Chapter 1

### The God's Nemesis, Regression 001

1. The Regressor

Gods (神).

Beings who protected humanity from disasters and granted power to players to become stronger.

These transcendent beings, however, appeared as enemies in the final moments and brought about the extinction of humanity on Earth.

Resistance? Rebellion?

It was impossible.

In the face of their overwhelming divinity and might.

The struggles of humans were no different from the wriggling of insects.

“Huff… huff….”

The only human man left on this blue planet, completely destroyed with all its humans, buildings, and even terrain, took a deep breath and surveyed his surroundings.

‘Did everyone fall?’

With wavy hair, pale skin, a blue-green armor, and golden lightning surrounding him.

A floating emerald trident, a hammer emitting blue lightning, and a white greatsword in his hand.

The man's name was Ishyun.

He was the only human who survived against the gods.

But the situation was not good.

No, it was the worst.

His comrades, whom he could entrust his life to, and all of humanity had met a terrible end.

His legs felt as heavy as waterlogged cotton, barely moving.

His left arm was already severed.

Yet, his fierce gaze remained alive.

Crackle.

Someone descended from the sky with blinding golden lightning.

A full beard and a laurel crown.

The one looking down at Ishyun from the split sky was Zeus, the king of Olympus and the supreme god.

A black-haired handsome man sneered.

The first fallen angel and the god of pride, Lucifer.

A man with an eye patch and two crows on his shoulders.

Odin, the supreme god of Asgard, answered Lucifer's question.

Swoosh.

A blond handsome man, the archangel Michael, added.

Zeus, Odin, Lucifer, Michael.

The beings who ruled the vast world acknowledged Ishyun.

He had become powerful enough to defeat some gods with his human body.

But that was all.

No matter how strong you are, you are still just a human.

They were showing the gap that made them gods.

“Let me ask one thing.”

Surrounded by hundreds of gods, with the four supreme gods at the forefront, Ishyun asked.

“If you were going to destroy humanity anyway… why didn't you just wipe us out from the beginning?”

“Why did you create such pointless disasters?”

After a moment of stroking his chin.

Odin answered.

“What?”

“Hahaha… Hahaha. I see. I see.”

Ishyun laughed upon hearing the gods' answer.

It was futile.

To prevent the extinction of humanity.

To prevent the deaths of his comrades, he had faced countless disasters, killed countless monsters, and endured endless trials.

All of it was just a game against a humanity that was destined to be destroyed.

The futility was so overwhelming that only laughter could come out.

“Hahaha…”

Zeus raised his golden spear.

Flash!

At the moment Zeus' lightning enveloped Ishyun's body.

Time stopped.

Soon, a figure with short hair reaching the shoulders and an ambiguous appearance, neither clearly male nor female, appeared before Ishyun.

He was Loki, the god of mischief and Odin's son.

“Loki? How….”

Before Ishyun could grasp the situation.

Loki waved his hand, and numerous messages filled his vision.

……

From that moment, time began to flow backward.

The muscular body became gaunt again, and numerous scars disappeared.

The magic in his body gradually diminished and vanished.

The items Ishyun had equipped changed into a bright costume.

‘Where am I…?’

Swoosh.

With the notification of a successful regression.

The people who had stopped began to move again.

In Ishyun's mind.

Loki's voice echoed.

A theme park in Jamsil, Seoul.

“Creak.”

“Mom! Dad!”

“Hey! Don't just stand there!”

“No cutting in line!”

On May 5th, Children's Day, the scene at the theme park was very peaceful.

“It, it can't be.”

Ishyun stuttered, unable to believe it.

‘I was definitely… dead, right?’

But before he could grasp the situation.

A message appeared before Ishyun's eyes.

“Rumble.”

“Squeal!”

With the appearance of the holographic window before the chosen players.

The sky split open, and a rift appeared.

From within, monsters emerged.

Goblins (Goblin).

The first disaster to strike humanity.

“Scream!”

“What are these things?”

“Is this augmented reality?”

Most people thought the goblins were fake.

It was understandable.

This was a theme park.

There were more fake things than goblins.

But.

Crack.

“Scream!”

Only after a group of goblins brutally killed a person did people realize they were not fake.

“Rumble.”

Bulging bellies.

Green skin, long noses, hunched backs, and crude axes.

Though only as tall as an adult's waist, the dozens of goblins, filled with malice, caused panic.

Some citizens who bravely tried to face the goblins were immediately killed.

No matter how weak goblins were, they were still monsters.

It was impossible to defeat them with guns that barely worked.

Swish!

There were so many people.

“Run!”

“Police! What are the police doing?”

“Ah!”

Blood splattered everywhere, and screams filled the air.

A giant holographic window appeared before their eyes.

▶Objective: Kill 10 or more goblins within the time limit

*If a player is killed, it is considered as killing 5 goblins

▶Reward: [Distributable Stats +4]

▶Additional Reward: Varies based on contribution.

▶Failure: Death

Some of the chosen players began to fight the goblins.

Even without weapons, they had been granted stats.

“Squeal!”

“Ah!”

“What lunatic is attacking from behind….”

As soon as the quest appeared.

The situation became even more chaotic.

Players who were blocking the goblins from the front.

A few players hesitated and stabbed from behind.

“Just kill two….”

“Crazy bastards!”

“Let's all work together to kill the goblins!”

“Don't joke! How can we kill ten of those monsters!”

“Scream!”

The logic of the survivors made sense.

Despite their small size, goblins bit and tore at players even when stabbed and cut.

Most players were already overwhelmed by the goblins.

Since failing the quest meant death, they decided to betray each other.

Selfishness.

It becomes even more pronounced when related to survival.

‘I don’t know what’s happening, but…’

While running to avoid the goblins.

Ishyun muttered.

‘I need to go to a safe place first. I need to use my ability to deal with those bastards.’

With his current strength, Ishyun couldn't calm the chaos.

He moved to an employee-only passage.

Since the disaster started immediately, he needed to go to a safe place and prepare to fight the goblins.

‘Ability.’

It is imprinted on the soul, so all players receive it at the start of the disaster.

It represents the player's identity.

Designates and steals a god's unique item.

▶1 unique item per 10 levels, up to 12 items

▶Additional effects based on the number of unique items

▶When stolen, the unique item is adjusted to E rank, and can be promoted with sufficient proficiency

Skills, abilities, and items are divided into seven ranks.

From SS to S, A, B, C, D, and E.

Ishyun's ability was beyond the best ‘SS rank’ and was EX rank.

EX (Extraordinary).

Out of standard, ‘transcendent’ rank.

It meant a rank beyond all others.

‘It makes sense.’

Unique items.

Items imbued with a god's special power.

Only players who have a contract with a god can obtain them.

Ishyun's ability ignored these conditions and allowed him to steal other gods' items.

Moreover, when Ishyun stole a unique item through his ability, the original god or contractor could no longer use it.

This was the main reason Ishyun was called the ‘god's nemesis.’

Stealing items that could fully unleash a god's power.

No god could help but fear this.

‘The first item I need to obtain is…’

‘The Radiant God's Arsenal’ can steal one unique item without any conditions when activated.

Among them, the most destructive, immediately useful, difficult to obtain later, and highly efficient when developed early.

The item possessed by Ishyun's main enemy.

Ishyun pondered which item met all these conditions.

‘When I first activated my ability, I didn’t know what to choose… but now it’s different.’

And the conclusion was one.

Rumble.

Bang!

With the activation of Ishyun's ability.

Lightning struck from the sky.

The lightning pierced through the theme park's ceiling and landed in Ishyun's hand like a bird finding its master.

Crackle…

Astrapê (Αστραπή).

It was a sphere small enough to fit in the palm of his hand.

‘Loki… what’s your plan?’

How this guy regressed him.

What his purpose was, what he desired, whether he was an ally or an enemy.

Currently, it was unknown.

‘And it doesn’t matter.’

Ishyun smiled.

‘What matters is that I’ve been given another chance. Whether it’s just Loki’s prank or part of a bigger plan doesn’t matter.’

Swoosh.

‘Now that I’ve returned. I won’t let the same thing happen again.’

Holding Zeus' lightning in his hand.

Ishyun took a step towards the goblins.

Zeus' Olympus.

Odin's Asgard.

Michael's Eden.

Lucifer's Hell.

“Wait.”

Flash!

“I will pull you down from your lofty throne.”