Two days, then three, then four.

Time passed more quickly than I expected.

Our coordination grew better with each passing day.

One day earlier than I’d planned, we conquered Heaven Lake at Mount Baekdu.

Today was December 30th.

Now, all we had to do was wait until January 1st.

“...Not bad.”

The wide-open view unfolded before my eyes.

It felt like we had conquered nature itself.

Next to me, Kang Arin stretched her arms high above her head and took a deep breath.

Her extended posture accentuated her figure.

‘...’

I didn’t know where to look.

Lately, I kept becoming more conscious of her.

Ever since that stormy night, she had started naturally falling asleep next to me.

There hadn’t even been a chance to refuse—it just happened. She settled next to me as if it were the most natural thing in the world. If I moved, she followed.

Of course, we weren’t clinging to each other like we had that night, but the distance between us was still pretty close.

After spending so many days and nights together, that closeness had become familiar.

At first, it had been uncomfortable. But now... it just felt natural.

One day went like this:

Kang Arin went out on an expedition by herself.

She said she wanted to gather ecological data on Mount Baekdu and set off alone.

I didn’t stop her. There weren’t any monsters lower down the mountain anyway.

While waiting for her by the lodge’s fire, tossing in firewood, a breeze carried her scent to me.

That familiar smell tickled the tip of my nose.

‘She must be almost back.’

Even without checking where it came from, I could instinctively tell she was drawing near.

Thinking that, I looked up.

“What the fuck?”

I nearly jumped out of my skin.

Wasn’t this dangerous?

I could feel it—how we were getting more and more used to each other.

And to make things worse, her clothing was getting more and more... wild.

Calling it wild was just putting it nicely.

Turning my head away, I said firmly:

“Tie your clothes properly.”

She mumbled, clearly disappointed.

“Yeah, yeah.”

I turned to look at her again.

Kang Arin shrugged lightly and added,

“Now all that’s left is to wait.”

I nodded.

“On the 31st, we should keep watch until midnight.”

“Mm.”

She gave a short reply and smiled.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Leaving Heaven Lake behind, we descended back to the mountain lodge.

That evening, the fire in the lodge crackled quietly.

We sat there watching the flames, lost in thought.

It was the only daily routine we had. There really wasn’t anything to do in the evenings.

The one who broke the silence was her.

“So, what are you gonna do with the Fragment?”

She rested her chin on her hand, her elbow propped on her knee, and looked my way.

“You don’t even know how to use it.”

Her expression shifted.

Playful. Mischievous. Like a little devil.

“Or am I wrong? Do you, our future Glory recruit, actually know how to use a Fragment?”

I paused briefly before answering.

The answer was already decided.

“I’ll use it.”

She suddenly shot up to her feet.

“Who? You?”

Her eyes trembled with sharp intensity.

I looked at her for a moment, then answered calmly.

“What does it matter to you?”

She frowned slightly at my response.

***

It was as if pure darkness had swallowed the forest and the massive lake whole.

The night was silent, not even the sound of breathing could be heard around us.

We didn’t even light a fire. We waited quietly at the edge of Heaven Lake.

So we wouldn’t be detected by monsters.

How much time had passed?

—Wuuuung.

The long silence broke as the ground began to tremble with a low hum.

The vibration grew stronger, and soon the sky turned a pale jade-green.

From the darkness, beams of green light tore through the sky, falling straight toward the center of the lake.

—KWAANG!

With a thunderous crash, a meteor slammed into the middle of the lake.

In that instant, the surroundings were bathed in a jade glow.

The Fragment.

“It’s here,” I muttered.

“Whoa...”

Kang Arin let out a breath of awe, staring at the scene before her.

The green meteor shower falling from the sky radiated an almost supernatural beauty.

But unlike her, I didn’t have the luxury to sit and admire it.

The Fragment lodged in the lake blazed with radiant energy, illuminating its surroundings.

That light pulsed like a living thing, spreading across the entire mountain.

“Is it over?” she asked.

“No.”

—Drrrrr...

—Drrrrrrrk...

The ground began to rumble again.

The growing tremors felt like they were awakening the land around the lake.

Monsters, drawn by the Fragment’s energy, began emerging from the forest and mountains.

Their instincts pulled them toward the overwhelming energy radiating from Heaven Lake.

Sensing each other’s presence, the beasts began fighting among themselves before even reaching the Fragment.

In the midst of that chaos, the energy from the Fragment began to slowly overtake them.

I took a quick breath and hurled myself forward.

“Now.”

With that one word, I planted my foot on the slope and launched myself downward.

Snow and dirt kicked up as I gained speed.

Kang Arin had promised to open a path through the water from behind.

I turned slightly to check on her position.

But then—

“Huh...?”

I lost my words for a second.

Kang Arin wasn’t behind me—she shot past me.

No, to be precise, she was sprinting faster than I was.

She didn’t ride the slope down.

She was leaping straight toward the lake without hesitation.

“You’re insane...”

Staring at her back, I was stunned.

It was already too late. She was closing in on the Fragment fast.

I poured out mana for her.

Opening the water path with my mana, I cleared the way ahead of her.

The light illuminating the lake suddenly went out.

Not long after, Kang Arin emerged, walking out from the lake.

Then she held out her hand to me.

“Here.”

With a satisfied look, she offered what looked like an ordinary stone.

“You said I could have it, right?”

I knew right away—that was the Fragment.

***

Total darkness wrapped around us, and the space around us began to shatter like fragments.

The first crack appeared at Heaven Lake, then slowly spread outward.

“Why the hell did you do that?”

The moment the Fragment—the timeline structure anchoring this world—disappeared, the rupture became unstoppable.

Soon, even the lodge would collapse, and we’d be pulled back to the original timeline.

“Because it’s fun, isn’t it?”

I had been completely caught off guard by her impulsive move.

But with an innocent smile, she casually handed me the Fragment like it was nothing.

Inside the crumbling world, we made our way back to the lodge.

We stepped through the door and waited to return to the present.

Sitting down, I stared at the Fragment in my hand—it looked like nothing more than an ordinary stone.

Its jade-green surface clearly displayed the system’s markings.

There was no doubt. It was a real Fragment.

‘Got it.’

I nodded.

Yeah—no matter how roundabout it was, all that mattered was that I got it in the end.

Even after returning to the lodge, Kang Arin wandered from place to place.

As if reluctant to leave, she brushed her fingers across the walls and furniture, taking it all in.

“I don’t wanna go~”

“...Why?”

She looked back at me with a playful smile.

“It was just so peaceful and relaxing, you know?”

I let out a small chuckle.

“I guess I can see that.”

After Kang Yuseong’s death, she’d taken on most of his responsibilities.

She’d definitely been busy lately.

Then suddenly, her gaze lit up and she stepped closer to me.

“But hey, are you really not going to tell me how to use that thing?”

I hesitated.

She’d have to use a Fragment herself someday anyway.

Right now, it was hidden deep underground beneath the Pentagon in the U.S., ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) but eventually...

She might end up using it alone, so maybe it wasn’t a bad idea to teach her now.

“Watch closely.”

I held up the Fragment and showed it to her.

“Grab it tight with your left hand.”

That’s the hand closest to the heart.

I demonstrated as I spoke, clutching the stone firmly.

“Then close your eyes and call the system. You know what I mean, right?”

Once you summon the system—your status window—you’ll see a list of the Authorities you possess.

I activated mine for real.

====

[Authority: ]

====

‘Tch.’

Bitter.

With Regression gone, my Authority list was completely empty.

“Next, just say it silently in your mind. ‘I accept the system’... like that.”

“Then, the Fragment will start to glow.”

I kept my eyes on her as I finished explaining.

Her face lit up with excitement.

“Whoa... just like that?”

“Exactly. Like this.”

‘...?’

Like this?

I quickly turned my head.

Right then, the hand holding the Fragment began to shake violently.

Jade light burst from between my fingers, radiating an intense glow.

‘What the fuck—?!’

Instinctively, I tried to drop it.

But in that exact moment, Kang Arin placed her hand over mine.

—Clack.

She gripped my hand tightly, interlocking her fingers with mine as if she wouldn’t let go no matter what.

“Mmm~ So this is how it works.”

This wasn’t a joke anymore.

It was the clear sign of a full absorption. My mind started to spiral in confusion.

“Hey, let go... this thing—!”

I shouted in panic, but she didn’t react in the slightest.

I tried to force her off by drawing mana through my entire body.

But Kang Arin countered with just as much force, pulling up her own mana to resist.

And then—

—Thud.

She wrapped both legs around my body, locking her arms and waist tightly around me.

The crushing strength made it impossible to twist free, no matter how hard I struggled.

I couldn’t move.

She lifted her waist slightly, locking eyes with mine.

“I told you, didn’t I?”

Her gaze gleamed, deep and intense.

“The Fragment is yours, but...”

Her voice drifted through the space, soft enough to melt into the air.

“...from now on, you’re mine too.”

I glanced out the window—just in time to see the collapsing world finally reach the lodge.

Time was running out.

With a seductive smile, she leaned in slowly, lips brushing against my ear.

“But... did you know?”

A soft, low whisper slid into my ear.

“Actually, I’m yours too.”

The moment her whisper ended, the air trembled.

It was the sign of time travel.

At the same time, light burst out from the Fragment.

And my vision was once again swallowed in pure white.