With the appearance of the boss monster, a thick darkness resembling the scent of blood settled over the area.
A final battle with life and death on the line.
The dungeon, the Demon Realm, was welcoming Gyeom-shin as if ready to swallow up his very soul.
"You be the one to give up, you bastard. Monster."
However, even within that thick darkness, Gyeom-shin's soul was shining and blazing like a single ray of firelight.
The guild he had preciously raised from the very bottom.
Even though all the enemies who had staged the rebellion were strong Rankers, it infuriated him that the guild had collapsed because of a mere ten men.
"Until I cut off all of those bastards' heads..."
Fragments of that agonizing past, when he had lost countless lives right before his eyes because of those bastards, swirled violently within his consciousness.
Gyeom-shin had a responsibility.
The responsibility to ensure that tragedy never even began in this life, and—
"I'll never die quietly...!"
The duty of vengeance for his guild members who had been mercilessly slaughtered in his past life.
Thus, he resolved to leave no more regrets behind in this newly obtained life.
That was also the exact reason he had decided not to create a guild.
SMIRK.
"Go ahead and kill me if you can."
A second life passed on to him by his guild members.
If he failed to make the most of even this precious opportunity, he would never be able to face their noble sacrifice.
SHING—!
Gyeom-shin quickly drew his sword.
Even if it was like striking a rock with an egg.
Even if he shattered again and again until his entire body broke apart, he had to collide head-on.
With the obstacle standing right before his eyes, blocking his fate.
Tap-tap-tap—!
Tap-tap—!
He simply ran headlong.
He had no thought whatsoever of recklessly defeating the bastard with the mere abilities of a beginner.
His only thought was to get past the boss monster and get his hands on the Demonic Sword Ades.
"Hey, look over here, you stupid bastard...!"
<Pwooooh-!>
SWOOSH—!
As Gyeom-shin taunted the bastard provocatively, the huge, gaunt, skeletal Ghost Elephant swung its massive trunk toward him.
Although it had no flesh, its massive weight and bone density were more than threatening enough to kill an opponent.
It was like a giant weapon hurtling through the air.
Having all his bones crushed and his internal organs mashed into pulp from this single blow was only a matter of time.
If he failed to dodge, he would die.
CRAAASH—!
"......!"
Fortunately, Gyeom-shin saw right through the bastard's movement at a glance.
However, with his body unable to keep up with his head, he only barely managed to throw himself out of the way.
The huge wall that became the target in Gyeom-shin's stead cracked rapidly as if about to collapse.
That alone was dangerous.
If the cave were to collapse like this, he would be buried alive on the spot.
"Yeah, keep coming at me...!"
Even so, Gyeom-shin was looking at the bastard and laughing with a smile brimming with confidence.
Lingering within that smile was not only madness, but also the experience and inner mastery of the strongest Hunter who had broken through life head-on.
The sight of a Hunter who was merely Level 1 fighting a max-level monster.
Any Hunter who saw this spectacle would have foamed at the mouth in sheer astonishment.
Because there would never be another lunatic like this.
<Pwooooooh-!>
"Choke on this...!"
SWISH—!
Gyeom-shin hurled a certain dagger at the monster charging straight toward him.
WHIZZ—!
Normally, a mere dagger would have simply bounced off a boss monster meaninglessly, but the one he had just thrown was special.
It was a shuriken imbued with a special spell.
'Even a fleeting moment is fine. Work!'
A top-grade throwing knife that blocked an enemy's vision and sealed its movements.
THUNK—!
Before long, it embedded itself into the monster.
It had barely worked.
SHAAAH—!
Had it been the gigantic bastard he had met in his past life, a knife like this would have simply been deflected with ease.
Because the monster had not yet grown, it was very small, around one-tenth the size it would be ten years later.
Even so, its size easily exceeded several meters.
If he let his guard down for even a fleeting moment, he would die.
With his seasoned skill, Gyeom-shin focused every nerve on this battle.
<Pwooooooh-!>
"Good, I'm almost all the way past it now...!"
Having lost its vision, the Ghost Elephant thrashed about frantically and went on a rampage.
It was at the point where the dungeon could collapse at any second, or he could be trampled beneath the bastard's feet.
However, no matter how large the monster's frame was, it was nothing compared to the figure as big as Mount Tai that he had met ten years in the future.
Before long, an opening appeared.
This moment was his only chance.
Tap-tap—!
'Just past this bastard...!'
Gyeom-shin swiftly brushed past the bastard.
Because hunting this bastard had never been his goal from the start.
Beyond it, the graceful figure of the Demonic Sword Ades came into view.
Tap-tap-tap—!
'It's right in front of my eyes...!'
The moment he reunited with the Demonic Sword, the illusory energy that had been floating in midair scattered straight into the air.
Claiming Ades was his only way to survive in this place.
Now, with just a little further to go, it was within reach of Gyeom-shin's hand.
<Pwooooh-!>
"......?!"
However, it was right then.
Using its keen sense of hearing as a weapon, the Ghost Elephant aimed at Gyeom-shin and began wildly stomping its forelegs down.
With both of its gigantic, house-sized feet, the bastard stomped down several times without pause.
At that moment, Gyeom-shin saw the bastard's foot falling right above his head.
It was the moment he thought it was all over now.
<THUD-THUD-!>
<THUD-THUD-THUD-!>
"This crazy...!"
REACH.
When he came to his senses, the bastard's foot had already touched Gyeom-shin's back and was crushing him under its tremendous weight.
However.
"......Ah?!"
At the exact same time, the very tips of the fingers Gyeom-shin had desperately stretched out gently brushed the end of the Demonic Sword's hilt.
It happened in that instant.
The Demonic Sword, Ades, began spewing forth an aura of darkness thicker than pitch-black.
DING—!
And at the same time...
[The System has blossomed due to your first battle.]
"......!"
The Status Windows that had not been visible since his regression poured out in countless numbers from all around.
[The Stats Window has blossomed.]
[The Inventory Window has blossomed.]
[The Item Window has blossomed.]
[The Skill Tree Window has blossomed.]
[The Information Window has blossomed.]
Even more messages rose before him than what he had experienced before.
It meant that the contract had finally been properly established and that he was receiving the Demonic Sword's blessing.
However, even in this fleeting instant, Gyeom-shin was a single step away from being trampled to death by a gigantic, formidable enemy.
'Demonic Sword.'
Even so, while crushed beneath the monster's foot, Gyeom-shin wore a cunning smile.
He simply felt it through his long-honed instincts as a Hunter.
SMIRK.
'Ades...!'
The fact that the tide of victory had already rolled right into his hands.
Because, looking at the Status Windows manifested by the Demonic Sword, he was certain that the flow of battle had completely changed.
For the meaning of something like this rising before his eyes was...
[Congratulations! You have become the sole Player in this world.]
Because it meant that he had already placed within his grasp the strong power he had wanted so badly—power enough to dominate even the world.
'Player...?'
BOOOOM—!
However, the word "Player" was something he had only heard in games and was unfamiliar to him.
And in that fleeting moment as he questioned the Player System—
Gyeom-shin's entire body was trampled flat under the massive foot of the giant elephant.
BOOOOOOM—!
A situation where, had he been an ordinary person, every bone in his body would have been pulverized into powder, resulting in certain instant death.
[Previous contract confirmed.]
[In accordance with the contract risk, you can no longer reincarnate.]
Even so, Gyeom-shin was still alive.
He was not unconscious, either.
He was alive and breathing properly, and messages continued to rise before his eyes.
[Furthermore, when you reach the age at which you died in your past life, you will inevitably die.]
[Contractor Age Limit: 30 years old.]
[To lift all of these risks, you must kill every single one of those who killed you.]
Now, he could not die even if he wanted to.
Power surged up from every part of his body.
Due to his contract with the Demonic Sword, a special change was taking place within his body.
[The Demonic Sword, Ades, protects you with 'Jet-Black Aura.']
SHAAAAH—!
ZZZZZING—!
Blocked by the Jet-Black Aura that had formed around Gyeom-shin, the Ghost Elephant's foot had halted its attack right at the tips of his hair.
['Analyzer' has been activated.]
Before long, the boss monster's data appeared before his eyes just like a game.
「 Monster Name: Ghost Elephant
Grade: A- / Level: 300
Type: Ghost / Attribute: Darkness 」
"To think a monster that's Level 500 ten years from now is only 300 right now..."
DING—!
Being able to see information was quite convenient.
To think he had struggled this much against a mere Level 300 monster.
As it turned out, the bastard was an ordinary-level monster that Gyeom-shin had effortlessly hunted with one hand in his past life.
Just as expected, this place was not yet a top-grade dungeon.
Coming even a single second sooner before the dungeon grew rapidly out of control had been the right answer.
[Experience points have been applied.]
The Demonic Sword was not the only thing he had gained.
Something that could be called a miracle was happening to Gyeom-shin.
Only now did Gyeom-shin notice the special changes taking place within his own body.
SWISH—!
FLASH—!
His Hunter level rose rapidly.
[You have reached Level 2.]
[You have reached Level 3.]
[.........]
His strength grew stronger.
His speed increased.
Mana began overflowing throughout his entire body, and his physical abilities increased explosively and hardened until his stamina could not even be compared to what it was just moments ago.
The experience points accumulated in this dungeon were being rapidly applied to his body.
The one and only Player in this world.
[You have reached Level 20.]
[You have reached Level 30.]
[.........]
Gyeom-shin was finally beginning to fully realize what that meant.
His Hunter level, which normally could never rise like a game in this manner, climbed endlessly.
The strength throughout his entire body boiled over, soaring beyond his control.
SHAAAH—!
[You have reached Level 50.]
"Get lost."
SWOOSH—!
Before long, he was able to knock the bastard away with just a light swing of the Demonic Sword.
It had merely been a lightly swung blade.
Yet the Demonic Sword's aura rapidly thickened and carved a massive, deep 'X'-shaped wound across the Ghost Elephant's chest.
SWOOOOOSH—!
<Pwooooh-!>
THUUUD—!
It was an anticlimactically easy match.
DING—!
[Boss Monster, 'Ghost Elephant,' has been temporarily stunned.]
Struck by Ades's dark-blue aura, the boss monster toppled backward limply.
He felt like he could finish the bastard off right away, but a problem arose.
"......!"
COUGH.
As the price for wielding such immense power, a heavy strain had begun to take its toll on his entire body.
Everything else was great, but this newbie Hunter's body could not easily keep up with his will.
"Damn it..."
In that instant, blood surged up his throat.
Maybe if he were the strongest Hunter Lee Gyeom-shin ten years in the future, but with this weak Hunter's body right now, he could not use the Demonic Sword for long.
Even the aura he had just used was a massive burden on the current Gyeom-shin.
"...Hah, at this rate, I'll be the one to die first."
He had already achieved his goal.
REACH.
[Because you have completely cleared the dungeon, this item is available for use.]
Therefore, he did not want to needlessly waste any more energy.
There was no need to go out of his way to kill the boss monster, either.
[Use 'Talisman of Return'? Y/N]
Thus, without an inch of hesitation and wearing a smile as though he had accomplished everything, Gyeom-shin quickly left the place.
"Farewell, you goddamn monster bastard."
***
Returning to his quarters, he did not even go to the hospital and instead calculated the spoils he had obtained first.
Simply recovering the Demonic Sword alone was a hugely successful achievement.
Yet on top of that, he had even gained several Magic Stones.
"Are the only items ten high-grade Magic Stones? Well, my goal was Ades anyway."
He had already obtained everything he needed.
Now, that dungeon was an empty shell.
"...The reward for blowing my entire fortune and risking my life is the Demonic Sword, Magic Stones, and Level 50."
No Hunter of this era would be able to clear it anyway, and even if someone did, it would hold no meaning whatsoever anymore.
Because he already had Ades in his hands.
And for Gyeom-shin, the result of this gamble was...
"Isn't this a total profit...?"
It was nothing short of a massive jackpot.