The Last Chance Begins
December 31st, just before midnight.
No bells tolled.No cheers erupted.Just a world teetering on the edge of oblivion.
Kang Jinhyeok's mind was blank.
He had fought through ninety-nine cycles of survival and death — and still, here he was again, standing alone before the final barrier.
Before him loomed the gate to the last challenge. A barrier of glowing runes and crimson energy, humming like a heartbeat.
Behind him lay countless corpses—other players, fallen allies, past hopes…
Only he remained.
Just when he thought the endless struggle was over…
A cold voice rang from the system interface that hovered in the air before him.
[Boss Entry Condition: Minimum of 5 players.]
Kang Jinhyeok blinked.
Nothing else had ever… required others before.
He wasn't surprised at defeat.
He was surprised at how trivial the cause was.
"What?" he whispered.
Before he could process it, the system pulsed.
[Entry Condition Not Met.][Player Will Be Annihilated.]
The world around him fractured.
His body dissolved.
His vision flickered.
His last thought was simple:
Fuck.
Then—
Darkness.
[You have died.][Time Reversion Rune Condition Met.][Regression Count: 100/100][Reversion Completed.]
The moment Kang Jinhyeok opened his eyes, he saw:
A white ceiling.A familiar classroom.Students chatting lightly.
His heart beat normally.
His body felt whole.
Youthful.
Unscarred.
"…So it begins again," he murmured.
He sat upright in his seat, glancing around casually. Nothing extraordinary — just the end of another year, ordinary and unremarkable.
Outside the window, people gathered to welcome the New Year.
A crowd in front of a large bell tower, waiting for the final moments before midnight.
Celebration. Excitement. Hope.
None of them knew what was about to happen.
Kang Jinhyeok watched them with an expressionless gaze.
He had already lived through ninety-nine lifetimes of it.
A system interface blinked into existence before his eyes — calm, blue, unremarkable.
[Reaper System Activated][Player: Kang Jinhyeok][Status: Regression Initiated — 100th Life]
The display was familiar — like seeing an old acquaintance in a crowd.
Nothing special.
Nothing new.
Just another start.
But this was his last.
"…Let's see how this time plays out."
At that moment, in the distance, the bell began its countdown…
And the world around them changed.
The air darkened.
The sky dimmed.
And a voice — beautiful, cruel, and cold — echoed across the gathered crowd.
"Humans… your souls will now be tested."
Ten.Nine.Eight.
The countdown echoed across the crowded plaza. Fireworks were loaded. Laughter filled the air. Phones were raised toward the sky.
Kang Jinhyeok stood still among them.
Hands in his pockets.Eyes calm.Breathing steady.
Same place. Same time.
Three.
Two.
One.
The bell rang.
The instant the sound faded—
The sky split open.
Not cracked.
Not shattered.
It peeled apart, like a curtain being drawn back by an unseen hand.
The fireworks froze midair.
Sound vanished.
Wind stopped.
Then—
Light poured down from above.
Blinding. Holy. Overwhelming.
Gasps filled the square as a figure slowly descended from the torn sky.
White wings—vast and flawless—unfurled behind her, each feather glowing with a divine radiance. Her body was unmistakably feminine, wrapped in flowing, translucent fabric that shimmered like liquid light.
Golden hair cascaded down her back.
Her face was beautiful.
Perfect.
And completely devoid of warmth.
Her eyes—cold, luminous gold—swept over the crowd like a butcher inspecting livestock.
Her lips curled.
In disgust.
"Humans."
Her voice wasn't loud.
It didn't need to be.
It pressed directly against their minds, sharp and suffocating.
People collapsed to their knees instantly.
Some cried.Some vomited.Some couldn't even scream.
The angel hovered effortlessly above them, wings slowly beating, her expression twisting into something between boredom and contempt.
"Every time I see you," she continued, tilting her head slightly,"I'm reminded how revolting a creature can be."
A man shouted, "A-an angel…? Please—if you're a god—!"
His words were cut off.
The angel snapped her fingers.
His head disappeared.
Not exploded.
Not crushed.
Erased.
His body crumpled to the ground a second later.
The angel sighed softly.
"You interrupt so easily.""That's why you keep dying."
Screams tore through the plaza.
People tried to run.
They didn't make it two steps.
"Ah ah."
Her wings flared slightly.
Several bodies burst apart mid-motion, showering the ground with blood.
She smiled.
Genuinely smiled.
"Rules first," she said sweetly."Then you may panic."
Golden text flooded the sky.
[Judgment Begins][All designated humans have been registered as Players.]
The angel clasped her hands behind her back, floating casually.
"Your world has failed.""Your species is inefficient.""So we've decided to make this interesting."
Her eyes locked onto the crowd.
"Survive."
Another line appeared.
[Failure to comply will result in immediate execution.]
A woman sobbed, "This is a nightmare…"
The angel looked directly at her.
"No," she corrected gently."This is mercy."
The woman's chest collapsed inward.
Kang Jinhyeok watched quietly.
She's the same.
The posture.The tone.The way she enjoyed it.
Even her timing hadn't changed.
"You will be divided into zones," the angel continued."You will play games.""And you will die."
Blue barriers slammed down across the city, separating families, friends, lovers.
The screaming hadn't stopped
Her nose wrinkled.
"…Disgusting."
Her gaze swept across them like trash piled on the street.
"You should be grateful," she said coldly."Most of you weren't even worth testing."
Several people flinched.
Others clenched their fists.
None dared to speak.
The angel raised one slender hand.
Golden light exploded outward.
Every surviving human froze in place as a system window forcibly opened before their eyes.
[Class Assignment Initiated]
Panic rippled through the crowd.
"A class…?"
"Is this a game now?!"
The angel smiled.
A slow, cruel curve of her lips.
"A hierarchy," she corrected."Something your species understands well."
Names began to scroll rapidly.
[Player: Han Minsoo]Class: Warrior]Rank: B]
A young man gasped as his body was enveloped in faint light.
"I—I got B rank!"
Others followed.
[Mage — D Rank][Archer — C Rank][Healer — E Rank]
Cheers erupted from a few.
Cries from many more.
Then—
[Player: Kang Jinhyeok]
Jinhyeok watched calmly.
Same timing.Same order.
[Class: Rogue][Rank: C]
[Skill Acquired: Vanish]
Effect: Temporarily conceal your presence.]
Some nearby scoffed.
"C rank?"
"That's mid at best."
The angel glanced at Jinhyeok briefly.
Her eyes lingered half a second longer than they should have.
"…Hmph."
She turned away.
"You will now be transported to the first challenge."
The ground disappeared.
The world reformed violently.
Grass.Dirt.A vast open field surrounded by crude wooden fences.
People staggered as they were dropped onto the ground.
The angel hovered above them once more.
"First challenge," she announced lazily."Defeat ten goblins."
Golden text burned into the air.
[Challenge Objective: Slay 10 Goblins][Failure Condition: Death]
A man shouted, "Ten?! That's easy—"
The bushes exploded.
Green shapes burst forth.
Goblins.
Fast.Lean.Eyes glowing with hunger.
They weren't the small, weak creatures from fairy tales.
One goblin crossed ten meters in a blink.
A dagger flashed.
A scream followed.
Blood sprayed across the grass.
The man's throat was gone.
Chaos erupted.
"WHAT THE HELL—"
"They're too fast!"
Weapons clashed uselessly as goblins darted between attacks, tearing into flesh with claws and rusted blades.
A B-rank warrior charged confidently—
And was dragged down by three goblins, his screams cut short as they ripped him apart.
Jinhyeok didn't move.
He observed.
Stronger than normal goblins.Same as before.
He activated his skill.
[Vanish — Activated]
His presence faded.
Sound dulled.Eyes slid past him.
A goblin leapt right by without noticing him.
Crude concealment, he thought.But usable.
Nearby, a woman screamed as a goblin pounced on her back.
Jinhyeok sidestepped.
He wasn't here to save anyone.
A crimson window flickered faintly, visible only to him.
[Reaper System — Active]
[Deaths Logged: 6]
Jinhyeok's gaze hardened.
"…So that's how it starts."
Around him, humans died screaming.
Above them, wings beat slowly.
The angel watched the slaughter with clear amusement, chin resting on her hand.
"Run faster," she said mockingly."Or die prettier."
And the first real trial of humanity began.