Chapter 1: The Day I Died

The blade pierced his chest cleanly, splitting flesh and shattering bone.

Blood spattered the cold dungeon stones as Kian collapsed to his knees, his body trembling violently. He tried to breathe, but air refused to fill his lungs. He looked up—his trembling eyes locking onto the masked hunter who had just killed him.

> "Why...?" Kian croaked, voice barely a whisper.

"We were... on the same side..."

The masked man said nothing. He just turned his back as if Kian had never existed.

As the last drops of life drained from his body, memories surged back—not of childhood, not of dreams, but of how the world came to this, and how he ended up dying here, like trash in a forgotten ruin.

---

— Flashback Begins —

Fifty years ago, this world was perfect. Peaceful. Advancing through science and technology, humans had colonized space, cured most diseases, and even begun living beyond Earth. Nations ruled by logic and structure thrived.

Then the Gates appeared.

It started as a rumor. "A glowing hole opened in Tokyo." "Something’s crawling out of the sea in Lisbon." "A man disappeared into thin air in Delhi."

But within months, it was no longer rumor—it was a catastrophe.

Gates opened across the world—rifts to dungeons filled with horrifying creatures and ancient, reality-bending laws. Cities were annihilated overnight. No science could explain it. No weapon could hold it back.

But just as humanity stood on the edge of extinction... the Tower appeared.

---

The Tower, a sky-piercing spire visible from anywhere on Earth, unleashed a global wave of awakening. Children turning 11 received their personal Skill, judged and bestowed by an unseen force. Some became Hunters, elite dungeon explorers and monster slayers. The world adapted—terrified, but alive.

All awakened were ranked:

> F → E → D → C → B → A → S → SS → SSS

Only 1% of the population awakened with a skill.

Only 0.01% reached A-rank and beyond.

And I... I was among the 1%—but the very bottom.

---

— Back to Kian's Memory —

At 11, during my awakening ceremony, my crystal barely flickered.

The Tower recorded:

> [Skill Name: Echo Trigger]

Rank: F

Effect: Unknown

Remarks: No combat value. Low affinity. Rejection rate 99.89%

Even the Instructor looked disappointed. “You’ll never be a Hunter with that,” he said.

I tried anyway. Trained for years. Studied monsters. Learned movement, traps, weapons. Applied to the Hunter Association.

They laughed.

They needed talent, not dead weight.

But then... I found a loophole. Low-rank freelance Hunters could join exploration teams—cheap labor. The risks were immense, but I had nothing to lose.

That’s how I ended up here... in this C-class dungeon with six other strangers—none of whom I really trusted.

---

— Present Day, Dungeon Scene —

> “It’s a trap!” someone shouted. “The gate's not stable—RUN!”

Too late.

A hidden chamber activated. Dozens of shadow beasts crawled from the walls. A Hunter in my group suddenly turned and slaughtered the healer. Then another. Betrayal. Blood. Panic.

And then he came for me.

---

— Death Triggered —

> [Skill: Echo Trigger has evolved.]

[New Skill: Chrono Echo - Deathbound Regressor.]

[You have died. Initiating Regression.]

[Rewinding time: 24 hours. All memories, items, and skills retained.]

---

— Back to Life —

Kian gasped. Air flooded his lungs as he sat bolt upright in bed, sweat-drenched and shaking.

> “That… was real?”

“I died…”

“But… I’m here?”

He opened his status screen. Something glowed red.

> [Skill: Chrono Echo - Deathbound Regressor]

Rank: Hidden

Effect: When killed, time rewinds 24 hours. Retains memory, items, and skill growth.

WARNING: Trauma buildup will occur after E-Rank. Side effects include: hallucinations, memory bleed, echo nightmares.

Kian’s eyes widened.

> "I… I came back from the dead."

"I can change everything."

But a cold shiver ran down his spine.

He could still hear the screams.

He could still see their blood.

And worst of all… he could still feel the pain of dying.

---

End of Chapter 1: The First Death

Chapter 2: The First Loop

Blood. It pooled around Kian's body like a cursed halo, warm at first, then chilling as it soaked through his torn shirt and met the cold, jagged stone of the dungeon floor. His heartbeat was fading, slow and shallow, but the sound that rang louder than his dying breath was the laughter.

Mocking. Arrogant. Inhuman.

"Honestly, I didn’t think you'd be dumb enough to follow us this deep," the voice said. Footsteps approached, echoing in the quiet cave. Kian tried to lift his head, but it was no use. His limbs refused him.

The man crouched in front of him—Jael Kross, a mid-tier C-Rank hunter from the guild Black Dagger. His sword was slick with blood. Kian’s blood.

"Trash like you only exists to die in places like this," Jael said, flicking the blade with disgust. "You should be grateful. You'll be useful bait for the rest of us."

Kian tried to speak, but blood bubbled from his mouth.

Jael stood and turned away. "Don’t worry. Your death won’t be in vain. We’ll loot your corpse after we clear the gate."

Then came the cold. Then the dark. And then...

---

[SYSTEM NOTICE — Skill Activated]

→ Unique Skill: 'Echo of the Dying Blade' triggered. → Regressing time: 24 hours prior to death. → Preserving active memories and acquired skills... → Penalty Locked (E-Rank required)

---

GASP!

Kian shot up in bed, gasping for air like a man rising from drowning. Sweat drenched his sheets. His heart pounded in his chest, racing with primal panic. But his body—intact. Not a wound in sight.

His eyes scanned the small, peeling-walled apartment. The flickering bulb above. The second-hand fan rattling in the ceiling. His half-eaten dinner from last night still on the table.

"It wasn’t a dream..."

His hands trembled as he pulled up his system menu. Every Hunter had one—a skillboard interface gifted by the Tower at age 11. Most people got simple, straightforward skills. Fireball. Hardened Skin. Quick Steps.

But his?

> [Name: Kian]

[Hunter Rank: F]

[Skill: Echo of the Dying Blade (Awakened)]

[Effect: Rewinds time 24 hours upon death. Preserves memories and gains a copy of the killer’s skill.]

[Acquired Skill: Shadow Step (from Jael Kross)]

[Cooldown: 0 | Usage Limit: Triggered Upon Death]

[Penalty: Trauma (Locked until Rank E)]

Kian’s fingers brushed his temple. He remembered it all—Jael’s betrayal, the pain of the blade, and the helplessness.

But now, that helplessness turned to fuel.

"You killed me," he whispered. "And now I know everything."

---

The world had changed 40 years ago.

One day, strange rifts—called Gates—appeared across the world, opening to warped dimensions filled with monsters, corrupted ruins, and supernatural power. With them came destruction, followed by rebirth.

To fight back, two organizations formed:

The Tower: A mysterious structure that appeared with the first Gate. It granted every child a skill on their 11th birthday. No one knew how or why.

The Hunter Association: Tasked with organizing dungeon raids, licensing Hunters, ranking them (F to SSS), and regulating rewards and missions.

Kian had been one of the unlucky ones. While his classmates received combat, support, and even healing abilities, his skill had appeared as a glitch: a black screen.

It wasn’t until now, at age 18, lying in a pool of blood, that it activated.

---

The next morning, Kian walked into the Black Dagger Guild’s recruitment hall again, just like yesterday. Only this time, everything was different—for him.

He recognized every face, every conversation. He knew where the team would go. Which traps they'd trigger. Where Jael would turn.

> *"I get a second chance."

Jael leaned against the far wall, sipping coffee and giving off his usual smug air. He hadn't noticed Kian yet.

Perfect.

Kian walked up to the counter.

"I'm joining today's Gate raid with Black Dagger."

The receptionist blinked. "You're joining again? Didn't you—never mind. Still F-rank?"

Kian nodded. For now.

---

In the Gate, everything played out exactly as before—until it didn’t.

Kian moved faster, more precisely. He avoided minor injuries he’d taken in his first run. His attacks struck cleaner. He used Shadow Step, Jael’s stolen ability, to slip through enemy lines and score kills with unexpected agility.

The others noticed.

Even Jael.

When they reached the ambush point—the trap corridor filled with spike-laced ruins—Kian was ready.

The fake collapse trap triggered early this time. Because he triggered it.

One of the junior hunters yelped. Jael’s eyes widened. "What the hell—"

Kian moved in a blur. Shadow Step behind Jael. Blade drawn.

"Wha—"

He plunged the dagger into Jael’s side.

"This is for yesterday," Kian whispered.

"You psycho—!"

Jael retaliated, slashing wildly, but Kian had anticipated it. He rolled, struck again, then again—quick, lethal slashes fueled not by power, but by preparation.

Jael collapsed, blood pooling beneath him.

[Skill Acquired: Hunter’s Eye (from Jael Kross)]

[Temporary Party Disbanded]

The rest of the team fled. They weren’t friends. Just convenience allies.

Kian didn’t care.

He stood above the corpse, breathing heavily, watching as the dungeon core shimmered into view.

> You killed me once. Now it’s my turn to keep killing.

---

That night, as Kian walked home, his body buzzed with power and a sickening chill. His HUD blinked.

> [New Passive Skill: Bonebound Legion (Locked)] [Condition: Kill 5 hostile humans in Gates. Progress: 1/5]

He hadn’t noticed that before. A new skill, hidden until now.

Bonebound Legion? The name alone stirred something dark in him.

At his apartment, he collapsed on his bed, exhausted. But before sleep claimed him, he stared at his interface.

> [Hunter Rank: F+]

[Unique Skill: Echo of the Dying Blade]

[New Trait Unlocked: Kill Reaper - Each kill increases user’s synchronization with death-based skills.]

Kian closed his eyes.

He wasn’t the same boy who had died yesterday.

He was a regressor.

And this was only the beginning.

---

End of Chapter 2