Return #114 began like every other morning: sunlight spilling over the village rooftops, chickens clucking, vendors shouting their prices, children running barefoot across cobblestones.
Evan Thorn sat on the edge of the training yard, sword resting across his knees, heart thundering—not from exertion, but from thought. Sereth. The golden-eyed observer. The warning.
He had seen many things across his 113 loops: death, pain, failure, exhaustion. But the idea that someone—or something—was watching him with knowledge he did not have made his stomach tighten.
Someone else knew the System.
That alone was enough to disturb him.
A NEW STRATEGYThe corrupted knight was coming. That much was certain. Evan didn't need the System to tell him that anymore. Every loop had confirmed it.
But Sereth's words gnawed at him: He is not like the others on the battlefield. He is bound to something ancient. Something dangerous.
Evan's training so far had focused on survival skills: dodging, countering, footwork, endurance. All useful for ordinary threats. But the corrupted knight was far from ordinary. He needed more than instincts. He needed knowledge.
And knowledge meant risk.
Evan stood, brushing the dirt from his training uniform. He looked around the yard. The other recruits were sparring casually. Roran was inspecting techniques with a trained eye. And Lira… well, she was nowhere to be seen, likely sneaking apples again.
He clenched his fists.
I need to learn more about him.
I need to see him before the battle.
The thought made his chest tighten. He had tried rushing toward the knight in previous loops. He had died—every time. Yet now, armed with skills, instincts, and determination, he felt… capable.
Perhaps.
THE FOREST TRAININGBy midday, Evan had slipped into the forest. The trees were dense here, sunlight filtering in jagged patterns. Perfect for ambush practice, perfect for observing movements without being seen.
He crouched behind a moss-covered stump and closed his eyes.
[SYSTEM TIP:] Predictive observation increases reaction efficiency.
He opened his eyes. His breathing slowed. His ears caught the faintest rustle. A branch creaked overhead. A squirrel skittered across the forest floor.
And then… a movement that was not natural.
Golden eyes.
Sereth.
The observer didn't flinch or move to hide. Evan's instincts screamed that they were testing him. Or perhaps just… watching.
"You're persistent," Sereth said softly.
Evan stood, sword drawn. "I need information. About him. The knight."
Sereth's lips curved into the faintest smile. "And yet you risk everything by asking."
"I'm done dying blindly," Evan replied. "I survive, or I die trying. But I will not face him unprepared again."
The forest held its breath.
Sereth tilted their head. "Clever. And brave. Perhaps reckless. But that is why you are chosen."
"Chosen? For what?" Evan demanded.
Sereth's smile widened, but there was a shadow behind it. A weight. "To fight him. To survive what no ordinary soldier can survive. But be warned—ten thousand returns will not guarantee victory."
Evan gritted his teeth. "Then I'll make it happen anyway."
Sereth's eyes glinted gold in the filtered sunlight. "We shall see."
Then, like smoke, they vanished.
THE SECOND SKILLEvan remained in the forest, pondering what he had learned. The truth was clear: the corrupted knight was no ordinary enemy. The battle would require more than speed, strength, or instinct. It would require adaptation, innovation, and something deeper… intuition.
He moved to a clearing and began running drills again. Step, roll, strike. Evade, counter, leap. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
And then it happened.
A sudden sensation in his mind. Not fear. Not pain. But awareness. Heightened. Sharper.
His muscles reacted before thought. His eyes caught the smallest shift in shadows. The wind carried subtle cues. He twisted, dodged a falling branch, struck a tree with precise force.
A blue shimmer erupted around him.
[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED]Skill: PREDICTIVE REACTION (Active)
Tier: D
Effect: Anticipates lethal or fast-moving threats before they fully occur.
Source: Repeated exposure to near-fatal attacks.
Evan breathed heavily. A grin spread across his face.
"So that's how you survive a corrupted knight," he muttered. "Step ahead before he even strikes."
The System didn't respond. That was fine. He didn't need confirmation.
He felt… stronger.
Not just in body, but in mind.
RETURN #115 — THE FIRST REAL TESTThe next day, Evan returned to the village. The last day before the battle. He felt sharper, faster, more aware. Every movement seemed precise. Every thought clear.
Roran noticed immediately. "Thorn… you've changed. I can see it in your stance. Your focus. Something about you is… different."
Evan nodded. "I've… been practicing."
"Practicing?" Roran chuckled. "Don't tell me you've been up before dawn every morning again."
Evan smiled faintly. "Something like that."
Roran studied him for a long moment, then gave a slow nod. "Good. You'll need every advantage you can get. Tomorrow will be… brutal."
Evan swallowed, feeling a twinge of anxiety. Brutal didn't even begin to describe it.
But he was ready.
Or as ready as one could be.
THE FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH THE KNIGHTAs the sun began to dip, Evan slipped toward the battlefield. He wanted a glimpse. A feeling. A measure. Something he had never been able to do without dying.
And he saw it.
The corrupted knight.
Towering, black armor streaked with red, the glow of malice radiating off him. His sword was enormous, jagged, and pulsing like molten steel. His movements were deliberate, yet terrifyingly fluid.
Evan's heart hammered.
This was the enemy he would face. And now, finally, he could see him clearly.
The knight did not attack. Not yet. But the air vibrated with intent. Every swing of his sword, every shift in posture, even the sway of his cloak whispered of imminent death.
Evan's instincts flared. He didn't step closer. He didn't retreat. He observed. Every detail was logged in his mind. Foot placement, hand position, sword weight. Every motion a puzzle he had to solve.
Then a sound: a low, almost metallic hum. Something ancient. Something alive.
The knight turned.
Not at Evan. Not yet. But the world seemed to shrink around the figure, as if the battlefield itself acknowledged its presence.
Evan swallowed.
He could die. He could die in an instant.
But he didn't move.
He could survive.
Because he had returned.
A hundred times.
A hundred lessons learned.
And now, he was ready to test them.
THE GOLDEN EYES RETURNA sudden rustle made him spin.
Sereth.
Golden eyes gleamed from the treeline. Observing. Waiting.
"You see it, don't you?" Sereth asked softly.
Evan nodded. "Yes. I see everything now."
Sereth's smile was unreadable. "Good. Very few hosts survive this far with even half your awareness. Most break after ten… twenty… fifty loops. You are different."
"I have to be."
"You have no choice," Sereth corrected. "But remember: knowledge alone does not grant survival. Skill alone does not grant survival. There is something deeper you must learn in this loop."
"What?"
Sereth's figure shimmered in the fading light. "Patience. Observation. And the will to adapt faster than death itself. You are learning it already. But tomorrow… you will need it more than ever."
Then, as silently as they appeared, Sereth melted into the shadows.
Evan exhaled slowly.
The golden eyes were gone. But their words lingered.
Patience. Observation. Adaptation.
He had trained his body.
He had trained his mind.
Tomorrow, he would have to master his will.
And he would have to survive.