Chapter 1
August 17, 2030. A day humanity would remember as catastrophic.
Gates—dimensional rifts—appeared worldwide, unleashing hordes of unidentified monsters.
Modern weapons proved useless against these creatures, reducing deployed military forces to mere appetizers.
Within a month, 60% of humanity perished.
As mankind faced unilateral slaughter, individuals with extraordinary abilities emerged globally.
These "Awakened Ones" wielded a unique energy called Force—the only means to harm the otherwise invulnerable monsters.
Humanity shifted from constant retreat to launching counterattacks, reclaiming lost territories. But the Awakened paid a heavy toll, demanding urgent protective measures.
China moved first.
Abandoning large-scale offensives, they erected massive walls around secured zones in reclaimed areas.
People initially mocked the medieval strategy, but their laughter died quickly.
Reinforced alloy walls withstood endless monster assaults, giving Awakened defenders strategic advantages.
Other nations soon followed China's blueprint.
The monsters adapted too.
Lower-tier creatures rallied around powerful alphas, establishing territorial domains.
As aggression waned in favor of consolidation, the war stabilized into an uneasy stalemate.
Humanity survived its worst catastrophe, entering an era of reluctant coexistence.
June 2035. Semi-basement unit, Hapjeong-dong villa, Seoul Area.
Gasp!
Choi Jun-hyuk bolted upright in bed, eyes darting across the cramped room.
"This... this place—"
The familiar damp walls confirmed it—his old semi-basement from age 25, back when he'd lived with...
"No way. Did I actually regress?"
Though he'd prepared after obtaining the Regression Stone, part of him never believed time travel possible. Yet here he was—23 years reversed, reborn before awakening his powers or becoming a villain.
Snatching his phone, Jun-hyuk checked:
"June 13, 7:14 AM... What year?"
The calendar app header answered: 2035.
Five years post-Cataclysm. Forty-eight reborn as twenty-five. One month before that life-altering incident.
"Wait! Then Eunjeong and Euncheol—"
His hands trembled remembering their deaths—crushed metal and sirens as they'd traveled to his wrongful imprisonment. Stepsisters by marriage, but siblings in soul.
Bang!
He threw open his door to find Eunjeong—still a fourth-grader—setting breakfast with tiny hands.
"Eunjeong-ah!"
She froze, rice paddle hovering over bowls. "O-oppa? You're awake..."
Jun-hyuk knelt, crushing her in a hug.
Thud. The paddle fell.
"Missed you... so much."
"But we... saw each other yesterday?" Her whisper trembled as she endured the sudden embrace.
Releasing her, Jun-hyuk traced her timid face—still scarred by his past cruelty. "I owe you countless apologies."
When confusion deepened her frown, he forced a smile. "Never mind. Wake Euncheol. I'll finish here."
Watching her scurry away, bitter memories surfaced—their father's failed business, his mother's abandonment, the doomed wedding where monsters slaughtered both parents. Three years he'd tormented these orphans, until self-loathing sparked change.
Now, reborn before his downfall, Jun-hyuk clenched determined fists.
"Father's time was unreachable, but this?" He surveyed their shabby refuge. "Living siblings. Clean record. More than enough."
Survival required power. Influence.
After school drop-off, Jun-hyuk booted his computer, documenting future knowledge before memory faded. Humans forget—USB backups were essential.
Brrrt! His phone lit up: [Park Ki-chul].
Team leader of Hyena Squad. Original owner of the skill-copy ability Jun-hyuk planned to steal.
"Yoboseyo?"
"Yah brat! Where are you? The team's waiting!"
Jun-hyuk feigned apology. "Something came up. Proceed without me."
"Since when does Choi Jun-hyuk skip jobs? You dying?"
"Next time for sure. Try not to strike gold without me."
Ki-chul's gruff laugh carried through. "Cheeky bastard! We'll bleed profits till you beg to return!"
Disconnecting, Jun-hyuk smirked.
"Perfect timing." Ki-chul hadn't yet mastered the skill that would kill him. "Call me your lifesaver, hyung. I'll take that burden off your hands."
Copying abilities—questionable efficiency compared to combat Awakened? Perhaps. But paired with Jun-hyuk's hyper-senses? Synergy waiting to happen.
