The air inside the warehouse entrance was heavy and still, carrying the faint, metallic tang that marked it as something other. Dust motes danced in the slivers of light that filtered in from the street outside, rapidly fading as they moved deeper into the structure. The mundane reality of a neglected building warped and twisted here, the very space feeling subtly wrong.

  Jae-Hyun-Woo, Gun-Ho, and Ji-Yoon paused just beyond the threshold, allowing their eyes to adjust to the gloom. The sounds of the city faded behind them, replaced by an unnatural silence that pressed in on their ears.

  Gun-Ho cracked his neck, the sound loud in the quiet. "Alright, deep breaths. Standard sweep pattern?"

  Ji-Yoon nodded, her expression serious. "Stick together. Jae-Hyun, keep an eye on the structural integrity – with mechanical types, there's always a risk of unstable environments from their movements."

  Jae-Hyun-Woo gave a short nod, gripping his spear. His unease hadn't dissipated; if anything, it had sharpened the moment they stepped inside. It felt less like the natural caution around a new dungeon and more like… a warning.

  "Anything feels off, we pull back immediately," he said, his voice low. "No heroics."

  Gun-Ho smirked. "Since when are you the one saying 'no heroics,' Mr. 'Throw-Myself-In-Front-of-Everything'?"

  Jae-Hyun-Woo didn't return the smirk.

  "Today, we play it smart. We get in, we get the cores, and we get out."

  Ji-Yoon gave him a look, a flicker of concern in her eyes at his unusually serious tone. But she simply nodded.

  "Agreed. Let's move."

  With that, they stepped fully into the darkness of the D-rank dungeon, the entrance sealing itself behind them with a low, grinding sound that felt unnervingly final. The faint light from outside vanished, plunging them into near-total darkness, illuminated only by the low glow of their hunter flashlights.

  The air grew colder, the silence more profound. This was it. The D-rank dungeon.

  They moved cautiously, their footsteps echoing slightly in the vast, empty space of what looked like a main factory floor. The machinery that remained was old, rusted, covered in a thick layer of dust and cobwebs. But interspersed among the mundane industrial decay were the first signs of the dungeon's influence – strange, crystalline growths on the walls, unnatural shadows that seemed to writhe just outside the flashlight beams, and a faint, rhythmic clanking sound from deeper within the complex.

  "Mechanical types confirmed," Ji-Yoon whispered, adjusting her grip on her staff.

  They advanced slowly, their senses on high alert. Jae-Hyun-Woo’s eyes scanned their surroundings, not just for monsters, but for anything that looked out of place, any structural weakness, any hint of the wrongness he felt. His spear was held ready, a familiar weight that grounded him in the growing tension.

  The clanking sound grew louder, more distinct. It was the sound of metal on metal, heavy and deliberate. They rounded a stack of old crates and came face to face with their first opponents.

  Three hulking figures, cobbled together from scrap metal and malfunctioning machinery, lumbered towards them. Their eyes glowed with a malevolent red light, and sparks spat from their crude joints. These were G-rank mechanical golems, relatively weak individually, but dangerous in numbers, especially in confined spaces.

  "Alright, team," Gun-Ho said, dropping into a combat stance, his fists already crackling with energy. "Let's get this done. Standard engagement!"

  The silence of the dungeon was shattered by the roar of combat. Gun-Ho charged forward, his punches leaving dents in the golems' frames. Ji-Yoon’s staff glowed with fire as she unleashed scorching bolts of magic, targeting their weaker points. Jae-Hyun-Woo moved with practiced agility, using his spear to find the gaps in their armor, his movements precise and economical.

  Despite the danger, there was a grim familiarity to this. This was what they did. This was their life. Hunter. Dungeon. Fight. Survive.

  They cleared the initial group of golems efficiently, the sounds of their destruction echoing through the vast space. The air now smelled of ozone and burning metal, replacing the earlier mustiness.

  "First wave down," Gun-Ho said, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. "These guys are tougher than the G-ranks outside, though. Definitely D-rank variants."

  "Their internal structure is heavily reinforced," Ji-Yoon added, examining the remains of one of the golems.

  "And they seem to have a localized energy shield when they group together. We'll need to break their formation."

  Jae-Hyun-Woo nodded, his gaze sweeping the area ahead. The feeling of unease hadn't lessened. In fact, as they moved deeper into the dungeon, it felt like the very walls were watching them. This wasn't just a dungeon. It felt… designed.

  They continued their advance, facing more mechanical constructs, each encounter slightly more challenging than the last. They worked together seamlessly, a well-oiled machine of their own. Gun-Ho tanked the damage and delivered powerful close-range attacks, Ji-Yoon provided ranged support and exploited elemental weaknesses, and Jae-Hyun-Woo focused on disruption, targeting weak points, and keeping an eye on their surroundings and the structural integrity of the dungeon itself.

  They cleared several more sections of the warehouse, the layout becoming more complex and factory-like, filled with conveyor belts, presses, and whirring machinery that seemed to operate autonomously. The mechanical monsters became more varied – flying drones, spider-like constructs, and even larger, more heavily armored automatons.

  Despite the increasing difficulty, they were making good progress. They were a strong team, their synergy honed by years of relying on each other. Jae-Hyun-Woo felt a sense of grim satisfaction. They were doing it. They were tackling a D-rank, and they were succeeding. This payout would make a real difference for Mia.

  As they entered a particularly large chamber, dominated by a massive, dormant assembly line, the air grew thick with energy. A low hum vibrated through the floor.

  "Boss room?" Gun-Ho asked, his stance tightening.

  Ji-Yoon consulted her phone, her eyes widening slightly. "Energy readings are off the charts. Higher than a standard D-rank boss… This is… strange."

  The unease in Jae-Hyun-Woo intensified, spiking into a sudden, sharp alarm. This wasn't just strange. It felt wrong. Deeply, fundamentally wrong. His eyes darted around the chamber, looking for any hidden traps, any signs of ambush.

  And then he saw it. Not a monster, not a trap, but a flicker of movement high up in the scaffolding near the ceiling. A human figure.

  Before he could shout a warning, the figure moved, and something detached from the scaffolding, plummeting downwards. It wasn't a weapon, but… a device. A strange, glowing orb that pulsed with dark energy.

  It landed in the center of the chamber, near the base of the assembly line.

  And then, it activated.

  The air filled with a deafening roar, not from a monster, but from the very structure of the dungeon itself. The ground beneath them trembled violently. Cracks snaked across the walls and ceiling, widening rapidly. Dust and debris rained down.

  "What the hell?!" Gun-Ho yelled, shielding his face.

  "It's collapsing!" Ji-Yoon cried out, her eyes wide with terror. "Someone… someone is collapsing the dungeon!"

  Jae-Hyun-Woo's blood ran cold. This wasn't a natural dungeon collapse. This was deliberate. Sabotage. Someone had wanted them trapped in here. The unease he'd felt wasn't just about the dungeon; it was about the trap.

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  Massive sections of the ceiling began to give way, stone and metal raining down with deadly force. Monsters, panicked by the destruction, appeared from the crumbling walls, their glowing eyes filled with chaos.

  "Run!" Jae-Hyun-Woo roared, grabbing Mia's phone from Ji-Yoon's pocket and shoving it back at her. "Get out of here!"

  But there was no clear path. The entrance they'd come through was already blocked by a cascade of rubble.

  A massive section of the assembly line structure, a tangle of heavy metal beams, groaned and began to topple directly towards Gun-Ho and Ji-Yoon. They were momentarily frozen, caught between the raining debris and the monstrous machinery.

  There was no time to think. No time for fear. Only instinct, honed by years of putting himself on the line for others. For Mia. For them.

  "GUN-HO! JI-YOON!"

  With a desperate, adrenaline-fueled surge, Jae-Hyun-Woo sprinted forward, shoving his friends out of the path of the collapsing machinery with all his might.

  They tumbled away, clearing the immediate danger. But he wasn't fast enough to clear it himself.

  A crushing impact. A blinding flash of pain. The world dissolved into a maelstrom of sound and sensation – the grinding of metal, the cracking of bone, the searing pain that consumed him.

  He felt himself falling, the air rushing past him. He caught a final, blurry glimpse of Gun-Ho and Ji-Yoon, their faces a mixture of horror and disbelief.

  Mia…

  The pain was absolute, overwhelming, yet in the fraction of a second that remained, his thoughts were only of her. Leaving her alone. The promise he’d made.

  A desperate, raw plea tore through his mind, a final, burning desire in the face of oblivion. Let me be stronger. In the next life… let me be strong enough to protect her. Strong enough to stop this.

  And then, the darkness returned, colder and more absolute than before. But this time, it wasn't the darkness of death.

  It was the darkness of transition.

  A blinding white fire erupted behind Jae-Hyun-Woo’s eyes, a searing, all-consuming agony that stole his breath and locked his muscles in a final, rigid spasm. The world fragmented into jagged shards of light and shadow, the roar of collapsing metal and stone a deafening symphony of destruction. He felt the crushing weight descend, a final, brutal embrace that promised only oblivion.

  This is it.

  The thought was surprisingly clear, cutting through the white-hot pain. He was dying. The average hunter, the one who always played it safe, the one who just wanted to provide for his sister. Killed in a D-rank dungeon, not by a monster, but by… betrayal.

  Regret, sharp and bitter, clawed at his throat. Not for his own life – he’d accepted the risks long ago. But for Mia. His little sister. The one person who mattered more than anything. Who would take care of her now? Who would make her ramen when she was sad, or listen patiently to her schoolyard stories? The thought of her facing this harsh world alone, without him, was a pain far deeper than the physical agony consuming his body.

  Mia… I’m sorry.

  He saw her face in his mind’s eye, her bright smile, the way her eyes lit up when he came home. He saw her drawing of them, his small figure bravely fighting alongside his stronger friends. He hadn’t been strong enough. Not in the ways that truly mattered in the end.

  He had pushed himself, trained relentlessly, fought with everything he had. But his average talent had only taken him so far. It hadn't been enough to earn enough, to provide true security, or to escape the kind of trap that had just ended his life.

  A desperate, fervent prayer, a raw cry of his soul, echoed in the rapidly fading corners of his consciousness. It wasn’t a prayer to any specific god he knew – most of them, in the stories hunters told, were distant and uncaring. It was a prayer born of pure, unadulterated love and regret.

  Let me be stronger. Please. In the next life… let me be strong enough to protect her. Strong enough to change this. Strong enough to… to stop them.

  The thought of the figure in the scaffolding, the glowing device, the deliberate collapse – the injustice of it all fueled a sudden, fierce rage that burned through the pain. Someone saw his life, their lives, as something disposable, something to be ended for their own purposes.

  If there is a next life… I won’t be average. I won’t be weak. I’ll make them pay.

  The darkness finally consumed him, not a gentle fading, but a sudden, absolute cessation of pain, of thought, of existence itself.

  He drifted.

  There was no body, no sense of up or down, no sound, no light. Just a state of being, of consciousness suspended in an infinite, silent void. He didn't know how long he was there – time seemed to have no meaning in this place. He was just… Jae-Hyun-Woo, the sum of his memories and regrets, floating in nothingness.

  Then, light. Not the harsh light of the world he knew, but a soft, ethereal glow that seemed to emanate from everywhere at once. The void around him began to coalesce, shifting and reforming into a space that felt vast and yet intimately close. Colors he’d never seen swirled around him, patterns that defied earthly geometry unfolded and reformed.

  And in the center of this impossible space, a figure began to emerge.

  She was luminescence given form. Her presence wasn't overwhelming or terrifying, but radiated a profound sense of calm and… sadness. Her features were indistinct, shifting like mist, but her eyes – her eyes were clear, pools of gentle light that held an ancient weariness. She didn't have a name he knew, or any form he recognized from the pantheons of his world’s myths. She simply was.

  You were not meant to die. Her voice wasn't heard with his ears, but resonated directly within his mind, a soft, melodic echo in the silent realm.

  Jae-Hyun-Woo, or what was left of him, could only process the words. Not meant to die? But he had. He remembered the crushing weight, the pain, the end.

  One of my peers, a lesser godling who finds amusement in mortal struggles, interfered with your 'scenario'. He saw your potential for an interesting tragedy and decided to orchestrate its conclusion prematurely.

  The goddess’s words were like a sudden, cold shock. A god? Orchestrated his death? For amusement? The rage he'd felt in his final moments flared again, hotter this time.

  The pacts made long ago, between certain gods and the demonic realms, brought the 'game' to your world. The dungeons, the monsters, the systems of power – they are all part of a grand spectacle for their entertainment. Her voice held a deep sorrow. Most of us… we simply watch. We do not interfere directly. But some… they cannot resist manipulating the pieces on the board.

  She looked at him, her luminous gaze filled with a profound empathy. Your life was a story they sought to end early. An injustice, even within the confines of their cruel game.

  Jae-Hyun-Woo’s thoughts were a whirlwind. A game? His life, his struggles, Mia’s safety – a game to them? The gods and demons who brought this hell to his world… they were responsible. Not just for the monsters, but for the suffering, the loss, his parents’ death, his death.

  You wished for strength. A fervent plea, born of love and a desire for retribution against those who wronged you and yours. The goddess’s form seemed to grow slightly brighter. Your wish is not one I can grant directly, not in the manner you might imagine. Direct intervention is… discouraged.

  She paused, and the space around them seemed to hum with a new energy. But I can offer a tool. A means to acquire that strength yourself. A way to… rewrite the rules of their game.

  A point of intensely bright light appeared in the space between them, growing rapidly. It wasn't a physical object, but felt like pure information, pure potential.

  This is a seed. A catalyst. It will integrate with your being, guide you, provide you with the means to level the playing field. As the light enveloped him, a sense of structure, of logic, began to form in the formless realm of his consciousness. Numbers, parameters, notifications… Use it wisely, Jae-Hyun-Woo. The game has many players, and the stakes are higher than you know.

  The light intensified, becoming almost painful in its brilliance. The goddess’s form began to fade, her last message a soft whisper in his mind.

  Go. And play their game… but play to win.

  The light consumed him entirely.

  He gasped, a sudden, desperate intake of air. His lungs burned, but not from dust or smoke. The feeling of crushing weight was gone, replaced by the unfamiliar lightness of a younger body. He lay on something soft. Fabric.

  His eyes snapped open.

  The faded blue ceiling. The sunlight streaming through the window. The scent of laundry detergent. His childhood bedroom.

  It wasn't a dream. It wasn't the astral realm anymore. He was back.

  Confusion warred with a dawning, impossible realization. His body felt… smaller. Weaker than the hardened hunter he’d been. He scrambled out of bed, his heart hammering, and stumbled towards the mirror.

  The younger face stared back. Unlined, less weary, eyes that hadn't seen the horrors to come.

  He was here. He was young.

  Ten years. He was back ten years.

  Just as the impossible reality settled in his gut, a faint shimmer appeared in the air before him, solidifying into a translucent, pale blue screen. It was the structure, the logic, from the astral realm given form. Only he could see it.

  [Welcome, Jae-Hyun-Woo.]

  [Regression Successful. Timeline: -10 Years.]

  [Mythic System Activated.]

  [Beginning System Initialization...]

  The words on the holographic screen pulsed with a soft light.

  He stared at it, then at his younger reflection, then back at the screen. The goddess. The game. His death. Mia.

  A cold, absolute resolve settled over him, hardening his features. He remembered the feeling of being a pawn, of his life being a plaything. He remembered the face of his sleeping sister and the promise he’d made.

  The anger, the grief, the regret from his past life coalesced into a singular, burning purpose.

  They want a game?

  He met the determined gaze of his younger self in the mirror.

  Then I'll show them how a real hunter plays.

  More text appeared on the screen, completing the initialization:

  [Initialization Complete.]

  [Status Window Available.]

  [Inventory Available.]

  [Skills Available.]

  [Quests Available.]

  [First Connection Bonus: Quest Generated - 'The First Step'.]

  Jae-Hyun-Woo didn't hesitate. He reached out a trembling hand and touched the holographic screen. The air around him seemed to crackle with nascent power. He had a second chance.

  He had foreknowledge. And he had a Mythic System granted by a goddess who wanted him to win.

  He had a game to play. And he was going to play it to kill the players.