Chapter 3

As Sung Jihoon rose from the hospital bed, his body felt lighter, rejuvenated. He quickly changed into something more casual, ready to leave. Just as he reached for the door, he bumped into a nurse who had been assigned to him.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Didn't see you there," he said, extending his hand to help her up.

The nurse, momentarily startled, blinked in confusion. Is this really the same man who was on the brink of death yesterday after being hit by a car? she thought, studying him in disbelief. But then another thought crossed her mind. Maybe he has a healing-related trait...

Jihoon noticed her hesitation and quizzical look but brushed it off as she quickly scrambled to her feet, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry!" she stammered, bowing slightly.

"No worries," Jihoon replied casually, giving her a small nod before continuing toward the exit.

As he stepped out of the hospital, he stretched his arms wide, his eyes drinking in the clear blue skies. It had been so long since he'd last seen them without the haze of destruction. "It's nice," he muttered under his breath, a rare moment of peace settling over him.

His eyes scanned the road, and he hailed a taxi. The familiar streets, the mundane hum of life, everything was still untouched by the horrors that were to come. Two years. He only had two years before the portals to the Nether Realm would open and unleash devastation upon the world.

When the taxi pulled up in front of his shabby apartment, he stepped out and smiled faintly. "Still as rundown as ever," he said to himself. "But there's no place like home."

Once inside, he cleaned up the mess he had left behind before ordering something essential: a Nether Realm Connector. This device was vital—a virtual machine that allowed those with talents to enter the Nether Realm. It came with features like pain reduction, a necessity when facing the brutal creatures of that realm.

I have to get stronger, he thought, his expression hardening. The future might not repeat itself, but I can't take any chances.

The device arrived swiftly. He wasted no time setting it up, eager to start his journey. Sliding into the machine, he initiated the connection to the Nether Realm. His vision blurred, and a cold, metallic voice from the system greeted him.

[Welcome to the Nether Realm. Please customize your avatar.]

Jihoon scoffed. Character customization? He knew this was pointless. In the end, no matter how beautiful or muscular your avatar looked, when the end days arrived, the real world would demand your true body. The virtual guise was just a distraction.

With little interest in aesthetics, he simply changed his in-game name and added a mask to hide his identity. The less people knew about him, the better. Especially once the chaos began.

[Customization complete. Logging you into the Bronze League, Floor One: Tutorial Zone.]

As the familiar sights of the Nether Realm materialized before him, Jihoon clenched his fists. This was where it all began. The future was still uncertain, but this time, he was determined to change it. And anyone—or anything—standing in his way would fall.

 As Sung Jihoon stepped into the Nether Realm Connector, the hum of the machine enveloped him, and his world began to dissolve. The familiar dim room of his apartment faded, replaced by a vast, swirling darkness. A moment later, a soft metallic voice echoed in his ears.

[Welcome to the Nether Realm. Please customize your avatar.]

He glanced at the avatar screen and clicked through it almost dismissively. Customizing looks or body types wouldn't matter in the slightest. During the end days, there would be no avatars—just raw survival. Instead, he focused on two things: a masked identity and a simple name change. No need to attract attention.

Username: Raven.

With that, he proceeded.

[Customization complete. Logging you into the Bronze League, Floor One: Tutorial Zone.]

Suddenly, the darkness gave way to an entirely different world. The Tutorial Zone stretched out before him—a sprawling, desolate landscape of ruined buildings and shadowy forests. Even though this was just the starting area for beginners, the oppressive atmosphere already carried an ominous weight.

Jihoon exhaled slowly. He had been here before. Ten years ago, he had stumbled through these early stages of the Nether Realm, barely surviving, clueless about what awaited him. But this time, things were different.

I know exactly what's coming.

He activated the Dual Window trait. The twin status screens flashed before his eyes, giving him access to both the regular player interface and his new, mysterious system. His gaze lingered on the second window. Inventory, Weapons, Potions, Skills, Authorities… and, most intriguing of all, Traits and Authorities that shouldn't have been accessible at this level. Authorities were normally reserved for those in the highest echelons—those who had formed pacts with gods or constellations. Yet, here they were, listed in his interface.

Something's definitely not right with this system, he thought. But that wasn't a complaint. If anything, it was a gift. A glitch or a blessing—he didn't care.

"Let's see what I can do now," he muttered, pulling up his first Authority.

[Authority: Wrath of the Forgotten]

[Effect: Temporary power boost based on accumulated hatred toward higher beings. Duration: 3 minutes.]

A slow, dangerous grin spread across his face. This is perfect.

He didn't have time to dwell on the oddity of his system, though. The tutorial had begun, and he could already hear the distant growls of creatures emerging from the shadows. Lesser Nether Beasts—low-level monsters designed to teach new players how to survive. But Jihoon knew that underestimating them would be fatal, especially if they swarmed.

From the corner of his eye, he spotted a group of players cautiously advancing through the ruins, nervously gripping their weapons. He watched them for a moment, their fear palpable.

That was me once, he thought, eyes narrowing. Not anymore.

Instead of joining the group, he moved silently to the opposite side, toward the deeper shadows of the forest. He didn't need to rely on anyone. His plan was simple—get stronger, fast. He would hunt every creature in sight, farm the points he needed, and boost his stats until no one could stop him.

As he entered the forest, the familiar snapping of branches caught his attention. A pair of glowing eyes stared at him from the underbrush. It was a Feral Wolf—larger than an average dog, its fangs dripping with venom, its fur bristling in preparation for an attack. In the past, this creature would have sent him into a panic. Now, it was little more than practice.

"Come on," Jihoon whispered, raising his dagger.

The wolf lunged, fast and vicious. But Jihoon was faster. He sidestepped effortlessly, his blade slashing through the creature's neck with precision. The wolf collapsed before it even realized what had happened, blood pooling at its feet.

[+50 Achievement Points]

The system notification chimed in, but Jihoon's focus remained sharp. There would be more. He needed to kill as many as possible.

As the forest grew darker, the number of monsters increased, each one falling swiftly under his blade. Feral Wolves, Venomous Crawlers, even a couple of low-level Nether Ghouls. His skills were sharper than ever, his movements fluid, a product of ten years of experience in this hellish game.

And then, a new message appeared.

[Achievement Unlocked: 100 Consecutive Kills]

[Reward: Special Attribute – Life Steal (Passive)]

Jihoon's eyes widened. Life Steal? He hadn't seen this reward in his first playthrough. This was something entirely new, and incredibly rare, especially for the Bronze League. With every hit, he would now regenerate a portion of his health. It was an ability that only high-level players dreamed of, and here he was, gaining it in the tutorial zone.

The rules of the game were clearly bending in his favor.

Just as he was about to head deeper into the forest, a new, unexpected system message flashed before him.

[System Announcement: A Hidden Boss has appeared in the Bronze League Tutorial Zone.]

His heart raced. A Hidden Boss in the tutorial? That wasn't supposed to happen.

[Boss: Ironclad Demon – Rank: D-]

Jihoon's blood surged with excitement. He wasn't supposed to encounter bosses until much later, but the system was giving him a shot at something far beyond a normal challenge.

A challenge he welcomed with open arms.

"Perfect," Jihoon whispered to himself, his grin widening. "Time to see what this system is really capable of."

With his blade in hand and his new passive ability, he strode forward into the depths of the forest, heading straight for the boss's location. This wasn't about survival anymore.

It was about domination.