"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" I cursed under my breath, my chest heaving as I arrived late for my 2nd mission , rushing through the streets. My personal problems had delayed me, and now, as I caught sight of the actress stepping into the car, my heart sank. The engine roared, and the vehicle began moving. Quickly, I raised my gun, taking aim at the car's tires.
But before I could pull the trigger, chaos erupted.
A truck driver suddenly losed his senses, rampaging onto the footpath—straight toward me.
My instincts screamed at me to move, but it was too late. "I'm done for…" The truck slammed into me with brutal force. I felt my body shatter, pain radiating through every nerve. Blood splattered across the pavement as screams erupted around me.
"Ambulance! Help! Call 911!" The voices were distant, muffled, but they infuriated me. Why did they care? Their concern, their laughter, their smiles—they always got on my nerves. I hated them. All of them. In that fleeting moment, as my vision darkened, I thought, I wish I could kill them all.
Just as I succumbed to the cold embrace of death, a strange screen flickered into my mind.
"What… What is this?" I muttered, still writhing in pain.
A phrase appeared on the translucent screen:
"Would you like to be reincarnated in the future?"
Below it, two options glowed faintly: Yes and No.
My trembling hand, fueled by a mixture of fear and desperation, moved toward Yes. The screen flashed, and new text appeared.
"You will be reincarnated in…"
5 seconds…
4 seconds…
3 seconds…
2 seconds…
1 second…
I gasped awake. My eyes fluttered open, and I found myself lying on a cold stone floor. "A… cave?" I groaned, confusion washing over me. "Is this some kind of sick joke?"
I struggled to my feet, brushing off dirt from my black, tight-fitting T-shirt and the black jacket I wore over it, adorned with streaks of red that traced jagged, almost lightning-like designs. The jacket's high collar shielded part of my neck, and a small metallic emblem gleamed on the chest. My belt, snug against my lean yet athletic frame, held a small ID card, swinging lightly in the dim cave air. My jet-black hair was slightly messy, strands falling over my sharp, dark eyes that carried an edge of both defiance and exhaustion.
Scanning my surroundings, I spotted someone. A woman stood a few feet away, glaring at me with piercing eyes that seemed to burn with anger. She had a commanding aura, her presence both intimidating and oddly captivating. I couldn't decide if she was stunningly beautiful or utterly terrifying, What was she wearing?, clothes so advanced.
"Who are you?" she snapped, her voice cold and sharp. "Are you even from the Red Rose Guild?"
I hesitated, stammering, "N… No. I'm not."
Her gaze hardened. "So, you're saying… YOU'RE IN THIS DUNGEON ILLEGALLY?" she shouted, her fury reverberating through the cave.
I froze, uncertain of what to say. "Dungeon? Illegally? What do you mean?"
She glared at me, the intensity in her eyes unwavering. "And now you expect me to just forgive you?"
Forgive me? Wait, was she serious? Did she mean she could forgive me? She? and forgive me? Is she serious?. What does she think of herself?
Finding my voice, I replaied harshly, "Ayo, listen up. You better stay in your senses before I send you to hell."
Her expression darkened as she stepped closer, grabbing me by my collar. She pulled me toward her with surprising strength.
"You don't even look like a C-class Hunter," she hissed. "And you think you can send me to hell? ME, an S+ Hunter?!"
Her words confused me even more. "Class? Dungeon? S+?" I scoffed. "This is all nonsense! Some kind of elaborate game, right? That's all this is!"
Before I could finish, a guttural roar shook the air. My legs trembled as I looked down to see blood pooling at my feet. A massive shadow loomed over me.
An ogre. Its towering form was grotesque, with muscles rippling beneath its dark green skin. It clutched a giant club in one hand, and its crimson eyes burned with rage.
"What the—"
Before I could move, the woman stepped in front of me, her hand glowing faintly. "Life bloom," she whispered. Warmth spread through my body, and the pain vanished. She saved me.
But why? Why did she help me?
She turned her gaze toward the ogre, her expression hardening. Electricity crackled around her, coursing through her hands like a storm about to be unleashed. "Stay back!" she growled. "This is an A-class Trial Dungeon. If we kill the boss, the gate will reopen. But if you don't pull your weight, I'm leaving you here."
Trial Dungeon? Gate?, She could be faking it, right? but that monster was right infront of my eyes! I stared at her in disbelief, my mind spinning. This wasn't a game. It was real.
She leaped into the air, her movements impossibly fast. Sparks danced around her fingertips as she raised her hand toward the ogre.
"Lightning Strikes."
A thunderous crack split the air, and in an instant, a blinding bolt of lightning crashed down, engulfing the monster. The cave trembled from the sheer force of the impact. When the light faded, the ogre was gone—its charred remains crumbled into nothingness.
It happened so fast.
I stood frozen, my mind struggling to process what I had just witnessed. She landed gracefully, barely out of breath, and turned toward me. Her piercing gaze locked onto mine. "What is your ability?"
Ability?
I could barely respond, still standing in the exact spot where I had been reincarnated. But as her words echoed in my mind, a realization struck me like a punch to the gut. Reincarnation… I was reincarnated into the future.
Excitement and dread warred within me. My hands trembled slightly as I took a deep breath. "What… what year is it?"
She narrowed her eyes, looking at me like I was insane. "4025."
4025?! Did she really said 4025?, I almost fell after listening to it, I skipped 2000 of my life.
I swallowed hard before responding, "Well… I'm from the year 2025."
Silence.
Then, to my utter disbelief, she burst into laughter.
A deep, mocking laugh.
I clenched my fists. Why was this funny to her? Was she mocking me? The urge to punch her was real.
Still chuckling, she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "Say, System share Miri Hwa."
Miri Hwa. That must be her name.
Gritting my teeth, I decided to play along. "System share Miri Hwa."
A familiar translucent screen appeared before me. My heart pounded—was this some kind of status window? Maybe this would finally give me some answers.
But then, a cold message flashed across the screen:
You do not have access to the System. Please awaken an ability at Hunters Corporation.
I stared at the words, my mind blank.
I… I didn't have access?
What the hell was going on?
I turned to Miri, she was looking at me deadly seriouse, "You are telling the truth, How did you even enter this dungeon without a license, even if you not from the RR Guild?, You look so screwed!"
I felt a shiver run down my spine. Screwed? What did she mean?
And more importantly…
What the hell was Hunters Corporation?