Shadow Regressor

The Day I Died

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…”