The wind on the rooftop had grown colder.
Arin Veyron stood motionless near the stairwell entrance, his gaze fixed on the warehouse below.
Emergency lights painted the industrial district in flashes of red and blue. Soldiers surrounded the building while reporters shouted questions at the newly arrived authorities.
But Arin wasn't paying attention to any of that.
His eyes were locked on the Gate.
The swirling vortex inside the warehouse pulsed with dark energy, twisting like a living thing.
And inside it—
Something moved again.
Arin's mind raced.
"That… shouldn't be possible."
In the previous timeline, the first Gate had been classified as E-Rank—the weakest type.
Only one monster had emerged before hunters closed it.
Simple.
Predictable.
But now?
The Gate was still active.
And whatever was inside it… felt different.
Arin's fingers tightened slightly.
"Did my actions change the timeline already?"
It was possible.
Saving Lena.
Alerting the news station.
Bringing soldiers and hunters earlier than expected.
Even small changes could ripple through history.
But this…
This felt like something else entirely.
A deep growl echoed faintly from inside the warehouse.
The soldiers outside stiffened.
Darius Kane, the hunter who had killed the first creature, raised his sword again.
"Everyone stay alert," he said.
Another soldier spoke nervously.
"I thought there was only one monster."
Darius didn't answer.
Because the Gate was expanding.
The vortex widened slowly, dark energy spilling onto the warehouse floor like black mist.
The air around it trembled.
Arin's expression darkened.
"That's not an E-Rank Gate anymore."
It was evolving.
Inside the warehouse, Darius stepped closer to the Gate.
His instincts screamed at him to stop.
But curiosity—and pride—pushed him forward.
"We should close it," one of the soldiers suggested.
"How?" Darius replied.
No one had an answer.
Humanity barely understood what Gates were.
Scientists believed they were some kind of dimensional rupture.
But no one knew how to control them yet.
The vortex suddenly pulsed violently.
Then—
A massive claw pushed through the opening.
The soldiers froze.
The claw was enormous.
Nearly the size of a human arm.
Gray skin.
Black spikes.
Then another claw emerged.
Followed by a monstrous head.
The creature forced itself out of the Gate with a horrifying screech.
It stood nearly three meters tall.
Muscles bulged beneath its rough skin.
Two curved horns grew from its skull.
Its red eyes glowed like burning coals.
Darius whispered under his breath.
"…What the hell is that?"
This monster was far larger than the first one.
Stronger.
More terrifying.
Arin's heart sank.
"That's a Hound Brute."
In the future, Hound Brutes appeared inside D-Rank Gates.
Not E-Rank.
Never E-Rank.
Something had definitely changed.
The monster stepped forward slowly, sniffing the air like a predator searching for prey.
Then it roared.
The sound shook the entire warehouse.
"OPEN FIRE!" a soldier shouted.
Gunshots erupted again.
Bullets struck the monster's body.
But this time…
They barely slowed it down.
The Hound Brute charged.
It moved faster than anyone expected.
Its claw swung through the air—
And a soldier was thrown across the room like a broken doll.
The others panicked.
Darius stepped forward.
"I'll handle it!"
He raised his sword and attacked.
The blade struck the monster's shoulder.
Sparks flew.
But the wound was shallow.
The Hound Brute growled and slammed its arm into Darius.
The hunter crashed into a metal machine, gasping for air.
"Darius!" someone shouted.
The monster turned toward the remaining soldiers.
Its red eyes gleamed with hunger.
Outside the warehouse, chaos erupted.
Civilians who had gathered nearby began running away.
Reporters shouted into their cameras.
"This creature is far stronger than the first!"
"We need backup!"
But backup wouldn't arrive in time.
From the rooftop across the street, Arin watched the battle unfold.
His mind worked rapidly.
"This is bad."
If the Hound Brute escaped the warehouse, the casualties would skyrocket.
The soldiers weren't strong enough.
Darius was injured.
And the Gate was still open.
More monsters could appear.
Arin exhaled slowly.
He had planned to remain hidden for a while longer.
But if he allowed this situation to spiral out of control…
The timeline might collapse into chaos.
He couldn't risk that.
"Looks like I have to interfere."
Arin turned and began descending the stairs quickly.
Inside the warehouse, Darius forced himself to stand.
Pain shot through his ribs.
The monster approached slowly, enjoying the fear in the air.
Darius gripped his sword tighter.
"I'm not dying here."
He charged again.
His blade sliced across the creature's leg.
The Hound Brute roared and struck back.
Darius barely managed to block the attack.
The impact threw him backward.
His sword clattered across the floor.
The monster raised its claw to finish him.
Then—
A voice echoed through the warehouse.
"Attack its left knee."
Everyone turned.
A young man had entered through the broken warehouse door.
Arin Veyron.
Darius blinked in confusion.
"What?"
Arin stepped forward calmly.
"Its left knee joint is weaker than the rest of its body."
The Hound Brute snarled and turned toward the newcomer.
Darius shouted, "Get out of here! It'll kill you!"
But Arin didn't move.
Instead, he looked directly at Darius.
"If you want to survive, listen carefully."
The monster began charging.
Arin continued speaking calmly.
"When it attacks, dodge to the right."
"Then strike the back of its knee."
Darius hesitated.
But he didn't have many options left.
The Hound Brute lunged.
Darius rolled to the right just as Arin instructed.
The claw smashed into the floor.
For a brief moment, the monster's leg bent.
Darius saw the opening.
He grabbed his sword and swung with all his strength.
The blade struck the back of the creature's knee.
A deep crack echoed.
The Hound Brute collapsed onto one leg.
It roared in pain.
"Now the neck!" Arin shouted.
Darius didn't hesitate.
He leapt forward and drove his sword into the monster's throat.
The blade pierced deep.
Black blood poured out.
The creature staggered backward before collapsing onto the concrete floor.
Silence filled the warehouse.
Everyone stared at the massive corpse.
Then they turned toward Arin.
Darius wiped blood from his face.
"…Who are you?"
Arin looked at the dead monster for a moment before answering.
"Someone who understands monsters."
Darius frowned.
"How did you know its weak point?"
Arin didn't reply.
Because his attention had already shifted back toward the Gate.
The vortex was still swirling.
Still open.
Still dangerous.
Arin's eyes narrowed slightly.
"This shouldn't be happening."
Because in the previous timeline…
The first Gate had closed after the first monster died.
But tonight—
It remained open.
And the darkness inside it was growing deeper.
Arin felt a cold realization forming in his mind.
If this Gate had already changed…
Then other events in the future might change as well.
Which meant the knowledge he relied on might no longer be perfectly accurate.
The advantage he had gained by returning to the past…
Was already beginning to crack.
And the war against the Gates had only just begun.