It was late evening. The sun had already set, and the faint redness spread across the sky was slowly melting into darkness.
I reached my flat room with a bouquet full of flowers in my hand. There was a strange nervousness in my heart— but along with it, there was hope too, carried with a peaceful smile.
Seeing my ability, all hunters called me "Charger."
And I used the same name myself.
I opened the door— and at that very moment, my entire world shattered.
I saw her… in the arms of my best friend.
Eve and Necros— both were sleeping peacefully, without a single worry.
I had never imagined that I would receive such betrayal.
That single scene broke something inside me, something that could never be repaired.
At that moment, my mind slipped like sand— and fell straight into a burning fire.
I was completely broken. I said nothing. Made no noise. Asked no questions.
Silently, I placed the bouquet of flowers on the nearby table. Then, without making a sound, I walked out of the room with slow steps.
There were tears in my eyes— but they did not fall.
I just kept walking.
"I can't even wake them up and do anything."
Because now both of them had become S-Rank hunters.
And the truth was—
"For the past three years, I was the one who gave Eve my mental power. I was the one who helped her reach S-Rank."
And me?
"I was still just an E-Rank."
I was the most unique hunter in this world.
"Every day, I could give my mental power to someone and help them reach S-Rank within just a few years."
But myself— I could never rise above E-Rank.
Nor could I win any real battle.
"My power was to lift others up, not myself."
To put it simply—
"I was less of a hunter, and more of a Charger."
Someone who gave power to others— and was always empty himself.
From that evening onward, I was completely changed.
"I know, both of them can kill me very easily."
Consumed by betrayal, I was sitting on an old bench at the railway station.
A place where I should never have been at that time.
If I had known earlier that this would cost me my life— I would have never even touched Eve.
Then— the air suddenly grew heavy.
Necros's presence appeared before me along with the wind.
His laughter clearly reflected my death.
Necros was my best friend. And his wind-control magic was exceptional.
He stretched out his right hand, and I was pulled toward him. He grabbed my throat— his grip was deadly.
I struggled to break free, but that strength…
was inhuman. Then he violently slammed me onto the rocky ground near the train tracks. The pain felt as if my ribs had broken.
Groaning, staggering,
I somehow managed to stand up.
And then, from behind, Eve pushed me.
I fell onto the railway tracks. That same beauty— whom I loved the most. And whom I trusted the most. A high-speed train was rushing toward me. But there was no fear in my eyes. Only regret.
I looked at the roaring train
and said in my heart— "So this is the end."
Then a voice echoed in my ears— icy, cold, and cruel. Filled with contempt.
"Now you're just a worthless Charger to me."
"You're not worthy of a princess like me. Go— die under it."
The train horn roared.
That was the last sound I heard with human ears.
With a scream, blood splashed into the air— and the train passed.
My body was completely destroyed. This was the moment
when, after my heartbeat stopped, old memories surged through my mind for six minutes—
our time together…
laughing together…
trusting each other…
But that voice was still echoing in my head.
"Maybe… I'm dying."
And then— silence.
I found myself standing beneath a sky filled with shining stars.
Filled with infinite peace, as pure as water.
I looked at my hands in fear. Shook my body.
No pain. No suffering. Only calm.
Then someone appeared before me. A white-haired spirit.
Just its presence made the entire atmosphere feel heavy.
"Three billion years have passed— finally, someone has come," it said.
In that star-filled void, we stood face to face.
That white-haired spirit, its face calm,
but its eyes held such depth as if it had seen countless worlds being born and destroyed.
It looked at me deeply.
"You are dead."
Its voice was neither heavy nor light— it was like the final truth itself.
I said nothing.
Then it continued— "But your story is not over yet."
For the first time, I looked into its eyes.
"Why?"
My voice sounded unfamiliar even to me.
It smiled faintly. "Because this world is about to be destroyed."
Something inside me stirred.
"A threat is coming to this world that no one will be able to fight."
"The gods have fallen. The heroes are broken.
And hunters— are merely pawns."
I clenched my fist.
"And me?"
Its gaze fixed directly on my soul.
"You are an exception."
"You do not possess power, but you give birth to power."
"You are not a warrior, but one who gives direction to war."
My lips trembled.
"Then what do you want from me?"
Without hesitation, it said— "I can give you my body."
My eyes widened.
"This body is not immortal," it said.
"But it surpasses the limits of this world's power." It extended its hand.
"In return—"
Its voice hardened.
"You must fight the threat coming to this world."
"You must protect this world."
For a moment, everything went silent.
I looked within myself— betrayal, humiliation, death.
And that voice— worthless Charger.
I lifted my head.
"What if I refuse?"
Without changing expression, it replied— "Then you will disappear here."
"And this world?"
"One day, it will burn."
I laughed— a broken, hollow laugh.
"So I have no choice."
It nodded.
I took a deep breath.
"If I take this body," I said,
"can I take revenge?"
For the first time, a light appeared in its eyes.
"If you survive,"
it said, "then yes."
My fist tightened.
"Then listen," I said, "I will save this world."
"But if those two come in my way—"
My voice turned cold.
"I will not spare them either."
A moment of silence.
Then— "Agreed."
It placed its finger on my forehead.
A sharp burning pain surged in my eyes. The world shattered.
My soul began to burn. Fire flowed all around.
"Endure the pain,"
its voice echoed,
"because this is the price of rebirth."
I screamed.
And in that instant—
everything sank into darkness.
After some time, my eyes opened.
"Darkness."
I stretched my right hand forward.
Wood cracked.
And light poured in.
Then I realized— I was sealed inside a wooden box.
A coffin.
I tore it apart with my hands as if it were paper, and stepped out. I was standing on the peak of a high mountain.
Before me spread a dense forest. Moonlight stood guard.
The night wind screamed as if it recognized me.
I looked at my hands. "My power."
Beyond imagination— real.
A terrifying power was flowing through my veins.
Realizing this,
I shouted— "If I've been given a new life,
then I will take revenge."
"And I will ask her— why?"
"Why did she do this?
Just because I was a simple, ordinary human?" My fist clenched.
The coffin behind me shattered and flew away from the shock of my magical power.
"This time, I will not die quietly."
I opened my magical status screen, and what I saw left me completely shocked.
Level 11…?
How was this possible?
Multiple questions rose in my mind at the same time.
Until now, I had never been able to raise my magic beyond Level 9—
and because of that, I could never reach D-Rank.
Magic — Level 11
Speed — Level 10
Stamina — Level 10
I slowly raised my hand and focused my mental power on my magic.
The very next moment, the flow of magic became clearly visible from my hand.
It felt like a dream to me.
At that very moment, I made a decision—
first, I would test my power.
In the midst of all this, a scream echoed from deep within the forest.
It was the voice of a human girl— crying out for help.
For a moment, a thought crossed my mind—
"How can a human come into this dense forest?"
But the very next instant, another thought surfaced—
"If I can exist here, then why can't someone else?"
Besides, this was a perfect opportunity to test my power.
But then another thought surfaced in my mind— "I don't even have a weapon. I won't be able to do much, even if I'm now standing at the threshold of D-Rank."
Still, in the end, I decided to go and check anyway.
"Anyway, I don't have any special knowledge of this forest, and I need to get out of here too."