Hale was currently crouched beside a stream at the base of the slope, splashing cold water onto his face to wash away the dirt and twigs tangled in his hair.
His reflection stared back at him from the rippling surface; a pale face, sharp but weary, framed by long dark hair tied into a messy bun, with a few strands falling across his forehead. His eyes, black and half-lidded, carried the look of someone either perpetually sleepy or simply unbothered. He wore a black turtleneck under a grey overshirt, black cargo pants, and boots. A single earring glinted faintly, an accessory he thought made him look cool, though in truth it only made him look edgy.
Handsome, sure…but Hale never knew how to use it.
Back in college, he had even tried dating once, during his 2nd year. A senior named Melissa had confessed to him, and at first, it felt good. She was warm, attentive, and genuinely liked him. But she was also overbearing. Night after night, she insisted on video calls that stretched for hours, long past his patience…and worse, his sleep. What began as sweet soon turned suffocating.
Then came the introductions to her circle of friends. One look was enough for him to know they weren't the good type. His suspicions were confirmed when one of them, Chloe, casually asked if he wanted to join her for a late-night movie—behind Melissa's back. He rejected it, of course; he knew exactly where that road would lead. In the end, the whole mess only confirmed what he already felt: relationships were nothing but a chore.
A few months with no real progress later, Hale ended things. That was when the rumors started. Suddenly, he was a cheater, the kind who'd betrayed Melissa. Then a drug addict. The whispers piled on until he was branded a loner, the type people avoided without a second thought.
When he finally dug around for the source, he discovered it was Chloe—the same girl who had once asked him out behind Melissa's back. He had never told Melissa about that invitation, thinking it would only blow up her entire friend group, but after the rumors spread, he regretted staying silent. Melissa herself never said anything, but she also didn't stop her friend. And against a circle of wealthy, well-connected girls with too many allies, there was nothing he could do.
By the time his father passed away, just before his final year, Hale had stopped caring about the rumors altogether. All that mattered was finishing his degree and getting back home to take care of the farm.
So even with a good face, he never really knew how to use it. The idea of settling down with a girl? He had long stopped thinking about that. Maybe a one-night stand here and there, but nothing beyond that…or so he told himself.
The truth was, he had never gone through with even that. The reason was his mother, Halia. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen…black hair, black eyes, almost a carbon copy of himself, only softer, only brighter. A mischievous smile that could light up an entire room. To Hale, she wasn't just beautiful—she was the standard. Even if a goddess walked into his life, he doubted she would measure up.
* * *
Hale splashed cold water on his face. As the cool liquid ran down, his thoughts drifted—not to the jungle or the chaos around him, but to another stream of memories, quieter, gentler… memories of his mother.
When he was 10, she became bedridden. Advanced breast cancer, Stage IV. They had found it far too late, and there was nothing anyone could do.
As always, he was sitting by her bed, recounting the events of the day at school like he did every day. But that day was different, a classmate had confessed to him. Seeking advice, he looked at his mother.
She tilted her head mischievously. "Do you like her, sweetie?"
"I… I don't know, Mom. I told her I'd give my answer later."
She grinned weakly and hooked her pinky with his. "Even if you say yes, pinky promise me—you'll only give your first time to someone you truly love."
Hale's face went bright red. "Mom! Why are you even talking about that with me?"
She narrowed her eyes in mock seriousness. "What, are you planning to run off and join some brothel, dance on a pole?"
"Stop! Stop!" he blurted, linking his pinky with hers. "I pinky promise. Only to…someone I love."
Her smile softened and bloomed. "That's my boy," she said, ruffling his hair.
He had always loved seeing her smile; that was why he shared every little detail of his day with her. But one day, while he was at school, she passed away, leaving only an aching memory.
* * *
Hale stood up after reminiscing about his past. He was still keeping that pinky promise—maybe childish, but to him, it was the last promise he had made to his mother. If anything had happened with Melissa while they were dating, he might have let it go, but since the relationship ended prematurely, the promise still held true.
He brushed the dirt off his grey shirt and straightened it. Back home, he had been planning to hit town before the comet…but his phone died, so he left it charging and spent the time feeding the chickens. Otherwise, why else would he be wearing boots and a turtleneck in the scorching sun? At least he'd arrived here in style.
Hale sighed and returned to his soulspace, his inner mind manifesting around him. Soon, he stood upon the solid lake in his soul form and directed his attention to the thing he was most curious about.
[ Soulbound ]
◆ Corma Shard [ ?? ]
He focused, and the details of the shard unfolded before him.
— ✦ —
[ Corma Shard ]
Type: Soulbound Artifact
Rarity: ??
Status: Incomplete
Passive Effects:
1] Corma System
◆ Creates a comprehensive system displaying the host's Soul Record—skills, classes, core stats, and more.
◆ Tracks progress and maps out the host's potential future paths, including specialized evolution routes.
◆ Generates quests during tier breakthroughs, providing structured guidance that eases advancement to higher realms.
2] Soul Space
◆ A personalized soul realm where the host can interact with the Corma System, and all soulbound objects and beings.
[ Note :
◆ As a Beastbound Tamer, your bonded beasts can be recalled to the Soulspace or summoned from it using the skill:
Call of the Bound.
◆ Any being residing within your Soulspace will gain no progress, experience, or growth while inside. ]
3] Universal Tongue
◆ Automatically translates all speech from intelligent beings, allowing you to fully understand their words regardless of language.
◆ All your speech is simultaneously translated into the native language of your listener(s), ensuring they understand you perfectly.
Active Effects :
1] Cataclysmic Shift [ Locked ]
[ Usage : 0 ]
[Note :Corma Shard is only an incomplete fragment of something far greater. Complete it, and you may obtain whatever you desire.]
— ✦ —
In one word, Hale summed it up: Broken.
At first, he thought some bored god had tossed him here for fun, or maybe he was the "chosen one" and the system was his cheat. But now he realized—everything so far had happened because of the Corma Shard.
His gaze lingered on the active skill, currently locked: Cataclysmic Shift. Yeah, he had no clue how it worked, but the name alone gave him… unsettling hints.
"Universal Tongue?.. What am I supposed to do with that? Talk to dinosaurs?" he muttered. "Pretty sure there weren't any intelligent species hanging around the Mesozoic era… unless their bones got completely deleted after 66 million years."
He wasn't even sure if he was still on Earth. Had he been sent back to the Age ofDinosaurs? If so, which period? He was fairly sure the T.rex belonged to the Cretaceous period, not Jurassic. That famous movie had used Jurassic Park because it sounded cool, but most of the dinosaurs in it were actually from the Cretaceous period, not Jurassic.
So maybe this wasn't Earth at all. Maybe it was a parallel world. Or maybe another planet had its own dinosaurs. Either way, Universal Tongue would still be useful—if he could use it to talk with beasts later.
As that thought crossed his mind, an image suddenly popped up: a rooster side-eyeing him.
"Fucking Cockle—" Before he could finish the insult, something sharp pressed against the back of his neck, making him freeze.