heat.

  It was the same as last time.

  The government was scrambling to establish order. Police sirens blared, but they wouldn’t be able to control what was happening. Social media was already flooded with videos of people testing their abilities, some showcasing bizarre powers, others making outrageous claims about their newfound strength.

  And amidst all the confusion, fractures were forming.

  Jisoo could already see the faint distortions in the air—unstable dimensional rifts, barely visible. No one understood what they were yet, but he knew better.

  They were the true test of The Awakening.

  Not yet, he reminded himself. I have more pressing matters first.

  While others were still trying to comprehend what was happening, Jisoo had no time to waste.

  The first step was securing his financial stability.

  Opening his interface, he navigated to his notebook archives, where everything was meticulously categorized by dates and subjects, making it effortless to navigate. He searched for the lottery numbers he had written down before his regression. His past self had methodically recorded winning sequences for several weeks in a row—his way of ensuring he’d never have to struggle for money after returning.

  A set of numbers appeared on the screen, perfectly intact.

  Jisoo smirked. “Let’s see if things are still the same.”

  Without hesitation, he grabbed his phone, using an online service to purchase a digital lottery ticket. It was a simple transaction—one that would ensure he had access to a fortune by the end of the week.

  Of course, he had no intention of claiming the winnings directly.

  He would use proxies, create a paper trail that led nowhere near him. His name would never be attached to the money.

  “Step one, done.”

  Next, he needed to pay off the pre-existing debt to Iron Hand.

  His father hadn’t taken out the big loan yet—that would happen later, after his mother fell sick. But the smaller, recurring debt his family had been forced to pay off over the years? That needed to be dealt with immediately.

  Jisoo had already anticipated this moment. He didn’t have enough saved to cover it yet, but with his lottery winnings secured, it was only a matter of time before he could clear the debt completely. For now, he needed to ensure everything was in place for the transaction.

  Jisoo sat in his dimly lit room, his mind still processing everything that had happened. His conversation with the system had left him with more answers than he expected, yet it had also opened doors to countless new questions. The knowledge that additional information existed, locked behind conditions he had yet to fulfill, made him wonder just how much was hidden beyond his reach. But for now, there was nothing more he could do about it.

  His financial security was partially handled—for now. The lottery numbers were recorded, and all that remained was to wait. Within a few days, he would have enough money to erase his family's debt. Until then, there was nothing else he could do regarding Iron Hand.

  He exhaled sharply, his gaze shifting toward the faint glow of the city outside his window. Chaos had begun brewing in the streets, but there was little he could do about that either. For now, his best course of action was to focus on himself.

  He pulled up his status window.

  With his financial plan set in motion, Jisoo turned his attention to something far more critical—his own power.

  His stats were already leagues above the average Awakened from what he remembered, but numbers alone weren’t enough. Knowledge without practical experience meant nothing in real combat.

  He started small, testing his reflexes, movement, and stamina. The physical enhancements granted by the Awakening were evident. His body felt lighter, stronger, more responsive—but there was still a noticeable disconnect between his mind and his muscle memory. His brain knew what to do, but his body wasn’t trained to act on instinct.

  He moved through a set of quick exercises, testing the limits of his agility and endurance. A few sprints around the apartment, shadowboxing to gauge his hand-eye coordination, and adjusting to the heightened sense of awareness that came with his improved perception.

  His balance was off. His speed outpaced his control, and his reactions, though sharp, lacked refinement. His strikes were faster, stronger than before, but they lacked the precise control that could make them lethal in a real fight.

  “Tch.” He clicked his tongue in annoyance. This wasn’t enough.

  Frustration built inside him. He had the knowledge. He had the stats. But there was still a gap between what he knew and what he could do. His past self had struggled endlessly, wishing for an edge like this. Now, he had it, and it still wasn’t enough. That realization only made his resolve stronger.

  If he wanted to truly test himself, he needed to face something real.

  And there was one place to do that.

  Jisoo didn’t hesitate any longer.

  If there was one place designed to push people to their limits, it was the Tower.

  Unlike fractures, which appeared randomly in the world, the Tower was a controlled environment—a systematic test of strength and adaptability. It was also the fastest way to grow stronger and earn rewards early on.

  Without wasting another second, he navigated his system interface, his eyes landing on the new option now available to all Awakened:

  [Tower of Trials – Enter?]

  A deep breath. Then, he accepted.

  The moment he did, the world shifted.

  His surroundings melted away as if reality itself had unraveled. A weightless sensation took over, and for a brief moment, he felt as though he was floating in an empty void. Then—

  The Tower welcomed him.

  His feet landed on solid ground, but the air felt different—heavier, charged with an unfamiliar energy.

  A vast, enclosed space stretched out before him, bathed in eerie blue light. The floor beneath him was smooth, pristine stone, and ahead, a series of tall, vacant buildings lined the area, resembling a city frozen in time. Despite their grand architecture, every structure was sealed shut, lifeless and untouched.

  Jisoo walked forward cautiously, his gaze sweeping across the space. The Tower Hub.

  This was the entrance—a transition zone for all challengers. Despite the grandeur of the buildings, they served no purpose yet. Every door was locked, the interiors shrouded in darkness. The Tower would eventually reveal its hidden mechanics, but not yet. Right now, the only active point of interest was at the very center.

  At the heart of the hub, a massive, shimmering fracture hovered in place—the gateway to the Tower’s trials. The moment his gaze landed on it, his system flickered.

  [Welcome, Challenger. You have entered the Tower of Trials.]

  A low hum filled the air as the fracture pulsed, its distorted surface reflecting countless possibilities. Unlike normal fractures, which led to unpredictable rifts, the Tower was designed to test and reward.

  Jisoo clenched his fists, anticipation thrumming through him. This was it. His first real challenge.

  He approached the fracture, his footsteps steady. The moment he pressed his palm against its swirling surface, it responded—a ripple of light spreading outward. The distortion expanded rapidly, swallowing him whole.

  The air tightened around him.

  The first trial had begun.