The Rise of the Strongest Player

The Fall of the Weakest Hunter

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.]