Chapter 1

"Ha, ha, ha..."

Breathless, my whole body felt as heavy as lead.

It was as if it wasn't even my own body.

Thud.

An unpleasant sound echoed.

I realized I had collapsed on the hard ground.

The unique smell of stone and sand stung my nose.

I had reached my limit.

The potions were long gone.

I had sustained injuries that reached my internal organs, and there was no way to treat them.

I had walked on, believing in a slim hope, through the dangerous area where countless monsters roamed.

But that was as far as I could go.

I could hardly even stand up, let alone walk.

"...What was... my life... all about..."

It had been a rather unremarkable life.

I, Jion, was born in a small village on the frontier.

It was a poor village, but I think I had a relatively happy childhood.

Then, one day, I was captivated by the idea of becoming an adventurer and left the village.

Becoming an adventurer in the city was fine, but due to my naturally shy personality, I rarely found good companions, and I mostly took on most of the quests alone.

I might have had talent, though.

I steadily climbed the ranks as an adventurer and, before I knew it, I had reached B-rank at the young age of twenty.

Out of a hundred new adventurers, only three might reach B-rank.

That's what B-rank is.

It's a realm that only the most dedicated or those with exceptional talent can reach.

...And that overconfidence in my own abilities was my downfall.

I challenged a high-difficulty dungeon alone, faced numerous attacks from monsters, was injured, and ended up like this.

"If... I could... be reborn..."

I couldn't even speak anymore.

My vision was gradually darkening.

If I were to be reborn, I would live a more stable life next time.

I would have a more outgoing personality.

I would make many friends, have wild parties, and have serious conversations...

Of course, I wouldn't want to die like this, alone and in such a lonely way. I would want to die surrounded by my family, with a happy smile on my face—

"Hey, someone's collapsed."

"Really? We need to help them quickly."

—Those voices woke me up.

Was it a dream?

No, I could clearly hear the voices.

And footsteps were approaching.

Eventually, a group of four adventurers appeared before me.

Two men looked like a swordsman and a scout.

The other two were women, likely a mage and a healer.

A well-balanced party.

Different from me, who went solo.

They would surely be able to explore this dangerous dungeon steadily.

Still, what a stroke of luck.

In this vast dungeon, to meet another party by chance.

And they seemed to be concerned about me.

I had heard of ruthless adventurers who, upon finding a dying adventurer in a dungeon, would finish them off and take all their valuables. It was truly a blessing.

...No, wait.

Something was off.

The healer woman stopped the swordsman who was about to use a potion.

"...Unfortunately, we can't save him."

"Why not?"

"Because he's already just a corpse."

Just a corpse...?

I couldn't understand the words the healer woman spoke.

That can't be.

I'm still alive.

I can see you and hear your conversation, can't I?

"The only thing we can do... is purify him to prevent him from becoming an undead. ...He's already starting to turn."

No way...?

So what? My body is already dead, and I'm just a soul or spirit, listening to their conversation?

BOOM!

At that moment.

Suddenly, a tremendous sound echoed from above, and the ground shook violently.

"What... is this...?"

"An earthquake!?"

"In a dungeon!?"

The shaking didn't stop.

Cracks appeared in the ceiling, and rocks and dirt began to fall.

"Is it... going to collapse...?"

"No way!?"

"Quick, to the surface!"

They ran off in a panic.

Of course, they left me behind.

Hey, wait!

If I stay here, I'll be buried alive... or rather, I'm already dead, right?

Thinking about it, I wasn't really scared anymore.

I felt like it didn't matter anymore.

Eventually, the ceiling did collapse.

I watched the approaching wall of rocks with a blank expression.

◇ ◇ ◇

That day, a shockwave hit the western continent, where the Emalina Empire reigned.

Among the dragon species, known as the strongest of all monsters, the four Dragon Emperors were said to be at the pinnacle.

Two of them, the Flame Dragon Emperor and the Ice Dragon Emperor, clashed in the airspace of the Emalina Empire.

Rain of fire and ice fell, and typhoon-like gales raged.

It was a natural disaster.

Even a great nation like the Emalina Empire was powerless against the two Dragon Emperors.

The aftermath of the intense battle led to the destruction of Balcaba, the second-largest city in the empire.

The landscape of the surrounding area was completely altered.

Eventually, the battle ended with a victor and a loser.

The defeated Ice Dragon Emperor was completely incinerated, leaving no trace of a body.

On the other hand, the victorious Flame Dragon Emperor was also near death.

Having lost most of its power, it could no longer fly and fell to the ground.

The place where the Flame Dragon Emperor fell.

It was precisely the dungeon where a certain adventurer had died.