Regressed Hero Choi Ryeong

"Ugh... My head..."

As soon as I opened my eyes, a cold breeze brushed against my face, sending a shiver through my body. I found myself in an eerily silent forest, blanketed with fallen leaves. It was strangely cold, and there were no sounds of insects or animals.

"Where am I now?"

I examined my body starting from my chin. No broken bones, no visible injuries.

Trial #-1

Destroy the Stone of Resurrection.

The Stone of Resurrection is red and about the size of a fist.

Difficulty: C

Time Limit: One Week

Reward: Progress to Trial #5

Failure: Oblivion

This trial seemed particularly baffling. I was instructed to destroy the "Stone of Resurrection," but there were no details on how or where to find it.

[Walk straight ahead.]

At least there was some guidance. I started forward, my footsteps crunching loudly on the fallen leaves.

[You are given a basic item. Use it in emergencies.]

A dagger materialized in my hand. It felt unusually heavy. As I ventured deeper into the forest, the chill grew sharper, and a sense of dread crept over me.

Rustle.

I froze and scanned the pile of leaves. Something was moving beneath them.

'A golden... branch?'

Gripping the dagger tightly, I braced myself.

"Whoa!"

Thud!

The pile of leaves erupted, and something leaped out. Startled, I fell backward.

"Finally, I can breathe!"

It was a boy—though with horns and wings, he was clearly not human. He looked dazed, as if he had just woken up.

'Run.'

I quietly backed away while the boy shook the leaves off himself.

Crunch.

The sound of leaves underfoot betrayed me, and the boy's gaze snapped toward mine.

"A human?"

I bolted without a second thought. Whatever he was, it wasn't human.

"I've never seen a human before! Nice to meet you, human!"

The boy beamed and started chasing after me.

Crunch, crunch, crunch.

His footsteps kept pace with mine, growing louder as he closed the gap.

"Where are you going? Come on, let's play together!"

He effortlessly caught up to me, running alongside me with a grin.

"Is this a game of tag? Am I 'it'?"

Before I could respond, he blocked my path. No matter which direction I tried, he cut me off.

"Get away! Shoo, shoo!"

I waved the dagger at him in desperation.

"What are you doing, human?"

"Stay back!"

Clink!

I swung the dagger, but the blade shattered upon contact.

"What?"

I stared in disbelief at the broken dagger. How could it break so easily?

"Isn't this fun?"

The boy spread his wings wide, his tail swishing against the ground. Golden scales shimmered on his body.

"I am Chanhee, the Third of the Golden Dragons! A descendant of the Gold Dragon and a traveler aspiring to become a hero! Nice to meet you!"

Before I could process his words, his body radiated golden light. His form changed rapidly, and where the boy once stood was now a golden dragon, roughly the size of a large dog.

"From now on, you're my companion, human! Let's embark on an adventure together!"

Ding!

[You have discovered a side quest with the highest probability of obtaining the Stone of Resurrection. Accept? If no decision is made within 10 seconds, it will be automatically accepted.]

Still overwhelmed, I froze, unable to react.

[Side quest accepted.]

[Displaying side quest details.]

Chanhee reverted to his boyish form and wagged his tail like an excited puppy.

"Great, human! From now on, you're my first companion! Follow me!"

Without waiting for my response, he grabbed my hand and led me forward. In a daze, I stumbled along after him.

'...What just happened?'

Side Quest – Homeward Journey

Escort Chanhee, the Third of the Golden Dragons, back home.

Chanhee wishes to spend more time with humans.

Difficulty: D

Time Limit: None

Reward: Dragon Gloves, Stone of Resurrection

Failure: Oblivion

"Ugh, this is a nightmare."

It felt like babysitting a mischievous cousin. Just two days into the ordeal, I was already exhausted.

"Human! Look over there! A ruin! We'll rest there for the night!"

"Finally..."

The ruin Chanhee pointed to was ancient but surprisingly intact. Despite its dilapidated exterior, the interior seemed clean and free of threats.

After making a makeshift bed from the leaves, I lay down and closed my eyes, ready to drift into sleep.

Tick, tock.

'What's that sound?'

As I turned over, my gaze landed on an altar at the far end of the ruin. Atop the altar sat a golden hourglass, elaborately decorated.

'That looks... important.'

Drawn to it, I got up and walked toward the hourglass. Just as my hand reached out for it, I felt a grip on my arm.

"Snap out of it!"

I blinked and saw Chanhee holding my arm, looking alarmed.

"Huh? What just happened?"

"You almost touched something you shouldn't have. Let's get back to bed."

"Fine. Just let go of my arm."

As we walked back, I noticed a strange sensation in my other hand. Looking down, I realized the hourglass was now in my grasp.

"Are you kidding me?!" Chanhee exclaimed, his eyes widening in horror. "Put that down! Now!"

Before I could react, a deafening explosion erupted.

Boom!

"Cough! What the—!"

Golden dust scattered through the air as the hourglass exploded. The world fell silent, as though time itself had stopped.

I looked around in panic, only to find Chanhee frozen in an unnatural position. No matter how hard I shook him, he didn't move.

[Hello there, child. What is your name?]

"Huh? What?"

I turned toward the unfamiliar voice and saw a girl sitting on the altar. She had short hair and mismatched, jewel-like eyes.

[Let me ask again.]

My heart pounded, and my head throbbed as her voice echoed in my mind. Yet, beneath the pain, I felt an inexplicable joy.

[What is your name?]

Her eyes glimmered like gemstones, and her smile was calm and gentle. Despite her seemingly harmless appearance, I was overwhelmed by an uncontrollable urge to kneel before her.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

I began bowing my head to the ground repeatedly, blood dripping as my forehead struck the stone floor. My body felt broken, but the act of prostrating myself brought me a perverse sense of satisfaction.

"Choi Ryeong... My name is Choi Ryeong..."

[Your name?]

"Choi Ryeo—..."

[Your name?]

"Choi R..."

[Your name?]

"Choi..."

[Your name?]

"Ch..."

[Your name?]

"... …"

By the end, my head was too battered to respond. I could no longer speak or move.

[That will suffice.]

Tick, tock.

[Now, rise and look at me.]

Her voice resonated with an otherworldly authority. Somehow, I regained control over my body and met her gaze. A shiver ran through me as I remembered the state I had been in just moments ago.

[My name is 'The Clock Who Dreams of Liberation.' I am the Star God worshipped in this temple. Let's have a long conversation, shall we?]

Her smile was radiant, yet it carried a madness that threatened to unravel my mind. I shut my eyes and tried to regain my composure.

"Who... are you?"

[As I said, I am 'The Clock Who Dreams of Liberation.' Do you have any other questions?]

"...Why are you doing this to me?"

[Why, you ask? For now, I just wanted to meet you. After all, you're the first one of this cycle to reach me. Be proud; you've earned the honor of dying faster than anyone else.]

"What do you want from me?"

[Hmm... That's a tough one. Right now, I don't need anything from you. And even if I did, you wouldn't be able to give it to me.]

"Then why spare me?"

[Oh, that's simple. You're entertaining. Most mortals can't even make it this far. But you? You're special.]

She produced an object from her robes—a familiar one. It was my phone, which I thought had been destroyed.

My phone floated into the air and began disassembling itself, the components rearranging and transforming before my eyes.

Tick, tock.

[Ah, time's up. We'll talk more once you've adjusted to your new reality. Until then, take this as a gift.]

Her body began to rise, golden shackles appearing around her wrists and ankles. Sand poured from the shattered hourglass, obscuring her form as it grew larger.

[This is my gift to you. Use it well. When you no longer need it, return it to me.]

My phone, now a smartwatch, attached itself to my wrist. A blue holographic display lit up, and text began to scroll across the screen.

[System: Uploading data from "Angel."]

[System: Loading regression protocol...]

[Upload in progress...]

[Upload complete.]

[System: Regression protocol initialized. Welcome to your new reality.]

A massive door materialized before me, opening with a deafening groan.

[We'll meet again soon.]

Tick, tock.

The door's pull was irresistible, and I was dragged into the darkness. My vision faded to black, and all sensation vanished.

[Activating the Stigma of Regression.]

[Consuming Karma...]

***

Light streamed in, prompting me to open my eyes.

The scene before me felt eerily familiar—a stark white space, people standing around in confusion, system windows appearing mid-air, letters filling the screens, and the environment around us shifting dramatically.

Everything in front of me carried a heavy sense of déjà vu. It was so familiar that it felt like watching my own life flash before my eyes.

"This is..."

I felt a peculiar weight on my wrist and looked down. A smartwatch sat snugly on my arm, its screen displaying a glowing blue system window.

Ding!

[System: Regression is calling you.]

[A ppa.]

I froze. The absurdity of the situation left me momentarily paralyzed. "A ppa"? My mind reeled.

"What the hell is going on?"

Despite the chaos in my thoughts, I decided not to question it further. Accepting the situation seemed like the only viable option.

[A ppa. Name me.]

After calling me "A ppa," the system asked for a name. There was no reason to refuse, so I decided to comply.

"A name, huh..."

[Excited.]

Names flooded my mind, but I wanted one that was meaningful—something tied to regression yet warm and approachable.

"What should it be..."

Background noise filled the space, but I ignored it. The screams of people echoed faintly in my ears. Somewhere, the Demon King was slaughtering the crowd, but I stayed focused on my thoughts.

"Two choices left."

The finalists were "Return" and "Rewind." Unable to decide, I turned to the system.

"What do you think?"

[A ppa.]

"No, not me—pick between Return and Rewind."

[Re... wind...?]

"Do you like Rewind better?"

It didn't seem to have any objections.

"Alright. From now on, your name is Rewind."

The moment I decided, a new system window appeared.

Ding!

[Achievement Unlocked: "Father of the System."]

[Manifesting Exclusive Trait...]

[Exclusive Trait Acquired: "Undefeated in a Hundred Battles."]

[Undefeated in a Hundred Battles]

After your hundredth battle, an unknown force will assist you.

Definition of a battle: Any instance where hostility leads to direct violence, ending only when mutual hostility ceases, and violence is no longer used. Indirect confrontations are not included.

I read through the description. It wasn't immediately clear whether this was a useful skill.

Clap!

A sharp sound echoed, and the ground beneath me split open.

I plummeted into the dark crevice, losing consciousness as I fell.