I was sleeping peacefully, wrapped in warmth and comfort. The world outside was quiet, and everything felt calm. It must have been around 6 a.m. when I suddenly felt someone shaking me awake.
Still half-asleep, I blinked and looked up to see Meiyun and Ruxue leaning over me. Their faces were pale, and I could see fear in their eyes.
"Chen… look!" Ruxue's voice trembled as she pointed toward the window.
I sat up quickly and turned to look outside. What I saw made my blood run cold.
The sky was pitch black.
Not just dark—but completely black, like the night had returned without warning. It was unnatural. The sun should have been rising, but there was no light. The air felt heavy, as if something terrible had awakened.
Just as I was trying to understand what was going on, a system message appeared in front of me, glowing faintly in the dark.
[Warning! THE EVENT has started early due to interference from an unknown entity.][ERROR! ERROR! Host's power level is too low to respond.]
My eyes widened in shock. The Event?This couldn't be happening. It wasn't supposed to start yet. The system had told me there was time—time to grow stronger, to prepare.
Someone or something had changed the plan.
And now, the consequences were beginning to unfold.
I felt panic rising, but I forced myself to stay calm. There was no time to think about the details.
I threw off the covers and stood up.
"Stay inside," I said firmly to Meiyun and Ruxue, who were still standing beside the bed. Their faces showed worry, but they nodded without a word.
Without wasting another second, I rushed outside to see what was happening.
SOME UNKNOWN LOCATION — OUTSKIRTS OF CHINA
Far away, in a secret place on the outskirts of China, there was an underground chamber hidden from the world. Inside that dark and quiet space, ten mysterious figures sat around a large, circular stone table.
Each of them wore a mask shaped like a different animal—rabbit, snake, tiger, dragon, wolf, eagle, ox, monkey, fox, and goat. Their true identities were hidden, but their presence was overwhelming.
Though none of them spoke at first, the air inside the room was thick with pressure. Power leaked from their bodies, filling the space with a dangerous energy. It was hard to breathe near them. Even the walls of the chamber seemed to shiver in fear.
These were not ordinary people. They were beings of great power, people who moved behind the scenes of the world. If any of them stepped into the public eye, kings and generals would bow before them.
Suddenly, the figure wearing the rabbit mask slammed his hand on the table. A crack appeared where his palm hit, spreading like a spiderweb through the stone.
"What the hell is going on?!" he shouted angrily. "Weren't we supposed to raise the Chen family boy first? Let him grow, unlock his potential—and then the Event would begin! Why is it starting now?! This isn't part of the plan!"
Everyone turned toward him, but no one replied immediately.
Then, the person with the snake mask leaned back in his chair and spoke, his voice cold and quiet like a whisper of wind.
"We don't know," Snake said calmly. "But something—or someone—has interfered. This change wasn't in the timeline. And that means it's dangerous. If the Event starts before he's ready, everything we worked for might fall apart."
The other masked figures didn't speak, but their eyes, hidden behind their masks, turned toward Snake. His words carried weight.
Snake continued, his tone serious, "We can't act without permission. Until orders come from above, we must stay still. You all know the rules. We are not the masters of this game—we're only pieces on the board. If we move without guidance... we could be erased."
The figure wearing the tiger mask slowly stood up.
The moment he rose, a powerful force filled the room. The air became still, as if the world itself paused to listen. His aura was wild and strong, like a beast ready to strike.
"There are still two hours left before it fully begins," Tiger said in a deep, steady voice. "Let's not be impatient. The ones above are watching. If we act on our own... we may bring something far worse than failure."
The rabbit-mask figure clenched his fists, clearly frustrated. But after a few tense moments, he sat back down.
"Fine," Rabbit said with a sharp breath. "We'll wait. But if this goes wrong... if that boy dies before he awakens—"
"He won't," said another voice, calm and powerful.
It came from the figure with the dragon mask, who had remained silent until now. Though his tone was soft, it carried absolute confidence and authority.
"He has to survive," Dragon said. "He's not just another pawn in this game... he's the key."
For a moment, silence returned to the room.
Their glowing auras began to fade, and one by one, the masked figures leaned back, disappearing into the shadows once more.
They would wait. Watch. Prepare.
Because soon, the world would change forever.
And it had no idea what was coming.