The air was thick with the stench of blood and decay. Broken weapons, shattered shields, and the remains of fallen adventurers littered the dark, sprawling dungeon. Hyun Joon staggered forward, gripping his chipped sword tightly. His trembling hands and sweat-soaked face betrayed his fear. He was no warrior, no hero destined for glory. He was a potter—a mere craftsman thrust into this nightmare.
"Why am I here?" he muttered to himself, his voice barely audible over the distant growls of monsters. He'd asked that question countless times since his conscription. The answer was always the same: survival. In this world, ordinary jobs couldn't keep you safe. When the dungeons began to appear ten years ago, the strong became hunters, and the weak were either protected—or sacrificed.
Hyun Joon's role had been clear from the start: he was cannon fodder. Sent into this dungeon alongside other expendables, he was tasked with distracting monsters while the real hunters did their work. But as the team fell apart, one by one, Hyun Joon realized no one was coming to save him.
The group he had been sent with was barely holding together when they entered this dungeon. Of the twelve conscripts, only four had basic combat training. The rest were tradespeople, laborers, and unlucky commoners like himself. Their faces had mirrored his fear as they were herded into the darkened cavern under the watchful eyes of their handler, a callous hunter who saw them as nothing more than bait.
"Stick together, and you might live long enough to be useful," the hunter had sneered before abandoning them at the first sign of danger.
Hyun Joon couldn't forget the screams. The first wave of monsters had descended upon them like wolves among sheep, tearing through their uncoordinated ranks. He had seen a woman, barely older than him, trying to use a hoe to fend off a goblin. She'd died screaming, her blood soaking the ground. The memory made him nauseous.
He passed a broken spear lying next to the lifeless body of a fellow conscript. The man's empty eyes stared at the ceiling, his armor dented and bloodied beyond repair. Hyun Joon clenched his teeth, forcing himself to look away. "Keep moving," he whispered, though his legs felt like lead. Each step forward was a battle against despair.
The walls of the dungeon pulsed faintly, as if alive. Shadows twisted and flickered in the dim torchlight, and the low growls of unseen monsters seemed to echo from every direction. The oppressive atmosphere was a constant reminder of his mortality. Every sound made him jump, his eyes darting to every corner, expecting death to leap out at him.
Hyun Joon's breath quickened as he reached a wide chamber where the remnants of his group had made their stand. The scent of burned flesh and iron was overwhelming. He paused, taking in the scene. The bodies were strewn haphazardly, their weapons broken and shields shattered. Whatever had killed them had done so with brutal efficiency.
"Help!" a voice cried out, weak and filled with desperation. Hyun Joon's head snapped toward the sound. A young man, barely older than himself, was pinned beneath a pile of rubble, his face pale with fear.
For a moment, Hyun Joon hesitated. Every instinct screamed at him to run, to leave the man behind and save himself. But something inside him stirred. He couldn't abandon someone else to this hell—not when he knew what it felt like to be left behind.
With a grunt, Hyun Joon dropped his sword and began pulling at the debris. "Hold on," he said, his voice trembling. The rocks were heavy, and his arms ached, but he managed to free the man's leg. "Can you stand?"
The man nodded weakly, leaning on Hyun Joon for support. "Thank you..." he murmured, his voice barely audible. But before they could move, a monstrous roar echoed through the cavern.
Hyun Joon turned, his heart sinking as a towering ogre emerged from the shadows. Its eyes glowed with primal rage, and its massive club dripped with the blood of those who'd come before him. The man beside him froze, paralyzed by fear.
"Run," Hyun Joon said, shoving the man toward the exit. "Go now!"
"But—"
"Just go!" Hyun Joon yelled, picking up his sword. He knew he couldn't defeat the ogre, but if he could buy even a few seconds, it might be enough to save someone else. He gripped the hilt tightly, his knuckles white.
The ogre's gaze locked onto him, and it roared, charging forward. Hyun Joon braced himself, every fiber of his being screaming in terror.
"Not like this," he whispered, tears streaming down his face. He raised his sword, knowing it was futile. The ogre swung its club with devastating force, and everything went black.
When Hyun Joon opened his eyes, he was lying in a strange, ethereal void. A voice echoed around him, cold and devoid of emotion.
"You have failed. Return to the beginning."
Before he could comprehend the words, his consciousness was pulled away, spiraling through an endless tunnel of light and shadow.
Hyun Joon felt weightless as the light enveloped him, his memories replaying in rapid succession. The voices of his fellow conscripts, their cries for help, and the sound of the ogre's crushing blows echoed in his mind. Then, suddenly, he was no longer floating. He landed with a jolt.
His eyes opened, and he gasped for air. He was standing in the dungeon—but it wasn't the same as before. The corpses were gone. The air was still thick with tension, but there was a strange calmness to it now. He instinctively looked down at his hands and was shocked to see them glowing faintly.
A soft hum surrounded him, and a strange interface appeared in front of his eyes.
System Notice:
[Regression Initiated: Current Time Reset by 24 Hours.]
[Bonus Skill Acquired: Temporal Insight.]
Hyun Joon blinked at the message, unable to process what he was seeing. "System?" he whispered aloud. The word felt foreign, yet somehow familiar. It was as if something ancient had awakened inside him.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps behind him. He spun around to find the young man he'd tried to save earlier, alive and unharmed, standing in the same spot where he'd been pinned under rubble. His expression was one of confusion, but he seemed whole.
"You..." Hyun Joon started, but the words died on his lips. What was happening? Could this truly be a second chance?
The dungeon shifted around him, its walls pulsing with life as though it were aware of his presence. This time, Hyun Joon wasn't just cannon fodder. The faint glow around his hands flared brighter, and he could feel a surge of energy coursing through his veins. He wasn't the same powerless potter anymore.
"This time," he whispered to himself, gripping his sword tightly. "I'll survive. No, I'll win."
The system chimed again as his vision cleared, signaling the beginning of a new battle.
The dungeon's oppressive silence suddenly broke as faint footsteps echoed from the distance. Hyun Joon sharpened his senses, the glow around his hands dissipating into a steady hum. He moved toward the sound cautiously, every step deliberate, his newly gained skill already working to heighten his awareness.
He approached a narrow corridor, his sword raised. The light was dim, but he could make out figures moving—no, shuffling. Three humanoid forms came into view. Their rotting flesh and hollow eyes confirmed what Hyun Joon feared: undead soldiers.
"Low-level minions," he muttered, his heart pounding. In his previous life, such creatures would have terrified him. But now, with the system's presence and his newly acquired skill, Hyun Joon felt something he hadn't in years: resolve.
The first soldier lunged, its rusted blade cutting through the air with surprising speed. Hyun Joon sidestepped, the movement fluid and instinctive. He countered with a clean slash, severing the creature's arm. To his astonishment, a faint notification appeared in his vision.
[Combat Proficiency Increased: +2%]
"So that's how it works," he murmured. Every action, every skill executed perfectly would feed into his growth. He didn't have to rely on grinding for years like the hunters he'd envied in his past life. With a flick of his wrist, he dispatched the remaining undead soldiers, their bodies collapsing into dust.
His breathing was steady as the last soldier fell. The glow around his hands pulsed faintly again, and Hyun Joon felt a rush of energy course through him. The system chimed once more.
[Skill Copy Available: [Undead's Tenacity]]
"What?" Hyun Joon's eyes widened. He focused on the notification, and suddenly, a stream of knowledge entered his mind. The skill's details unfolded before him: increased stamina and resistance to damage.
"Absolute really lets me take any skill..." He clenched his fists, a grin forming on his face. This wasn't just a second chance; it was an opportunity to surpass anyone and anything.
Hyun Joon turned back toward the corridor, the faint echoes of more creatures ahead calling to him. "Let's see what else this dungeon has to offer."
As Hyun Joon delved deeper into the dungeon, he noticed changes he hadn't before. The walls, once damp and unyielding, seemed to shimmer faintly as if responding to his presence. The system chimed softly, delivering snippets of information: descriptions of the dungeon's layers, potential threats, and unexplored paths.
He paused at a branching corridor, both paths veiled in darkness. The air to his left carried a faint metallic tang, while the right seemed unnaturally still. The system presented a notification.
[Dungeon Path Detection: Left—Potential Loot. Right—Boss Encounter. Caution Advised.]
Hyun Joon's grip on his sword tightened. In his previous life, he would have avoided the right path without a second thought. Now, he hesitated. The knowledge that he could level up and acquire skills faster fueled his ambition.
"If I can face the boss now, I'll gain an advantage," he reasoned. But the thought of failure lingered. The memory of the ogre's crushing blow still haunted him. He took a steadying breath and turned right. If he was going to rewrite his destiny, he couldn't afford to avoid challenges.
The passage narrowed as he pressed forward. His footsteps echoed unnaturally, and the oppressive stillness made it hard to breathe. The faint glow of his hands illuminated the path ahead, revealing intricate carvings on the walls. They depicted scenes of battles, victories, and sacrifices—a grim reminder of what awaited him.
At the end of the corridor, a massive iron door loomed before him. Its surface was etched with runes that pulsed faintly, as if alive. Hyun Joon stepped closer, and the system delivered another notification.
[Boss Chamber Detected: Entry Will Lock Upon Passage.]
Hyun Joon's heart raced. This was it. The point of no return. He placed his hand on the door, and the runes flared to life. The door groaned open, revealing a cavernous chamber bathed in a sickly green light.
In the center of the room stood a creature unlike any he'd faced before. It was humanoid, but its body was twisted and grotesque, its limbs unnaturally long and its eyes glowing with malice. In its hands, it wielded a pair of serrated blades that gleamed with an eerie light.
The system chimed once more.
[Boss Identified: Warden of the Forsaken. Level 12. Skillset: Blade Dance, Regeneration, Shadow Step.]
Hyun Joon's grip on his sword tightened as the creature turned to face him. The Warden let out a guttural growl, its blades cutting through the air with a chilling precision. This wasn't going to be easy. But Hyun Joon wasn't the same man who had died helplessly before.
He stepped forward, determination burning in his eyes. "Let's see how far I can go."