During class, one student was lying face down on his desk, groaning softly.

“Ugh… ugh…”

Anyone could tell he looked uncomfortable. Noticing this, the instructor approached the boy with a worried expression.

Tap. Tap.

“Sungshik? Are you okay? Are you feeling sick?”

Despite the instructor’s question, the boy remained silent.

“Ugh…”

Watching the boy, who was sweating profusely and still slumped over the desk, the instructor gently shook him awake with a concerned look.

“Ugh… what, what’s going on?”

Sungshik opened his eyes and was startled by the unfamiliar scene before him. Seeing Sungshik’s surprise, the instructor was startled as well.

“Hmm, Sungshik, you don’t look well. Jihwan, could you help him to the infirmary?”

“Yes, sir. Sungshik, come on, get up. Let’s go.”

Sungshik needed time to process the situation unfolding around him.

‘I... I couldn’t stop the Death Knight’s attack, could I...?’

Despite his confusion, he obediently got up and followed the student out of the room.

“Hey, you were fine just a moment ago. Why are you suddenly sick? You’re not faking it, are you?”

The boy spoke with a playful smile, and Sungshik found his face oddly familiar.

“Are you... Jihwan?”

“What are you saying? Of course I’m Jihwan. Who else would I be? Did you not sleep well?”

Sung Jihwan. He was a friend Sungshik had been fairly close with during their days at the Superhuman Training Academy.

‘That’s Jihwan. And this looks like the Superhuman Training Academy I used to attend.’

A ridiculous thought crossed his mind, and his head filled with confusion.

“Hey, Jihwan. Is it really 2121, or wait, 2120?”

“What’s with you? It’s 2120, of course. Are you sure you’re okay?”

Watching Jihwan ask seriously if he was unwell, Sungshik thought to himself.

‘It’s 2120? Is this a crazy dream?’

Every student at the Superhuman Training Academy is assigned a private dormitory room. As the academy was considered critical to the future of humanity, the support it received was immense, extending even to the students’ welfare.

The dormitories within the academy were so well-equipped that they rivaled five-star hotels, resulting in over 80% of students opting to stay in them. Sungshik was one of those students.

After stopping by the infirmary, Sungshik returned to his dorm room and sat at his desk with a serious expression.

‘It was real.’

It was the year 2120, and Sungshik was 18 years old. Five years after the Great Cataclysm, he had awakened his Traits and was in his second year at the Superhuman Training Academy.

‘Is this even possible? Time regression? Have I lost my mind?’

The intense sensations of the battlefield he had just been fighting on lingered, making it hard to accept the current situation.

‘What happened to the Sixth Night’s Trial? Did everyone perish?’

A chill ran down his spine as the memory of the Death Knight’s overwhelming strength came flooding back.

‘No. If I’ve truly gone back to the past, then everything might be undone.’

In his previous life, there had always been regrets over choices that could have led to better outcomes. He had also discovered his Traits too late, which was a constant source of frustration. If he had awakened them earlier, his standing would have been entirely different.

Humanity had faced despairing situations with the Gate Breaks and the Night’s Trials. If this was truly the past, it might be an opportunity for both humanity and himself.

‘Status Window—’

Name: Heo Sungshik
Title: None
Rank: 1-Star (★)
Combat Power: F
Stats: Strength F, Agility F, Stamina F, Magic F
Traits: ××× (Locked) / [EX] One More Time (Activated, Unusable)

‘The One More Time ability... Activated? Could this be the regression perk?’

One More Time was an ability Sungshik had unlocked shortly before his death. Although it was classified as EX-tier—an absolute rarity—it had remained inaccessible due to unmet activation conditions.

‘Regression seemed impossible, but if it’s a one-time activation of an EX-tier ability, it makes sense.’

Sungshik began to accept the bewildering situation.

‘This is an opportunity.’

The status window appeared unimpressive at a glance. Without knowing the locked Traits, anyone would have deemed him a combat-type with no potential.

But Sungshik knew better.

‘My Traits had limitless potential.’

In general, superhumans were limited to a single ability, a truth that hadn’t changed even during the Sixth Night’s Trial.

‘But I can acquire additional Traits if the conditions are right.’

The acquisition of additional Traits was the ultimate dream for any superhuman. The right Traits could bridge even the widest power gaps and accelerate growth exponentially.

‘At this point in time, I was so powerless I was considered ability-less.’

Back then, Sungshik didn’t know how to unlock his Traits. He only discovered the method much later, and from then on, he rapidly closed the gap with the frontrunners.

But by then, there wasn’t enough time to catch up to the top-tier superhumans, and he met his end during the Sixth Night’s Trial.

‘This time, I can surpass the frontrunners. No, I can surpass even the monstrous Eleven Throness.’

The Eleven Throness were the leaders of superhumans worldwide, showcasing unparalleled prowess against monsters and fiends. Sungshik believed that with his newfound knowledge, he could grow beyond them.

As he organized his thoughts, Sungshik began planning his future step by step. Starting the next day, opportunities to grow stronger would come his way.

The Superhuman Training Academy was an institution dedicated to training superhumans to combat monsters following the Great Cataclysm.

Although it had only been six years since the Cataclysm, the academy had become relatively well-organized, with the earliest awakened superhumans stepping in as instructors and mentors to train the next generation.

Getting into the Superhuman Training Academy was no small feat. Graduating from it marked one as a distinguished individual.

“Sungshik, are you feeling better?”

As Sungshik prepared for his ability training class, a girl approached him with concern.

“Yeah, I’m fine... Oh, wait?”

Turning his head to respond, Sungshik was taken aback.

Long black hair, fair skin, a small face, large eyes, and delicate, pretty features—her face was vaguely familiar.

‘The Moonlight Holder. She was once considered just below the Eleven Throness.’

She possessed the light attribute ability ‘Moonlight,’ one of the most powerful in the natural categories. She was widely believed to have been destined to join the Throness if she hadn’t perished early during the Night’s Trials.

“I noticed you didn’t look well yesterday, so I brought you this. By the way, my name is Kim Subin. Do you know me?”

Smiling warmly, Kim Subin placed an energy drink on his desk.

“Of course I know you. Thanks, I’ll drink it well.”

Hearing Sungshik’s response, Kim Subin gave a bright smile, exchanged a few more words, and walked away.

“Take care during class and stay healthy!”

Even though she still had a youthful look, her beauty was striking.

‘I knew we went to the same academy, but I don’t recall having any real interaction with her. Could my visit to the infirmary yesterday have created a butterfly effect?’

In his previous life, Sungshik had barely interacted with Kim Subin. He didn’t even remember having a casual conversation with her.

Kim Subin had always garnered attention for her outstanding ability and beauty. From the moment she entered the academy, she was highly popular, especially among the opposite gender. It wasn’t uncommon to see love letters and gifts piling up outside her dorm room.

On the other hand, Sungshik had been an unremarkable student with no outstanding traits. While he wasn’t bad-looking, his unawakened Traits often caused others to dismiss him as a talentless pretty face.

As such, Sungshik and Kim Subin had an unspoken class divide between them—like royalty and commoners.

‘Why is she suddenly showing interest in me?’

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t figure it out. It didn’t seem like she had suddenly developed romantic feelings.

‘If that were the case, something would’ve happened in the past timeline.’

After some thought, Sungshik concluded it might have been simple sympathy after seeing him unwell yesterday.

‘That seems reasonable.’

Sungshik ended his reverie there. Ever since his regression yesterday, mysteries had piled up. Since Kim Subin was never part of his original plans, he decided not to pay too much attention. Of course, he didn't realize at the time how entangled he would eventually become with Kim Subin.

Just then, he felt hostility directed toward him. When he turned his head toward it, he saw a boy with reddish hair and skin staring at him.

“What are you looking at?”

The boy, emanating hostility, shot a sharp remark. His name was Kim Hoyun. Sungshik remembered who he was. Though many details from the past were hazy, he remembered Kim Hoyun vividly.

Looking at him, Sungshik shrugged and turned his head away.

‘That kid probably liked Kim Subin back then.’

He was likely right. He’d once thought Kim Hoyun’s fiery red hair symbolized the burning passion he held for Kim Subin.

There was another reason Sungshik remembered Kim Hoyun so well. He was one of the punks who occasionally tormented Sungshik in the past.

The Superhuman Training Academy balanced theory and practice equally in its curriculum. While it seemed that practice would take precedence in an academy where combat made up 80% of the focus, the foundational knowledge of traits, tactics, and battle basics could not be overlooked, making theory equally important.

‘That’s why, even if someone doesn’t excel in practice, they can still be selected as an exchange student if they stand out in theory.’

Exchange students: A program where exceptional students were chosen to participate in exchange classes with academies from other countries. This was the stepping stone Sungshik aimed for in his first leap forward.

‘I need to obtain the trait embedded in the relic at the Japanese Academy. I absolutely must acquire it.’

After the theory exam, exchange students for a one-month program in Japan would be selected. This selection represented the first opportunity for Sungshik to acquire an additional trait as planned. That trait would exponentially accelerate his growth rate. It was one of the traits he absolutely had to obtain.

‘The problem is how to get selected as an exchange student….’

With his unimpressive body, which had yet to manifest any traits, excelling in practice seemed impossible. Thus, he had to distinguish himself in the theory exam instead.

For Sungshik, standing out in the theory exam seemed easy. Not only did he possess knowledge about events revealed in the future, but he also had countless real-world experiences. Theory, when broken down, was merely a structured understanding of practical occurrences. Sungshik was confident.

“Surely, with my capTraits, acing a theory exam is a piece of cake, isn’t it?”

Despite his confident words, Sungshik headed to the library after class.

‘Still, just in case, I should study. They say even when crossing a stone bridge, you should test it first.’

To ensure he was thoroughly prepared, Sungshik headed to the library. Missing the opportunity to become an exchange student would seriously derail his plans. Since he had awakened later than others, he needed that trait to rapidly increase his growth rate. He couldn’t afford to miss the chance due to carelessness.

“Hey, Kuruma.”

As Sungshik walked across the academy grounds toward the library, he heard someone behind him call out, “Kuruma,” bringing back old memories.

Kuruma—a Japanese word meaning “cart.” It was a nickname given to Sungshik, suggesting he would end up as nothing more than a gate porter due to his lack of traits.

‘Kuruma… it’s been a while since I’ve heard that. Was I really that incompetent back then?’

Still, later on, after meeting the Sovereign King, he became a super rookie who exceeded expectations.

As he reflected on the past and turned around, there stood the boy with reddish hair and skin, glaring at him.

“Kim Hoyun?”

“Yeah.”

“What do you want?”

When Sungshik asked what the matter was, Kim Hoyun chuckled.

“Do I need a reason to call you?”

Suddenly, Sungshik remembered his pre-regression daily life.

This guy would occasionally take out his frustrations on him, especially when his attempts to get close to Kim Subin didn’t go well.

“I’m in a really bad mood today. Guess whose fault that is?”

“How should I know?”

“Hah… You’re even talking back to me now.”

Kim Hoyun was incredulous at how Sungshik, usually meek around him, was now responding confidently.

‘Has this bastard lost it?’

It seemed like the perfect time to teach him a lesson.

Crack―

Kim Hoyun cracked his knuckles and strode toward Sungshik.

“You seemed awfully close to Kim Subin today. Who told you to act all cocky?”

‘Ah… so that was the reason.’

When Sungshik realized why Kim Hoyun was picking a fight, he chuckled. He had suspected it but now confirmed it.

“Oh? You think this is funny?”

Kim Hoyun’s eyes flared up as he saw Sungshik chuckle. It was infuriating to see the person he’d always regarded as a nobody act so defiant.

“It’s been a while since you’ve had a beating, hasn’t it?”

With that, Kim Hoyun swung his fist.

“Let’s start with one punch… Huh?”

Kim Hoyun was shocked when Sungshik effortlessly dodged his attack. It wasn’t the movement of the Sungshik he thought he knew.

“What’s going on? Did you awaken or something?”

“Who in their right mind would get hit by such a basic attack?”

At Sungshik’s nonchalant response, Kim Hoyun was visibly enraged.

“You bastard….”

Kim Hoyun’s eyes began to glow faintly red as his mana surged around him.

Seeing this, Sungshik’s eyes sparkled with interest. The mana Kim Hoyun wielded was substantial—far more than a 1-star or 2-star level should have possessed. Past Sungshik wouldn’t have known this, but the regressed Sungshik understood.

‘This isn’t the mana of someone at a mere 1-star or 2-star level.’

Kim Hoyun’s mana seemed dense enough to be at the 3-star level.

As Kim Hoyun’s mana flared up, Sungshik furrowed his brow slightly. With his current mana and physical capTraits, he realized a direct confrontation was not an option.

“Hup.”

Kim Hoyun lunged with his right fist charged with mana, but Sungshik narrowly dodged by twisting his body to the left.

Whoosh―

A faint warmth followed the trajectory of Kim Hoyun’s punch, a testament to his immense power.

‘Could he already have reached the 3-star level?’

No, that couldn’t be. If he had, he would’ve been promoted to the third year already. There was no reason for him to remain in the second year.

Having thrown himself off balance with his hasty punch, Kim Hoyun wobbled slightly. He hadn’t expected Sungshik to dodge, which threw him off.

‘He dodged?’

Kim Hoyun hadn’t anticipated this and was momentarily flustered. He realized that today’s Sungshik wasn’t the same old Kuruma he used to know.

‘Still….’

Kim Hoyun’s eyes flared up again as he charged toward Sungshik.

‘Tsk, he can’t even control his power. His attacks are shapeless and simple.’

Clicking his tongue inwardly, Sungshik dodged Hoyun’s attacks again. After evading a couple more strikes, Hoyun’s initial excitement seemed to subside slightly.

“Huff… Who are you? How are you dodging all my attacks?”

‘Such predictable attacks—I couldn’t get hit even if I wanted to.’

Suppressing a laugh, Sungshik responded with a grin.

“With such simple attacks, how could I not dodge them?”

Fortunately, Kim Hoyun, despite his considerable power, was still just a rookie who couldn’t fully control his strength.

‘This is manageable.’

While Sungshik felt confident, Kim Hoyun’s simmering anger reignited.

Crack.

Kim Hoyun felt as though he could hear the veins in his forehead popping. To be disrespected like this by Kuruma was utterly infuriating. He still struggled to control the side effects of wielding his fire-based powers, such as easily flaring up in anger.

Kim Hoyun’s trait allowed him to link with a fire spirit, a rare and unique trait. The fire spirit’s natural-element classification made it one of the top-tier traits, provided its drawbacks could be overcome.

With it, he could envelop himself in fiery mana to enhance his strength or launch fire-elemental attacks. In the future, he would even be able to summon the fire spirit itself. It was a minimum A-rank trait.

However, Kim Hoyun often succumbed to the trait’s side effects. Now was no different as he recklessly let his anger control him.

“Damn it.”

Cursing, he charged at Sungshik again, but all his attacks were narrowly evaded.

Amidst it all, Sungshik asked with a sly grin, “Are you seriously jealous just because I talked to Kim Subin today? No way, right?”

The question hit a nerve. Kim Hoyun’s face turned crimson, resembling a tomato.

“No, you bastard!”

Completely losing his temper, Kim Hoyun charged again. But this time, it was precisely what Sungshik had been waiting for.

‘Now.’

He had been biding his time for this moment.

Just then—

“Hey, you two, that’s enough.”

With a chic voice, an intense presence swept between them.