Humans all possess an innate desire to survive, and Ryu Min was no exception.
"If not for that, I wouldn't have made it this far," he thought to himself.
From level one to level twenty, Ryu Min fought tooth and nail through the perilous survival game, shedding ninety-eight lives along the way. Now, in his ninety-ninth life, he stood before the ultimate challenge—the final boss room. And he stood alone.
Yet fate was not on his side.
[To enter the boss room, a minimum of five players are required.]
"What?!"
Ryu Min could hardly contain his disbelief at the audacity of the game's demand.
"At least five players are needed?!"
He had fought his way through twenty levels alone, but now he was expected to find four more comrades to join him?
He had already conquered a quest deemed impossible for a solo player, and now this. The weight of defeat bore down on Ryu Min's shoulders as he pondered the daunting task ahead.
"If we needed at least five players, they should have made it clear from the start!"
There were no hints in the quest message, nor any prior indication before entering the boss room that such a requirement existed.
Overwhelmed by the turn of events, Ryu Min almost missed the next message.
[A player has been identified in the boss room. The condition was not met, and the player will disappear.]
"What?!"
Before he could even react, Ryu Min began to disintegrate on a molecular level. With his final breath, he cursed under his breath.
[You have died.]
[Congratulations. You have met the condition for the Rune of Time Reversal.]
[Rewind time to the first round.]
[You have used 100/100 lives.]
[All remaining lives have been used.]
[The skill Rune of Time Reversal has automatically disappeared.]
As the shadow of death loomed over him, Ryu Min was reborn once again—this time as a lowly level 1 novice player.
"Starting the 100th regression."
December 31st, 2021.
In front of Seoul's Bosingak Pavilion, citizens and reporters alike had gathered to await the toll of the bell marking the end of the year.
"Many citizens are eagerly waiting for the bell-ringing ceremony to welcome the hopeful new year."
"This year's ceremony will feature various figures, from Seoul's mayor to representatives from all walks of society."
As the cameras from the broadcasting station swept across the crowd, Ryu Min came to his senses.
"I'm back. To where I was before being sucked into this damn game."
Looking around, he saw countless faces filled with excitement, eagerly waiting for the stroke of midnight—unaware that their anticipation would soon be overturned by despair.
"If only I could stop time."
But time marches on. Whether in happiness, tedium, pain, or hardship, it moves relentlessly forward, never ceasing.
"Even though I can return to the past before, that's not an option now."
There was no going backward anymore.
"All my extra lives have been used up in death."
"This is my final chance. I will kill the boss on the twentieth round and survive this insane game, no matter what."
It might be his last chance, but he still had hope.
Knowing now that the entrance condition to the boss room required five players, he could plan accordingly.
"I'll have to revise my previous plans completely."
Before, he had cared only about his own survival, paying no heed to his fellow players.
After all, it was a survival game—those who fell behind would perish.
Despite reaching the twentieth round with unparalleled strength, he had been shocked to discover that he needed to be in a party of five for the final round.
"If I didn't have any extra lives, everything would've ended there without a doubt."
It turned out to be a game he could not win alone.
To Ryu Min, it felt like a trap intentionally set by the gods.
"I have to do it this time."
Before, he'd never had the time to look around and see who was there. Now, he couldn't afford to ignore anyone.
He needed to lead four other players to the final round—besides himself.
"Of course, I won't give them a free ride. It's already hard enough for me to become stronger again."
The plan was to use them only to get through the last round.
"Who would be best to join me? Since it's a boss battle, it's better to fill the team with capable allies."
Memories of several named players who died in round eighteen surfaced in his mind.
Various plans formed rapidly in his thoughts.
As it was the final battle, everything needed to be planned more carefully and thoroughly.
While mentally reviewing his strategy and reaffirming his resolve, the moment arrived.
"Finally, it's time. Let's count down together!"
The host's voice rang out, and the countdown to death began.
"20! 19! 18!"
People eagerly joined in, counting down from twenty with hopeful expressions.
"…3, 2, 1!"
The Seoul mayor and several other celebrities stood before the bell, ready to ring in the new year.
Dang! Dang! Dang!
"Happy New Year 2022! May you all have a blessed year ahead!"
"Yayyy!"
Cheers erupted, and the celebrants' faces glowed with happiness.
But their joy was short-lived.
[Kik, kik, kik. Humans are amusing, aren't they? Celebrating the new year without realizing their predicament.]
A voice suddenly echoed in their minds, and laughter faded instantly.
"What was that? Did you hear something just now?"
"What did you say?"
"I didn't say anything!"
People looked around in confusion, trying to determine who had spoken.
Only one person remained calm amid the chaos—Ryu Min.
He had experienced this situation ninety-nine times before.
"I can't panic. Everything is proceeding as it should."
After a tense silence, unpleasant laughter echoed again.
[Hehe, hehe, hehehe… You look like monkeys trapped in a cage when you act this startled. But don't worry—you'll get used to it. Humans are adaptable creatures, after all.]
"What? Where is that voice coming from?"
"Is this some kind of prank by the broadcasting station?"
"How could they film a hidden camera at a bell-ringing ceremony?"
Panic spread. Even celebrities froze, forgetting to ring the bell.
"They're messing with us. A beautiful angel cosplayer will appear any moment now."
They called the owner of the voice an angel—but her actions were anything but holy.
Ryu Min had learned the truth through ninety-nine regressions.
"It's not something lowly beings like angels would do."
The organizer of this damn game undeniably existed, and this so-called angel was nothing more than an NPC designed to explain the rules.
"Even if it looks like a game, this is a serious situation."
Soon, a brilliant light descended from the sky, accompanied by a woman who drew gasps from the crowd.
"An… angel?"
With wings, porcelain skin, and beauty surpassing even celebrities, she perfectly fit humanity's image of an angel.
"Her personality may be devilish, but her appearance is heavenly."
Only Ryu Min remained unimpressed. It wouldn't be long before everyone else realized how little angels cared for humans.
"Trashy humans, falling for my looks like the lustful animals you truly are. You're all stupid enough to stare at me blankly."
"…?"
"I advise you not to entertain foolish thoughts. I have no intention of associating with vultures like you."
Though her wicked smile was beautiful, no one could smile back.
How could anyone laugh while being insulted?
"Seeing your ugly expressions makes me feel accomplished. Tee-hee-hee."
Then, a brave young man shouted the question on everyone's mind.
"Who do you think you are, talking to us like that? Are you even an angel?"
The angel's gaze fell upon him. Ryu Min watched with sorrow.
"May he rest in peace."
It always started with someone who challenged her authority.
"Tsk."
Splat!
The young man's head exploded like a watermelon.
Blood splattered everywhere as screams erupted.
"Kyaaah!"
"Ugh!"
"How dare you speak impolitely to a superior being!"
Though he was already dead, the angel continued.
"And who said you could ask questions? You humans don't have the qualifications to question me. Don't pretend you're on equal footing with me—unless you want your head to explode like his."
"..."
Tens of thousands held their breath. Terror gripped them at the realization that a single wrong word meant death.
"That's exactly what the angels want," Ryu Min thought. Panic left no room for rational thought.
"Do you still not understand your situation? Of course you don't. Inferior humans like you wouldn't. I'll explain it step by step—after all, that's my role."
Her gaze was cold and piercing.
"On the first day of every month, you humans will fall into a collective slumber. Your souls will be forcibly transferred to another dimension."
No one could refute it—not after witnessing this.
"There, your only task will be to complete the given quest. If you succeed, you return to reality and receive rewards."
No one felt reassured. Failure meant death.
Some clung to hope anyway.
But the angel crushed it instantly.
"However, even among those who succeed, only half will survive. We spare only the fastest half. So don't waste time. Teehee."
"Only… half?"
It was a survival game with predetermined slaughter.
"You'll go through twenty rounds—one per month. Only half survive each round, and the difficulty will continue to rise."
Despair spread across countless faces.
"Hehehe. Don't worry. I won't take everyone. Only humans aged fifteen to twenty-nine are eligible."
The impact was immediate.
"Thank goodness…"
"That doesn't include me."
Older adults sighed in relief, while teenagers and young adults felt crushed.
"But I'm included, right?"
"My birthday's January first—I just turned fifteen!"
Hopelessness set in.
"Well, I don't really have the right to complain."
Though Ryu Min looked like a high school student, he had lived countless years across ninety-nine regressions.
Memories of endless survival flooded back.
"Why did this have to happen on my birthday?" someone muttered.
The angel grinned.
"Feeling unfair? Don't worry—we'll be taking humans from all over the world."
No one thought of her as beautiful anymore.
She was a demon.
"Let's see… humans aged fifteen to twenty-nine total 1,801,029,290 participants. Well, that concludes the explanation. Shall we begin? Te-hehehe."
Thus began the moment when roughly 1.8 billion people were forced into a deadly survival game.