Under the reddish sky, the world stretched out like a vision of Earth’s purgatory—a land ravaged and broken, scarred by chaos and ruin. The ground was cracked and lifeless, as if every trace of hope had long since been scorched away by the fires of countless battles.

In the midst of that devastated wasteland stood a lone woman. Her figure swayed with exhaustion, barely upright, clad in what remained of her once-proud armor—now torn, battered, and stained with blood. Wounds lined her body, and crimson streaks traced down her limbs like rain that refused to end. Yet even in this state, she continued to fight. Step by step, breath by breath, she pressed forward—despite her strength fading, despite her energy leaking from her like sand slipping through fingers.

Even as the world around her crumbled and her body threatened to collapse, she did not yield.

Her limbs trembled, her body screamed for rest, but still she persisted. Her senses warned that the end was near—that the moment she stopped moving would be her last. But instead of giving in, she clenched her teeth and spoke, her voice low and laced with bitter frustration.

“How can these rats be endless… despite being so weak?”

“They respawn like there’s no tomorrow.”

“I thought I could wipe them all out if I just held on. But if this spawning keeps going, I’ll have to use my last resort…”

With a desperate breath, she forced her body to release the last remnants of her energy, pouring everything she had into one final push—hoping it would be enough to end the nightmare, to destroy the swarming monsters spilling endlessly from the crypt. But even then, her efforts bore no fruit. The creatures kept coming, relentless as ever. Her movements slowed, her breathing turned ragged, and the space around her narrowed as the endless tide pressed in, overwhelming her shrinking strength.

And as the end crept closer, her vision blurred. Her thoughts drifted. Memories rose unbidden—pulling her back to a time before the sky turned red, before the land cracked open and became a graveyard for the living.

Just a year ago, she had been one of the top hunters in Korea. A front-line warrior, praised for her power yet feared for her cold, unapproachable demeanor. But despite her distant exterior, countless people admired her. She never fought for fame or recognition, only to protect others. Every saved life, every whispered “thank you,” stayed with her. Though she rarely showed it, those quiet moments of gratitude gave her strength. They made the battles worth it.

But happiness is fleeting.

Everything changed the moment the system announcement arrived.

———

[Notice to all humans of World #10945: Your novice protection period has ended. You are now part of the Ten Thousand Worlds.]

[Each world will now compete against others for the right to claim racial talents. You are encouraged to engage in interworld combat. With each victory, crystals will be awarded and displayed in your system interface.]

[Win three times against a single race, and their racial trait becomes yours. Lose three times, and yours will be taken. The victorious race will have the right to either enslave or exterminate the defeated to claim their world.]

[Your current task: Select a representative for this month’s battle. This representative will face another world’s champion under mutually agreed rules. Victory or death—only one outcome awaits.]

As the notification resounded across the globe, humanity was split. Some were thrilled by the chance to grow stronger, to test themselves in combat against other worlds. But others—those who understood the weight of such battles—were filled with dread.

She had been one of the latter.

Confident in her own abilities, yes—but uncertain about humanity’s fate. Could Earth’s chosen truly withstand the unknown strength of alien races? Could they survive this so-called “game”?

And now, standing bloodied and alone amidst a sea of monsters, she had her answer.

Whether this was the price of survival… or the beginning of the end… only time would tell.

But even as her body collapsed into the dirt and darkness claimed her senses, a single thought pierced through the haze.

Not a regret.

Not a prayer.

A name.

His name.

The man she had once called her rival—the one she fought against as often as she fought beside. Cold. Ruthless. A monster in human skin. At least… that was what they said.

He had always watched her from the shadows. Always appeared when she least expected it—never to save her, never to comfort her, but to test her. To challenge her.

And yet, in the final moments of his life, he died shielding her.

She never understood why. Not until it was too late.

Now, as her soul drifted between life and death, she heard a whisper—not from a god, not from the system…

But from him.

“You were always mine… even if I had to die to prove it.”

And when she awoke again—reborn into a world forever changed—the truth about him would unravel.

Her greatest enemy…

Might have been her only obsession.

Under the blood-red sky, the world resembled Earth’s purgatory—a land scorched and broken, hollowed by chaos and war.

At the heart of the devastation stood a lone woman. Her name was Lee Serin, once one of Korea’s top hunters—a war goddess with eyes that never flinched, even in the face of extinction.

Her armour clung to her in tatters, broken steel and mana-leather fused with dried blood. She staggered forward, boots crunching across cracked stone, a trail of red behind her. Wounds lined her limbs like ink on paper—too many to count, and yet, she still stood.

Each breath scraped her throat like glass.

Just a little further, she thought. Just a little longer.

Ahead, the monsters poured endlessly from a yawning crypt—grotesque beasts of fang, shadow, and flame. For every one she struck down, two more rose.

“How can these rats be endless… despite being so weak?” Her voice was hoarse, tinged with bitterness. Not fear—never fear. Only disbelief and growing disgust.

Her fingers tightened on the hilt of her broken weapon. Blood dripped from her knuckles.

“They respawn like there’s no tomorrow.”

A hollow laugh escaped her lips, half-cough, half-mocking sigh. “I thought I could wipe them all out if I just held on. But if this keeps going… I’ll have to use my last resort.”

She forced the last of her energy into one final charge, body screaming in protest. Magic circled her—unstable, sparking, desperate. Her halberd glowed once more, a dying star flaring before collapse.

The monsters surged. She struck.

But it wasn’t enough.

Her blade shattered on the chest of the obsidian tyrant. Her knees hit the ground moments later. Her breath caught—then faltered.

Everything slowed.

In that breathless moment before the end, a memory surfaced. Not of glory. Not of hope.

A name.

Yoon Saejin.

Her rival. Her shadow. The man who had once been her equal… or so the world believed.

Cold. Brilliant. Silent. A man who never smiled but never missed a step. He haunted every battlefield she walked, as if drawn to her presence. As if obsessed.

He had challenged her. Mocked her. Pushed her limits in ways she hated.

And in the end—he died for her.

Serin’s lips parted in a rasp.

“Saejin… you bastard.” Her tone wasn’t angry. It was broken. Confused. Somewhere between hate and regret.

The darkness rose. She collapsed fully, her face against the bloodstained ground. Around her, the monsters howled their victory.

Then—

A chime echoed through the silence.

[SYSTEM WARNING: Dimensional Interference Detected]

[Authority Override: Constellation "Goddess of Silence" activating Regression Protocol…]

[UNCLASSIFIED MAGIC DETECTED: TIME REVERSAL EXECUTED]

[CAUTION: Current timeline data will be permanently overwritten.]

[Constellation "God of Learning" is confused.]

[Constellation "God of Silence" has chosen to ignore all consequences.]

A soft light filled Serin’s fading vision. Her consciousness began to dissolve—but a final voice called to her, not in words, but in soul.

“If only… I could have given you more time, my child.”

She couldn’t answer. But her soul heard it.

And something—someone—answered back.

And then—time shattered.

———

Earth, Year 1: Dungeon Emergence.

The sky split open.

Portals bloomed across continents like blooming scars—above oceans, within shadows, between breaths.

And in a quiet apartment tucked in a neon-lit Seoul district, a young girl awoke in her bed with a scream on her lips and fire in her lungs.

Her name… was still Lee Serin.

But everything else had changed.

[SYSTEM BOOT COMPLETE]

[WELCOME BACK, HUNTER #00001]

[REGRESSION: SUCCESSFUL]

Her fingers trembled as she reached for the status screen. Memories collided like waves—death, fire, betrayal… and Saejin.

Her voice trembled.

“This is… the beginning again.”

She started checking her surroundings, and she returned 10 years into the past. Her familiar desk where she studied in high school and the worn-out house where she stayed before.

Lee Serin stood still in the silence of dawn.

Sunlight filtered through the curtains of her bedroom window, casting a golden hue over the cluttered desk and dusty bookshelf. Her breath hitched as she slowly scanned the room—everything was just as she remembered it. The trembling ceiling fan. The stack of textbooks she once used to cram for entrance exams. The creaking closet door she'd meant to fix but never did.

She was home. But not truly.

Because Lee Serin was no longer a high school student.

She was a regressor—a woman who had seen the end of the world and returned.

Her eyes swept to the mirror. Her reflection was younger, softer, untouched by battle scars and war. Her hands—no longer bloodied, no calluses, no phantom pain where she’d once lost a finger.

But her eyes… they were still the eyes of a survivor.

[SYSTEM BOOT COMPLETE]

[WELCOME BACK, HUNTER #00001 - LEE SERIN]

[CURRENT DATE: YEAR 1 - MONTH 0 - DAY 1]

[STATUS: NOVICE PERIOD INITIATED]

"So it really worked..." she muttered in disbelief.

She fell onto the edge of the bed, pressing her palms into her face. Her thoughts spiraled—memories of comrades turning to ash, humanity’s cries fading into silence, Saejin’s blood staining her hands. And now... this.

She checked her status.

Attribute Overview: 

Strength: 5

Agility: 5

Constitution: 5

Perception: 5

Intelligence: 5

Charisma: 5

Talent

[Adaptive Transcendence (SSS-rank)]

Grants limitless adaptability to environment, energy, skills, and physical conditions.

Rapid learning and muscle memory retention — she never forgets any technique or knowledge.

Attribute growth rate is 5x faster than any other hunter.

Immune to environmental debuffs (poisonous air, gravity pressure, fire zones, etc.).

Can gain resistances just by surviving exposure once.

[You have received:]

[10 Attribute Points]

[Inventory Unlocked]

[System Shop Access: Locked until Dungeon Awakening]

[Daily Task System Activated]

[Talent Awakening Stone]

[DAILY TASK SYSTEM - ACTIVATED]

Run: [0 / 5 km]

Sit-ups: [0 / 50]

Push-ups: [0 / 50]

Squats: [0 / 50]

Yoga/Meditation: [0 / 1 hour]

[Reward: +0.5 to all attributes upon completion]

There was no longer a continuous fight against monsters. For now, the world remained peaceful.

And she still had a chance to save everyone from the end of the earth.

This time, she would be strong enough.

This time… no one would die for her again.