1 Chapter 1

Discovery of fire. Discovery of electricity. The advancement of science. Throughout Earth's history, there have been countless discoveries and developments.

However, if we were to pinpoint one event that changed the course of human life throughout history, it would undoubtedly be the discovery of the 'Abyss.'

A realm that existed only in imagination and was home to all sorts of otherworldly creatures.

People awakened to new powers, and those who explored the Abyss were called 'Players.'

'Damn it… If only I had awakened too…'

Taehyun's feet moved tirelessly as he concealed himself behind a pillar before him.

Even at this very moment.

The screams of Players battling Asmodeus showed no signs of stopping.

There were many S-rank Players and even a few SS-rank Players among them.

Except for those in the same position as him, both the attack force and the support team were composed of the elite members of the 'Hanbit Guild.'

Yet, they couldn't stand a chance against Asmodeus.

In front of an SSS-rank monster who reigns as the ruler of the area.

Whether they were S-rank or SS-rank, it was all in vain.

Taehyun could do nothing but watch the slaughter from his hiding place behind the pillar.

To calm his trembling body, Taehyun hugged his arms tightly.

"Fucking awakening."

"Fucking loser."

"Kim Taehyun, you damn bastard"

He cursed himself for being powerless in this situation.

Taehyun closed his eyes tightly.

The talent grade he received at birth was labeled as 'Unknown.'

The word 'Unknown' implied many possibilities, and Taehyun's parents were both worried and delighted.

In this day and age, even being an A-rank could lead to an upper-class life.

If one were to awaken as an S-rank, one could sit on a cushion of money capable of saving a fallen family.

Ultimately, Taehyun's parents never got to witness his awakening, as they perished in a car accident.

As a middle school student, Taehyun moved from one relative's house to another, eventually gaining independence and getting a job with a company specializing in dispatching Abyss porters.

He believed that someday, he too would awaken to abilities and wanted to observe the Player's skills and actions as closely as possible.

What went wrong?

Once again, in the end.

Even at the age of thirty-five, Taehyun had not awakened.

[The only one left is you.]

It was a voice that sounded like scraping metal.

An unknown voice rang in his mind.

Unnoticed, Asmodeus, who had finished dealing with all the Players, approached with an ominous aura radiating from his body.

It felt like his breath was being cut off by the malevolent magic emanating from him.

If he had known that this was Asmodeus's territory, he would not have participated in this expedition.

But it was already too late.

"Shit!"

Taehyun instinctively leaped into the air.

15 years of physical training as a porter were all meaningless as one of his legs was torn apart.

"Guhh…"

As he suppressed his scream, a groan escaped his lips.

His vision blurred due to excessive bleeding.

'Damn… to die in vain without even awakening?'

Was it due to the pain?

Or was it because of the injustice?

He couldn't tell.

No, it might as well be both.

Tears rolled down from his eyes.

"Son of a…!"

As he yelled out in frustration.

A miracle occurred.

Ding.

A status window that only awakeners could see appeared before him.

[Name: Kim Taehyun]

[Age: 35]

[Rank: ?]

[Skill: Gate Creation – Can open a gate leading to the King (1/1)]

"Ha… Haha…"

A bitter laugh escaped him.

It was the moment he had wished for so desperately.

Why did it have to happen now?

Is the condition for awakening to be the moment of death?

'This damn awakening… It's not helping until the end…'

To make matters worse, the skill he awakened to was Gate Creation, a consumable skill that could only be used once in a lifetime.

Crack!

As Asmodeus reached out his hand, Taehyun's remaining leg shattered.

"You son of a…! Must it be this way!!!"

In a half-mad state, Taehyun yelled out.

Asmodeus smiled viciously as if playing with a toy.

Realizing he wouldn't survive here, Taehyun bursts into laughter.

If that was the case, he might use the awakened ability he had achieved with such difficulty and then die.

He had seen the method of using skills countless times.

The Gate skill was no different.

He extended one of his hands towards Asmodeus.

And then, without hesitation, he used the skill.

"Gate Creation!"

Kwaaaaaah!

All strength drained from Taehyun's body.

The space rippled between Asmodeus and Taehyun.

The rippling space gradually took shape.

It was a gate, but it looked a bit different from what Taehyun had expected.

* * *

A little while later.

"Where is this again?"

A man stepped out of the gate.

He had a human form, but he radiated a crimson magic and had red eyes, like a demon. His attire was bizarre, unlike anything Taehyun had ever seen.

"Oh, look. Isn't that Asmodeus?"

The man, who appeared to be a Player, said as he altered his gaze between Taehyun and Asmodeus.

During this time, Asmodeus remained motionless, and time came to a halt for everyone except the man and Taehyun.

"Ha… Haha… What's this…"

To stop an SSS-ranked monster in its tracks.

Taehyun recalled the description next to his skill.

[Skill: Gate Creation – Can open a gate leading to the King (1/1)]

'Can open a gate leading to the King?!'

At that moment, the man, who had assessed the situation, spoke again.

"I see. Are you a Player too?"

"Yeah… I called you here."

Struggling to figure out the man's identity, Taehyun replied.

"Well… There are all sorts of abilities these days, huh. Is this the will of that guy too?"

The man seemed to contemplate something, but Taehyun couldn't just wait.

Time had stopped, but the bleeding hadn't.

He felt like he might lose consciousness at any moment.

He had to resolve this situation before that happened.

"Hey, are you… the King?"

"King, huh… Yeah. Some of them call me that. Think of it however you like."

"What can you do for me?"

Taehyun guessed that his skill might be summoning-based since Gate Creation was mostly considered a supportive skill, but occasionally it fell under the summoning category.

"Why? Do you want me to take care of Asmodeus for you?"

The man asked as if it were no big deal.

Gulp.

Taehyun unconsciously swallowed a mixture of saliva and blood.

A being casually offered to take care of Asmodeus, even though he was designated as SSS-rank.

Who was this man?

"Something like that is too trivial, isn't it?"

"What?"

"You don't seem to be in good shape, from the looks of it."

The man's red eyes met Taehyun's as he was nearing death.

For a moment, Taehyun's head throbbed.

He realized that the man was reading his memories.

Using a mental skill while time was frozen.

"My life has already been a mess. There are no regrets."

"Well… speaking and thinking are different. I express my condolences for the past that you've lived earnestly."

"What do you know…"

Furious, Taehyun was about to shout, but the man raised his hand, blocking him.

"Fine. If this is fate, then so be it. I'll grant you the King's authority."

"What…? The King's authority?!"

Instantly, the man's magic enveloped Taehyun.

A mixture of red, blue, white, and black magic, or rather, flames. It wasn't surprising that the bleeding had stopped.

"It's best not to expect such miracles to happen again. But, hey, until we meet again if you manage to survive, it might be of help, my little Player."

With those words, the man disappeared.

The gate had also vanished without a trace.

"Hey, explain so that I can understand!"

He shouted his grievances at the man who had disappeared without saying anything more.

The moment he tried to express his discontent…

Time, which had been halted, started moving again.

Despite having used his awakened skill, nothing had changed.

Asmodeus's magic overwhelmed Taehyun.

"Damnnn…!!!"

It was an overwhelming magic.

Taehyun couldn't even let out a proper scream.

His consciousness…

Faded away.

* * *

Everything felt disoriented and weak.

And it was pitch dark.

"Hey, this bastard's still sleeping?"

"Hehe… It seems like he's even dozing in reality. Well, then I guess we'll have to wake him up."

A young man's voice could be heard.

'What's going on…?'

Taehyun's head was pounding.

He still needed to finish assessing the situation.

His eyes snapped open, accompanied by a sudden jolt of pain in his side.

"Ugh…?"

His eyes were busy trying to focus on the suddenly bright environment.

"Are you finally awake, You loser?"

"We told you to come up to the rooftop, and you're here sleeping? The guy's slipping away."

In his perfectly adapted vision, he saw two familiar faces wearing familiar clothes.

"What… is this…?"

Taehyun made a dumbfounded expression at the unforgettable environment and face.

They were his old schoolmates, Jo Taesik and Gu Beommo.

Taehyun lowered his head and examined his body.

He saw the familiar school uniform on his skinny body.

"Is this… a dream?"

"You still haven't come to your senses, you idiot?"

Smack!

Jo Taesik approached with a grin and slapped his cheek.

His dazed head quickly cleared as it turned.

He realized he had a way to confirm the current situation.

'Open Status Window'

[Name: Kim Taehyun]

[Age: 19]

[Rank: E]

[Skill: Predation – 0%]

It was his status window from before he got caught by Asmodeus.

As Taehyun scrolled down the status window, he let out a disheartened laugh.

"Ha… Haha… This is insane, really…"

Because the status window is in its basic form, there is not much information available. His age had changed from 35 to 19, his Player rank had dropped, and he now had a skill.

'Have I really returned to the past…?!'

It was an unbelievable occurrence. He voiced this realization.

"This is impossible…"

"Look at this guy."

"Beommo. This bastard's eyes are completely opened."

Jo Taesik grabbed Taehyun's collar and said with a grin.

Taehyun opened his mouth.

"Hey, can you guys shut up for a moment?"

Squirm.

"What?"

"This bastard?"

In response, Jo Taesik couldn't hold back his anger and raised his hand.

'Slow.'

That might be because he had graduated from the hasty attacks during his time as a pack mule.

Whoosh.

Taehyun's two fingers accurately pierced Jo Taesik's eyes.

"Aaaah! My eyes!"

"This loser is trying to kill me!"

Looking at Jo Taesik, who stumbled away holding his eyes, a belatedly excited Gu Beommo raised his mana.

Skill: Fireball

A fiery ball the size of a fist materialized before him.

"What a pain."

These minors hadn't received their Player licenses.

Their abilities remained unrefined and underdeveloped.

'I can't believe I used to be scared of such trashy skills before.'

With a sigh, Taehyun aimed a kick at Gu Beommo.

The newly acquired skill, "Predation," was still a mystery to him.

It was a matter of gradually finding out what that ability was.

'There is no need to use skills to deal with people who are worse than these scoundrels.'

While most of the muscle he had developed over his time working as a porter had disappeared, his body felt lighter due to his younger age.

Though he wasn't a Player, Taehyun had fifteen years of experience in the Abyss.

So…

"Hey, is this self-defense?"

As he loosened his wrist joints, Taehyun chuckled wickedly.