In the year 2019, strange phenomena began appearing all over the world.
They were called Rifts—cracks in reality that formed in places where suffering and death had once been overwhelming.
Hospitals where thousands had passed away.
Collapsed buildings.
Battlefields.
And highways where endless accidents had claimed lives.
From these Rifts, monsters emerged.
At first, humanity stood helpless.
Then… humans began to awaken.
Some people suddenly gained abilities beyond normal limits—strength, speed, magic, or unique talents known as Skills.
These people became known as Hunters. Their duty was to enter Rifts, clear them, and stop monsters from spilling into the world.
Among them was a mid-ranked Hunter named Han Seung-hoo.
He wasn't famous.
He wasn't the strongest.
But he was reliable.
Seung-hoo specialized in lightning-based combat and short-range weapon skills. He worked with a small but tightly bonded team:
Hyun-woo, their calm and calculating mage
Joon-seok, their towering tank who never retreated
Seo-yeon, their swift and silent assassin
They had survived dozens of Rifts together.
Until that call came.
One rainy evening, Seung-hoo's communicator vibrated sharply.
[Emergency Rift Detected]
Location: Gyeonggi Highway
Cause: High casualty zone – multiple fatal accidents
Threat Level: B+
A Rift had opened on a highway known for deadly crashes.
The place was already sealed by the military, traffic frozen in all directions. Black mist spiraled above the asphalt like a wound in the sky.
Seung-hoo tightened his gloves
"Let's clear this quickly," he said. "Before it spreads."
The team stepped into the Rift together.
The world shifted.
The highway vanished and was replaced by a storm-filled wasteland of broken metal and glowing electric clouds.
Crushed cars floated in the air like memories of the dead.
Thunder rolled endlessly.
Then they felt it.
A presence.
The ground shook as something massive moved within the storm.
From the clouds descended the boss monster.
A colossal Electric-type Dragon.
Its scales glowed with blue lightning. Wings spread wide enough to blot out the sky.
Sparks crawled across its body like living veins of energy.
Hyun-woo whispered in shock,
"…This is a final-stage boss."
Joon-seok gritted his teeth.
"But this Rift shouldn't have one yet."
Seo-yeon drew her blades.
"We can't retreat now."
And Seung-hoo raised his weapon.
"Then we fight."
The battle lasted two hours.
Lightning tore through the battlefield.
Spells collided with thunder.
Steel met scales.
Joon-seok stood in front, blocking waves of electric breath with his shield until it cracked apart.
Hyun-woo burned through all his mana casting barrier after barrier.
Seo-yeon struck again and again at the dragon's wings, leaving deep wounds—but each strike cost her strength.
Seung-hoo fought like his life depended on it.
Because it did.
But the dragon was simply too strong.
One by one, they fell.
Joon-seok collapsed first, his shield shattered beside him.
Hyun-woo dropped next, his staff breaking in half.
Seo-yeon made one final leap… and never rose again.
At last, Seung-hoo stood alone.
His vision blurred.
His limbs trembled.
Every breath burned.
The dragon roared in victory, though its body was covered in wounds and broken scales.
Seung-hoo fell to his knees.
He turned his head weakly and saw them.
Hyun-woo.
Joon-seok.
Seo-yeon.
They lay motionless across the shattered battlefield.
"…I'm sorry," he whispered.
The dragon lifted its head for a final strike.
But before it could move again, its own wounds caught up to it.
The great creature collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Dragon and Hunter lay still.
Silence filled the Rift.
Death claimed them both.
Then…
A strange mechanical sound echoed in the empty battlefield.
| [Ding! System Successfully Activated] |
| [Cause of Activation: Death of Powerful Individuals] |
| [Skill Activated: Max-Level Growth]
Max-Level Growth:
Allows the user to grow infinitely in any chosen stat or skill.
Side Effect:
Growth continuously drains energy unless stopped by the user.
But Seung-hoo could not hear it
He was already dead.
His soul drifted upward, away from the battlefield, away from pain, away from regret.
He floated through endless darkness.
Then suddenly—
A powerful force grabbed him.
Not gently.
Not kindly.
It dragged his soul back down.
Back into flesh.
Back into pain.
Seung-hoo gasped.
Air filled his lungs.
His eyes snapped open.
Bright white light blinded him.
He heard beeping machines. Voices. Footsteps.
He was lying in a hospital bed.
Tubes were connected to his arms. His body felt weak, but alive.
"…What?" he whispered.
Memories flooded his mind.
The Rift.
The dragon.
His teammates' deaths.
His own death.
"I died…" he murmured.
A television was playing in the corner of the room.
A news reporter's voice echoed softly:
"Breaking news—another Rift has appeared in Seoul today. Authorities warn civilians to evacuate immediately…"
Seung-hoo froze.
That broadcast.
He remembered it.
That same report.
That same voice.
That same day.
"…This was in 2024," he whispered.
His heart began to race.
He slowly turned his head toward the calendar on the wall.
June 3rd, 2024.
Two years before his death.
His hands trembled.
"I went back… in time?"
A faint blue screen appeared before his eyes.
| [System Status: Active] |
| [Skill: Max-Level Growth] |
Seung-hoo stared at it in silence.
His teammates were dead in the future.
A catastrophic Rift would soon appear.
And now…
He had returned to the past with a skill that could grow infinitely.
Seung-hoo clenched his fists.
"This time… I won't lose them."
Outside the hospital window, thunder rolled in the distance.
Another Rift was forming.