The sound of steel clashing, spells exploding, and monstrous roars echoed through the chaos.
"Fall back! FALL BACK!" Jinwoo Han's voice rang out, hoarse from exhaustion.
A small group of adventurers, covered in blood and sweat, desperately tried to retreat through the wreckage of a colossal dungeon. Their faces were painted with the unmistakable expression of fear and defeat. Monsters larger than buildings and stronger than any foe they had ever faced swarmed around them, crushing all hope of escape.
Jinwoo, barely an F-rank Ascendant, stumbled behind his comrades, gasping for breath. His sword, a dull, chipped piece of metal, weighed heavy in his trembling hands. He had been here before—fighting for survival in a world that didn't care about the weak. His heart raced in his chest as he watched his party members fall one by one.
"Get up, you fool!" Hyeri Kang shouted, casting another protective barrier over Jinwoo as a massive claw crashed against it, splintering the magic shield. Her face twisted in frustration. "I told you not to come! You're too weak!"
Jinwoo coughed, struggling to stand. "You think I don't know that? You think I wanted this?"
Behind him, Donghyuk Jang stood as the last line of defense, his body blocking an entire wave of attacking monsters. His gigantic shield dented and cracked under the pressure of relentless blows. "I'm not sure... how much longer... I can hold them off!" Donghyuk yelled, sweat dripping down his brow as he threw a punch that sent a monster flying.
"Just a few more seconds!" Hyeri cried out, preparing her final spell. But deep down, they all knew—it wasn't enough. This dungeon was on another level, a place none of them should've set foot in. It wasn't meant for low-ranked Ascendants like them. It was the domain of legends.
Suddenly, everything went black.
Darkness.
Jinwoo opened his eyes, finding himself floating in a void. No sound. No light. Just him.
"Where am I...?" he muttered, his voice echoing in the abyss.
A voice, neither human nor divine, reverberated through the void. It was cold, distant, yet oddly familiar.
"You have failed, Jinwoo Han."
Jinwoo flinched. "Who—? Who's there?!"
The voice ignored his question.
"You have reached the end of your path. As an F-rank Ascendant, you were always destined to die here. Yet you still fought. You defied fate."
Jinwoo's eyes burned with frustration. "I didn't fight because I wanted to. I fought because I had no choice. Because we had no one else. You think I wanted to be an F-rank? You think I wanted to be... weak?"
"Weakness is a matter of perspective," the voice replied, its tone shifting slightly.
"Tell me, Jinwoo Han, if you had the chance to do it all again... to relive your life, but without your limitations... what would you do?"
Jinwoo's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"
Suddenly, the darkness around him swirled, and visions of his past life flashed before his eyes. His struggles as an F-rank, the constant ridicule from stronger Ascendants, the betrayal of comrades who abandoned him in critical moments. And then… the friends he made, Hyeri, Donghyuk, and the party he had grown to care about. Their deaths. His failure to protect them.
Jinwoo clenched his fists. "If I could do it again..." His voice trembled. "I'd save them. I'd become strong enough to protect everyone."
The voice chuckled, a low, eerie sound.
"Then I shall give you that chance."
Suddenly, Jinwoo felt a force pulling him backward, the world spinning out of control.
"Break your limits, Ascendant. Become more than the world believes you can be. The path is open… if you are willing to take it."
Jinwoo's body trembled as he felt an overwhelming surge of power, a light that seemed to burn into his very soul. His memories blurred, the dungeon fading, his past self slipping away as the darkness consumed him.
[15 YEARS EARLIER]
The beeping of an alarm clock echoed in a dimly lit room. Jinwoo shot up in bed, drenched in cold sweat. His heart pounded against his chest, his mind swirling with confusion.
"What the...?" He blinked, scanning his surroundings. This was his old room. The familiar posters on the wall, the cheap desk cluttered with books, and the small window overlooking the streets of Seoul—it was all the same.
Jinwoo stumbled to the mirror, catching a glimpse of himself. His reflection showed a younger, fresher version of him. No scars, no battle-worn face. He raised his trembling hands, staring at them in disbelief. He wasn't dead. He wasn't even in a dungeon.
"I'm… back?" Jinwoo muttered, his voice cracking.
Just then, a notification window popped up before his eyes, a sight he'd never seen before in his past life. The message glowed in front of him, flickering with ominous energy.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
You have been chosen as the Limitbreaker.
The path to unlimited growth is now open to you.
Surpass your past. Uncover the truth.
New Quest: Break the Shackles of Fate.
Jinwoo's mouth hung open. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He had been reborn. The memories, the strength, and now… this mysterious power. It was all real.
A slow grin spread across his face. "So this is my second chance, huh?"
He clenched his fist, feeling the surge of potential within him. "This time… I won't be weak. This time, I'll break through every limit this world throws at me."
And with that, Jinwoo Han, the once-weak F-rank Ascendant, set out to rewrite his destiny.
End of Chapter 0