Restart: the ultimate system

The Power of Chrono Reflex

Kai's breathing was still ragged as the blue system notification faded, leaving him standing alone in his dimly lit room. His fingers twitched as a strange sensation washed over him.

[Chrono Reflex].

The moment the skill activated, the world shifted around him. It wasn't like ordinary speed or strength. It was perception. Awareness.

He could feel the faintest vibrations in the air. The distant footsteps of someone moving outside his house. The slow flicker of the candle flame by his bedside, burning too fast, as if time had become something he could grasp and manipulate.

He blinked.

The dagger in his hand suddenly felt lighter—no, not lighter. His mind was processing every detail of it at once. The weight, the angle, the potential trajectory if he threw it.

This power… was broken.

---

A World Already Changed

Kai forced himself to focus. The assassin was dead, but the attempt on his life meant only one thing:

Someone had noticed his return.

And that meant time wasn't on his side.

He moved toward the assassin's remains, but there was nothing left—the rune had burned him into ash. No leads. No identity. That was deliberate.

Still, the fact that an assassin had been sent now meant that something was different from his past life.

Who would have a reason to kill him this early?

The Vale Syndicate? No, Lucian wouldn't care about me yet.

The Royal Faction? I wasn't a threat to them at this age.

Then who…?

His thoughts were interrupted by another sound—soft, measured footsteps approaching his door.

Kai's muscles tensed.

The assassin had been silent, but this person? They wanted to be heard.

A test. A warning.

Kai grabbed the dagger and pressed himself against the wall, just beside the door. If this was another attacker, he wouldn't let them get the drop on him.

The footsteps stopped. A pause. Then—three sharp knocks.

"Kai."

The voice was smooth, composed. Too composed.

He recognized it instantly.

Darian Lorne.

His childhood rival. A noble heir. And in his past life—one of the first to betray him.

---

The Noble's Warning

Kai's fingers tightened around the dagger. He had no love for Darian. The man was as cunning as he was ruthless, always playing both sides of the political battlefield.

If Darian was here, it wasn't a coincidence.

Kai exhaled slowly and made his choice.

No hesitation. No fear.

He opened the door.

Darian stood on the other side, dressed in a crisp black military-style coat, his silver insignia gleaming under the dim candlelight. His brown eyes swept over Kai sharply, taking in his disheveled state, the ink stains on the floor, the dagger in his hand.

"…You were expecting someone else?" Darian asked, his tone mild but probing.

Kai didn't answer immediately. Instead, he studied the noble carefully.

Why are you here, Darian? What do you already know?

After a pause, Kai finally spoke. "Assassins aren't exactly known for knocking."

Darian's eyes flickered—just a fraction, but Kai caught it.

So he did know something.

Darian sighed, stepping inside without waiting for

The Noble's Warning (Continued)

Darian sighed, stepping inside without waiting for permission. Bold as ever.

Kai didn't stop him. He simply watched, letting the silence stretch between them.

Darian's eyes flicked over the room—the overturned chair, the ink-stained floor, the faint trace of scorched air where the assassin had died. His gaze settled on the dagger in Kai's hand.

He smirked. "Messy night?"

Kai didn't react. Instead, he turned the dagger over in his fingers, as if deciding whether to use it. "You didn't come here for small talk, Darian."

The noble gave a small, knowing smile. "No, I didn't."

He took another step inside, closing the door behind him. The way he moved—calm, controlled—set off alarms in Kai's head. Darian wasn't nervous. That meant he held the advantage. Or at least, he thought he did.

Kai leaned against the desk, watching. Let him talk first. See what he reveals.

Darian finally broke the silence. "Someone put a contract on you, Kai."

Kai remained still, but inside, his thoughts were racing.

This confirmed it. The assassination attempt wasn't random. Someone knew he was dangerous.

But Darian had phrased it carefully. Someone put a contract on you.

Not I put a contract on you.

Which meant one of two things—either Darian was pretending to be an ally, or he was genuinely warning him.

Kai tilted his head. "And you care because…?"

Darian chuckled. "Let's just say, if someone is willing to waste gold on an unknown academy student, it's… interesting. The kind of thing I like to keep an eye on."

Kai's grip on the dagger tightened slightly. He knew Darian well enough to recognize a half-truth when he heard one. The noble always had an agenda.

So Kai decided to test him.

He exhaled, lowering the dagger just enough to seem at ease. "You seem well-informed."

Darian smirked. "I make it my business to be."

"Then tell me—who placed the contract?"

Darian's smirk didn't fade, but his expression shifted—a flicker of something behind his eyes. Hesitation.

Kai caught it instantly. He knows. But he's not sure if he should tell me.

Kai pressed forward. "Let me guess. It wasn't the Vale Syndicate. They wouldn't waste their time on me yet." He took a step closer, his voice lowering. "Which means it was either a noble house or a rogue faction."

Darian's fingers twitched—a subtle movement, but Kai noticed. That reaction. It was the nobles.

A realization clicked into place. His return had changed the noble factions' plans.

Now the question was—which family wanted him dead?

Darian exhaled, his smirk returning. "Clever. But you won't get all your answers tonight." He turned for the door. "Consider this a free warning, Kai. If someone wants you dead now, they'll try again. And next time, you might not be so lucky."

Kai watched him leave, his mind already working through the implications.

The nobles were already moving. The game had started earlier than before.

Which meant he had less time.

As the door clicked shut behind Darian, a new system notification appeared before Kai's eyes.

---

[New Mission Unlocked]

Mission: Unravel the Contract

Objective: Discover which noble house ordered your assassination.

Reward: System Upgrade (???).

Failure: A second assassination attempt will occur within 48 hours.

Time Remaining: 47:59:59

---

Kai exhaled slowly, a sharp determination settling over him.

So be it. If the world wanted him dead, he would just have to be faster. Smarter.

And this time, he wasn't going to lose.