"A second chance is not given freely. It is a debt that must be repaid in strength."
Pain.
A dull, throbbing pain pulsed through his body, spreading from his chest to his limbs. His mind, still hazy, struggled to make sense of where he was.
Hadn't he just died?
Hadn't he collapsed in agony, betrayed by the people he once trusted?
Then why… why could he still feel?
Joshua's eyes snapped open.
His vision was flooded with the sight of a plain, white ceiling—wooden, aged, and unfamiliar. The scent of parchment and iron filled the air. The weight of a thick blanket pressed against his body.
He slowly sat up, his breaths sharp and uneven. His head spun, but the moment he took in his surroundings, his heart froze.
This room…
It was his dormitory.
A place he hadn't seen in decades.
He shot out of bed, his bare feet hitting the cool wooden floor. His body felt lighter, smaller, younger. He rushed toward the small, cracked mirror by the desk, heart pounding.
And when he saw his reflection—a 17-year-old version of himself staring back at him—his entire body tensed.
Dark brown hair, unscarred skin, youthful but sharp eyes. His face lacked the battle-worn exhaustion that had once been a permanent fixture. His arms, though trained, were not the hardened physique of a 7-star hunter.
This wasn't a dream.
He had really gone back.
A shuddering breath left him as the weight of it all crashed into him.
The betrayal. The poison. The sealing spell. The system's intervention.
He had been killed—and yet, here he was.
Alive. Seventeen. Back at the Hunter Academy of China.
"…Ha." A laugh, breathless and almost disbelieving, escaped his lips. Then, he clenched his fists.
A second chance.
He wouldn't waste it.
The Hunter Academy of China – The Starting Point
The Hunter Academy of China was one of the two top institutions in the country, designed to train the next generation of hunters—warriors who would battle monsters, explore dungeons, and defend humanity from the unknown.
It was a place of competition, ambition, and endless struggle.
Joshua had spent three years here before his rise as a hunter. Back then, he had been nothing more than an average student—competent, but never extraordinary.
This time… things would be different.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing thoughts.
Step one: Assess his situation.
Quickly, he opened his status screen—something that had never existed in his past life.
And sure enough—
[System Status]
Name: Joshua Lim
Age: 17
Rank: 2-Star Hunter
Class: Aura Blade User
Attributes:
• Strength: 15
• Agility: 18
• Endurance: 14
• Aura Control: 10
A low rank, as expected. He was only a 2-star hunter at this point in his life.
But what caught his attention was a new system notification.
[SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
You have been chosen for regression.
Your path has been altered. Strength must be reclaimed.
Quests will be issued. Adapt, grow, survive.
Failure is not an option.
Joshua stared at the glowing text.
His heart pounded.
The system had granted him this chance—but it wasn't handing him power for free. He would have to earn it.
And that was fine.
Because this time, he wouldn't stop at 7-star.
He would surpass even that.
A Morning Like Any Other—But Not for Him
A loud knock at the door broke his thoughts.
"Joshua! Wake up! We have morning drills!"
The voice was familiar.
Joshua turned toward the door just as it swung open, revealing a tall, lean young man with short black hair and a confident smirk.
Wei Cheng.
Joshua's closest friend from the academy days.
Memories flooded back. Wei Cheng was a skilled spear-user, a solid 3-star hunter even during their student years. In the past, they had drifted apart after graduation, but now…
Joshua felt a rare warmth in his chest.
This was someone who had never betrayed him.
Before he could dwell on it further, Wei groaned. "Why do you look like you've seen a ghost? You stayed up late training again, didn't you?"
Joshua blinked, then let out a small chuckle. "Something like that."
Wei rolled his eyes. "Come on, lazy ass. If we're late, Instructor Zhao will kill us."
Joshua stretched, feeling the youthful energy of his body. He wasn't used to being this light anymore, but he had no complaints.
"Right. Let's go."
And just like that, he stepped back into the world of the living.
Back into the academy where everything had started.
But this time—
he would rise faster than anyone had ever seen.
Morning Training Grounds – Combat Evaluation
The training field of the Hunter Academy was a massive, open-air arena surrounded by stone walls. Groups of students were already lined up, preparing for combat drills.
Joshua walked into the familiar setting, his eyes sweeping across the faces of students who had once been his peers.
Some were weak.
Some were strong.
None of them had any idea what he would become.
His gaze settled on a towering instructor in heavy armor.
Instructor Zhao.
A strict, battle-hardened veteran who oversaw combat evaluations.
"Alright, listen up!" Zhao's voice boomed across the field. "Pair up! One-on-one duels! Show me how much you've improved!"
The students quickly scrambled to find sparring partners. Joshua, already standing with Wei, raised an eyebrow.
"Guess that means we're up," Wei smirked. "Try not to embarrass yourself."
Joshua smirked back.
He had no intention of doing so.
First Duel – A New Beginning
Wei lunged first, his spear slicing through the air with precision.
Joshua's body moved instinctively, his decades of combat experience screaming at him to react.
Too slow.
He shifted his stance, side-stepping the attack with ease.
Wei barely had time to react before Joshua's wooden training sword shot forward, striking the side of his ribs with controlled force.
Thwack!
Wei staggered back, eyes wide. "What the—?"
Joshua didn't let him recover. He advanced, his blade cutting through the air with speed and precision far beyond what a 2-star hunter should have.
Wei barely blocked the next strike, but his stance faltered.
A moment later—
Thud.
Wei was on the ground, his spear knocked from his grasp.
Silence fell over the training grounds.
Students stared.
Even Instructor Zhao, a man who had seen countless fights, narrowed his eyes.
"…That was impressive." Zhao finally spoke. "You've improved, Lim."
Joshua exhaled, his grip on the wooden sword tightening.
This was only the beginning.
Step one: Show them he was not the same.
Step two: Rise beyond all expectations.
And so, his second life officially began.
End of Chapter 2.