The air reeked of rot—thick and heavy, like molten lead. Yeon Woo walked slowly, each step echoing with a hollow thud in the void of the gate. Everything inside was distorted: barkless trees twisted like living things, the ground cracked beneath his feet, oozing sticky black sludge. This place was wrong, like a badly stitched dream.
He wasn't in a hurry. After the battle with the elite monster, his remaining stamina demanded recovery. Deep in his mind, a cautious voice ticked: "You're not eternal. You're a regressor, not a god. Caution is more valuable than speed." Yeon Woo knew that too well. His first downfall in a past life had come from haste and overconfidence.
With a familiar motion, he opened his profile mid-stride:
Name: Yeon Woo
Level: 13
Health: 92%
Stamina: 76%
Active Skills: "Moonblade Dance" (Lv. 7), "Regeneration" (Lv. 5), "Heightened Perception" (Lv. 3), "Blooming" (2nd Cycle)
Passive Skills: "Steel Instinct" (Lv. 4), "Greed" (Lv. 1)
Unique Traits: Regressor (2nd Cycle)
Blooming... He felt its power deep within—a latent bud, ready to burst into growth at any second. But for now, it lay dormant: Blooming demanded emotional ignition, and Yeon Woo was storing it inside himself like a final weapon.
The shadows thickened. Something heavy shifted to his right. Yeon Woo stopped and listened.
Silence.
And in this place, silence was the worst omen.
He slowly drew his sword.
Without rushing, he pressed on, soon arriving before a ruined structure, more shrine than building. Moss-covered stones gaped with cracks. Human bones littered the floor, long stripped of flesh. On the walls—symbols of corruption: grotesque markings pulsing with dim light.
And at the center of it all stood a figure.
A monster.
Its body was covered in mutated fungi and swollen growths, as though nature itself had rejected it. It didn't move, only swayed faintly, like in sleep.
[Boss-Level: Corrupted Gatekeeper]
[Recommendation: Do not engage unprepared]
[Reward for kill: High XP, rare item]
Yeon Woo frowned.
He couldn't afford a prolonged fight in his current state. His stamina would drain faster than he could inflict damage. And then... the end. Regression would pull him back, yes, but wasting time again was a luxury he no longer had.
He made his decision instantly.
He activated "Heightened Perception" to slow time in his senses. "Regeneration", in case of severe wounds. "Greed"—to gain more experience and perhaps steal something from the boss.
And most importantly, he reached for that inner spark.
Blooming.
The world shivered.
The second cycle of Blooming unfurled inside him—a surge of power flooded his muscles, his nerves sang. Not a burst, but a slow, cold flame. Controlled, like Yeon Woo himself.
He struck first.
His sword flashed in the dim light, biting into the Gatekeeper's flesh. Mushrooms hissed and burst apart, infected blood sizzling on the ground. The boss roared, the walls trembled under the low bellow.
And the real battle began.
The Gatekeeper was slow, but every one of its strikes could kill. Yeon Woo dodged, feeling the air tear against his skin. One glancing hit struck his shoulder—and pain exploded through his body.
[Status Ailment: Poisoned Corruption. Resistance successfully reduced by 50%.]
[Regeneration automatically activated.]
Yeon Woo gritted his teeth.
"Not speed. Precision," he reminded himself.
He used cracks in the floor to mislead the boss's heavy blows. He struck joints, weak spots—each strike efficient, exact. His whole body moved like a refined machine.
Minutes crawled by.
Each of the monster's attacks left fractures in stone and air. Yeon Woo's counters drove his blade deeper into the rotting flesh with each move.
Slowly, the boss began to wear down.
Yeon Woo didn't rush. He conserved stamina, let the exhausted monster bleed out.
And at the moment the enemy paused, swaying, Yeon Woo activated "Moonblade Dance", pouring his remaining strength into a flurry of precise strikes.
The sword pierced the Gatekeeper's throat.
The monster gave one final roar—and collapsed.
Silence swallowed the world again.
[Victory! Boss eliminated.]
[EXP +4000]
[Level Up! 13 → 15]
[Obtained: "Corruption Crystal", "Shard of the Corrupted Gatekeeper"]
[Greed activated.]
[Stolen: Skill "Putrid Explosion" (Lv. 1)]
Yeon Woo dropped to one knee, panting. His body burned all over.
He quickly opened his profile again:
Name: Yeon Woo
Level: 15
Health: 54%
Stamina: 22%
Active Skills: "Moonblade Dance" (Lv. 7), "Regeneration" (Lv. 5), "Heightened Perception" (Lv. 3), "Blooming" (2nd Cycle), "Putrid Explosion" (Lv. 1)
Passive Skills: "Steel Instinct" (Lv. 4), "Greed" (Lv. 1)
Unique Traits: Regressor (2nd Cycle)
He smiled through the pain.
Yes, this path would be long. Yes, far greater evils lay ahead than the Gates of Decay. But every step brought him closer to his goal.
"This time, I won't lose," Yeon Woo thought as he slowly stood.
Before him, where the Gatekeeper once stood, a new path had opened—deeper, toward the heart of the corruption.
He stepped forward, feeling a quiet, cold flame ignite within his chest.