Free Web NovelChapter 1: i transmigrated? I’m back at the very beginning?
"Throw him to the dragon!"
The roar of the Abyssal Drake vibrated through the cavernous depths of the SS-Rank Dungeon, but the voice that ordered Min-jae’s death was far colder.
Min-jae spat out a mouthful of dark, metallic blood. His heavy steel shield was shattered into jagged splinters. His armor was melted to his chest. He looked up, his vision blurring, at Choi Sun-woo— the golden boy of humanity, the SS-Rank "Light Bringer," and the master of the Vanguard Guild.
For ten long years, Min-jae had served as Sun-woo’s personal meat-shield. He had taken every curse, blocked every lethal strike, and crawled through the mud so Sun-woo could stand in the spotless light of glory.
"Why?" Min-jae croaked, his throat burning from the dungeon’s toxic sulfur. "I blocked every strike for you... I saved your life three times today!"
"Because the Divine Descent Chest requires a sacrificial offering," Sun-woo sneered. He didn’t even look Min-jae in the eye. His gaze was locked onto the massive, glowing gold chest behind the dragon. "A sacrifice of a soul that has survived ten years of the apocalypse. Your trash F-Rank talent, Hard Skin, has finally found its true purpose, Min-jae. Die for my ascension."
Before Min-jae could curse him, Sun-woo’s foot slammed into his broken ribs.
The force sent Min-jae flying over the edge of the stone platform. Below, the massive, obsidian jaws of the Abyssal Drake opened wide. A wall of white-hot dragon fire consumed him.
Pain. Absolute, searing agony. And then, complete darkness.
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Crack!
Min-jae gasped, his lungs expanding violently as he bolted upright.
He didn’t smell sulfur. He didn’t feel the burning flesh of his own face. Instead, the faint scent of instant ramen and cheap laundry detergent filled his nose.
He wasn’t in a level-100 dungeon. He was sitting at a chipped wooden desk in a cramped, five-pyeong studio apartment. Sun-washed dust motes danced in the air.
Min-jae’s hands flew to his chest. His skin was smooth, No scars, No burns.
Trembling, he snatched his smartphone off the desk. The screen lit up: June 1, 2026, 3:50 PM. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
"Four minutes..." Min-jae whispered, his voice shaking. "Four minutes before the Descent. I... I transmigrated? I’m back at the very beginning?"
A cold, ruthless laugh bubbled up from his throat. The betrayal burned like liquid fire in his veins. Choi Sun-woo. The Vanguard Guild. The elite high-rankers who treated common players like expendable cattle.
In his past life, Min-jae had been naive. He had trusted people. He had played the role of the self-sacrificing tank because he thought humanity needed to stick together. Look where that got him— burned alive to feed another man’s greed.
This time, I will only live for myself, Min-jae swore, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists. I know every hidden dungeon location. I know every major boss mechanic. I will rewrite everything.
—— (buzz—)
The smartphone in his hand suddenly lost all signal. Outside the window, the screech of car tires echoed as electronic grids failed simultaneously.
The bright afternoon sky fractured. The blue atmosphere rippled like water, turning a deep, apocalyptic blood-red. Massive, glowing holographic screens materialized in the air, visible to every single human being on Earth.
Time froze. The ticking clock on his desk stopped dead.
[Attention, Citizens of Earth. The World Core has awakened.]
[Initializing System Integration for the Terran Species...]
[Data synchronization: 100%.]
[Scanning soul quality... Activating innate talents...]
Min-jae watched the red text blink. In his past life, he had fallen to his knees in sheer terror during this moment. Now, he just watched with cold, calculating eyes.
The global system was judging every human. If you had high soul quality, you awakened S-Rank talents like Hellfire or Sword Saint. If you were average, you got C or D-Rank attributes
[Scan complete.]
[User: Kang Min-jae.]
[Innate Talent: Hard Skin (Rank F)]
[Description: Increases physical defense by a flat 5 points. A common, low-tier talent with no growth potential.]
"Exactly the same," Min-jae muttered, a bitter smile playing on his lips. Even with a second chance, his starting line was still the absolute bottom. Hard Skin. The garbage talent that destined him to be a punching bag for stronger players.
But just as he prepared to accept his fate and rely purely on his ten years of future memories—
[Ding!]
A sharp, mechanical chime rang directly inside his skull. This sound did not come from the sky. It didn’t possess the cold, booming tone of the World Core system. It was ancient, heavy, and resonated with a blinding golden energy. freēwebnovel.com
[Cosmic Cheat System loaded successfully.]
[Binding with host soul... Binding complete.]
[Detecting host’s F-Rank Talent: ’Hard Skin’.]
[Scanning hidden parameters... Analyzing world logic rules...]
[Hidden Evolution Path Found!]
Min-jae’s eyes widened as his vision was suddenly hijacked. A secondary, glowing golden interface overlayed his standard blue status screen.
[Evolution Options for Talent: ’Hard Skin’ (Rank F)]
[ Option 1 (Standard Path): Iron Skin (Rank D) — Increases physical defense by 20%. (Cost: 100 Mana Crystals).]
[Option 2 (Hidden Path): Eternal Vajra Deity Body (Rank SSS) — Grants total immunity to all physical attacks below the Divine Realm. Reflects 50% of all incoming damage back to the attacker as True Damage. (Cost: 0 Core Points — First-time User Bonus!).]
Min-jae’s breath completely hitched. His heart pounded so hard he could hear it in his ears.
Rank SSS?
True Damage reflection?
In his past life, the top-ranked player on the global leaderboards—the man who ruled the entire American Continent— only possessed a single S-Rank talent. An S-Rank user was treated as a living god, capable of leveling cities.
But right now, floating in front of Min-jae’s eyes, was a path to an SSS-Rank talent. And because of the system’s first-time bonus, the cost to unlock it was absolutely nothing.
True Damage reflection means it completely ignores the enemy’s armor, magical shields, and defensive buffs, Min-jae analyzed rapidly, his gamer instincts taking over. If a boss hits me for 10,000 damage, they will instantly take 5,000 damage straight to their health pool. I don’t even need to swing a sword to kill people.
"Choose option two," Min-jae whispered, his voice trembling with a mix of excitement and dark anticipation. "Evolve the hidden path!"
[Ding! Commencing Hidden Evolution...]
[Warning: Your path to supremacy has begun. Do not die before reaching the top.]
A surge of molten gold erupted within Min-jae’s veins, replacing the cold fear of the apocalypse with an overwhelming, god-like power.
