NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Regression
The scent of disinfectant brushed past my nose. As my consciousness gradually became clearer, I felt a hard sensation pressing down on my shoulders.
Slowly opening my eyes, I saw a dirty cement ceiling and a brightly shining incandescent light. I stared blankly at the light bulb swinging from a single electric wire, then slowly raised my upper body.
“Ugh…”
Having lain on the cold, hard floor for a long time, even this simple action brought a dull pain. I lifted my head and looked around.
Iron doors on dirty cement walls, just like the ceiling. After calmly examining my surroundings several times, I bit my lip with a perplexed feeling.
“This is…”
It was a very familiar place to me. If my memory was correct, this was the isolation room of the Awakened Research Institute where I was forcibly brought two years ago.
This doesn’t make sense. This research institute should have collapsed when it was bombed two years ago. So where exactly is this? Why am I here?
As I was blinking, unable to accept the situation, it happened.
《All data except for errors has been successfully modified.》
《Please provide your name to access the system.》
“…!”
Red letters that I had seen even in my dreams appeared in mid-air.
Feeling unreal, I stared blankly at the letters for a while, then they blinked as if urging me.
《Please provide your name.》
Name? Is it asking for my name?
After hesitating for a moment, I opened my mouth.
“Cha Seo-hu.”
《Accessing as Cha Seo-hu.》
《Please wait a moment. This process won’t take long.》
《Loading…》
Messages with the same content I had seen in my dreams continued. I carefully reached out towards the letters. But they just passed through, the writing still clearly visible.
Am I still dreaming? While I was in confusion, the content started to change.
《Access complete. Please use the system.》
“System…?”
With that, the letters disappeared.
Even in my bewilderment, the word ‘system’ echoed in my mind. In fact, the content shown by the letters wasn’t that unfamiliar to me.
Having read web novels and webtoons whenever I had the chance, and enjoyed quite a few games, seeing system messages floating around wasn’t as strange as one might think.
I swallowed dryly and glared at the empty space. Having come this far, I couldn’t help but try. After hesitating, I carefully opened my mouth.
“Status window.”
Ding!
User Information: Cha Seo-hu
Age: 26 (28)
Representative Skill: Guardian’s Bond (B-rank)
Attack Power: F-rank
Attack Speed: F-rank
Movement Speed: F-rank
Agility: F-rank
Traits▼
└Wet Cat (F-rank)
With a cheerful sound effect, a status window really appeared in mid-air.
Cursing, I unconsciously backed away, and new text appeared, covering the status window.
《First system use complete! Reward has arrived.》
《Trait: Just Lie There (F-rank) acquired!》
《Hidden quest unlocked!》
《Hidden Quest: Can’t End Like This (L-rank)》
《Hidden Quest: Can’t End Like This (L-rank) Cleared!》
《Hidden Quest clear reward will be given.》
《Hidden Skill: Silver Protection (S-rank) acquired!》
“W-What is this.”
I already felt overwhelmed by the messages rising so enormously as to block my view.
Frowning, I read the messages one by one carefully, and quietly recited the content that bothered me the most.
“Hidden quest… Can’t End Like This? What does this mean…”
It was ridiculous enough that there was a hidden quest, but it’s even been cleared? Only then did an inexplicable sense of discomfort wash over me like a wave.
If what I’m thinking is right… No, but… This doesn’t make sense. Is this really possible? Just as I had these doubts, it happened.
Hidden Quest: Can’t End Like This (L-rank)
Turn back time in the face of death.
Reward: Acquire Hidden Skill
A system window with detailed explanations appeared just from thinking about it.
“…So explanations come out too.”
By now, I felt like laughing bitterly.
Well, it wasn’t bad. I still had a lot of questions anyway. If detailed explanations were attached like this, I could understand the meaning of not only quests but other messages as well.
First, let’s start with the hidden quest. I repeated the first sentence written.
Turned back time in the face of death, huh. So does this mean all of this is not a dream but reality? Considering my current location, the time I’ve returned to is about 2 years and 6 months ago.
“To think I’ve become a regression…”
I lowered my head with a dejected feeling.
I couldn’t believe I had regressed 2 years. The events I experienced just before dying were so vivid.
‘The Great Calamity.’
Just thinking about that existence made my teeth grind involuntarily. An existence that would devour the world. Even S-rank Hunters couldn’t stop the Great Calamity and all died.
The Great Calamity was, as its name suggests, not a person but a natural disaster itself. It wears a human shell and kills every visible living being.
My fists trembled as I recalled the terrible pain inflicted on my whole body just before losing consciousness. The power of the Great Calamity was so enormous that just remembering it brought a rush of fear.
Those I considered family were mercilessly killed by a single gesture of the Great Calamity. They were great people who stood at the forefront for the world until the end. They were lives that should never have died like that.
‘I can’t let them die such meaningless deaths… again.’
How many regrets did I have just before dying?
I had vowed that if I had just one more chance, I would do everything I could to prevent my precious ones from dying like that.
“…Right, I don’t know how this happened, but this is an incredible opportunity.”
Somehow, I must stop the Great Calamity and save everyone. Whether it’s possible or not doesn’t matter. At the very least, I want to die without regrets this time.
Having steeled my resolve, I calmly examined the content of the system messages. The system was very similar to the interface that appears in games I often play.
Especially ‘rank’ and ‘skill’ were common words used after the appearance of the Awakened, but terms like traits or quests were things I had only seen in games.
Seeing that it gave rewards when clearing hidden quests, it might be possible to gain stronger powers by clearing quests like this.
‘Then the possibility of stopping the Great Calamity would increase too.’
In other words, utilizing this system and status window well is the shortcut to protecting everyone. No, rather than a shortcut… it’s more like a guidebook.
I’m not going to blindly trust and follow it, but there’s no reason to leave this good thing idle either. I first checked the rewards I just received.
《Trait: Just Lie There (F-rank) acquired!》
《Hidden Skill: Silver Protection (S-rank) acquired!》
One was the reward for using the system for the first time, and the second was the reward for clearing the hidden quest.
“A hidden skill?”
After the appearance of life forms called ‘monsters’ in the world, many people became Hunters through awakening, gaining special abilities.
I was one of them, and the reason I was trapped here, practically kidnapped into this illegal research institute, was because of the skill I gained through awakening.
The skill I possessed was the ability to replenish others’ energy through contact. Using the skill consumed energy and strength, which was directly linked to life. So my skill of replenishing energy wasn’t bad.
But I had nothing else. So my position was always at the very back. I could only watch others fight.
But now…
“You’re saying I’ve got a new skill?”
My heart beat rapidly. As soon as I wanted to know the detailed explanation this time too, a new system message appeared.
Hidden Skill: Silver Protection (S-rank)
Become stronger under moonlight. Takes effect at night and in dark indoor spaces.
└Strength: Increases to S-rank
└Attack Power: Increases to S-rank
└Attack Speed: Increases to S-rank
└Movement Speed: Increases to S-rank
└Agility: Increases to S-rank
Reading the explanation that appeared, I read the content out loud with a blank expression.
“All abilities increased…”
I reflexively looked down at my hands. I clenched and unclenched my fists several times, but I couldn’t feel any particular change.
It said I become stronger under moonlight, so does nothing change if it’s not night?
This place where I am is an isolation room for keeping test subjects, and since it’s surrounded by walls on all sides, there’s no way to check the time.
Should I try hitting the wall with my fist to find out? As I was biting my lip and racking my brain, a cheerful sound was heard.
Ding!
《Main quest has arrived!》
《Main Quest: Meet the villain with the ‘Seed of Calamity’. (Time remaining: 1 hour 59 minutes)》