Kim knew the fight was over when he met the eyes of the titanic monstrosity looming in front of him. He stood atop a jagged, charred cliff, which looked over a gigantic crater. The remnant of a meteor from the last Great Event.
He gripped his blade, which was stained with the blood of the thousands of monsters he'd killed during the beast wave. His fingers trembled as he glared defiantly at the six-eyed, six-legged spider-like titan from atop the final wall.
[Hellbringer Spider (Titan - SSS+) - Level 2873]
This was supposed to be humanity's last stand, but he was the only human left alive. Everyone else had died in battles prior. They hadn't even reached the spider—and the spider itself wasn't even the final boss.
In fact, they hadn't reached it for 999 regressions. Every single time Kim used the clock-shaped [Regression Relic], the same outcome emerged, no matter what he did. Humanity was never meant to be the victor.
The spider chittered and warbled. Its scratchy voice echoed throughout the empty halls of the Legion's Bastion, humanity's final resting place. Kim gulped as he stared at the creature. Even after fighting it more than 100 times, he didn't want to charge at it, knowing that he was going to die.
He was going to have to, anyway.
Using [Appraisal], he surveyed himself one last time.
[Kim Snow (Human - SSS) - Level 2431]
Underleveled as fuck, like always. Right… let's do this, then.
Kim didn't let out a war cry or a roar, as he did during the first couple times he fought this thing. Instead, he brought his blade back, executing his Sword Arts perfectly. The blade gleamed, catching the sunlight, which set it ablaze.
Golden flames curled around the blade as Kim shot forward, a blurred missile in front of the looming titan. He brought the flaring blade up. Then he slashed downward, cleaving away a good bit of the lower valley.
He'd barely grazed the spider, though. It focused its eyes on Kim, filling them with mana. It surged forward, moving at speeds unfitting of a creature that large. Threads of serrated silk raced toward Kim's direction. He twisted his blade in a crescent arc, slashing through the threads.
But they still passed by, slamming into his legs and sticking there.
Shit!
He grit his teeth, rolling to the right as the spider clacked its mandibles and brought one of its legs down, drilling a deep hole into the ground. Smoke filled the air, hiding Kim.
I need to use another Sword Art! The thought rang in Kim's mind like an alarm. He brought his blade back, chanting under his breath. Mana surged through his body, filling him with insurmountable power.
Power that he knew wasn't enough.
The spider opened its jaws, sucking in so much mana that Kim bet it could summon a hurricane if released. Fighting through the chaotic winds and even more chaotic mana, Kim released the final chant.
"[Silent Winds]."
The blade flashed through the air without a sound. It was invisible. But it still cut through one of the spider's legs. Trying to leverage the chance and hold onto the futile hope that he could still win, Kim began to chant even more.
"[Radiant Slash]. [Tornado Blade]."
The light of the sun spilled into Kim's burning blade, as he brought down the essence of pure light. An elegantly chaotic explosion of flames blasted outward from the spider, mixing with the undulating winds.
But it was unaffected.
Groaning at his sudden loss of mana, Kim attempted to use the last thing he could. His [Territory]. It wasn't complete, and he hadn't been able to get it off before, but maybe could now—
Squelch!
"W-when did…" His eyes grew wide as he stared at a thread, stuck through his chest. Blood pooled around his clothes as he fell to his knees, staring up at the monster, who seemed to be cackling.
He clasped his fists tightly, overcome by rage. He brought his blade to the left in one desperate gamble, cleanly slicing off another one of the creature's legs. He'd gotten two this time! Now, if he could only get a third…
The last thing he saw before succumbing to darkness was the sight of his own decapitated body through his bloodshot eyes.
[Regression Relic Activated!] (Use 1000/1000)
[Warning: This is your final regression.]
[Use it well, Kim Snow.]
***
The instant Kim could feel his own body again, he sharply raised his hands, curling them downward in a defensive position.
As if on cue, a fist came barreling in his direction. Kim shifted back, blowing his long jet-black hair out of his face before catching the attacking fist and twisting it until he heard a sudden snap. He then stepped backward, surveying the situation.
It was bothersome that the [Regression Relic] brought him back to this exact time, when the old him was getting bullied by a group of gang members.
He was in a dark alleyway that smelled of rat piss, where the only source of light was a shattered lamp next to a sketchy first-floor apartment. In front of him were four men.
One of them had keeled over. He was clutching his broken arm, holding back a scream.
Before the others could even speak, Kim dashed forward, using his fists like battering rams to knock them all unconscious. They all thumped to the ground. Kim kicked them into a pile, groaning.
There would be repercussions from the relic for a month or two that he'd have to deal with. But the pain wasn't too bad.
I don't want to have to deal with that… anyway, this is good. Leaning over, Kim snatched a coat from one of the bigger guys—it was a black woolen overcoat, with the threads fraying in places. He also took a cigarette along with a lighter, pocketing the two items. Just because the apocalypse hasn't arrived doesn't mean the game hasn't begun. If I want things to be different this time, I can't waste even a second.
These guys are assets. At least one of them will gain the title of [Inferior Demon Lord], and I need that for one of the later bosses.
So I have to have them chase me.
Kim's mind was already working in overdrive from the start. Quickly, he slung the coat over himself and left the alleyway, rummaging through his tattered jeans and pulling out a pair of sunglasses.
He walked onto the sidewalk, blending into the bustling crowd.
New York's aroma was the same as in every prior regression; comfortable and homely—at least to him. Nostalgia rushed through Kim's mind for the thousandth time, stronger now, because he knew it would be the last.
He recognized not just the towering buildings, but everything around him. He'd redone everything enough to know exactly who was in the crowd, and what they would accomplish during the apocalypse.
Escaping the sounds of the street, Kim took a left at the block in front of him, approaching a Starbucks. The door jangled as he pushed it open.
At the counter was a girl. She had black hair just like Kim, a short stature, and gray eyes. She wore a patterned scarf and a thick coat, with an apron over it.
She was also Kim's sister.
"Oi!" Kim waved his hand. "Amara!"
The girl glanced up. Her face lit up like a lightbulb as soon as she saw Kim. "Brother!" She glanced back, checking the time. "Boss, I'm clocking out!" She called back.
"Alright." The faint, muffled voice of a man sounded from the back of the shop.
Amara took off her apron, running toward Kim. She widened her arms.
Kim looked down at her, and then sighed. He hugged her, and then patted her head. He smiled softly. Both him and Amara were orphans. Their parents had died in a freak accident overseas years ago.
She was younger, and he was older. So he acted as a quasi-father figure.
Kim tightened his grip for a moment, narrowing his eyes. The scene of Amara being swallowed whole by the [Shadow Titanoboa] was fresh in his mind. He could practically hear her screams, and feel her horror.
I won't let that happen again, he thought. Never.
As of right now, they needed to get to a safe place.
Because the apocalypse would begin in three hours.
***
Five minutes to the start of the apocalypse.
"Why'd you bring me here?" Amara asked, sucking on a lollipop.
"What, you don't like it?" Kim asked as they opened the creaky door on the rooftop of their apartment building.
She shook her head. "Nah, you just haven't brought me here for a while. It's, uh… huh. Can't put it into words."
Kim chuckled, walking over to the edge of the rooftop. He sat on it, slinging his feet over the side.
He then patted the spot to his side.
"Join up, what're you doing back there?"
Hesitantly, Amara walked over, sitting next to Kim. They both stared at the sprawling city in front of them with soft eyes. Kim knew that to Amara, it was a mix of bad and good memories. But to him, it was a wasteland.
Most of it would be destroyed.
Time was ticking away. The angels would appear any second now.
Kim thought he'd tried every path, but during the last few regressions, he'd focused himself on a new goal. Instead of blindly brute-forcing each of the Great Events, he had to formulate a strategy. And now, he'd come up with a final grand plan.
A way for him to build his own team—of the most talented beings in the entire universe—and show those blasted gods what he could accomplish.
This regression was the last. But this regression would lead to his victory. He swore it.
And the first call of action?
He needed to break the system's borders and leave their current region. New York didn't have any true talents except for him. But New Jersey, on the other hand, had someone who was of great interest to him, and to the gods and great clans.
Hong Shou, the [Arcane Occultist]. If he was going to summon an outer god and bond with it like he'd planned, he needed Hong Shou in his cohort.
"Amara?" Kim asked, looking up at the sky expectantly.
"Yeah?" She replied back.
"We've got to stay together, no matter what happens, alright?"
"Huh… why are you getting so sentimental? Brother?"
Kim said nothing. His mind was on another task.
In a few seconds, he would be pulled into the introduction. Specifically, there would be an angel introducing everything to him. Which could only mean one thing.
I'm gonna recruit an angel.
[DING!]
[... Initializing …]
[Welcome, Kim Snow! You have entered the greater multiverse. After a short introduction, you will be sent to the 1st Great Event!]
[Great Event #0 In Progress - Introduction]