"Oh my god... that guy just got run over!"
A crowd gathered around the nearly lifeless body of a man in his mid-20s. His raven-black hair was matted with dust, and his hollow eyes stared blankly at the sky. Oddly enough, he looked more alive now, lying in a pool of his own blood, than he ever had in life.
But the cries of the bystanders, the blaring sirens in the distance—none of it reached him.
Because in that fleeting moment, with what little life remained in his broken body, a single emotion consumed him: regret.
Damn this world... and damn the system too. Teasing me with an S-Rank Trait, only to make it worthless... and now this? I can... hardly breathe.
His vision blurred, not just from the pain but from the tears welling in his eyes. He couldn't move. He couldn't feel. Fear, anger, sorrow—every emotion a man could have, all compressed into a single breath.
Where did it all go wrong?
The tower.
The year was 2020 when everything changed. On an ordinary day, an extraordinary structure appeared—the Tower. Stretching endlessly into the sky, filled with untold treasures, unclaimed power, and an allure that mankind could not resist.
With the Tower came the Arcane System. And with the Arcane System came awakened.
People across the world suddenly found themselves blessed—or cursed—with Traits, abilities ranked from F to S. Some could control fire, bend space, or wield unimaginable strength. Others... were far less fortunate.
A hierarchy was born, where the powerful ruled like kings, and the weak were left to rot like insects. The ones who dared to climb the Tower were called Players, forever chasing the promise of power.
And among those dreamers was a boy named Kael Talon.
A recluse. A NEET. A nobody. Kael spent his days gaming, trolling people online, and avoiding responsibilities. But that changed the day he turned 15.
Because that was the day he awakened.
And the world would never let him forget it.
"N-No way..."
[The system rewards you greatly.]
[You are now awakened, Kael Talon.]
[Trait: Divine Body]
[Rank: S+]
[Description: You have a divine body.]
That was it. No special powers. No divine strength. Just a title and a single, meaningless line.
Kael had seen others awaken to insane abilities—lightning manipulation, dragon bloodlines, time manipulation—and he had dreamed of his moment. This was his reward?
He waited. Surely, there had to be more. Surely, the system would grant him an ability that lived up to its name.
But nothing came.
No skills. No power.
Just a cruel joke from the universe.
Word spread fast. At first, people thought he was some hidden prodigy. An S+ Rank Trait? He was supposed to be a future legend. But when they realized the truth...
"S-Rank? Please. He's useless no matter what."
"Haha! Not even an S-Rank Trait could change him."
Mocked. Scorned. Forgotten.
Kael watched as others awakened powerful Traits, climbed the Tower, and became legends. Meanwhile, he sank back into obscurity, bitter and resentful. The Tower had stolen his dreams before they even began.
After years of failure, Kael became what he always had been—a NEET.
A nobody.
He trolled Players online, criticized their abilities, and laughed at their failures. He didn't care anymore. What was the point? He'd been given a golden ticket, only for it to be fake.
Still, he had to eat.
With a sigh, Kael pulled on his worn-out coat and ragged sneakers. As much as he hated going outside, he was out of snacks.
At least let me live as a shut-in properly...
Even though he rarely exercised, he remained slim thanks to his absurd metabolism. But tonight, fate had other plans.
As he crossed the street, a loud horn blared.
A truck, moving at full speed.
A driver, seemingly asleep at the wheel.
Kael barely had time to process it before the impact sent him flying. His body hit the asphalt, skidding across the rough pavement. Bones shattered, skin tore, and blood pooled beneath him.
His life flashed before his eyes.
Is this really how I die?
He lay there, cursing everything—the world, the system, himself. He wanted to scream, but his body no longer obeyed. His heartbeat slowed.
And then...
A flicker of light.
A notification filling his fading vision.
[You are dead.]
[Your trait, 'Divine Body,' is reacting...]
[The full effects of your S-Rank trait, 'Divine Body,' have been awakened.]
[Arcane System being destroyed...%]
[You have unlocked the Limit Breaker System.]
[Unlike others, you have no rank cap. Your potential is limitless.]
[Every time you surpass your limit, you will receive an SSS-Rank Trait.]
[This requires a stage of regression...]
[Initiating regression… Turning back time 10 years...]
When Kael opened his eyes, he wasn't in a hospital.
He wasn't on the street.
He was in his bedroom.
The hum of the ceiling light. The faint scent of detergent. The old, creaky bed he had long since abandoned.
His heart pounded. He looked down at his hands, his body. He moved his fingers, stretched his limbs, even pinched himself to be sure.
"I'm... alive."
Scrambling, he grabbed his phone. The date glowed on the screen:
September 26, 2025.
"The day after my 15th birthday..." His breath hitched. "I really went back. I... regressed."
If that was the case...
He opened his system panel.
The usual translucent blue screen was gone. Instead, a golden glow radiated from the system window. And his Trait... it wasn't 'Divine Body' anymore.
[Name: Kael Talon]
[Trait: Limit Surge]
[Rank: SSS+]
[Unified Stats: 10]
[Description: Upon each limit break, you receive another 'SSS' rank trait. Strength, Agility, and Durability will now increase as one.]
Kael's breath quickened.
"An SSS-Rank...? But that's impossible. Traits only go up to S+! No one in history has ever—"
His thoughts stopped.
His useless 'Divine Body' had hidden this power all along.
"The system didn't abandon me... it cheated me."
His lips curled into a grin. This was it. His second chance. His opportunity to use the knowledge of the future, combined with his newfound power, to climb the Tower and reach the pinnacle of the world.
"This time... I'll do it right."
Kael clenched his fists. His new life had just begun.