Regression

13 months after the Dungeon Break.

Alex has been living in a large hole in the middle of the desert.

'How long has it even been? I can't even move properly...' Alex thought as he struggled to get up on his feet.

A scorpion stood in front of him.

As Alex lowered his body to grab it, his knees gave out and he fell to the ground.

'Shit... I don't even have the strength to catch those...'

[Warning!]

[Famished state still ongoing.]

'Yeah... I know...'

Alex didn't feel any hunger anymore.

The pain that he used to feel because of the strong hunger was long gone.

'I guess my body... is prepared to go...'

Alex struggled to turn his body in order to face the hole in the ceiling.

It was a clear beautiful day.

'I wonder... if there are still monsters outside...'

His blinking became slower and slower, as if he was about to fall asleep.

'I wish I wasn't alone...'

He closed his eyes.

'I wish I had gone to the store sooner... That's probably where the gate was anyways...'

But he did not think long about it.

After all, he had already spent months thinking about it.

Suddenly, something made him open his eyes.

[You are the only Human left on Earth.]

His eyes widened and his throat twitched.

What started as a weak chuckled became uncontrolled laughter.

What started as uncontrolled laughter quickly became light crying.

And what started as light crying became a tornado of tears and screams.

[The Deities are unimpressed by Earth's performance.]

'Deities? You mean Gods did this?' Alex could only think, as he did not have the strength to talk.

[The Deities shall give once chance to Earth before going to a new world.]

'A chance? What do you...'

[The Deities require a sacrifice.]

'Huh?'

[Present your sacrifice.]

'A sacrifice? What can I give them?' Alex thought as he sat up.

He looked around him but found nothing.

His eyes teared up as his only chance was slipping through his fingers.

There was a scorpion, but he did not even have the strength to catch it.

'A sacrifice... I need to give something... Something that is mine... Something... That is dear to me...'

Indeed, gods have always asked for sacrifices.

Sacrificing one's food during winter by burning it, sacrificing one's son, sacrificing one's only means of survival.

The more you want something, the more the gods want you to turn it down, reject it and sacrifice it.

But Alex did not have anything.

He did not have anything to give, except...

"St..St-...Store..." Alex struggled to say as his throat burnt.

A panel of Items appeared in front of him.

He selected one of those Items.

'I need to...'

As one might expect, after more than a year of solitary confinement and malnutrition, his psychological state was as far from healthy as one could be.

A dagger made of iron appeared in his hand.

The tip of the blade touched his abdomen.

A tear of blood.

"M-My life."

He said as he inserted the blade inside his abdomen.

Excruciating pain followed, but he grabbed the blade even tighter as he sliced his belly from left to right.

Alex's head hit the ground.

'Shit... Did I mess even this up...'

A weak smile appeared on his face as the light in his eyes faded.

...

An unknown amount of time passed.

Alex opened his eyes.

He was lying on the ground.

Alex raised his hands towards his face.

'I'm... alive?'

He stood up before noticing that everything around him was pitch black.

'Where am I?'

Alex raised his gaze.

A clock made of blue light was in the air.

It was turning extremely quickly.

Alex's eyes widened.

'It's turning... backwards?'

Floating words appeared.

[Check your Status Window.]

"Status... Window!" Alex said, surprised that his throat did not hurt.

[Stats have been reset.]

[Experience Points have been reset.]

[Level has been reset.]

[Titles have been reset.]

[Most Skills have been reset.]

[ Name: Alex

Species & level : Human Lv1(0/40exp)

Gold: 0

HP: 90/90

Endurance: 45/45

Stats: Strength: 8

Agility: 9

Sense: 11

Vigor & Endurance: 9

Unused Stat Points: 0

Skills: Sacrificial Regression.

Titles: (None)

]

'Reset? Wait... Sacrificial...?'

"What's that Skill?" Alex asked, still not used to talking.

[Skill: Sacrificial Regression.

In exchange for your life and everything you have gained during it, you shall be given another one.

By sacrificing your own life, you shall regress to a certain point in time.

]

"Regress? You mean...?"

The clock stopped turning, Alex blinked.

The next instant, he found himself in a place he had long forgotten.

"It's your turn. Why are you looking at me like this for?" A young man asked.

"Where am I?" Alex asked.

"What? HAHAHA DID YOU DRINK TOO MUCH ALREADY?" The young man shouted while laughing so hard he had to catch his breath.

Alex looked around.

He was in a pool lounge.

'Oh. I might have come here twice or something. It feels like it was such a long time ago...'

Alex left the place without saying a word.

"What's wrong with him?" The young man asked as he continued playing.

As he got to the street, Alex looked at the buildings, the people and the cars.

He remembered where he was, but...

'This isn't the day I left my building. It's not the day of the Dungeon Break...'

He touched his pocket and took his phone out.

'January 17th? That doesn't help...'

Alex walked towards his house.

He had trouble remembering which road to take, but his body guided him.

Once he got home, Alex locked the door and went into his bedroom.

He peeked through his window and tears starting flowing down his face.

No giant plants, no monsters and lots of people.

'It's so different... But it's the same place.'

"I really went back in time..." He muttered.

"Oh. Status Window?"

As he had hoped, it appeared in front of him.

"Um...? System...? How long until the Dungeon Break?"

[Dungeon Break will start in 2 days, 23 hours, 24 minutes and 23 seconds.]