Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Level 2 Player

Regression

[Do you wish to challenge the clear of Tower Floor 2,222?]

[Yes.] [No.]

‘Then do I have to die without even trying?’

Jin-su’s gaze turned to the timer.

[Time remaining on Floor 2,222 - 00:02]

The remaining time on the timer was a mere 2 seconds.

‘Anyway, there’s no choice.’

Jin-su selected Yes.

[You are the 2nd player to challenge the clear of Tower Floor 2,222.]

[Title - You have obtained 2nd Challenger of Floor 2,222 Clear.]

A cluster of bright light enveloped Jin-su’s body.

[The clear condition for Floor 2,222 is to hunt 22,222,222 monsters.]

[We wish the Challenger victory.]

The cluster of light disappeared, and an enormous number of monsters, so vast that one could not even gauge where it ended, surrounded him from all sides.

‘There’s not even a defense base.’

In the first place, the clear condition itself was not a defense where one had to hold out for a certain time.

‘If it’s only natural, then is it only natural?’

Even if there had been a defense base, it wouldn’t have held much meaning since he was challenging alone.

‘Over twenty million of them, huh.’

This damn Tower was going crazy with difficulty with every floor climbed.

‘There is an end, at least.’

At first, he had naively thought that clearing Floor 100 would allow him to go meet his younger sibling. But it wasn’t.

With the feeling that this time it was real, he cleared Floor 1,000. But another floor appeared again.

‘That’s how I came all the way to Floor 2,222.’

The comrades who had climbed the Tower together with him, sharing life and death for a long time, had all died.

“Grrrr!”

“Kraaaang!”

Boss-grade monsters such as the Dragon Race, Giant Race, Undead Race, and so on let out massive roars and charged toward Jin-su from all sides like an oncoming wave.

‘I can’t die like this.’

The reason he had been able to stay alive until now was thanks to his comrades’ sacrifices. It was the worst situation where not even a speck of a chance of victory was visible.

‘Let’s do it.’

Shrrring!

Jin-su gripped his two beloved swords in both hands and drew up mana.

Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!

Jet-black mana covered Jin-su’s entire body.

Ta-ak!

Jin-su ran forward. The first goal was to escape the state of being surrounded on all sides.

Kwaaaaang!

The moment Jin-su swung his two swords, crescent-shaped jet-black aura blades evaporated a number of monsters that easily looked to be in the thousands all at once.

Hwiik!

Kwaaaang! Kwaaaang!

Jin-su swung his swords without concealing his body. Each time, hundreds and thousands of monsters were caught up in the mana explosions generated from the jet-black aura blades and died.

Jin-su, wrapped in jet-black mana, crossed the waves of monsters and charged forward with unstoppable momentum.

“Kraaaaang!”

However, the monsters, no matter how many he killed, kept crowding in stubbornly. Undead monsters would suddenly surge up from underground to ambush, and Dragon Race monsters would dive from the sky to attack Jin-su.

But Jin-su’s footsteps could not stop.

‘Enemies on all sides... It’s nice that even swinging roughly kills them.’

Jin-su forced a smile and advanced forward.

Kwaaaang!

“Kyaaaaak!”

How much time had passed?

Pain as if the muscles of his entire body were tearing rushed in. Mana also hit rock bottom. When he forcibly drew up mana, the mana circuits screamed as if they would burst at any moment.

All sorts of curses worsened his wounds, made his body heavy, and caused mana to reflux.

But he ignored it.

‘Fuck, when the hell does this end.’

He barely broke through the encirclement and came to a state with the barrier at his back.

‘They should have made the field wider.’

If they made it this small, even after barely breaking through the encirclement, he couldn’t engage in hit-and-run guerrilla warfare.

‘Are they telling me not to endure any longer and just die?’

It felt as if the Tower was forcing death upon him.

‘Do I look like I’ll give up?’

Jin-su glared at the front with the barrier at his back.

He had fought for at least three or four days. In the process, he had cut down at least several million monsters.

‘But why aren’t they decreasing?’

Pain as if the muscles of his entire body were tearing rushed in. As the price for forcibly drawing up the depleted mana, the mana circuits screamed as if they would burst at any moment.

‘Fine, come at me.’

Jin-su ignored the pain and forcibly drew up mana to swing his swords.

Kwaang! Pueong!

A storm of mana raged, and a close-quarters battle where blood and flesh splattered unfolded. The monsters’ corpses disappeared, and the accumulated items turned into a massive barrier surrounding Jin-su.

“Grrrr!”

The monsters dug through the barrier of items and charged toward Jin-su.

‘Fine, come as much as you want.’

Jin-su forcibly moved his body that had depleted stamina. Even if the overheated mana circuits burst, he ignored it. The fierce close-quarters battle continued without rest to the point where items formed mountains and the monsters’ blood flowed like a river.

‘Now has it decreased by about half?’

It roughly seemed so.

‘Not much left.’

Jin-su forced a smile. His legs trembled and his arms went numb. The pain felt from the torn muscles stimulated his brain, and blood from unrecovered wounds flowed down to the floor, forming a small pool of blood.

Monsters move according to the instinct of the law of the jungle. The ones that rushed Jin-su first were the relatively weak ones.

“Grrrr!”

The various True Dragons that had only been attacking from a distance until now, and the kings of the Giant Race and Undead Race who had only been watching, raised the corners of their mouths and mocked Jin-su.

Hwiik!

Then, they suddenly charged toward Jin-su, thrusting sharp teeth, swinging large clubs, and pouring all sorts of curses.

‘These cunning bastards.’

They moved after judging that Jin-su was completely exhausted and hard to move while surrounded by other monsters.

‘They waited for me to get tired, huh.’

Just as there is a limit to wringing a dry rag, Jin-su’s body, which had poured out all its energy, was beyond being a wreck, in a state close to a corpse where it would not be strange if he collapsed and died at any moment.

‘Do I look like I’ll die quietly for you?’

Jin-su gripped his swords and dodged the teeth and clubs.

Kwaaaaang!

Other monsters that were in the spot where the club fell turned into blood paste. Jin-su, who had dodged the club, swung the sword held in his left hand.

Seogeok!

“Kyaaaaang!”

Along with a desperate scream, the right arm of the Giant Race king who was holding the club flew off. Looking at the thoroughly flustered gaze of the Giant Race king, Jin-su swung the sword held in his right hand.

Jwaaaak!

The Giant Race king’s head flew off.

Kuuuung!

The body of the Giant Race king that had lost its head and arm collapsed powerlessly. A system message appeared saying he had achieved the feat of defeating a boss monster, but he ignored it.

He didn’t have the presence of mind.

Even if it was the king of the Giant Race, he had only defeated one. Waves of monsters endlessly crowded in from all sides. Among them, many boss monsters like True Dragons, Giant Race kings, and Undead Race kings were included. Jin-su forcibly moved his exhausted body and swung his swords.

Jwaak!

When he cleaved the bones and scales of a massive True Dragon and beheaded it, dragon blood burst out. He pierced the heart of a Giant Race king and shattered the core of an Undead Race king.

He fought and fought again.

“Haa! Haa! Haa!”

His breathing wouldn’t settle. There was no sensation in his left arm and both legs. Since they had fallen off his body, it was natural. His vision was also blurry. He had lost the sight in his right eye, and his left eye also couldn’t see properly in front due to injuries and curses.

Jin-su, who had sat down on the floor, raised the sword held in his right arm.

‘I think I’ve mostly cleaned them up.’

He seemed to have handled over about twenty million. The problem was that even so, over two million monsters still remained.

And those were only the strongest among the strong.

“Grrrr!”

The growling of the monsters, as if mocking Jin-su, was heard.

Hwiik!

The front paw of a True Dragon with sharp claws came flying.

Pagang!

He swung his sword but couldn’t cut through the True Dragon’s claws. It was only enough to deflect it. Attacks came flying from all sides. While Jin-su was blocking the attacks with one sword by sheer will.

Puuk!

He stabbed his sword into the head of the True Dragon that had approached to bite Jin-su with its teeth.

Kwajik!

At that moment, another Giant Race king’s club half-crushed Jin-su’s upper body, and the bone knife filled with the curse of the Undead Race king pierced Lee Jin-su’s heart.

“Keok!”

Life force and mana poured out of Jin-su’s body like a tide.

Kwajik! Kwajik! Kwajik!

Monsters charged in from all sides, biting Jin-su’s body and tearing it apart with claws. As his body was torn away, Jin-su’s life came to an end.

[You are the 2nd player to fail the clear of Tower Floor 2,222.]

‘Even to the end, second?’

Lee Jin-su gritted his teeth.

He was born on February 22, 2002.

On February 22, 2022, he was forcibly dragged to the Tower and became the 22,222,222nd player.

Even before that, Lee Jin-su was always second.

He was the second son of the family, his class was Class 2, and his number was Number 22.

Even after being dragged to the Tower, awakening as a player, and growing while experiencing all sorts of hardships, Lee Jin-su always remained in the position of the second challenger. And to think even the final failure was second.

He had worked hard to become stronger.

He had worked hard to survive.

He had worked hard to return to Earth and meet his younger sibling.

‘Still, I was always second.’

It felt as if he had received some kind of curse.

‘It’s the end now.’

His consciousness faded.

At that moment.

[Hwangsin and Hongsin feel a great sense of kinship with your life.]

[Hwangsin and Hongsin sincerely lament your death.]

[Receiving the blessings of Hwangsin and Hongsin, a second chance is given.]

[A second life begins.]

The voice of some unknown person resounded in Lee Jin-su’s mind.

***

“Hueok!”

Jin-su opened his eyes in surprise.

‘What?’

He had clearly died. But the sensations of his body were vividly felt.

‘Second chance? Second life?’

The voice of someone he had heard before dying came to mind. Looking around just in case, a scene he could never forget entered his eyes.

The funeral portraits of his parents and older brother who were smiling brightly.

His young younger sister, covered in tears, sleeping in his arms.

Just in case, he checked the date.

February 2, 2022.

The horrific traffic accident of his parents and older brother that occurred on the morning of his birthday, and the funeral held immediately after.

‘The time?’

22:22:22.

‘This damn...’

[Congratulations. You have received the invitation to the Tower as the 22,222,222nd.]

The system message he had seen long ago once again floated before Lee Jin-su’s eyes.

Hwaaaak!

At the same time, a cluster of bright light covered Jin-su’s body.

[You have awakened as the 22,222,222nd player.]

[Conquer the Tower and fulfill the wish you desire.]

[You have arrived at Floor 1 of the Tower.]

[Within 10 days, pass through the central gate of Tower Floor 1 and climb to Tower Floor 2.]

[Time remaining on Floor 1 - 10 days.]

System messages floated up consecutively. And a scene that was unfamiliar yet familiar unfolded before Jin-su’s eyes.

“What? Where the hell is this?”

“Kyaaaak!”

“Uwaak! My promotion match!”

“Why am I here?”

“Who are you! How did you kidnap me!”

In the middle of a dense forest, people in a panic shouted in bewilderment. People looking around with surprised expressions, people who scream first, people who get irritated, people who are wary.

‘Regression?’

Jin-su was blank for a moment. He thought it was the end if he died. But to think he would regress?

‘Couldn’t they have made me regress a little earlier.’

Then he might have been able to save the lives of his parents and older brother who died in the traffic accident.

‘No, don’t summon me at all. Why did you drag me here again.’

At the fact that he had to repeat the hellish life that once was enough, Jin-su’s face twisted savagely.

He had parted again from his young younger sister, who was only 12 years old this year, left alone after losing her parents, and whom he had raised like his own daughter.

‘Damn it.’

But that was that, and this was this.

Anyway.

‘I obtained a second chance.’

He looked again at the faces of his parents and older brother that had faded in his memory. The tear-soaked face of his young sibling and the warm sensation of holding her in his arms was properly imprinted.

He was glad, he was angry, he was irritated. However, Jin-su was not the type of personality to be bound by things that had already passed.

‘This time, I will definitely succeed.’

He would conquer the Tower and fulfill his wish.

‘Status Window.’

Jin-su opened the status window. To survive, checking the current state was the most important.

Name: [Lee Jin-su]

Player Level: [2]

Stats: [Strength 22] [Agility 22] [Stamina 22] [Durability 22] [Mana 22] [Mental Power 22]

Blessings: [Blessing of Hwangsin] [Blessing of Hongsin]

‘What?’

It was so long ago that his memory was faint. However, he could tell at a glance that the numbers of the status window that had floated before his eyes now were different from when he had awakened before the regression.

‘Why is the level 2 instead of 1?’

Moreover, the stats were also all unified at 22.