This dungeon shouldn't exist.
There was no record of it. No pattern. No signs.
And yet, it was here.
A hidden dungeon.
One that matched the danger levels of an A-class. Or worse.
Jinhyuk moved forward in silence. His blade was already drawn, but he hadn't needed to use it much. Despite the strength of the monsters, his mana had remained stable.
In fact... it was recovering naturally.
His HP as well.
At first, he thought it was a temporary buff, but after five minutes of walking and fighting, it became clear.
His regeneration was abnormal. It felt clean. Stable. As if something was restoring him piece by piece.
"...Is it because the curse was lifted?" He muttered under his breath.
But even so, this level of recovery wasn't normal. Not for him. Not for anyone. No hunters in the world would be capable of constantly providing support unless you were an S-class, but the only S-class healer were overseas.
His curse, the one that followed him across countless regressions, was gone.
He turned his head slightly.
The woman behind him was still there. Quietly following behind him closely, stepping carefully over the uneven floor.
Seo Elena.
An F-rank, no different from a civilian. Her registered class was similar to a healer, but her skills were too ordinary. Yet at the same time, something was different about her. He could just instinctively feel it.
He narrowed his eyes.
This dungeon didn't exist in previous timelines.
The curse never disappeared ever since the 18th round.
And she... she never appeared.
Not once.
Out of all the regressions, not a single one revealed her name. Not from any hunters, organizations or even the news. No one knew her. I've already done a background check on her, but nothing was out of the ordinary. Her entire family was dead, leaving her to grow up alone.
It didn't make sense.
If she were important, there should've been some kind of clue.
If she were dangerous, one of the timelines would've exposed it.
But no matter how far he traced things back—
She was always missing.
As if she never existed.
Unless she died every time in previous regressions. It's possible.
Whether she was an ally or a threat, he didn't know yet.
But she had some sort of value to keep her alive.
If she was connected to the strange conditions of this dungeon, or if she was the reason his curse broke, or if she had anything to do with the Stargazers... Then he couldn't afford to lose her.
He had to keep her alive. At least until he was sure of the answers.
But just as that thought settled, the dungeon responded.
A golden door appeared.
Beyond the golden door, Seo Elena and Han Jinhyuk were separated.
The ground below changed, the ceiling disappeared, and when he opened his eyes again after the flashing light he cursed, "...Tch."
A dragon.
Coiled in the center of a stone arena, its obsidian scales shimmered like a dying star.
It looked at him. No hostility. Just recognition.
It spoke.
"A human... inside this realm."
It wasn't Korean. Not even a human tongue.
But he understood.
Its voice crawled into his head like a thought he didn't ask for.
Jinhyuk exhaled quietly. His grip tightened.
Why is there a dragon here?
Even at the end of a regression, they were rare.
Creatures who failed to become constellations.
Beings too dangerous to exist in the mortal world.
And yet, here it was.
『 New Quest: Defeat the Nightmare Dragon 』
He didn't bother reading the rest of the screen.
The rewards didn't matter. No reward was worth dying for, especially not against a dragon.
"I don't wish to fight you," Jinhyuk said calmly.
"Oh?" The creature's massive head tilted. "Do you think you can't defeat me?"
Jinhyuk didn't respond.
Instead, a faint system chime echoed in his mind.
『 Look at the rewards more carefully. 』
One of his constellations sent him a message.
Jinhyuk's brow twitched slightly. They weren't exactly the chatty constellations, but they've always been there to witness all of his attempts to regress.
He opened the quest window again, this time focusing on the fine print.
『 Quest Rewards: Skill – Sovereign's Field 』
→ Sovereign's Field: The user creates a Zone of Dominion (radius scales with level and mana input), within which they can define or alter fundamental rules—physics, logic, time perception, or ability restrictions. These rules are absolute inside the zone unless countered by a higher authority or equal-tier power.
His pupils contracted.
That ability...
He didn't need to ask. He already knew who it belonged to.
Watcher of the World-Root.
Among his patrons, that constellation stood apart. He never interfered. Never offered anything. Until now.
Are you granting me your ability?
『 Yes. 』
You haven't done that since the first regression. Why now?
『That dragon. Kill it. 』
Jinhyuk's expression didn't change.
I was going to do that anyway.
『 He's the reason dragons were barred from ascension. 』
...What?
『 He attempted to corrupt the World Tree. 』
The corners of Jinhyuk's mouth twitched.
Of course. That explained the divine hostility.
He dismissed the message and activated [Eyes of the Stars] to get a better read of his opponent.
『 The target has rejected your observation. 』
"Hmph," the dragon snorted, voice dripping with condescension. "Your petty tricks don't work here, human."
Jinhyuk looked up silently.
"To think you've chosen to fight me," the dragon continued. "Was your reward so tempting you believed you had even the smallest chance?"
His tone was smug, as if he was certain of his victory.
But Jinhyuk just stood there, eyes half-lidded Then he chuckled in a mocking way, "I've seen lizards with more creativity than your pathetic attempt at insulting me."
The dragon paused. Its eyes narrowed.
"You speak boldly for someone who's already dead."
Pink petals scattered through the air. Light shimmering around Jinhyuk's form.
『 Blossom Strike – Activated. 』
He stepped forward, mana blooming at his feet like a phantom spring.
"Be quiet." he said, "For someone who failed to become a constellation, you need to be put in your place."
The dragon's body trembled. Rage surged behind its slit pupils.
"You dare mention constellations in my presence?!" Its voice boomed. "Then I'll show you your greatest nightmare."
Jinhyuk didn't flinch. He was prepared to fight to death, especially after angering a dragon on the tier of a lower constellation.
If it came down to it, he'd even use the Supernova Sword.
He hadn't wanted to, that was a last resort, but against a dragon, anything less was suicide.
What he hadn't expected...
Was the dragon's underhanded trick.
Its eyes glowed gold.
In the blink of an eye, the reality changed.