The Weight of Weakness

Jin-Hyuk panted as he leaned against the cold dungeon wall. His arms trembled, his sword chipped, and his entire body ached from countless wounds. The dungeon’s oppressive air made it hard to breathe. Around him, the corpses of low-rank monsters littered the ground, their dark blood pooling at his feet.

He was barely alive, but he had survived—again.

"Pathetic," a voice sneered.

Jin-Hyuk looked up. Kang Jisoo, the leader of the party, stood over him, arms crossed, a smirk of pure contempt on his face.

"You’re slowing us down," Jisoo said. "E-Rank hunters like you shouldn’t even be here."

Jin-Hyuk gritted his teeth. He knew he was weak. The whole world reminded him of it every day. Born without talent, with no special abilities or unique skills, he was just an ordinary hunter struggling to survive.

Unlike the elite S-Rank hunters, who could shatter mountains with a swing of their blades, or the A-Ranks, who could wipe out hordes of monsters with a single spell, Jin-Hyuk was nothing. He was a mere E-Rank—the weakest of the weak.

But he had no choice. He needed money to survive, and dungeons were the only way to earn it.

"Come on, guys," one of the other hunters in the party laughed. "We should just leave him. Dead weight doesn't belong in a high-level dungeon."

Jin-Hyuk clenched his fists. He wanted to argue, to fight back—but deep down, he knew they were right.

And then, the betrayal came.

Betrayal in the Depths

Jisoo turned to the others and smirked. "Let’s go. We’ll clear the boss room ourselves. He’s just a burden."

Jin-Hyuk's eyes widened. "Wait! You can’t—"

Before he could react, something struck him from behind. A searing pain erupted through his back as he stumbled forward, coughing up blood. He turned his head just in time to see one of his teammates lowering his dagger, his face devoid of guilt.

"It’s nothing personal," the man said. "We just don’t need you anymore."

Jin-Hyuk collapsed to the ground, vision blurring. He tried to move, but his body wouldn’t respond. His so-called "allies" walked away, disappearing into the dungeon’s depths without looking back.

As darkness swallowed him, the only thing he felt wasn’t fear.

It was rage.

The End of a Weak Hunter

Jin-Hyuk lay there for what felt like hours. The pain slowly dulled, but his body remained numb. He knew he was dying.

So, this is how it ends…

He had spent years struggling to prove himself, to climb up the ranks. He had endured humiliation, mockery, and endless defeat—only to be abandoned like trash.

A sound echoed in the distance. Footsteps.

A hulking figure emerged from the shadows—a boss-class monster.

Its monstrous eyes locked onto him, and Jin-Hyuk let out a bitter laugh. As if betrayal wasn’t enough, now I get to be monster food too?

The creature lunged.

A single claw pierced his chest, shattering his ribs.

Jin-Hyuk gasped as agony flooded his body. His vision darkened, and his consciousness began to fade.

But just before death took him, something strange happened.

A blue screen appeared before his eyes.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

[The Infinite Player System has detected a fatal event.]

[Do you wish to activate Regression?]

Jin-Hyuk's breath caught in his throat. Regression?

His mind raced. He had heard of Returnees—hunters who mysteriously vanished into dungeons and returned years later, stronger than before. But this… this was different.

He was about to die. There was no way out.

"Yes," he whispered.

The system responded immediately.

[Regression Activated. Returning to the past...]

And then, everything went black.

A Second Chance

Jin-Hyuk woke up gasping for air.

The first thing he saw was the familiar sight of his tiny, run-down apartment. His heart pounded as he touched his chest, expecting wounds—but there was nothing. No pain, no blood.

His eyes darted to the date on his phone.

One year ago.

He sat up in shock.

It worked…

He had gone back in time.

The weight of the realization hit him like a truck. He was no longer the weak, dying hunter abandoned in a dungeon.

This time, he would become stronger.

A familiar blue screen appeared before him.

[Welcome to the Infinite Player System]

[You are the only registered player.]

[All restrictions removed.]

[All skills available.]

Jin-Hyuk stared at the message in stunned silence.

No restrictions? All skills?

This wasn’t just a second chance—this was absolute power.

A grin slowly formed on his lips.

The weakest hunter in the world had just become the strongest player.

And this time, no one would stop him.

The Weight of a Second Chance

Jin-Hyuk sat in his dimly lit apartment, his heart pounding. The events of his past life still burned in his mind—the betrayal, the humiliation, the pain of dying alone in that dungeon. But now, all of that was in the past.

He clenched his fists.

This time, I’ll change everything.

A blue screen hovered in front of him, its radiant glow illuminating his determined expression.

[Welcome to the Infinite Player System]

[You are the only registered player.]

[All restrictions removed.]

[All skills available.]

The words made his pulse quicken. He had heard of hunters being granted unique abilities, of those chosen by gods or special dungeons, but nothing like this.

"All skills available?"

Did this mean he could use every skill in existence?

Before he could fully process it, another notification appeared.

[Player Status]

Name: Jin-Hyuk

Rank: Unranked

Title: [The Only Player]

HP: ∞

MP: ∞

Skills: All skills unlocked

Equipment: None

Quests: None

Jin-Hyuk's hands trembled as he read through the stats.

"Infinite HP… Infinite MP… And I have access to every skill?"

This wasn’t just an overpowered ability. This was godlike.

But power meant nothing without knowledge. He needed to test this system.

Testing the System

Jin-Hyuk stood up and focused on using a skill he never had in his past life.

"Fireball."

In an instant, flames ignited in his palm, forming a massive fireball that burned with terrifying intensity. The heat alone made the air around him waver.

His apartment walls reflected the glow, and for a moment, he feared he might burn the whole place down.

With a flick of his wrist, he dismissed the spell. The fire disappeared without even consuming mana.

"It really is infinite…"

He grinned.

Next, he tested physical enhancement skills—things that only S-Rank hunters could use.

"Titan’s Strength."

His muscles bulged with raw power, and he felt as if he could crush steel with his bare hands. He punched the air, and the sheer force sent a shockwave rippling through the room.

"Flash Step."

In a blink, he moved across the apartment. His speed was instantaneous, like teleportation.

This was beyond broken.

"If I had this power back then…"

He clenched his fists, his grin fading.

"No one would have betrayed me."

No more being called the weakest hunter. No more being abandoned in a dungeon to die.

This time, he would make them regret it.

The First Step Towards Revenge

The first thing Jin-Hyuk needed to do was re-enter the hunter world. In his past life, he had been E-Rank, barely scraping by. But now?

He smirked. I’ll rewrite my fate.

A notification popped up.

[Quest: Prove Your Return]

Objective: Take the Hunter Association's Re-Evaluation Test

Reward: Updated Rank & New Title

Jin-Hyuk nodded. To re-enter the world of hunters, he needed an official ranking.

He grabbed his jacket and left his apartment, stepping onto the bustling streets of Seoul. The city was the same as he remembered—massive skyscrapers, neon-lit advertisements, and most importantly, hunters everywhere.

Since the Dungeons appeared a decade ago, hunters had become modern-day celebrities. The strongest formed guilds, monopolizing resources and wealth. The weak? They were left to rot.

Jin-Hyuk had been one of the discarded ones.

But this time, he would climb to the very top.

The Hunter Association Re-Evaluation

The Korea Hunter Association building loomed before him, a massive fortress of steel and glass. Inside, hundreds of hunters waited for evaluations, job assignments, and mission briefings.

Jin-Hyuk walked up to the reception desk.

"I’d like to take the Re-Evaluation Test," he said.

The receptionist, a bored-looking woman, barely glanced at him.

"Name?"

"Jin-Hyuk."

She typed on her computer and frowned. "Jin-Hyuk…? The E-Rank hunter who retired last year?"

Her voice was filled with disbelief.

Jin-Hyuk smirked. "Not retired. I’m back."

She scoffed. "Alright. Just don’t embarrass yourself."

A few minutes later, Jin-Hyuk was led to the testing arena. A vast underground facility where hunters demonstrated their abilities to rank evaluators.

Other new hunters and returnees were also taking the test. Some whispered when they saw him.

"Isn’t that the weakest hunter?"

"He disappeared for a year… Why’s he even here?"

Jin-Hyuk ignored them. He had no reason to explain himself.

The Test Begins

A Rank Evaluator stepped forward.

"Jin-Hyuk, E-Rank, returning for re-evaluation. Show us your best ability."

Jin-Hyuk smirked.

"Alright. Just try to keep up."

He raised his hand—and activated a skill.

"Gravity Collapse."

Instantly, the entire room shook as a massive force field formed around him, crushing the ground into dust. The other hunters stumbled back, their faces twisted in shock.

The evaluators barely had time to react before Jin-Hyuk vanished—and reappeared behind them.

"Blink Step."

He extended his hand. Black lightning crackled at his fingertips.

"Thunder God's Wrath."

A massive pillar of lightning erupted from his palm, blasting through the arena. The sheer force shattered the reinforced walls, leaving everyone speechless.

The room was silent.

The evaluators stared at him, eyes wide with disbelief.

"What… What kind of skill was that?!"

"Holy shit… That was on an S-Rank level!"

Jin-Hyuk chuckled. "So, what’s my new rank?"

The main evaluator swallowed hard before stammering out his answer.

"S-S-Rank."

Silence.

Then—absolute chaos.

Hunters gasped. The evaluators exchanged panicked glances.

An E-Rank Hunter had just skyrocketed to SS-Rank? Unheard of!

Jin-Hyuk turned to leave, his smirk widening.

"Good. That’s the first step done."

But before he could exit, the doors burst open—

And several guild representatives stormed in.

Each one was a top-ranking guild leader, their eyes burning with hunger.

The Zodiac Guild, the International Guilds, and even Dungeon Returnee Guilds—all of them had witnessed his display of power.

A man stepped forward, his aura radiating immense pressure.

"Jin-Hyuk," he said. "Join my guild."

Jin-Hyuk laughed.

"Sorry," he said. "I don’t plan on joining anyone."

For the first time in history, the strongest player had returned—

And he would stand alone at the top.