I Regressed, But the World Isn’t Destroyed - Chapter 1
Only Noblemtl
I regressed but the world didn’t end
There was destruction···
001.
A sky filled with ash.
A scream can be heard between them.
The destruction of humanity was now inevitable.
Five of the nine heroes were oxidized, leaving only four remaining.
And they all became semi-crippled.
A bloody battle with the ruler of an alien race that invaded Earth.
Most of humanity’s last remaining soldiers died to give them that chance.
But in the end, all the nine heroes achieved was a crushing defeat.
“It ended up being a failure.”
A muscular man with one arm missing opened his mouth.
One of the four heroes who barely survived.
The Savage Dragon, Kwabna.
He was a hunter who once ruled all of North Africa.
A great transcendent being who entered a realm that only nine people in the entire world had ever reached.
“Is that the only way left?”
The great magician Eileen raised her head and said.
They, no, humanity, ultimately failed to save themselves.
But there was still some hope left for humanity.
“······.”
“······.”
Eileen looked at Lee Do-hyuk.
Not only her, but also Kwabna and Marcus’ gaze was turned towards Lee Do-hyuk.
Marcus, known as humanity’s strongest hunter.
But he was not the only hope left for humanity.
Marcus also knew that he was not the right person for the job.
“Lee Do-hyeok. If there’s one person who has to go, it has to be you.”
The last hope humanity has found after 20 years of great war.
Stone of space-time regression.
It had to be Lee Do-hyeok who used it.
It was something that the remaining four, as well as the other nine heroes who had lived before, all agreed to.
The Nine Heroes are the most outstanding beings among the 8 billion people in the world, but even if any of them returned, they could not guarantee victory in the war against the alien race.
But if you had to pick the most likely one, everyone would pick Lee Do-hyuk.
“···Okay. Leave it to me.”
Lee Do-hyuk also did not deny that.
All four of them were the best hunters in the world, but if I had to pick just one, it would definitely be me.
20 years.
Time has passed since the first outbreak occurred and hunters with superhuman powers appeared.
Lee Do-hyuk spent half of those years, or 10 years, as an unawakened person.
In other words, Lee Do-hyeok stands in the same position as the other eight of the nine heroes, even though he was 10 years later than them.
A transcendent talent that goes beyond genius.
There’s even an absurd unique ability called ‘copy’ that allows you to use other people’s traits and abilities as if they were your own.
That’s why I chose him.
What if Lee Do-hyeok goes back to the past and awakens from the beginning?
The 9 heroes might have been able to achieve the salvation of humanity that was impossible.
“You remember everything you have to do, right?”
“I know. I’ve read this so many times.”
Lee Do-hyeok took out a notebook from his arms and shook it as he spoke.
A ‘strategy guide’ containing information on various events, hidden pieces, etc. generously provided by the Nine Heroes, as well as the Hunters of the Death Squad who are renowned throughout humanity.
Based on that, it even included strategies established by several heroes working together.
How should Lee Do-hyeok continue to grow after his first awakening, what forces should he join hands with, and who should he recruit?
I wrote this regression strategy guide like a game strategy guide.
‘···There’s also a list of guys that need to be killed.’
The war against alien races cannot be won by the power of just one regressor.
It is something that can only be discussed when the power of all mankind is gathered together.
Therefore, we had to actively reject those who got in the way of the process.
Not only the insect-like creatures that only cause harm to humanity, but also, when necessary, the hunters who were called heroes.
In particular, Guangma Chen Tao, one of the nine heroes who died in the battle with the current ruler and who reunited China, which had been divided into six countries after the Outbreak, was the number one person who had to be killed for Lee Do-hyeok’s growth.
This is something that Chen Tao himself also agreed to.
“There’s no time. If they catch us, it’s all over.”
At that moment, Eileen, who was spreading a magic net and sensing the surroundings, spoke.
After hearing that, Lee Do-hyeok took out the stone of space-time regression from his bosom.
The usage was not difficult.
Just adding magic.
Lee Do-hyuk quickly looked around and exchanged greetings with the other three.
The farewells were already said a long time ago.
I didn’t need anything more than that.
-Pfft!
As Lee Do-hyeok injected magic power into him, his body was bathed in light along with the Stone of Time-Space Return.
Soon, Eileen helped up Lee Do-hyeok, who fell down with a thud, and laid him on the floor.
“···I guess he went.”
“I don’t know why, but I feel relieved.”
“Hehehe. Now he’ll have to suffer all by himself. Our work is done.”
“No, there’s still one left.”
With those words, Marcus took hold of his beloved bottle.
The pursuers they had sensed from afar were now within their reach.
A battle that may be the last.
“I feel this every time, but these guys really have no manners.”
It seems like they don’t even give us time to see off the person who left.
**
“Huh!”
A heavy breath came out.
My lungs were tight and I was desperate for oxygen.
Just breathing felt like someone was poking my head without mercy.
“Um, uhm···”
Fortunately, the pain gradually subsided as I continued to breathe.
But the body had already become damp a long time ago.
Cold sweat ran down my eyebrows and tickled my eyes.
Lee Do-hyeok looked around, sweeping his face up.
“······”
Lee Do-hyuk smiled slightly.
It’s a familiar ceiling.
That means the first step of the plan is off to a good start.
The familiar ceiling of the goshiwon where he once stayed.
This boarding house collapses due to the first outbreak.
That is, the fact that he woke up here now means that he succeeded in returning to the state before the outbreak as he wanted.
Lee Do-hyeok groped around on the bedside table to find his smartphone.
‘June 20X3···!’
The timing was also perfect.
The first outbreak is expected to occur in February next year.
There are about 7 months left until then.
It was the perfect time to prepare for an outbreak, whether it was training your body or stocking up on supplies you might need later.
Knock, knock-
After quickly assessing the situation, Lee Do-hyeok opened the memo app and started typing.
The first thing was to move the strategy book in my head.
I had memorized it dozens or hundreds of times, so I was confident that I would remember it without making a single mistake even after 10 years, but you never know.
Lee Do-hyuk quickly moved his fingers and made plans for the future.
‘First of all, awakening is the top priority.’
An awakening that was at least 10 years later than others.
This time, I had to wake up with the first outbreak.
I knew very well how to awaken.
Being caught up in an outbreak.
The awakening circuit is opened through the magical storm that opens when the wormhole is created.
Of course, I remembered where the first outbreak occurred in Korea.
Fortunately, it is not too far from the gosiwon, near Bukhansan Mountain in Seoul.
It was something that just had to be found at the right time.
“······.”
So I finished organizing the strategy guide.
Lee Do-hyuk searched his phone further and figured out his current situation.
As I remember, it was a time when I was making a living through part-time jobs.
Relying on my vague memory, I found the contact information of my part-time job boss and contacted him to let him know that I was quitting.
There was a mountain of things to do.
Now that I’m back in the past, I don’t have time to spend on part-time jobs.
especially···
“···What is this weakling?”
The first thing that caught my eye was his frail body.
I thought I had some fashion muscle.
Now that I think about it, my memories were probably very distorted.
It was a joy to have the scars that covered my entire body and the arm I lost in the final battle with the ruler returned, but it was hard to bear the feeling of all the strength that had been taut in my body being drained.
Kook.
Lee Do-hyeok checked his body by putting strength into his fist and releasing it.
I felt the tension building in my muscles and joints as I rocked my body back and forth.
Although it was a situation where we had to start over, there were still some encouraging aspects.
A fresh body that hasn’t developed any habits yet.
It is true that his body was highly developed before his regression, but it was more like a super high-rise tower built by entangling all sorts of things in the process of piling it up.
It took me years just to correct the imbalance that had developed due to bad habits I had picked up as a beginner hunter.
But my current body is, at best, just a little hunched over.
It looked like a one-story building that had been hastily built with cheap materials.
It would have been very easy to tear everything down and build anew now.
There was even a blueprint prepared for that.
How should his body grow?
Lee Do-hyeok, who was already a top-tier hunter, could be considered an expert, but even more experts came together to come up with a growth plan for him.
‘First of all, let’s register at the gym.’
The lives of all 8 billion people in the world depend on him.
There was no time to waste.
**
-Kwak.
Strength came into my body on its own.
The blade in his right hand trembled quietly.
The seven months passed by in a flash.
Of course, without the slightest waste.
Lee Do-hyeok was proud that if there is a limit to effort, he worked harder than that limit.
The body I have now was created thanks to that.
It was hard to believe that his body had been created through only seven months of training.
Of course, compared to the peak, there was still a long way to go, but at least the minimum standard had been met.
This should be enough to monopolize the rewards from the first outbreak.
‘···1 minute and 30 seconds left.’
According to the records, a wormhole will be created in Bukhansan Mountain where he is now in 1 minute and 30 seconds.
Lee Do-hyuk slowly relaxed his body.
The magical power that will pour out along with the creation of the wormhole.
It is like baptism, forcibly opening up the human body.
Forcibly imprinting a passage of magical power called the ‘Awakening Circuit’ into the body.
This is engraved slightly differently for each individual, allowing each individual to demonstrate their own unique abilities.
That is why Lee Do-hyeok was confident that he would be able to reawaken his unique ability, ‘Copy’.
The awakening circuit of my body that he remembers without a single error.
All that had to do was recreate it in the same way in a magical storm.
It has already been verified by reawakening other Hunters who had lost their circuits and awakening ability before coming to the past.
There was no way Lee Do-hyeok, who had an exceptionally outstanding sense of magic, could fail.
’30··· 29···.’
Lee Do-hyuk looked ahead while counting in his mind.
With the appearance of the wormhole, an alien scout appears.
In Korea, it’s the Gigant Ant and the Quad Carcrotch.
One resembles a giant spider, and the other resembles a cockroach but walks on all fours, making it even more hideous.
The fact that the outbreak in Korea caused more serious damage than other countries was in no small part due to its appearance.
‘It’s been a while since I caught some bugs.’
Of course, for Lee Do-hyeok, who had been through a lot, it was just a mob that reminded him of his rookie days.
But that doesn’t mean I let my guard down.
By his standards, they were just trash mobs. It was common for five or six newly awakened hunters to have a hard time dealing with a single Gigant Ant.
In particular, in the Bukhansan wormhole, a particularly large number of alien species appeared, and the number of deaths reached several thousand.
‘The goshiwon collapsed too. So I went through a lot of hardships.’
Lee Do-hyeok frowned slightly as he recalled the past.
I was able to avoid the fire at the time because I was outside of Seoul, but I remember struggling for a while with the deposit issue because the goshiwon was completely destroyed by an alien attack and the owner was killed.
Although the deposit was only 500,000 won, it was a lot of money for Lee Do-hyeok at the time.
-Kwak
’10··· 9···.’
Lee Do-hyeok, who had finished his thoughts, tensed his body.
A feeling of the joints and muscles throughout the body slowly waking up.
The wormhole’s appearance time may have an error of plus or minus 10 seconds.
From now on, wormholes could appear at any time, regardless of time.
‘1··· 2··· 3···.’
So, even though the recorded time had passed, Lee Do-hyuk stared straight ahead while maintaining the tension in his body.
In order for your unique abilities to grow smoothly, you will need to absorb as much magic power as possible and carve a magic circuit.
I couldn’t lose even a little bit of concentration.
‘9··· 10···!’
At that moment, 10 seconds passed!
Lee Do-hyuk’s shoulders shook slightly.
‘···Not yet?’
But the wormhole still doesn’t appear.
It seems that the recorded time error is larger.
It won’t take that long though.
Lee Do-hyeok stared ahead without letting his guard down.
“······.”
How much time has passed like that?
Knock, knock.
Before he knew it, beads of sweat were falling from Lee Do-hyeok’s body and wetting the floor.
Lee Do-hyeok opened his mouth with shaking eyes.
“The date···.”
Did I get it wrong?
The sun was gradually getting brighter.
A wait of over 6 hours.
The effect was amazing.
Lee Do-hyuk was confused.
**
Lee Do-hyuk’s wait did not end at just 6 hours.
“Student. There’s nothing there if you go that way! The hiking trail is over there, over there.”
Even after hikers started appearing on the mountain from dawn.
“Oh my! This is a surprise!”
“Aren’t you that student I saw earlier? Has he been here the whole time?”
Even when the hikers descended again.
“Sir, what are you doing here?”
Even after the Bukhansan ranger reported a strange hiker, he went looking for him.
Lee Do-hyeok did not give up waiting for the wormhole.
No, I couldn’t give up.
The gravity of the fact that the salvation of humanity rests upon one’s shoulders.
That didn’t allow him even a little rest.
-Crunch
But since he was human, he was bound to eventually reach physical limits.
One day, two days… three days passed.
Lee Do-hyeok eventually had no choice but to descend the mountain due to continued hunger and thirst.
Of course, he visited Bukhansan again the next day, and the day after that.
The date may have been recorded incorrectly.
I couldn’t rule out the possibility that the other hunters’ memories were incorrect.
So a week… a month.
Three months… half a year.
The savior of humanity, Lee Do-hyuk, has finally arrived after a long wait······
“Hey, Mr. Lee. Stop fooling around and get down to digging.”
3 month demo too.
In other words, he was a day laborer.
Lee Do-hyuk returns to the past to save the world from destruction.
But the world is not ruined.
···There was none