Link held Max's gradually cooling body in his arms, his eyes tinged with sorrow.
Just minutes ago, the two of them had been chatting happily about their future plans.
But in the blink of an eye, Max had lost his life.
And the ones to blame for all this... were those damn cultists of the Moon Worship Sect!
Link took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the grief churning within him.
He looked at Max's lifeless face, his eyes still wide open in disbelief, and spoke in a low, resolute voice.
"Don't worry… I won't let you die."
After saying this, he gently laid Max's corpse on the ground, then slowly stood up and turned to face Talo.
That black crescent moon emblem on Talo's chest—it stood out so clearly now!
But why hadn't anyone noticed it before?
Link suspected it was most likely due to Talo's Talent ability.
At that moment, Talo and Melina were still in a standoff. A cold dagger was pressed against Mary's pale neck, already leaving a thin red line of blood.
Mary's face was drained of all color. Her eyes were wide with fear and confusion, trembling uncontrollably.
But just then—
Link suddenly dashed toward Talo.
"Bastard! I'll kill you!"
He roared deliberately, loud enough to catch Talo's attention.
Talo looked at him in stunned disbelief.
This student must be crazy, right?
With that scrawny body, what made him think he could charge at someone like Talo?
But Link was fast. In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of him.
Talo's eyes flashed with a murderous gleam.
"You're asking for death!"
Before the words even finished leaving his mouth, the dagger in his hand shot forward like lightning, slicing cleanly across Link's throat.
A gush of blood burst forth, splattering onto Mary's snow-white dress, dyeing it a bright crimson.
Link felt a searing pain erupt in his throat, and in just a few seconds, his consciousness faded into darkness.
——
Link's eyes flew open, his forehead drenched in sweat.
In front of him was darkness—total darkness—until suddenly, a glowing golden orb floated into view.
The orb drifted toward him and then merged directly into his chest.
At almost the same moment, a message appeared in his mind:
[SSS-Rank Talent: Veil of the Impostor]
[Veil of the Impostor: You can alter your appearance, body type, aura, and more. You can also conceal your presence entirely, rendering yourself undetectable to others.]
"Argh! The pain—intense pain!"
Link clutched his throat, every breath like swallowing fire. His throat burned with each inhale, and cold sweat covered his forehead once again.
Looking out the window, he saw that it was still early morning. The sky hadn't yet brightened completely.
How could he save Max?
Link furrowed his brows, rubbing his temples. Though he now knew what the outcome would be, he didn't dare make any rash changes.
Because altering events, even just a little, might trigger a butterfly effect, potentially leading to uncontrollable consequences.
The more you know, the harder it becomes to change the future.
That was the price of foresight—the pull of a single thread could unravel the whole web.
And now Link was caught in that exact dilemma.
To save Max, he had to think carefully. Every action he took must minimize disruption to the timeline.
If his interference altered the course of events too drastically, it might backfire. More people could die. More chaos could follow. And then, saving Max might come at an even greater cost.
So what should he do?
Link sank deep into thought, analyzing every angle.
——
"…I believe I don't need to explain further, do I? So don't let your guard down!"
The teacher stepped back after his lecture.
The Power Values Test was about to begin.
Link didn't pay much attention to the familiar speech. Instead, he used the moment to quietly observe his surroundings.
From the time he had returned to the moment they would enter the Grave of Heroes, only a few short hours had passed.
He had made some basic preparations but otherwise let events unfold just like before.
Which meant the situation was still exactly the same.
"Lib, can you locate the Moon Worship Sect cultist?"
"Yes, Master. Although his concealment ability is nearly flawless, I can still analyze his behavior patterns through big data to deduce his identity."
"Based on the current data, the cultist should be directly ahead and slightly to your right. Due to his Talent ability, he hasn't attracted the attention of any other students."
Link nodded silently.
The last time, he'd thought the presence of the Dark Watchers would be enough to protect everyone.
But reality had proven otherwise—Max had still died.
That made something very clear to Link:
He couldn't rely solely on the Dark Watchers.
The Moon Worship Sect members were real Espers. They were powerful, ruthless, and completely out of the league of ordinary students.
A single move from them was enough to kill.
"Lib, monitor the cultist's movements for me. The moment he makes a move—alert me."
"Understood, Master."
Lib was reliable as always.
Link finally let out a breath of relief. With advanced warning, he could carry out his plan.
"All of you, stay silent."
Fully armed, Dark Watcher Melina stepped to the front of the student group.
Just like last time, she directed everyone to line up for inspection.
Max, standing beside Link, was still chattering endlessly in his ear.
But Link didn't respond. All his attention was fixed on the Moon Worship Sect cultist.
"Max, let's switch spots."
"Huh?"
Max was clearly surprised by the request but still obeyed out of instinct.
After they changed positions, Link answered Max in line with their previous conversation.
"So you're planning to stay behind and join the Dark Watchers instead of heading to the frontlines?"
"I haven't decided yet. What about you?"
"I'm definitely going to the front. That's the only way to solve the problem once and for all."
Hearing that, Max nodded firmly.
"If you go to the frontlines, I'll go with you."
And just as those words left Max's mouth, Lib's alert rang in Link's mind.
"Master, get down! The cultist is about to attack!"
Without hesitation, Link threw himself forward.
At almost the exact same instant, Melina's voice rang out:
"Watch out!!"
A searing pain tore through Link's back like a wave of fire—