[Chapter 1]
"Seriously, what kind of hellish struggle is this at my age, nearing sixty?"
Sanghyun grumbled from the morning, flipping through the shimmering, multicolored skill book he had obtained from the dungeon yesterday.
[The 'Late Bloomer Model Student' says their heart races at the thought of quickly researching the identity of the skill book.]
"Why is this constellation always so excited whenever something comes up? If you love research so much, why were you so late in helping me awaken to my abilities?"
[The 'Late Bloomer Model Student' says they don't know the answer either and feels too embarrassed to bear it.]
"Forget that. I might be able to absorb artifacts, but eating a skill book seems impossible. Can this even work?"
Sanghyun scratched the back of his head.
Eating a skill book.
It was an unknown territory he hadn't yet dared to challenge but desperately wanted to conquer.
Absorbing the stats, skills, and hidden options contained within something by consuming it was Sanghyun's specialty.
Though calling it a 'specialty' was generous—it was a hard-earned realization that had come a staggering twenty-five years after awakening his ability.
Regardless, just like when he consumed artifacts, he placed his hand on the skill book and synchronized his mana.
But something seemed off. No change occurred. The reaction was completely different from when he consumed artifacts.
Today, he felt particularly sensitive.
The sense of loss from having awakened his main ability so late in life—only after turning fifty—was always nestled deep in his heart.
Maybe that's why?
Suddenly, a surge of anger boiled up within him.
"Damn it! If only I'd regressed—at least I wouldn't have wasted twenty-five years digging in the dirt. Why?! Why did I have to start so much later than everyone else?"
His outburst echoed hollowly into the air.
The frustration of discovering the light of his 'consumption' ability far too late was an emotion that had been festering inside Sanghyun for years.
Then.
Fsssss!
Suddenly, everything around Sanghyun began to melt away, like cheese on an oven.
"Ugh!"
An unbearable headache struck him like a hammer, and his consciousness began to fade rapidly.
[The 'Late Bloomer Model Student' attempts to use the essence of their research to help you regress…]
Before he could fully grasp the message from his constellation, his mind sank into darkness.
Sanghyun lost consciousness just like that.
* * *
"Finally, things are starting to clear up."
Three whole days.
That was how long it took for Sanghyun to accept his unexpected regression and plan for the future.
A regression with no prior warning.
One moment, he had lost consciousness—and when he opened his eyes again, he had suddenly gone back thirty years.
His fifty-five-year-old body was gone. Instead, he was living again in his young, twenty-five-year-old body from the year 2021.
"My life wasn't exactly satisfying, but I never thought I'd be sent back to the past. Is this even possible?"
Before returning to the past—his previous life—he had never been an exceptional player.
Having devoted thirty years solely to swordsmanship, he knew how to handle a sword proficiently, but that was it.
The peak of his career was being ranked within the Top 100 swordsmen in Korea.
Given that standing, his global rank was undoubtedly even lower.
There were countless players renowned with titles like Sword Saint, Sword God, Sword Demon, or Conductor of the Blade—making his accomplishments seem all the more insignificant.
In fact, his swordsmanship wasn't even learned properly; it was crude and full of trial and error.
It wasn't until over twenty years after becoming a player that he finally established some decent sword skills.
It had been nothing but a continuous, grueling struggle.
Of course, it wasn't that he lacked potential.
He had the ability to consume artifacts.
A unique power that he had possessed since awakening as a player in 2021.
Even now, just like in his previous life, the same notification popped up to remind Sanghyun of his player trait.
[You have awakened the ability to consume artifacts. From now on, you can consume artifacts.]
"It took me so long to understand what 'consuming' really meant. If I had known how much time I'd waste, I wouldn't have even started."
Sanghyun let out a bitter chuckle.
Unfortunately, his past self hadn't discovered the special method of consuming artifacts early on.
The first five years had been spent experimenting with ways to consume them.
Cutting artifacts into pieces and trying to eat them, boiling them into broth—those were just the tip of the iceberg.
He had even tried grinding them into powder to sprinkle over food. Looking back, it was a series of foolish experiments.
None of it worked.
There weren't even other players with similar abilities to seek advice from—no guidance, no clues.
Five years? Maybe he'd figure it out.
Ten years? Surely by then.
Fifteen years? He had to understand it by then, right?
But no—twenty-five long years of endless struggles passed by in this torturous hope.
By the time his once-youthful twenty-five-year-old body had turned into a fifty-year-old man, with gray hair sprouting everywhere…
He finally understood.
Mana synchronization.
Each artifact required a different resonance value to synchronize, depending on its rank. Only then could he visualize the artifact as food in his subconscious world and consume it.
"The important thing is that I won't repeat the same mistakes. I won't fail this time!"
This was why Sanghyun could stay optimistic, despite the sudden regression.
However, he couldn't quite figure out why he had returned to the past.
Judging by his last memory, it might have been the arrangement of his constellation, the 'Late Bloomer Model Student.'
But that was just speculation. He hadn't fully read the final message left behind. The possibilities were endless.
"Well, it doesn't matter. I'm back—that's what counts."
At least, he was filled with knowledge that no one else possessed.
"Man, if I had known this would happen, I would've paid more attention to stocks. I'm totally clueless about that stuff."
That was his only regret about regressing. Of course, there were other ways to make money besides investing.
* * *
Ten minutes later.
Sanghyun was on his way to join the team for today's scheduled dungeon raid.
Players constantly challenged two distinct realms in their world, without rest or pause.
The first was the Dungeon—the foundation for player growth and the source of various by-products and artifacts.
The second was the Gate—an entrance connected to other dimensions or unknown regions, sparking players' spirit of exploration and conquest.
There were players who hunted monsters and cleared dungeons, and there were porters who collected the by-products from the slain creatures.
Although they shared a symbiotic relationship, like crocodiles and plover birds, the hierarchy was never equal.
Naturally, porters were always looked down upon as inferior. This was an old, unchanging reality.
So, just three days ago, when Sanghyun—who had been participating as a porter—announced he would now join as a player, the reaction was cold.
After all, the players had been the very ones who mocked and belittled Sanghyun for being a porter.
Even the other porters, who didn't have much more experience than Sanghyun, would push the most grueling tasks onto him.
Disdain and contempt.
That was the shared attitude of both players and porters toward Sanghyun—united in unnecessary hostility.
Even after awakening as a player, few people fought well from the start.
Most players went through a well-structured beginner training course before starting their actual careers.
This training was conducted at the Player Academy.
There, they grew safely under the guidance of instructors until they reached level ten, learning and absorbing essential skills.
But since Sanghyun skipped that process and insisted on joining the team as a player right away, it was no surprise that the reactions were negative.
"First, let's just eat this."
Sanghyun pulled out a dagger from his chest pocket.
An artifact he had randomly acquired in a dungeon a long time ago—he remembered retrieving it from the grasp of an old, skeletal hand.
In his previous life, he hadn't known how to consume this dagger, so he had only used it as a simple self-defense weapon for many years.
But after twenty-five years, when he finally learned about mana synchronization and consumed the dagger for the first time…
He unexpectedly obtained a hidden skill: Demon Bash.
It was a skill that inflicted a 'stun' status on monsters, becoming his bread-and-butter ability.
Normally, such hidden stats or skills would only be unlocked after a player used the artifact for an extended period.
The duration could range from a year to twenty years, meaning most players didn't even realize such hidden traits existed.
However, Sanghyun's absorption ability allowed him to inherit these hidden elements at random.
Squeeze.
Sanghyun gripped the dagger tightly.
Immediately, the item window displayed its information—a seamless, delay-free connection.
■ Artifact Grade: Bronze
■ Artifact Description: A self-defense dagger known for its resistance to dulling.
■ Agility +10
"Hmm."
As Sanghyun focused more intently on the dagger and synchronized his mana, additional information beyond the basic item details began to appear.
[Measuring absorption rate.]
[The base absorption rate for a Bronze-grade artifact is 10%.]
[The artifact's usage period is applied retroactively, and the final absorption rate is determined to be 20%.]
"Just as expected."
Sanghyun nodded.
The absorption rate indicated the percentage of stats inherited when consuming an artifact.
Since this artifact granted +10 agility, absorbing it would increase his agility stat by 2.
Someone might question this:
Wouldn't it be better to just carry the artifact instead of consuming it?
However, artifacts of the same type couldn't coexist, and the benefits of a dagger couldn't be utilized when wielding a greatsword.
In the long run, consuming artifacts was more beneficial.
Especially since there was also a chance to obtain skills like Demon Bash, which Sanghyun was specifically aiming for.
This was a massive advantage—an incredible perk far more valuable than just a few extra stat points, and something he couldn't acquire without consuming the artifact.
"I'll mainly be using a greatsword for now, so there's no reason to keep a dagger around."
Without hesitation, Sanghyun prepared to consume Venamoth's Dagger.
As his mana synchronized with the artifact's resonance value, his surroundings changed instantly.
Before he realized it, Sanghyun was seated at a luxurious golden round table, with a beautifully prepared chicken dish placed in front of him.
The dagger had manifested as a chicken dish.
Visualization could be unpredictable—sometimes, the manifestation could take the form of insect-based food. Regardless, he had to eat it, even then.
"If only every artifact tasted this good and had this texture when consumed."
Recalling the horrific meals from past experiences, Sanghyun diligently cleared his plate.
And when he had devoured every last bite of the generously served chicken dish—
[You have finished absorbing Venamoth's Dagger.]
[You have permanently gained +2 Agility.]
[You have acquired the hidden skill Demon Bash.]
[Venamoth's Dagger has completely disintegrated into a handful of ashes and disappeared forever.]
The artifact meal was complete.
With the dagger's disappearance from his hand, his stats and skills underwent significant changes.
The newly acquired Demon Bash skill emitted a crimson flash in the skill window, announcing its activation for the first time.
"A skill like this is too good for a level 1 player like me. Didn't I only acquire it at level 650 in my previous life?"
Compared to his past life, the gap in timing was staggering. It was a skill he had obtained twenty-five years earlier this time.
『Demon Bash』
■ Skill Level: Stage 1 (0.0%)
■ Skill Description: Inflicts a stun state for 2.0 seconds on monsters or players exposed to an attack.
Note: The stun duration and success rate vary depending on the target's skill resistance.
"Perfect!"
A stunned monster was essentially a sitting target—completely defenseless.
For his teammates, it created the perfect window to unleash attacks without hesitation.
Though the skill's current duration was only two seconds at level 1, it would increase as the skill leveled up.
There was plenty of room for growth, and Sanghyun was excited for what lay ahead.
The more frequently he used the skill, the more its proficiency would build up, eventually increasing its level.
The 0.0% next to level 1 indicated his current proficiency.
"First, let's make sure to absorb everything I planned for in today's dungeon run. Absolutely."
Sanghyun's eyes gleamed with determination.
There was only one reason he was determined to join the player team today.
During the dungeon raid, a valuable artifact would appear.
A red gallstone-like crystal called Crimson Stone could be obtained from a mid-boss monster known as the Demon Orc.
One of the artifact's effects was Delay, a crucial trait for Sanghyun.
By consuming the artifact, he could integrate its inherent effect with a specific skill.
His goal was to combine the Delay effect with Demon Bash, extending the duration of the stun even further.
This was something only Sanghyun could achieve—no one else could even attempt to replicate or imitate this ability.
"This is going to be fun."
Sanghyun tightened his grip around his greatsword.
A life granted by regression!
It was still overwhelming, but the freshness of the experience made it all the more thrilling.
Now, armed with all his past memories, he was determined to reach the pinnacle—the highest position possible.
A desire he had once dreamed of but had given up on long ago.
But this time, it wasn't an impossible dream.
Perhaps that was why the fire of ambition and determination, buried deep within him, had begun to ignite.
There was so much to do moving forward.
"…"
Sanghyun glanced out of his car window, observing the surroundings as he drove.
The entrances to dungeons and gates, each with distinct colors and properties, were clearly visible.
And nearby, players and porters crowded together, resembling a busy crosswalk during rush hour.
"My first day as a player—probably not going to be a warm welcome. But I'll just have to deal with that."
Vroooom!
Sanghyun pressed down hard on the accelerator.
He had to grow fast.
Currently, his level was just 1—the very bottom of the player system. The journey ahead was long.
* * *
"Why did you accept that guy, Shin Sanghyun, sir? Even if he suddenly became a player, he hasn't even completed the academy training. He'll just be dead weight."
"Well, worst-case scenario, Sanghyun dies. It's not like we will, right?"
"Even so, watching someone bleed out isn't exactly pleasant."
"Don't overthink it! Let's just enjoy the show of some academy-dropout rookie pissing himself with fear."
"Pfft! When you put it that way, it doesn't sound too bad."
"Exactly why I called him. Hehehe."
Before Sanghyun arrived, the players gathered in front of the dungeon were already gossiping about him.
Their opinions were unanimous—they thought Sanghyun was arrogant and full of himself.
Even the porters, who had worked alongside him just three days ago, felt the same.
"Hey, isn't it common practice for someone who hasn't finished academy training to join as a porter first, even if they awaken as a player?"
"That's what I'm saying. Tsk."
Shin Hoyoung, the head porter, clicked his tongue.
No matter how you looked at it, a newly awakened player with no combat experience was just a rookie.
Hoyoung remembered Sanghyun as someone who used to tremble at the mere sound of a monster's footsteps.
And now that same guy suddenly wanted to hunt monsters as a player? It was absurd.
Like a clueless beginner trying to fish without even knowing how to cast a line.
"Hello!"
Sanghyun greeted the players and porters at the scene with a bright smile.
The cold stares didn't faze him—he had expected this reaction from the start.
Yoon Daekyung, the team leader of the player group, narrowed his eyes and smirked at Sanghyun.
"What's with the greatsword? That's one of the hardest weapons to handle."
"Captain, I'll take care of myself. Just let me participate."
"Are you really that confident?"
"I won't be a burden to the team."
"Why the rush? Skipping the academy just to dive into a dungeon… Fine. Everyone, let's move out!"
Daekyung turned his head away sharply, too annoyed to argue any further.
There were always idiots who awakened as players and then rushed into dungeons, only to meet a quick death.
Daekyung was certain Sanghyun's arrogance would bring him bitter regret in the dungeon.
A lucky porter-turned-player?
The future was obvious without even seeing it.