Step by step, Yeon Woo emerged from the crumbling Gate. The torn wind struck his face, lifting dust and the stench of rot that had seeped deep into his clothes and skin. The world outside was no less grim than the one behind. The city, once alive and noisy, now lay silent and gray, as if scorched by invisible fire. Only in the distance did faint flickers of light tremble—signals from rescuers, or from those still struggling to survive.
Yeon Woo stopped, allowing the weight of the recent battle to settle into his body. Slowly, he opened his profile:
Name: Yeon WooLevel: 18Health: 89%Stamina: 62%Active Skills:Moonblade Dance (Lv. 7), Regeneration (Lv. 6), Heightened Perception (Lv. 4), Blooming (2nd Cycle), Rotburst (Lv. 2), Core Absorption (Lv. 1)Passive Skills:Steel Instinct (Lv. 5), Greed (Lv. 1)Unique Traits: Regressor (Cycle 2)
His fingers twitched involuntarily. The Core Absorption skill still pulsed somewhere beneath his heart. Raw, unrefined power surged through every cell, as if trying to tear him apart from within. Yeon Woo clenched his teeth, suppressing the spasms. He would have to learn how to wield this power... or be consumed by it.
"Not now," he thought firmly.
The world was too fragile for slow steps. Time always worked against him. In this life—especially so.
A dull rumble echoed in the sky. Somewhere in the distance, a building collapsed, a cloud of dust rolling through the ruined streets. Yeon Woo squinted. A new threat was coming from the west. Too quickly.
A new challenge.
A new Gate.
His pocket vibrated. A message from the Tower.
[The system has detected the emergence of a "C-Rank Danger" Gate.][Entry will open in 3 minutes.][Recommended Level: 20.][Mode: Solo.]
He let out a bitter chuckle. Recommended level twenty—he was only eighteen. And while his strength had long surpassed mere numbers, the risk was still real.
"As always," Yeon Woo whispered. "Not enough. Never enough."
He ran.
Not for glory.
Not for rewards.
But because he knew: every missed chance to grow stronger brought him closer to failure. And in this life, failure was not an option.
Cracks in the asphalt made running harder. His body ached, muscles stiff with exhaustion. But Yeon Woo didn't slow down. In his head echoed the quiet rhythm of steps and breath.
When he reached the zone where the new Gate was forming, a small group of players had already gathered.
The crowd was tense, anxious. Some, upon noticing Yeon Woo, stepped back cautiously. He didn't blame them. His eyes, his aura—everything about him spoke of a man who had seen too much death.
He didn't say a word. He simply stood at the entrance.
[Gate "Nest of the Faceless" is opening.][Warning: Solo Mode.][Entry confirmed: Yeon Woo.]
The world shattered into fragments before his eyes.
When he saw light again, he stood in a faceless plain. White, drowned in gray mist. No landmarks—only endless, featureless expanse.
And shadows.
Dozens, hundreds of shadows, faceless and gliding. They moved soundlessly, slowly, persistently.
[Mission Objective: Destroy the Nest Core.][Bonus: Survive for more than 30 minutes.]
Yeon Woo didn't wait. He activated Heightened Perception, and the world came into sharp focus again. Every twitch of the shadows, every smallest movement in the fog became crystal clear.
He moved carefully, darting forward in short bursts like a beast on the hunt. His body operated on instinct—muscles tensed and relaxed, breath nearly silent.
The first shadow struck without warning.
Its arm, thin as a reed, sliced through the air. Yeon Woo sidestepped half a step and countered. His blade cut through the creature, which disintegrated into a cloud of ash.
[Monster defeated.][XP +300.]
But where one fell, three more came.
Yeon Woo didn't engage in drawn-out combat. He danced between them, delivering short, lethal blows. His style was dry, precise, devoid of excess—like a surgeon with a scalpel.
He activated Blooming, and the power of regression filled every cell. His movements became sharper, energy flowed freer.
When the numbers became overwhelming, he unleashed Rotburst. The ground in front of him cracked, spewing putrid smoke that incinerated the shadows.
[Monster defeated.][XP +300.][Monster defeated.][XP +300.]
He glanced at his profile again. His level was slowly rising. Wounds, though shallow, multiplied across his body.
Regeneration triggered automatically. He could feel his tissues knitting, bones sealing under new flesh.
He moved forward.
Minutes stretched into eternity. The monsters grew more aggressive, their numbers swelling.
Finally, a silhouette emerged from the mist—the Nest.
A massive, living mass, churning and birthing new bodies nonstop. The heart of the anomaly.
Yeon Woo paused, catching his breath.
He remembered his past life.
His death.
His first mistake.
"Never again," he told himself silently.
He activated Core Absorption. The world trembled. The power he had absorbed earlier flared up within him, surging outward in a delicate web of dark light. The sword in his hand pulsed.
He lunged toward the Nest.
The monsters leapt at him, but he cleaved through them like a scythe through grass. Without remorse. Without hesitation.
He struck where the web was thinnest.
He struck where the veins were thickest.
Blooming, second cycle, pushed his speed to its limit.
One final dash.
One final strike.
The Nest exploded in a burst of gray light.
[Mission complete.][XP +10,000.][Level up! 18 → 20.][Acquired: Item "Faceless Core".][Gate will close in 10 seconds.]
Yeon Woo wiped his blade on his pants and sank to one knee.
The world around him began to dissolve.
He checked his profile again. A new level. New possibilities. And scars—unseen, but etched deep into his bones.
"One more step," thought Yeon Woo. "And a thousand still ahead."
He smiled.
Coldly.
Emptily.
And stepped into the vanishing light.