The dungeon was dark, far too dark for a mere C-rank dungeon. But then again, this wasn't just any ordinary dungeon.
"Hey... are you sure you can see? It's so dark..." Elena clung tightly to my arm.
It was darker than night in here. Once you noticed that, you'd realize right away that a C-rank dungeon shouldn't be able to create this kind of darkness.
It was a skill.
Of course, such a thing didn't affect me. I had Wukong's Eyes. Well... a duplicate version of them, at least. And I have Eyes of The Stars which allows me to see through everything.
As we kept walking, my gaze fell on the entrance of another dungeon, hidden within this one.
At this point in time, the Hunter Association would soon discover the existence of a dungeon within a dungeon. Fortunately, it was only B-rank. Even alone, I could easily subjugate the dungeon.
The only real challenge would be keeping Elena safe while I cleared the entire horde waiting beyond the gate.
My eyes shifted to her. She was still clutching onto my sleeve so tightly I was surprised it hadn't ripped yet.
"Jinhyuk-ssi... don't you dare think of running away, okay?" she said again.
"Hold my hand. It's easier." I sighed, taking her tiny hand and wrapping it with mine.
It would be easier to protect her like this than to let her hang onto me like a charm.
Just as we reached the border between the two dungeons, a whiff of blood hit my nose. So thick and so metallic like it punched you in the face.
A bloodbath had already occurred.
I'd seen people enter earlier. If my eyes hadn't failed me and if no changes occur in this try, it was the Baekhwa Guild people. They're the ones always in charge of the subjugation of this dungeon.
It was the same in nearly every timeline I'd gone back to. Baekhwa's vice president, Hunter Chiyeon, always died here. And not long after, the guild leader followed.
Officially, the public was told Jiyeon died from shock after Chiyeon's death, but that was what they wanted the public to know. In fact, she actually died from a curse.
Ever since, the guild had slowly rotted away, until Hunter Hyein took over, turning it into an assassin guild.
She had been a good ally in my previous life. Her guild handled all kinds of dirty work for me. I didn't have time to deal with corruption, I was too busy trying to stop the world from ending.
Looks like this timeline won't be any different.
I grimace at that thought, "No..." Elena mumbled to herself, staring at something in front of her. Judging from her expression, it had to be her status window.
Almost immediately, she bolted off in one direction.
How she could even see was beyond me. No hunter below B-rank should be able to pierce this kind of darkness. But somehow... she could.
I groaned and chased after her, making sure she didn't get hurt. But to my surprise, not a single monster appeared. Is she just lucky?
We kept running and running through the maze of darkness until, finally, a blinding light greeted us.
On the other side was a verdant field, painted red. Only two people were still fighting for their lives. The rest of the humans had already been devoured, their bodies discarded like scraps the monsters didn't care to finish.
A bloodbath.
If you weren't used to gore, if you weren't numb to the stench of blood and guts, you'd freeze here. Tremble. Collapse in fear.
But Elena turned to me, eyes desperate. "You have to save them!" she screamed.
I didn't particularly care about those people. They always died in the previous timelines anyway. That was the fate of their lives, and ai can't always save everyone.
Once or twice, I've tried. But what's the point? Hunters are always prepared to die at any moment once they enter the dungeon. Even myself. I've died countless of times, despite being the strongest hunter in this world.
I stopped caring who lives and who dies, as long as this world continues to live. As long as I save the world.
Sometimes, I wonder if it's worth it to continue this. Why must I be the one to save the world? Just because I have a regression skill?
I was momentarily lost in useless thoughts and shook my head out of it.
"Why should I?" I asked flatly.
"Jinhyuk-ssi!"
"Alright," I muttered. "But don't get in my way."
『 You have made a decision. 』
『 Mission: Prevent a dungeon break and defeat all the monsters. 』
『 Reward will be adjusted accordingly. 』
A mission?
Something like that has never appeared in any of my previous regressions.
Then what changed this time?
I turned my head slightly toward Seo Elena, but before I could speak, the ground trembled beneath us.
From beyond the darkness, countless lower-ranked monsters surged forward, crawling over corpses, their red eyes gleaming with hunger.
I stopped mid-stride.
There was... something.
The sensation was unmistakable. A presence far beyond this dungeon's designated rank.
No, this was the aura of an S-rank monster.
But the system remained silent. Not a single alert. Even the constellations were quiet.
"...Tch."
I clicked my tongue, my blade moving almost on instinct.
The monsters nearest to me were sliced apart as though time itself had slowed, their bodies falling before they could even scream.
Thanks to my title, Last Survivor, their defenses weakened the moment they faced me.
Against hordes like this, the effect was overwhelming. It really sped things up.
Of course, the downside was that it only worked on groups. So right now was the perfect situation.
"Where is your leader?" I asked, activating the skill Beast Tongue.
The ability allowed communication with dungeon creatures, and even interpreted unknown modern languages.
Obtaining this skill had nearly cost me my life.
And considering how things usually unfolded... I would likely have to face that beast again in this timeline.
If I survived long enough, that is.
"Kill intruder. Must kill."
Same response. Regardless of the timeline, regardless of which monster I asked. They always said that. And I was certain they were connected to it.
Eliminating them was simple though. Too simple, my body moved out of habit, cutting them down without effort until I heard Elena scream from behind.
I turned sharply. She was on the ground, a monster's claws already descending toward her.
"Tch—!"
I rushed in, cutting through the monsters in a single breath. Their bodies disintegrated into nothingness.
"Are you hurt?!" My voice came out harsher than intended. Her shoulders shook with a face as white as a ghost.
"I told you not to get in my way. What are you doing?!"
But instead of answering, her gaze shifted to a girl nearby, barely alive, bloodied.
Despite being so fragile and weak, Elena ran forward to save the girl.
If it weren't for her, I would have left them be. But... in this lifetime, I'll help. I have a mission now, after all.
By the time Elena reached Hunter Chiyeon, she placed both hands over her body and closed her eyes.
A faint green light began to spill out from her palms.
A healer's skill. Though, according to her status, she was only a low-ranked one. At that level, her healing should barely mend light scratches.
That's what I believed.
Yet Chiyeon's wounds began closing rapidly, too rapidly. Even her severed finger regenerated as though time itself was rewinding.
That kind of healing... only high-ranking healers could perform such a feat.
But when I checked Elena's status again, there was no discrepancy. Her rank had only risen to D. And yet she was capable of this.
"...What is this?"
My eyes. They have never lied to me. Not even once. Not even against them.
So why, why did reality not match what I was seeing?
Could it be...?