INHO 01

CHAPTER 1

The End and the Beginning (1)

In the year 20××, humanity perished.

Was it because of the Gates that suddenly appeared?
Or because of natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis?

Well, neither would be entirely wrong.

After mysterious Gates began to appear all around the world, what people feared most were the monsters that poured out from them.

When a three-headed beast jumps out and rolls its eyes at you, it’s only natural to be afraid of that.

But humanity didn’t go extinct because of the monsters.

Thanks to the emergence of Hunters—those who awakened powers to fight back—the world eventually regained some stability over time.

No, humanity perished not by fangs or claws, but by a contagious, toxic substance.
No one knew exactly what happened, but an unidentified poison originating from the Gates spread rapidly.
There was no cure. No time to find one.

Because the toxin was so infectious that even mere contact caused contamination, even Hunters could do nothing. One by one, they fell helplessly.
And so, it seemed I was the last human alive.

Considering how hard I had struggled to survive, it was such a pitiful, almost laughable ending.

Well… I probably don’t have much time left either.

With blurred vision, I looked around the desolate surroundings.
Beside me lay the grave of a friend I had buried not long ago.
A few modest flowers trembled atop the uneven mound of dirt.

At least I could choose where I’d die… that was something to be thankful for, I thought faintly as my eyes fluttered.

“Hey, do you know how hard it was for me to find those flowers?”

Of course, talking to a grave wouldn’t get a reply.

“Just wait a little longer. You don’t have any friends but me anyway.”

My malnourished body couldn’t muster any more strength. Without even the chance to hold on to fading consciousness—
I died.

At last, I had found peace.

Hunter ‘Kang Yuha’ has died.
Loading…

Beeeep.

Who knows how long I slept. A piercing ringing sound woke me from a deep slumber, and I frowned.

Wait… didn’t I die?

When I carefully opened my eyes, a bright window floated before me—a system screen I had never seen before.
Its vivid colors glowed, and I read the text inside.

You have achieved an impossible feat.
Title: Last Survivor, Regressor
Reward: Time (5 years)

Wait—what?

I brushed my bangs away and smacked my own cheek.

SMACK!

A stinging pain flared across my face.

I rubbed my burning cheek and looked around.
White walls with framed pictures, a cozy gray blanket on a soft bed, a ticking clock on the desk.
Even the glass of water sitting on the table—just as I remembered it.

My old officetel apartment, the one I lived in right after graduating from college.

Everything was familiar—and yet, it no longer felt ordinary.

As I listened to the steady tick-tock of the clock, I tried to ground myself in reality.
After all I’d been through, the peace felt so unreal—like a dream.

I sat there for a long while before a sudden thought struck me.
I rummaged through my bedcovers frantically.

It’s here…!

I pulled out my phone from under the blanket.
When I tapped the screen, it lit up—battery still remaining.

I quickly unlocked it and pressed the call button.

Ring, ring…

After a few tones, a familiar voice answered.

—“Yuha! What’s gotten into you, calling out of the blue?”

“…Mom.”

—“What’s wrong with your voice? Did something happen?”

“…”

—“Something did happen, didn’t it? You failed an interview again?”

“No… I just wanted to hear your voice.”

—“Oh my, are you sick?”

My throat closed up. I couldn’t reply.
Tears streamed down uncontrollably.

—“That’s it. I’m coming up there today.”

“No, really, I’m fine. I’m not sick.”

—“Fine? My daughter sounds like she’s dying!”

“I’m really fine. You’re busy, remember? I just had a bad dream, that’s all.”

—“You never acted like this, not even when you were five…”

“…”

—“If finding a job is too hard, just come home. Your mom’s still got it! We can open a little café together.”

“There you go again. You don’t even like coffee.”

—“But my Yuha likes it! I can bake cookies instead.”

“Okay, okay. If it gets too hard, I’ll come home. Don’t overwork yourself, okay?”

—“I’m strong as ever! You’re the one having it rough out there. But don’t push yourself too hard, you just graduated. Take it easy.”

“Yeah.”

—“And eat breakfast!”

“I will.”

—“Ah, right! Yuha, I have to head out now.”

“Okay. I’ll call later.”

—“Thanks, honey. Love you~”

When the call ended, I buried my face in my knees.
The words I couldn’t say echoed in my chest.

Mom… I’m sorry. I couldn’t protect you.

I wanted to believe it had all been a nightmare.
But the sting on my cheek and the glowing system screen in front of me screamed otherwise.

Titles: [Last Survivor], [Regressor].

Get a grip.
Everything you went through was real.

The mysterious poison from the Gates had appeared simultaneously across the world.
I learned about it too late—through the news—and by the time I tried calling my mom, she never answered again.

Even when I went to find her, the area was already sealed off. I was turned away multiple times.

Eventually, her name showed up on the casualty list.
I went mad. Refused to believe it. But there was no way to confirm.

Not long after that, I awakened as a Hunter—gaining purification powers.
I didn’t feel joy, only despair.
A power that couldn’t even save my own family? It felt like a curse.

Focus.

If I’ve returned to the past, then there’s still a chance.
And unlike before, I’m already awakened.
This time, things will be different.

I can change it.

How many times had I wished for this?
If only I could go back—just a little…

Those regrets that haunted me every night—
Now, they were my chance.

I jumped off the bed and did what I needed to do.

“…Status window.”

Name: Kang Yuha
Rank: B
Titles: Last Survivor, Regressor
Skills: Physical Enhancement (B), Purification (E)
Note: You have an unclaimed reward.

A reward?

I fiddled with the system, hoping for more details.
Nothing changed. No explanations.

Even waving my hands through the air didn’t help.

Ugh… fine. I’ll check later.

My abilities were the same as right after awakening.
The purification skill was still E-rank—usable maybe once a day.
And Physical Enhancement remained intact.

That one had saved me countless times before.
Just knowing I still had it filled me with hope.

I might only be a B-rank, but no one in this world knows as much as I do.

I unlocked my phone and checked the date.

May 16th.

I couldn’t help but laugh.
Whoever—or whatever—sent me back had a very clear intention.

May 16th, five years ago.
The day I wanted to return to most.
The day forever remembered as the start of tragedy.

“The day S-Rank Hunter Min Hajun—Rank #1—died.”

Now I knew what I had to do.

There was still time.
I got up and headed to the bathroom.
If I was going out, I might as well look presentable.

The person in the mirror looked unfamiliar.
Freshly washed, short black hair brushing my shoulders—
I looked… alive again.

The last time I saw my reflection, my hair was pale white, unevenly chopped with broken glass.

The more I used Purification, the whiter it got.

That skill eventually evolved to B-rank, and it’s probably what kept me alive till the end.

I pushed aside my nostalgia, stepped into the living room, pulled on a black cap, and opened my inventory.

While showering earlier, I noticed something very welcome had followed me back.

Sharp Dagger (S).

I once joined a group led by an S-rank crafting Hunter and saved his life.
He’d reforged this weapon for me as thanks.

Now, it had come back with me.
Should I be grateful… or pity it for another round of suffering?

—“A Gate has opened in the XX District. Citizens are being evacuated…”

The news blared from the TV.

Time to move.

I stood atop a tall building, the wind whipping my hair.
Below, chaos.
Officials directing traffic, citizens running in panic.

Min Hajun hadn’t arrived yet.

I opened my phone and checked the live feeds.

#XXDistrictSituation

“Holy crap, was shopping and nearly got killed. Total panic here.”
└ “Why are you typing? RUN.”
└ “fr.”
“When’s the last time a Gate appeared with zero warning? What’s the Hunter Association doing lol”
└ “Guess B-ranks aren’t even worth their attention anymore~”
└ “Hunter Association’s lost it lately.”
└ “They get all our taxes and can’t do one thing right smh.”

“Swear I just saw M.H.J.”
└ “Liar, he’s at a raid down south today.”
└ “Yeah right, it’s only a B-rank Gate, why would Min Hajun come here?”

Finally—what I was looking for.

Exactly. Why wasn’t he down south today?

Pulling my cap lower, I leapt silently into a nearby alley.
The ground rushed up fast.

“Physical Enhancement.”

At the right moment, I kicked off a wall, slowing my descent until I landed softly.
Brute-force as it was, Physical Enhancement was incredibly versatile when used right.

Thankfully, my muscle memory remained intact.
My body felt sluggish, but manageable.

I blended into the crowd, moving quietly.

“Please don’t push!”
“Follow the Hunters’ instructions!”

Civil servant Choi Min-sik of the Hunter Association sighed.
Of course an incident had to happen on his day off.

Just my luck.

He had planned a perfect lazy weekend. So much for that.
The thought of his ice-cold beer waiting in the freezer only made him angrier.

A B-rank Gate, really? Overkill.
Does the detection team even do their job? They’re paid a fortune…

While muttering internally, he kept guiding civilians away—
until he noticed a woman walking against the evacuation route.

Is she panicking?

“Miss! You can’t go that way!”

He shouted, sprinting toward her.
If a civilian got caught in the Gate zone, he’d be written up for sure.

“Hey! Wait!”

No matter how loudly he yelled, the woman didn’t turn.
No one else even seemed to notice her.

And she was fast.

Why’s she so fast?

He pushed harder, even using a small speed buff to catch her—and finally grabbed her arm.

“It’s dangerous that way! Please evacuate—”

The woman turned to look at him.
Her eyes were calm. No fear. No panic.

…Weird.

Her face was shadowed by a cap, but the pressure he felt from her gaze made his grip falter.

“You’re pretty good,” she said quietly.

“Huh?”

And then—she was gone.
In a blink.

He froze.

What the… ghost?!

Working for the Hunter Association, he knew every ranked face in the country.
But hers? He didn’t recognize it.

And someone like that—he’d remember.

Should I… report this?

But that would mean paperwork.
And questions.
And responsibility.

So Choi Min-sik just stood there, dazed in the middle of the street.

End of Chapter 1: The End and the Beginning (1)