As soon as Novak heard the cold voice announcing, [Time Hourglass has completed the identification of the owner!], his heart began to race wildly.
In his previous life, the Hourglass of Time had been a complete mystery. Despite being recognized by the Cosmic Will, it had displayed nothing but a circle of question marks—no powers, no hints—just its name.
Even the way Novak had acquired it was strange. He had almost died retrieving it from an eerie secret realm, and while the event was bizarre, the hourglass seemed useless no matter how hard he tried to study it. Ultimately, he had worn it as a mere trinket, a lucky charm hanging around his neck, a reminder of his narrow escape.
Yet now, with his unexpected rebirth and the apocalypse beginning anew, this enigmatic item seemed to be unveiling its secrets, one layer at a time.
Novak glanced around.
Tiny sparkling particles—like glittering diamond dust—floated in the air where the hourglass had shattered. They shimmered against the night sky, painting a beautiful yet surreal scene. But as he scanned the room, he realized something else.
Daphne, Dane, Nicole, Aria, Ruri—all of them were frozen in place, their expressions and movements suspended as if time itself had stopped.
Then came the faint sound of ticking, slow and deliberate.
"Tick… tock… tick… tock…"
The sound of a clock's second hand was stretched into a sluggish crawl. Novak looked around in amazement. Time was frozen. Everything—the people, the world—stood still!
'Time is paused?!' Novak had never experienced anything like this. He could hear the steady ticking of the clock, feel the flow of time itself, yet everything was frozen. In that brief moment, a vision appeared before him: a vast, swirling river of color flowing through dimensions he couldn't even comprehend. The river was at once vibrant and dull, filled with every shade yet seemingly empty.
It struck him all at once—'the river of time'!
Startled, Novak blinked and the vision faded. The shimmering particles from the hourglass began to converge, slowly sinking into his body before vanishing entirely.
Coming to his senses, Novak quickly opened his attribute panel. And there, on his equipment bar, was something new—something he had never seen in his previous life.
---
[Soul Binding: Time Hourglass]
[Time Hourglass]
[???]
[???]
[Return to the Past: You can return to any point in the past, but all things obtained from the erased timeline will be removed. (Cooldown: 72 years, 6 months, 7 days)]
'(Note: The cooldown of this effect cannot be reduced or bypassed by any skill, item, or effect. This skill has absolute priority.)'
[Time Backtracking: You can mark your perfect state. During battle, you may use this mark to reset all injuries, negative states, and skill cooldowns. Cooldown: 1 hour. Highest priority skill.]
[???]
[???]
---
As Novak stared at the endless rows of question marks, a wave of pure ecstasy washed over him.
He had always suspected that the Hourglass of Time might have been the key to his rebirth. But now he knew—it was even more powerful than he had ever imagined!
The hourglass didn't even have a defined grade, something that should have categorized its strength. It defied classification, existing beyond typical levels of rarity.
And as Novak examined its abilities, the implications became clear: one of them allowed him to go back in time itself, while another gave him the ability to reset his condition entirely in battle—removing all injuries, resetting all cooldowns.
In short, every hour, he had another chance at life!
'What kind of power is this?' Novak thought, overwhelmed.
The Time Backtracking ability was particularly astonishing. He had seen forbidden skills before, those with cooldowns lasting weeks or months, their long waiting times balanced by their immense power. But for Novak, with the Hourglass of Time, it didn't matter if a skill was divine or forbidden—everything would reset within an hour. No exceptions!
This time-manipulating ability had the highest priority, meaning nothing could override or interfere with its effect. It was a cheat, an ability to bend the rules of time itself!
Still dazed by this revelation, Novak couldn't help but wonder—'Just what kind of treasure is this Time Hourglass? Could it be one of the legendary SSS-grade items?'
He didn't know for sure, but what he did know was that this hourglass was now his biggest secret. In his previous life, he hadn't told anyone about it, and in this one, he intended to guard it even more fiercely.
Clenching his fists, Novak felt a surge of confidence flood his veins. This life, with the Hourglass of Time at his side, would be different. The opportunities he had glimpsed in his last life but had never dared to pursue—this time, he would. He could feel it. With this power, the future was his to rewrite!
But he needed more preparation.
As Novak's thoughts cleared, the night stretched before him. For many, these would be the last ten nights of their lives. But for Novak, it was just the beginning. Outside his villa, the howls and cries of the doomed echoed in the distance, but they were of no concern to him.
His mind was wholly focused on mastering the hourglass, testing its capabilities and uncovering its secrets.
Meanwhile, Daphne was far from idle. She had already mobilized her forces, ensuring the family estate was secured. Her preparations, including distributing virus serums, had helped mitigate the losses. Of the nearly two thousand family members, fewer than ten had transformed into zombies, and they were quickly killed by the newly evolved guards.
As the night dragged on, Novak remained deep in thought, knowing that the true battle for survival was just beginning.
Things had gone smoothly, and Daphne finally let out a sigh of relief. As expected, after the apocalypse began, no one raised questions or voiced concerns.
The eerie sounds of roars in the night and the constant scraping against the walls sent shivers down people's spines, but it also elevated Daphne's authority to an all-time high. Her leadership became unquestionable amidst the chaos.
In the previous days, Novak and Daphne had resettled themselves in the De-M-Anila Ocean Blue Villa Area, a once-luxurious community. Before the apocalypse, there had been thousands of residents, but now? Novak doubted if even one-third of them remained alive.
As dawn broke, the scene around them looked almost the same as before, except for the unsettling silence in the villa complex, which had now turned into a land of the dead. Beyond, in the distance, De-M-Anila itself was in complete disarray—chaos had consumed the city.
Novak glanced at the silent No. 001 chat group. After the recent incident with Ian, no one had spoken since. Even the Evolution Forum, which had launched with the arrival of the Cosmic Will, was nearly empty.
It wasn't that the frequent chatters had all turned into zombies. Rather, the forum had imposed strict post limits—a single post cost 10 copper coins, while a reply was priced at 1 copper coin. For a world just entering the apocalypse, such fees were a luxury few could afford.
Novak turned his attention away from the quiet forum and gazed at the brightening sky. Rising slowly, he gathered himself for the day.
In the villa courtyard, a team of thirty people stood at attention. Novak approached them, but instead of inquiring about the talents of Daphne or Dane, there was something that concerned him far more—his own talents.
After giving orders to Daphne and the others, Novak left the villa area. It was the first morning of the apocalypse, and he couldn't wait any longer to test his innate abilities.
The villa grounds were overrun with zombies, and Novak intended to lead the cleanup himself.
The De-M-Anila Ocean Blue Villa Area, where Villa No. 004 was located, was one of the most coveted spots in the region. From here, one could admire the full view of the Ocean Blue Mountain and the Bay River as it rushed into the sea. But now, this scenic paradise had transformed into a death trap.
Inside the attic of Villa No. 004, chaos reigned. Scattered toys lay strewn across the floor, and a young woman, her hair disheveled, clutched a girl who looked about seven or eight years old. The woman's once-pampered skin was now covered in dust, and her long, tangled black hair obscured her face. But her frightened, tear-filled eyes remained fixated on the door.
Lea was on the verge of breaking down.
She didn't understand what had happened overnight. A strange voice had spoken in her mind, revealing a mysterious status panel before her eyes. But Lea didn't care about any of that. All she knew was that, in one single night, her entire world had fallen apart.
Her husband—once the wealthiest man in De-M-Anila—along with her nanny, bodyguard, and father-in-law, who had held a high-ranking position, had all turned into bloodthirsty monsters.
The only reason Lea and her daughter Line had survived the night was because the little girl had insisted they play in the toy room, where they ended up sleeping in the attic. But now?
This morning, when Lea had ventured out of the attic, she saw her father-in-law—now a zombie—devouring the flesh of her son and husband, cold and emotionless.
Lea had heard rumors about a virus spreading across the world, but seeing it with her own eyes had left her in shock. She had quickly retreated back into the attic, but her movements had given away their location.
Now, the relentless pounding at the door made her heart race with fear. Nails scraped against the wood, trying to break through. Each thud sent tremors through her body, and she trembled despite having piled up furniture—cabinets, a TV, a game console, even an old piano—against the door. None of it was enough to hold off her former husband and relatives, now intent on tearing her apart.
"Mom, I'm scared…" her daughter whimpered.
Lea's eyes hardened with resolve.
She exhaled slowly and, instead of waiting helplessly, rushed to the attic window. The drop was at least ten meters high. Lea's lips trembled, but with no other choice, she turned to her daughter and said gently, "Don't be scared, Line. Close your eyes. We'll be fine soon. I'm going to jump first. If I can't get up, you'll have to run on your own, okay?"
The little girl blinked in confusion. She couldn't understand why her mother didn't open the door for her father, and why they had to jump when there were perfectly good stairs. But she nodded obediently.
Lea's gaze shifted back to the door. She didn't want to die. Nobody does. Yet now, she hoped for a miracle—prayed that something would change.
But hope was just hope.
With a loud crash, the sturdy imported wooden door splintered down the middle, and the furniture behind it shifted back by at least thirty centimeters. A gaping hole appeared in the door.
Without hesitation, Lea moved towards the window with her daughter in her arms, ready to jump. But as her long, shapely leg began to cross the window's edge, the banging stopped.
Lea froze.
The door was wide open, but there were no more impacts. There were no more sounds. Beyond the broken door, there wasn't a single shadow in sight.
Her heart skipped a beat. Could it be? Could the monsters have simply… left?
Lea glanced back at the height outside the window, unsure of what to do. Swallowing hard, she hesitated, her chest heaving as she tried to steady her breathing.
Lea gritted her teeth, her voice low but firm.
"Line, you stay here. If I don't come back, you jump and run!"
Without waiting for her daughter's response, she slowly made her way toward the broken door. Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat louder than the last.
She was terrified. Any moment now, an ugly head could poke through that gap.
But there was no turning back.
Cautiously, Lea approached the door and listened. The terrifying low growls had faded into silence.
Summoning her courage, she finally peeked out.
No foul stench hit her.
No blood-curdling howls pierced the air.
The entire corridor was unnervingly calm, as though nothing had happened. But the bloodstains on the floor and the gatehouse were still stark, a sharp reminder of the violence that had passed.
Then, as Lea's gaze shifted to the end of the corridor, her eyes widened in shock.
There, in disbelief, she saw a man strolling leisurely, as if he were simply walking through a garden.
Dragging behind him, like lifeless animals, were her husband and father-in-law, both crazed and bloodthirsty moments before.
They were limp, like pigs led to the slaughterhouse—indifferent, powerless, and doomed.