CHAPTER ONE

The twilight skies that stood still for thousands of years rotted into the darkness. The planet was falling apart. A place where they all were accustomed as their home was falling apart.

"So, we're defeated."

Those were the words that nobody dared to utter, because it felt like it would become true once it was spoken. The ten "Gods" who were gathered around starts murmuring among themselves, saying their last words before they're perished by the "Outer Gods" those who wield strange and overpowering abilities, a normal human looking at them would die immediately.

"I never thought we'd part ways like this."

"Stop being mushy, we're going to die one way or another."

"What do you mean?! It's not over yet…!"

A platinum white-haired man holding a long pole spoke. It was Son OhGong. He held the title of "The Great Sage, Heaven's Equal" and was the protagonist of the myth "Heavenly Realm's Traitor."

"You're talking big for someone who's on the brink of death."

The one who disputed Son OhGong's confidence was Hercules, wearing his lion skin, wielding a broken club. Having brought victory in the war against the Titans, the greatest hero of Olympus was nearing death with one of his arms cut off.

"I'm not dying."

"You might be an 'Immortal,' but can you really keep acting so mighty in front of them?"

Whoosh–

A pure white mass flew down from out of nowhere. All the Gods turned their gazes towards the mass before looking back towards the person's voice.

"So I made it back. "I thought I was going to die."

black hair with eyes just as dark, the man had short, messy hair. Probably from a battle as he was injured. Jun-seo looked drained, taking slow steps towards the makeshift tree trunk chair before sitting down.

"It's just you?" Hercules asked. The companions that definitely left with him were nowhere to be found, and Jun-Seo came back alone.

"… Uh-huh."

"Merlin, Asura, Vishnu… All of them?"

"Yeah." Jun-seo nodded his head. "They're all dead."

The air became sombre. The gods that had left with Jun-seo were unable to come back. They were probably swallowed by those outer beings, nourishing the other realms.

The sombre mood was short lived. The Gods turned their attention towards the pure white mass that Jun-seo threw.

"Who is this bastard?"

"Eceye"

"What?"

The surviving Gods were shocked by Jun-seo's response. They knew it wouldn't be someone normal when Jun-seo came back alone, but its identity was even greater than they imagined.

"… Really? It's that guy?" Jun-seo nodded his head.

"With this, I now know for a fact."

One of the Outer Gods. "Eceye"

Jun-seo realised the cold, hard truth in his fight against the "Eceye"

"An 'Inner' cannot beat an 'Outer.' "

Inner. That was how beings that existed within the Tower, like Jun-seo, were referred to. And those who were gathered here were beings that had risen to the top floor of the Tower, forging their myth, earning divinity and a divine name. But even they couldn't compare to the Gods of the Other Realm. Actually, this was something they knew all along. Since the start of this fight, when the Gods of the Other Realm appeared. Their existence was a calamity, even to those who thought they were equal to a God.

"There is no way to win." The old man who was sitting in the corner spoke.

"For now, that is." He stretched out his hand to reveal a clock's internal mechanics in his palm. 「Chronos's Clock Movement」a clock that rewinds back time, but it comes with a heavy cost.

Jun-seo asked while staring at the old man, Chronos. "Is this the only way?" he asks.

"Returning to the old world line, and starting over? If possible, I'd rather end here."

"This is our last chance." Chronos spoke with a powerful voice, which contrasted his hunchback and wrinkled face. Chronos was a being that possessed the divinity to control time. The items he'd crafted held powers relating to time, however…

"In the world line you will return to, I will probably disappear. It's a fair price to pay for the only way to go back in time, and shift the world's situation. So don't waste your time looking for me, I'll probably disappear due to this."

"You're saying, You'll cease to exist?"

"I don't know what form I'll be in, but my disappearance does not matter."

Their story had already ended, which is why Jun-seo wanted to fight to the end here. However, the fight was just a loss one-sidedly, now there's no other option but to return back.

"So who will…"

Everyone's eyes were on Jun-seo. It was already decided who would be returning into the past. The only thing remaining would be Jun-seo's decisions.

"I expected it, but does it really have to be me?"

It was something that was talked about since the 「Clock Movement」 was first brought up, who would return to the past. It wasn't for certain, but there were two main candidates. Jun-seo and Son OhGong. But while Jun-seo was absent, there must have been some sort of discussion because a decision was made.

"… Why me?"

"Because you entered last. Yet despite that, you are standing here right now."

It was true. Despite everyone being teleported here at the same time, he was the only one who entered the tower later than everyone else. However, he adjusted to the tower, and climbed all the way faster than anyone else arriving at this place where he'd even fight alongside Gods.

"You didn't forget, right? Beings on the upper floors are restricted in how they can intervene with the lower floors. So, in order to change the Tower, we have to start from the lower floors and go up."

"Yeah, I know."

"That's why you're our only choice."

Jun-seo let out a deep sigh as he reached out his hand. The 「 Clock Movement」 continued to send time forward. The instructions would be registered in a person's mind as soon as they held the item.

"When you return back in time, we probably won't have the same relationship we have now. So even if I don't recognize you, just let it slide. That me really won't know who you are."

"Knock some sense into the guys who can't comprehend the situation. If all else fails, you can just kill them."

"… I hope you have a hard time, my friend."

Each gave a word to Jun-seo. Now that this was the final farewell, they didn't hold back.

"You guys are never short for words." Jun-seo put on a melancholic smile as he gave his companions a good, final look.

After the Gods of the Other Realm appeared, they had no choice but to join forces. No one here were companions in the beginning. Some were antagonistic, hostile, and even aimed for each other's throats. But everything was different now. Recollecting, it seemed impossible.

'They were all very bull-headed…'

Tick-tock—

He was already filled with worry. He wondered if he'd be able to gather all these idiots together in one place after returning to the past. If they'd be able to fight the beings from the Other World, if they could win this fight… If he'd be able to change everything for the better.

Tick-tock—

The 「Clock Movement」 started moving backwards.

'I guess I'm going to have a hard time.'

Within Jun-seo's field of vision, countless clock mechanisms started moving backwards.