The Dark Watchers—
they were not the usual peacekeepers or local officers.
They were elite enforcers stationed in the human heartland.
Unlike ordinary sheriffs, their sole responsibility was ensuring societal stability and cracking down on major crimes in human territories.
What Link couldn't understand was—
Why would a Dark Watcher appear at the Grave of Heroes?
A sense of unease inexplicably rose in his chest.
"Everyone stay quiet."
A fully armored Dark Watcher walked to the front of the students.
Her expression was cold, her brows sharp and commanding, carrying an aura of decisiveness. Her figure was compact and powerful, yet undeniably alluring. Her long, slender legs caught the eyes of more than a few male students.
Link also examined the woman carefully, and soon, her personal panel appeared before his eyes:
[Name: Unknown]
[Power Values: 35,872 (T3 Esper)]
[Flesh Forging Art: Silver Vixen Flesh Forging Art]
[Meditation Technique: Time Meditation Technique]
[Skills: Pending Analysis]
[Talent: Pending Analysis]
What the hell!?
Thirty-five thousand Power Values?!
That was already a T3 Esper!
Link couldn't help but glance at her a few more times. This female Dark Watcher was without a doubt the most powerful Esper he had ever seen in his life—no contest.
No wonder people said Dark Watchers were the elite among elites. It was no exaggeration.
"Link," Max whispered beside him, peeking over his shoulder, "I think I'm in love. Don't you think she's stunning? I swear to the stars, I want to propose to her."
Link gave him a speechless glance and said casually,
"You'd better give up. With your strength, you'd never satisfy her."
Max immediately got riled up.
"Hey! What do you mean by that? Are you saying you don't believe in my strength?"
"That's right—I don't," Link replied flatly.
He was simply being honest. He knew perfectly well that in the human realm, an increase in Power Values meant a full-body enhancement. Strength, speed, reflexes… everything.
Which meant, even though they were both human, the difference between this Dark Watcher and Max was like an ant versus an elephant.
Even greater, perhaps.
The woman stepped forward and addressed the students.
"Students, I apologize for the interruption. I'm Melina, captain of the Third Unit of the Dark Watchers in the Yilante District. We have reason to believe that a member of the Moon Worship Sect has infiltrated your group. I ask for your cooperation in apprehending the suspect."
At her words, the students immediately erupted in panic.
"Moon Worship Sect?!"
Anyone who lived in the human heartland knew what those three words meant.
They were madmen. Traitors to humanity.
People who would stop at nothing to achieve their goals—and didn't care how many innocents had to die for it.
Melina frowned slightly at the students' reaction. She clearly wasn't pleased with their panic, but still made an effort to reassure them.
"Please remain calm. We will do everything we can to ensure your safety. Stay in your lines and await our inspection. Do not panic—do not give the Moon Worship Sect an opportunity to strike."
"We also ask the teachers to assist in maintaining order."
With the teachers' help, the students quickly settled down.
After all, the human territories had long prepared for incidents like this. Regular drills and simulations had taught them what to expect.
Link's class wasn't too flustered. They lined up and awaited inspection as instructed.
Max, on the other hand, couldn't stop muttering to himself.
"Hey, Link… don't you think this situation is kind of exciting?"
"What's so exciting about it?" Link shot him a look. "Don't you realize how dangerous this is?"
Max just grinned.
That's exactly why other classmates didn't like hanging around him—he was just too carefree.
But Link, being quieter and more reserved, sometimes listened to his chatter. Over time, the two became good friends.
"Max, take my advice. Stay alert. The Moon Worship Sect is ruthless. This isn't some game."
Max, however, scoffed.
"Link, you worry too much. Didn't you notice that the female Dark Watcher has been watching our group this whole time? With someone like her here, we're totally safe."
"And when we get stronger, we'll crush every last one of those Moon Worship Sect bastards."
Link gave a small laugh and looked at him.
"So what, are you planning to stay in the rear and become a Dark Watcher?"
"I haven't decided yet. What about you?"
"I'm going to the front lines. That's the only way to settle things once and for all."
Max gave a determined nod.
"If you're going, then I'll go with you."
As they spoke, the two of them neared the front of the inspection line.
Everything seemed calm.
Until—
"Get down!"
Melina's shout pierced the air.
Before the words even finished echoing, Link felt a warm liquid splash onto his face.
He instinctively raised a hand to wipe his cheek.
Blood.
Bright red blood.
His heart skipped a beat. He looked around in shock—then froze.
Max's chest—
Blood was gushing from it like a fountain!
Just moments ago, Max had been joking and laughing. And now—
He was dying in Link's arms.
"Link… I…"
Behind Max, a man with a black crescent emblem on his chest let out a cruel sneer.
"You naive fool. You think you're going to wipe out the Moon Worship Sect?"
Before anyone could react, the man wrenched out his bloodstained dagger and pressed it against Mary's throat!
Chaos erupted.
The students screamed, scrambling backward in terror, leaving a wide, empty circle around the attacker.
In the blink of an eye, Melina appeared within the clearing—sword drawn—facing off against the Moon Worship Sect disciple.
But he was fast. He had already taken Mary hostage before she could act.
Otherwise, her blade would have already sliced him in two.
"Talo!" Melina shouted, her voice like ice. "Let her go!"
Her eyes darted to the blood-covered Link, and the lifeless Max lying beside him.
Max was gone.
All that remained was a pool of blood beneath his body.
"Talo, do you think I'm stupid?" Melina's voice was cold and sharp.
"If you want the girl to live, you'll let me go first," Talo sneered. "Otherwise, I won't hesitate to kill this pretty little thing."
Melina's face darkened, but she spoke with forced calm.
"Let her go, and I'll allow you to walk out of here."
Link cradled Max's growingly cold body, his eyes stinging.
Just moments ago, they had been talking about their dreams for the future.
And now, Max was gone.
His life snatched away in the blink of an eye.
And the one to blame for all of it—
The damned Moon Worship Sect.
Link took a deep breath and forced down his grief.
He looked down at Max's lifeless face and murmured,
"Don't worry. I won't let you die for nothing."
Then, he gently laid Max on the ground and slowly stood up.
His gaze locked onto the man named Talo.
The black crescent emblem on his chest was impossible to miss.
But why hadn't anyone noticed it before?
Could it be… part of his talent?
Talo and Melina remained locked in a tense standoff.
A cold dagger pressed tightly against Mary's pale neck, already leaving a thin crimson line on her porcelain skin.
Mary was frozen in fear, her face bloodless, her eyes filled with panic and dread.
But just then—
Link suddenly charged straight toward Talo.
"You bastard, I'll kill you!"
He roared deliberately, loud enough to catch Talo's attention.
Talo's expression twisted with surprise.
Was this kid insane?
With that frail body of his, what made him think he could come charging at an esper?
But Link's speed was astonishing. In just the blink of an eye, he was about to crash into him.
Talo's face twisted into a sadistic grin.
"Since you're so eager to die—then DIE!"
Before the words finished, the dagger in his hand sliced forward like lightning, effortlessly cutting through Link's throat.
A violent spray of blood erupted, splashing onto Mary's snow-white dress and dyeing it crimson.
Link's mind blanked out in searing pain. Within seconds, his consciousness slipped into darkness.
Gasp—!
Link shot upright, drenched in sweat. His forehead was soaked, his heart pounding violently in his chest.
Darkness surrounded him.
A glowing golden orb suddenly appeared before him and merged into his body.
At the same time, a new line of information surfaced in his mind:
[SSS-Rank Talent: Veil of the Impostor]
Veil of the Impostor: You can alter your appearance, body shape, energy signature, and even erase your presence entirely, making it impossible for others to detect you.
"ARGH! The pain—!"
Link clutched his throat, the phantom agony still searing across his skin. Every breath burned like fire.
Sweat poured down his face in torrents.
He glanced outside the window. It was still early morning—the world beyond the glass hadn't fully brightened.
How… how can I save Max?
Link frowned, rubbing at his temples.
Although he now knew how things would unfold, he didn't dare to recklessly change events.
Because once he acted out of line, he risked triggering the butterfly effect—a cascade of unforeseen consequences.
The more you knew, the harder it was to change fate.
Just one small change could shift the entire course of future events.
And that was the very dilemma Link now faced.
If he wanted to save Max, he had to plan carefully, taking every step with caution to minimize the impact of his interference.
If his actions caused the situation to spiral out of control, more people might die. That would defeat the whole purpose.
So what exactly should I do?
Link fell into deep thought.
"…You all understand what that means—I don't need to say more. So don't slack off!"
With that, the teacher quietly stepped aside.
The Power Values test was about to begin.
Having heard this speech before, Link didn't pay it much mind.
Instead, he used the time to subtly observe his surroundings.
After all, only a few hours had passed since he had rewound time back to the trip to the Grave of Heroes.
He had only done some basic preparations—everything else had followed the same course as before.
As a result, the current situation was identical to the one that had already played out.
"Lib, can you locate the Moon Worship Sect cultist's current position?" Link asked silently.
"Yes, Master," Lib responded instantly. "Even though his disguise is nearly flawless, I can still analyze his behavior patterns with big data and estimate his true identity."
"Based on the current analysis, the Moon Worship Sect cultist is located just ahead to your right. He's using a talent ability, which is why the other students haven't noticed anything unusual."
Link nodded slightly.
Last time, he had believed the Dark Watcher's presence alone would ensure everyone's safety.
But the reality was… Max had still died.
That taught Link a bitter truth—depending solely on the Dark Watchers wasn't enough.
The Moon Worship Sect disciples were real espers. Their power was leagues beyond what mere students could handle.
A single casual blow from one of them could result in devastating casualties.
"Lib, monitor the Moon Worship Sect cultist's movements. The moment he prepares to act, alert me immediately."
"Understood, Master," Lib responded.
Lib really was dependable.
Link exhaled slowly. As long as he could predict the enemy's actions ahead of time, he could move accordingly.
"Everyone, stay quiet."
Fully armored once again, Dark Watcher Melina stepped before the students.
Same as before, she organized the students into lines for inspection.
Max stood beside Link, still chatting away nonstop in his usual style.
But Link didn't respond. He was pouring all his focus into watching the Moon Worship Sect cultist.
"Max, let's swap places."
"Huh?"
Max was clearly startled by the sudden suggestion, but instinctively obeyed.
After switching spots, Link resumed the same conversation they had last time.
"So what, are you planning to stay in the rear and join the Dark Watchers?"
"I haven't really decided yet. What about you?"
"I'm going to the front lines. That's the only way to solve this once and for all."
Max gave a firm nod, eyes shining with conviction.
"If you're going, then I'm going with you."
The moment he said that, Lib's alert echoed in Link's mind:
"Master! Evade immediately! The Moon Worship Sect cultist is about to strike!"
Link didn't hesitate for even a split second. He lunged forward, hurling himself to the ground.
Almost simultaneously, Melina's voice rang out in alarm:
"Watch out!!"
A blazing pain exploded across Link's back.