The silence in the apartment felt loud. Shi Yoon stood before his holographic command console, a vortex of focused intent. He shed his trench coat, revealing the streamlined combat suit beneath, and began the meticulous process of analysis. He had bought twelve hours of safety for Seo Jun, which meant he had twelve hours to solve a cosmic impossibility.
He initiated a deep level diagnostic on his Aether Watch. The device wasn't merely a communication tool; it was an extension of his Reaper authority, housing his central intelligence system, Chimera.
"Chimera, run a full regression analysis on all data packets recorded during the A.S. Incursion. Focus parameters on Unknowable Fatalistic Signatures."
The holographic screen flared, replacing the tactical map with a dizzying cascade of code and energy schematics.
"Affirmative, Reaper Designate Shi Yoon," Chimera's synthesized voice responded. "Regression complete. All A.S. Alpha-Unit data confirms the organism's Soul Timer was non-existent. Fatalism Index: Zero."
"Cross-reference that exact signature with Designate T F 412 (Seo Jun)."
The code stabilized, and two side by side schematics appeared: the monstrous A.S. creature and the small, human silhouette of Seo Jun. Both displayed the same devastating, null result: Fatalism Index: Zero.
Shi-Yoon leaned in, his dark eyes scanning the data, a flicker of something akin to awe breaking through his usual coldness. "They are fundamentally identical in the eyes of the system. Neither the child nor the Apex Sovereign monster possesses a discernible fate or death date."
"Hypothesis: The Reaper's Mark imprinted upon T F 412 by your first unsanctioned use of the Reaper's Blade did not just offer protection; it severed his soul from the cycle of predestination. He exists outside the timeline, hence the zero index."
Shi-Yoon ran a hand through his black hair, the revelation confirming his worst fear. "A consequence of using a piece of the original Grim Reaper's authority without proper integration. I made him a rogue variable."
"Correct. Furthermore, the A.S. Alpha Unit and all subsequent high-grade threats are exhibiting a parallel state of fate-nullification. They are, essentially, dimensional chaos unbound by natural law."
This was the terrifying connection. The entities he was fighting weren't just powerful; they were defying the cosmic order his powers relied on. The only common link was the Resonance they shared with the chaotic, fate-nullifying energy now surrounding Seo-Jun.
"The resonance is attracting its own kind," Shi-Yoon deduced, his mind racing to formulate a solution. "The blind spot is a beacon for other anomalies."
He pulled up the catalog for the Reaper's Blade. His weapon was a piece of the Scythe, an instrument designed to re establish cosmic balance by reaping souls at their appointed time. It was useless against beings who had no appointed time.
"Chimera, what is the protocol for re-imposing fate?"
"No protocol exists, Reaper Designate. The concept is paradoxical. To impose fate is to create a destiny where none was pre existing."
Shi Yoon knew that meant a risky, unsanctioned modification. He needed a weapon that could create an end for a being with no end. He needed to build a Destiny Anchor.
He started ripping lines of code from his own system, ignoring Chimera's automated protests, merging the theory of the Reaper's Blade with the logistical power of the Aether Watch. His frustration, which had been expressed in desperate fighting, now manifested as furious, precise intellect.
He found the solution in the ancient, restricted schematics of the original Scythe: the Chronos-Needle. A relic rumored to be able to temporarily attach a fabricated timeline to a target, making it vulnerable to the finality of the Reaper's power. It didn't exist in the modern armory.
"Chimera, calculate resources required to fabricate a single use Chronos Needle using my current Soul Energy Reserve and the Reaper's Blade as the core catalyst."
The watch projected a complex material list, mostly rare dimensional isotopes. The energy cost was astronomical.
"Warning, Reaper Designate. Fabrication will consume 85% of your reserve and temporarily destabilize your dimensional anchor. You will be vulnerable to dimensional drift for 48 hours."
"Confirm order," Shi Yoon commanded, his voice ice cold. He would be weak, exposed, and on a clock, but he would not continue to fight blindly.
He looked at the small, fading schematic of Seo Jun, the boy's null fate a challenge to his very existence. You will have a timer, Seo Jun, he vowed, the commitment colder and harder than indifference. And I will be the one to choose when your life is no longer a risk to my mission. The Price of Protection was turning into a sacrifice of his own power.
And shi Yoon knew it , I have to try , this boy can't certainly be a abnormally…right, .