episode_0001

A searing pain burns through my abdomen.

Of course, it’s not actually burning.

“……”

As I slowly lower my gaze, the gauntlet of the bastard who pierced my stomach comes into view.

I’m dying.

My life as Park Jeong-hyun, an A-rank Hunter, is ending at the hands of an Erosion Entity codenamed: Demon King.

I started from the very bottom and clawed my way up through sheer effort, only to meet such a miserable end.

—Thud!

The Demon King flings me to the ground like trash, shaking his hand to flick the blood off his gauntlet.

Then, he glances down at me with a look of indifference.

His face seems vaguely familiar, and my brows furrow slightly—but I quickly realize how pointless that thought is.

Who cares who he is?

I’ll be dead soon anyway.

After staring at me for about five more seconds, he turns away.

His figure gradually blurs before vanishing entirely.

“…What an asshole.”

I let out a hollow laugh as I stare at the spot where he disappeared, the damp sensation of blood soaking into my skin.

I’m really going to die.

Born with an innate lack of magical power, I endured every kind of venomous remark imaginable to claw my way up to the rank of A-rank Hunter.

Eighteen years have passed since my family and friends—those who lived simple, happy lives—were brutally slaughtered by Erosion Entities.

Eighteen years since I became a madman, driven solely by the goal of killing those very monsters.

And now, at the age of 28,

I have nothing left.

Consumed by hatred, only to end up gutted by the very creatures I despised—what a joke.

What a stupid, foolish life I’ve lived.

‘If I’m reborn in the next life…’

I’d like to live a little more leisurely. To actually enjoy life.

As I whisper this impossible wish, I suddenly remember the necklace around my neck and clutch it in my hand.

A crude, bloodstained pendant.

I remember buying it in a daze, lured by the hollow promise that it would grant my deepest desire.

Was it just last week?

What a waste of money.

“Grant my wish, my ass…”

Overwhelmed by indescribable emotions, I squeeze the pendant with all my strength.

It shatters, embedding shards into my fingers, but the pain feels distant.

Come to think of it, the agony in my abdomen has already faded.

My consciousness grows hazier.

Ah.

It’s time.

At the boundary between life and death, I whisper one last time.

“If there’s a next life…”

Let me live pursuing what I truly desire.

My consciousness fades.

“Heh. Got another dumbass.”

“Hey, I heard there’s a fresh newbie in the underground. Wanna check it out?”

…This is weird.

There was definitely no one around me when I was dying, so why am I hearing the voices of some punk kids?

When I open my eyes, what unfolds before me is—

“…?”

An ordinary back alley.

Gray concrete walls enclose the narrow passage.

I’m slumped against the wall like someone nursing a hangover.

But my mind is anything but hazy—it’s razor-sharp.

I can tell immediately that this isn’t an illusion.

It’s far too real for that.

“…What the hell?”

I examine my hands.

No trace of the pendant’s shards remains.

Next, I check my abdomen.

The gaping hole that was gushing blood moments ago is gone, replaced by a slightly dirtied shirt.

I pinch my thigh hard—pain flares sharply.

This isn’t a dream.

Steadying my trembling vision, I look ahead.

A group of rowdy teenagers, laughing as they walk away, comes into view.

And then I notice—

‘Am I seeing things?’

Animal ears, tails. Torn ears and mismatched heights…

Definitely not features you’d see on modern humans.

They look like fantasy creatures—beastfolk, elves, dwarves.

Yet their clothes are oddly modern, creating a bizarre dissonance.

“Seriously.”

I feel like I’ve been isekai’d into a novel. Or maybe a game.

Then—

[You have new mail in your inbox.]

A message appears before my eyes.

Wait, actual possession?

I never sent some 4,500-word gushing fanmail to a novelist or game admin.

Just in case, I mentally call out for a status window.

And then—

————

[Name – Park Jeong-hyun]

Race: Human

Mana: 100%

Condition: –

Fate Points: 0

Skills

– Persona Lease

————

It actually appears.

“Huh.”

At this point, I can’t deny the reality crashing down on me.

I’ve possessed someone in another world.

I’m no different from the protagonists of those web novels I used to read for fun.

A dull ache pulses in my head.

It’s a little disorienting.

But I’m not upset about it.

No—I’m actually glad.

‘A second shot at life… No reason not to welcome it.’

I was going to die anyway. Why refuse a chance to live again?

This is practically a blessing.

I don’t know why this happened to me, but only an idiot would waste this opportunity.

Still…

“…”

It’s unsettling how the world I lived in and the people who drove me forward have vanished in an instant.

The only proof of their existence lies in my memories.

If those memories fade over time, it’ll be as if my past life never existed.

In that case, can I truly step into this new life without hesitation?

No matter what I do, the fact remains—I’m stuck in this new world.

So the only thing I can do is—

“…Remember.”

The family and friends who shared my childhood.

The fellow Hunters who fought alongside me.

And that godforsaken world that drowned me in despair.

I’ll cherish and remember every single one of them.

Only then can I honor the past and earn the right to move forward.

I will remember them.

And now, it’s time to carve out a new future.

After organizing my thoughts, I skim through the status window again.

‘By the way… The name on the status window is the same as mine?’

Did they just slap my real name onto this body, or is the original owner’s name also Park Jeong-hyun by sheer coincidence?

The answer lies in the wallet lying on the ground.

Trampled and battered, it contains only an ID card.

‘So I possessed someone who just happens to share my name.’

The ID displays the name Park Jeong-hyun alongside a photo of a handsome young man.

The kind of face that’d be popular with both guys and girls.

“…Good-looking.”

If I’d taken care of my appearance as a kid, I might’ve looked like this.

Not that I had the time or reason back then.

Speaking of which, I already have one skill?

‘Persona… Lease?’

The name alone gives me no clue what it does.

I’ll have to examine it closely—

The moment that thought crosses my mind—

—Fwoosh.

The status window scatters, replaced by a familiar screen.

“Gacha?”

The summoning interface from End of Humanity, a mobile gacha game I used to play, appears before me.

A skill that grants power through gacha pulls?

This trope is familiar.

It’s the kind of ability you’d see in those power-fantasy novels where the protagonist steamrolls the story with gacha luck.

Intrigued, I decide to inspect the skill further.

Might as well get a proper grasp of it now.

‘The gacha consumes Fate Points. Huh? Fate? That’s the premium currency in End of Humanity.’

Fate Points are the high-tier gacha currency in End of Humanity.

Given the game’s interface and currency, does that mean I’ve been isekai’d into End of Humanity?

As I mull over the possibilities, I spot a gacha rate table in the corner of the summoning screen.

‘I can check the pull rates.’

Strike while the iron’s hot—I check immediately.

————

Persona Summon Rates

– 1★: 95%

– 2★: 5%

————

“Hmm.”

Something’s off.

Why only 1★ and 2★?

Shouldn’t there be higher rarities like 4★ or 5★?

As I tilt my head in confusion, I notice a note below the rates:

1) Higher-rarity Personas become available upon Limit Break. (Limit Break feature currently locked.)

2) Summon rates adjust dynamically based on the user’s capabilities.

“I see.”

In short, my current body is too weak to summon higher-rarity characters.

‘Yeah, this body is pretty scrawny for a superhuman. Mana reserves are lacking too.’

Of all the bodies to possess, I get stuck with this weakling. I already miss my old one.

Not that I’d want to go back.

Returning to a body with a donut-shaped abdomen would just mean dying again.

‘Limit Break will unlock higher-rarity summons later… So pulling now would be inefficient.’

With only a 5% chance for 2★ and nothing higher, I’d be a fool to pull now.

‘Alright. Now that I’ve checked the skill, time to get up—’

Just as I start to rise, I notice an exclamation mark over an envelope icon in the corner.

An inbox function, like in games?

Come to think of it, that “new mail” message appeared earlier.

– Unread messages: 1.

I open it immediately.

[The End of Humanity Has Come! New User Rewards!]

A new opportunity. Coincidence, or fate?

– Random 2★ Persona Ticket ×1

– 10x Summon Ticket ×1

Ah, so this is the End of Humanity universe.

The End of Humanity Has Come.

Shortened to EoH.

A game set in Providence, an academy city established to train “Purifiers” from various races to combat the Erosion Phenomenon.

It recreated the Erosion Phenomenon from my original world with insane detail, earning a niche but dedicated fanbase.

I was what you’d call an EoH veteran—a hardcore player since the early days.

“…I’m looking forward to this.”

EoH was practically my only hobby.

The thought of experiencing its stories and characters firsthand excites me.

‘This life…’

I won’t repeat past mistakes.

I’m sick of losing precious people because I was too weak to protect them.

‘Gotta hustle.’

EoH isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Danger lurks around every corner.

‘If I’m just some extra who got isekai’d, I’ll get dragged into the plot whether I like it or not.’

Might as well get strong enough to secure a safe life.

Having clawed my way up from nothing to A-rank Hunter before, it should be easier this time.

Of course, enrolling in Providence would streamline the process.

Is this… before enrollment?

I check the date on the smartphone in my pocket.

– February 15th.

About two weeks until the entrance date.

‘I should train and build a foundation before then.’

From what I remember, the enrollment fee is around 10 million Mihan.

The previous owner probably saved up for it, so it shouldn’t be an issue.

Mihan is the universal currency here.

Its value is roughly equivalent to the Korean won.

At least I won’t get scammed by confusing exchange rates.

‘Alright. Time to move—’

Just as I’m about to start my new life, another window pops up.

“What now?”

The contents read:

[Emergency Firefighting]

After receiving your acceptance letter, you’ve been wandering Providence aimlessly.

The last of your funds were stolen by thugs.

If this continues, you won’t be able to enroll in Providence.

◆ Quest: Acquire 10 million Mihan before enrollment.

◆ Success Reward: 500 Fate Points.

◆ Failure Penalty: The world’s destruction is guaranteed.

“…?”

The sheer absurdity of it feels like a sledgehammer to the skull.