With everything I had left, I drove the spear forward and stabbed its eye.
The Minotaur went berserk.
It thrashed wildly, smashing pillars, ripping apart the dungeon itself. Stone cracked. The ceiling groaned.
And then—
it collapsed.
Dead.
For a moment, I laughed weakly.
Then the floor started collapsing.
"…Is this how I die?" I whispered.
I staggered and leaned against a pillar, blood dripping from my arm.
Stones fell from the roof. Pillars crumbled around me.
What a pitiful life I've lived…
If only I had gone shopping with my mother that day.
If only I had Affinity.
If only i had another chance—
My lips trembled. My eyes burned. A bitter smile twisted across my blood-stained face as tears mixed with dust.
I closed my eyes.
Then-
the pendant on my chest started glowing.
A voice echoed from deep within it.
[Condition fulfilled.]
[User's wish detected]
[WISH GRANTED]
What… what's happening?
Junyeok's thoughts were chaotic.
A strange voice echoed in his head—broken, distorted—but before he could grasp its meaning, his consciousness was swallowed by darkness.
The next moment—
his eyes flew open.
Cold air brushed against his skin as his chest heaved violently. He gasped, instinctively trying to rise, only to freeze.
A familiar ceiling.
"…This place…"
His voice cracked.
Jangnak…?
No.
This wasn't Floor 117.
The last thing he remembered was clear—too clear. He had been on Floor 117, surrounded by shattered stone and mana storms. Not an expedition. A death trap. His body had collapsed after being torn apart by monsters far beyond his limits.
The pain had been unbearable.
Yet now—
his body felt light. Too light.
Junyeok pushed himself up from the bed and staggered toward the mirror, his movements clumsy, unfamiliar.
And then he saw it.
A boy.
Sixteen years old.
Deep, sea-blue eyes stared back at him in shock. His hair—silver mixed with deep blue strands—fell messily around a youthful face untouched by scars, exhaustion, or despair.
"…That's not me."
His breath trembled.
"…No—this is me."
But not the him who had died.
With shaking hands, Junyeok grabbed his phone from the bedside. The moment his eyes landed on the date—
his heart stopped.
Then—
a sharp breath escaped him, followed by quiet, broken laughter.
"…Hah…"
"…So it's real."
Something he had only read about. Only laughed at in anime and novels.
Regression.
A second chance.
His fingers slowly curled into a fist, nails digging into his palm as emotions surged—relief, disbelief, joy, rage—all colliding at once.
"This time…" he whispered, voice burning with resolve,
"I'll change everything."
Then a thought struck him.
How did I come back?
His gaze dropped to his chest.
A pendant rested there, faintly warm.
"…The pendant?"
Junyeok lifted it carefully. The crystal was clear, unblemished—nothing like the cracked relic he remembered from his final moments.
Memories surfaced.
His father.
"This is special," he had said.
"It came from a powerful dungeon. Keep it close. One day, it might save your life."
"…So you weren't lying," Junyeok muttered.
A relic powerful enough to send him back in time.
Back to when he was sixteen.
Suddenly—
a thought crossed his mind.
His eyes widened.
Junyeok rushed out of the room, his footsteps pounding against the floor as he burst into the kitchen.
"…Mom—!"
And there she was.
Alive.
Before she could even react, Junyeok threw his arms around her, hugging her tightly—too tightly.
"J-Junyeok?" she gasped, startled.
Warmth.
Real warmth.
Tears spilled from her eyes as she gently patted his back, confusion and worry mixing in her voice.
"What's wrong?" she asked softly.
"Did you have a bad dream?"
"…Yeah," Junyeok said, burying his face against her shoulder.
His voice shook.
"A really bad dream."
She laughed quietly through her tears.
"You scared me…"
After a moment, she wiped her eyes and glanced at the time.
"Oh, I should start preparing dinner. I need to go to the market for ingredients."
As she left, Junyeok stood there silently, watching her back.
Alive.
Safe.
He clenched the pendant so tightly it hurt.
"I won't let you die again," he whispered.
"Not this time."
"First…" Junyeok exhaled, steadying himself.
"Let's check my status."
The air before him shimmered.
A translucent screen unfolded.
Status Window
Strength: 5
Defense: 3
Agility: 4
Mana: 4
Luck: 1
Affinity: All
Junyeok stared.
"…This is bad."
Physically weak. Pathetic luck.
Just like before.
But—
"…Affinity: All?"
His breath hitched.
In his past life, he had been shackled to a single path—forced into limits he could never overcome.
But now—
"All affinities…"
His eyes trembled as another line appeared beneath the window.
Special Trait:
Blank Canvas — Can contract with any ecoes of your wish
*Specific conditions needed to be fulfilled
Silence filled the room.
Then—
a slow, evil grin spread across Junyeok's face.
"…I see."
His heart pounded—
"With this…" he muttered, eyes burning,
"I'll take everything."
"I need to become stronger first," Junyeok thought.
With these stats, contracting a powerful Echo was impossible.
Expect that one.
Junyeok briefly thought of that one black creature.
Junyeok lowered his gaze, an unusually bright expression flickering across his face—restrained excitement barely kept in check.
"But before that, I need proper training."
And resources.
Which meant—money.
A memory surfaced, sharp and familiar.
Ten days from now, in his previous life, he had made a decision that had shaped his downfall. He had invested all his years of savings—after trusting several online stock prediction videos.
The result had been devastating.
The market crashed.
"…I lost everything," Junyeok murmured.
A bittersweet expression crossed his face.
Regret lingered—but so did relief.
Because he remembered what came next.
While his investment had collapsed, one cheap, ignored stock had risen at an unbelievable speed.
LeafBIT.
"This time," he thought calmly, a quiet excitement stirring in his chest, "I won't repeat that mistake."
Junyeok opened his phone and navigated through the familiar screens.
"All in."
He confirmed the investment.
The screen refreshed.
Nothing dramatic happened.
Yet a subtle smile, filled with anticipation and joy, appeared on his face.
"This will be enough."
If his memories were correct, this single decision would secure his finances for the near future.
----
11 Days Later
The results were undeniable.
Junyeok's investment had multiplied several times over, exactly as he remembered.
He stared at the numbers for a moment, then calmly locked the screen.
"…Good."
Now, the real work could begin.
For the past eleven days, Junyeok had focused entirely on mana training. Long hours of controlled breathing, repeated circulation, and constant refinement.
The effort paid off.
His mana growth rate was two and a half times or even more faster that of a normal person.
"I expected this," he muttered.
The meditation techniques he remembered from his previous life were functioning perfectly. Nothing was wasted. Nothing forgotten.
He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled slowly.
"…It's time."
Junyeok prepared to leave for NACT.
A white hoodie jacket over a black inner shirt. Black pants. A bracelet on his wrist. And around his neck—the pendant.
The same relic that had ended his life.
And brought him back.
He glanced at his reflection one last time.
A quiet joy, mixed with firm resolve, settled in his eyes.
Then he stepped forward.
He stepped out of the house, the door closing softly behind him as he headed toward NACT.
Junyeok stopped in front of an enormous facility.
A massive structure of steel and reinforced glass towered before him, its presence alone radiating authority and power.
NACT.
The National Affiliated Contractor Training center.
"…So this is it," Junyeok murmured.
This place possessed the best training equipment available to the public—facilities designed to push the human body to its absolute limits.
In his past life, he had stood here once before.
Back then, he hadn't even dared to step inside. The cost alone had been enough to crush any hope he had.
"But not this time."
A confident smile formed on his lips.
"I'm filthy rich now."
Junyeok walked forward and entered the facility.
The interior was vast, clean, and buzzing with controlled activity. The sound of footsteps, distant machinery, and low conversations filled the air.
As he moved deeper inside, a girl passed by him.
She wore a skirt paired with black stockings and a neatly fitted white shirt. Her long black hair flowed down her back, framing a flawless figure.
Her eyes—clear and innocent at first glance—carried something else beneath the surface. Something sharp. Dangerous.
She looked around eighteen.
Junyeok glanced at her, a flicker of suspicion crossing his face.
"What's someone like her doing here…?"
The girl's gaze passed over him without pause, not acknowledging his presence in the slightest.
Junyeok let her go.
"…Whatever. I'm here for a different reason."
He approached the front desk.
A staff member greeted him.
She had short brown hair and wore a neat, fitted outfit r—practical yet refined, designed for constant movement rather than display.
"Welcome," she said politely.
Then she paused, her eyes lingering on him for a moment.
A hint of surprise flickered across her face before she quickly composed herself.
"I'm sorry, sir, but I think you may be mistaken. This facility is—"
Before she could finish, Junyeok spoke calmly.
"Platinum membership. One month."
The girl blinked.
"…Excuse me?"
"Forty million won," Junyeok continued, tilting his head slightly. "That's the price, right?"
"…Yes, but—"
Junyeok casually tapped her phone, transferring the amount instantly.
The screen lit up.
The balance updated.
The girl froze.
Her eyes widened before she hurriedly bowed her head.
"I sincerely apologize for my inappropriate behavior, sir."
Around them, whispers began to spread.
"Did you see that?"
"Is he from a rich family?"
"That kid… what's he doing here?"
Junyeok heard them clearly.
"…What a hassle," he thought, suppressing a sigh.
Without another word, he turned away from the desk and headed toward the training hall.
---
One month passed in relentless training.
Junyeok had pushed himself every single day—strength drills, reaction training, endurance circuits, and controlled combat simulations.
No shortcuts.
No wasted time.
When the training finally ended, Junyeok stood still and exhaled slowly.
"…Let's see."
The air before him shimmered.
A translucent screen unfolded.
Status Window
Strength: 8
Defense: 7
Agility: 9
Mana: 4
Luck: 2
Affinity: All
Junyeok stared at the screen.
All his physical stats had risen—unevenly, unpredictably—but none had crossed into double digits.
Just as he intended.
Mana, however, remained unchanged.
His gaze shifted downward.
"…Luck?"
For a brief moment, surprise flickered across his face—followed by a quiet laugh.
"Wow," he muttered, genuinely pleased.
"I didn't expect that."
Junyeok slowly clenched his fist, his body buzzing with contained excitement.
"It's time," he said quietly.
A sharp smile appeared on his face.
"Just wait for me."
His eyes darkened with anticipation.
"The black one who devours everything."
An ancient name surfaced in his mind.
Ancient Echo — Nyxara
The Devouring Black Dragon.
Junyeok's heartbeat quickened.
Soon.
Very soon.