The stench of blood and rust filled the heavy air of the Black Dragon Dungeon, thick enough to taste.
Leon dropped to his knees, his breath ragged, as a silver blade pierced through his chest from behind.
It wasn't the weapon of any dungeon beast.
It belonged to Victor.
His closest friend.
His comrade of ten years.
The leader he trusted more than anyone.
"Why… Victor?" Leon coughed, blood spilling from his lips as he turned his head with trembling effort.
Victor stood behind him, calm—too calm. His eyes were cold, as if this wasn't betrayal… but a calculated decision.
"Because the gem isn't meant to be shared," Victor said quietly, pulling the sword out slowly. "I'm the one who will stand at the top. You… were just in the way."
Leon's body shook before collapsing onto the cold ground.
Ten years of fighting.
Ten years of survival in a world consumed by the System.
Ten years of blood, loss, and endless struggle…
All of it ended with a blade in his back.
If only… I could go back…
His vision faded.
I won't trust anyone again… I'll destroy them all.
[A desire beyond death has been detected.]
[Effect "Ancient Timepiece" has been activated.]
[Resetting timeline…]
Leon's eyes snapped open.
He gasped sharply, like a drowning man breaking the surface, and immediately grabbed his chest.
No wound.
No blood.
No pain.
He looked around in shock.
This wasn't the dungeon.
He was in his old apartment—the same worn-out place he hadn't seen in ten years. The cracked walls. The cheap furniture. The faint smell of dust.
With shaking hands, he grabbed his phone.
The screen lit up.
April 7, 2016
His eyes widened.
"I… went back?"
Before he could process it, the sky outside turned a deep, blood-red.
Then the voice came.
Cold. Mechanical. Inhuman.
[Congratulations, inhabitants of the blue planet.]
[Your world has been selected for integration into the Unified System.]
[Initialization begins now. Prepare for survival.]
At that same moment, in another part of the city—
Victor opened his eyes.
He sat up slowly, his expression unreadable.
But his eyes… carried something deeper than shock.
Memory.
The dungeon.
The betrayal.
Leon.
He remembered everything.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"So… it started again."