'Painful!'

'So painful!'

My body hurts so much!...'

'wait... Why do I feel so much pain? I don't understand... I am very sure that I can't survive that battle. Some of the wounds that I received were fatal.'

'I can't even move. Every inch of my body is screaming in agony, making even the slightest movement unbearable. I never imagined a pain could be this intense. It's like constant torture that I can't escape from.'

Soon the pain that was plaguing him started to subside, offering a brief respite from the torment. However, the relief was short-lived as a new feeling invaded his body. A cool and unsettling sensation enveloped him, momentarily soothing the pain he was experiencing.

'The pain... it's gone. I feel cold... What's happening?'

The figure in the vast expanse of darkness felt his strength leaving his body as the cold sensation intensified. His limbs grew heavy, and his mind became foggy, making it difficult to think clearly.

Plethora of thoughts started to set in as he realized that this new sensation was not a sign of relief but maybe the beginning of something even more ominous.

'I can't still move a single inch of my body. Even my eyes won't open...'

'Am I about to enter the kingdom of a god? Or am I in the purgatory that some people believe in?'

'I thought the goddess had already forsaken me.'

'Or is this her punishment for me? She really believed that I was siding with the demons... How could she!"

'I served her for years. How could she doubt my loyalty after all the sacrifices I made for her?' The thought of betrayal stung him deeply, intensifying the sense of despair and hopelessness that he is feeling.

...

'Embrace the darkness... That's the last thing I heard before I died.'

'Is it the barbaric muscle head who whispered that to me, or is it that guy who thinks he's above everyone?'

"..."

'Why would they betray me? I have given my all for them...'

Rage started to boil inside him as he thought about the things that happened before he died. 

'trusted them!'

'I treated them like family, but in the end, they betrayed me and accused me of colluding with the demons!'

'Who in their right mind would think that I would forsake humanity and join hands with the demons!'

'I can't even count how many times I almost sacrificed my life protecting humanity.'

'All those battles I fought, all those lives I saved, and yet all have turned their backs on me without hesitation...'

'Their accusations cut deeper than any demon's blade, for it was not just my honor they questioned but my very essence as a human being.'

'...'

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As his state of mind gradually descended into darkness, he couldn't help but wonder if his loyalty to humanity was truly worth it.

'I want to live...'

'I want to take revenge on those who abandoned me! I want to make them feel the pain I've endured in those past months when everyone was against me.' The desire for revenge burned within him, fueling his determination to rise from the ashes and seek justice for himself.

After what felt like an eternity of nothingness, he felt his consciousness slowly slipping away from him, like sand passing through his fingers.

'Is this the end for me?'

As he struggled to hold on to his fading consciousness, he heard a distant sound of a clock tower and that of a shifting sand.

"The darkness will be your ally." a mysterious voice whispered in his ear. It was a voice he had never heard before, but it filled him with an inexplicable sense of comfort. 

Suddenly, a surge of energy coursed through his veins, dispelling the darkness that threatened to consume him.

.....

A battered figure of a boy lay motionless on a shabby bed. Beside him was a man in his 50s. The man seemed to be deeply concerned; his eyes were filled with worry as he looked at the boy with teary eyes.

'The darkness will be my ally. Where did that voice come from?'

'And the strange sensation around me is now gone... My senses are starting to return to me.' Adrian thought as he can now slowly move his fingers. 

Adrian took a deep breath and opened his heavy eyes. He couldn't shake off the feeling that something extraordinary had just occurred.

As he glanced around, he noticed an old man sitting in a chair beside his bed.

"Adrian! You're finally awake you stupid kid!" The man said in surprise.

'Is this some kind of illusion?... Why is my grandfather in front of me?'

'I thought that he was being protected by Diana in Hatar. Maybe, I am really inside a illusion. '

"I've told you many times before to be careful and run when those thugs harass you again." the man said, his voice trembling with a mix of frustration and concern. "But no matter what I say, you always fight them and end up like this." He sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

"Kids nowadays always seem to think that they can do everything." The man sighed in frustration gazing at Adrian's wound.

"Shut it. You're not him, you're just an illusion."

Suddenly, a newspaper has been smacked on Adrian's forehead. "Ouch!" Adrian exclaimed, rubbing his forehead in pain.

"Hey kid, have you finally lost it? Is that the right way to talk to your grandfather?" The man's voice held a hint of exasperation as he looked at Adrian. "I have to carry your sorry butt out of trouble again, and you'll talk to me like that?" 

"How many times have they hit you in the head?"

"Huh?"

'Something is wrong.'

'A shabby bed, a wooden chair, a rotting ceiling, a wooden table with a gas lamp, and of course the squeaky floor. This is the old man's house, and we're in his room.'

'If this is an illusion, I would have already felt the huge amount of mana emanating from it. But there's nothing, just the faint smell of dampness and decay.' 

"Adrian, what are you thinking about?..."

"Why aren't you responding to my question?" 

"Old man, I mean grandpa. can you help me get up for a second?"

 Adrian asked, his voice filled with concern. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Of course, let me assist you."

Vincent made his way towards Adrian's side. With a gentle hand, he helped Adrian sit on the shabby bed.

"Thank you." Adrian said gratefully.

"I'll leave you alone for a moment while I prepare food for you. I'll be back shortly, kid." Vincent smiled warmly before leaving the room, leaving Adrian to his thoughts. The sound of Vincent's footsteps faded away, and Adrian was left in the silence of the room, surrounded by the lingering dampness and decay.

'I am so confused... This is certainly not an illusion. What's happening?' Adrian's mind raced with questions. Desperately seeking answers to make sense of his current situation, he opened his system.

Soon, a magical parchment like scroll materialized in front of him, glowing with an otherworldly light. 

------SYSTEM-------

[Name]: Adrian von Sinclair

[Age]: 17

[Titles:] Regressor

[A mysterious existence has regressed you back in time.]

[A pityful existence like yours deserves a second chance.]

[Profession]: None

[--Stats--]

[Strength]: 8

[Agility]: 12

[Endurance]: 7

[Intelligence]: 18

[Stamina]: 10

[Mana]: 10 [Quality]: F

[Luck]: C

[talent]: E

[Rank]: F

[---Skills---]

[One with shadows] (C rank)

blends with the shadow, making the host harder to detect (mana consumption: 20 per minute).

[Jade flow] (S - E rank) [reduced to E-rank due to the low rank of the host.]

A mana channeling technique created by Adrian Von Sinclair, who poured his years of knowledge and hard work into a single technique.

Helps the host convert mana from the host's surroundings into the body by using jade stone as a catalyst.

[???] (?Rank)

-???

-???

-???

-???

-???

[The host authority is low. [Please increase your tiny amount of power to unlock.]

[---passive skills---]

[Mana Control] (S-rank) [Reduced to E-rank due to the low rank of the host.]

- A mana technique that helps the host manipulate mana.

[With below average strength and low talent, you can probably hunt small F-rank beasts with proper preparations. And a friendly reminder: don't take on a group of thugs.]

'I- I regressed... I can't believe it. An existence brought me back in time?'

'Is it the goddess of light?' 'No, it can't be the goddess of light. It must be some other being with the power to manipulate time.'

'But none of the present gods has that kind of power.'

'...'

Adrian once again peeked at his system. 'My stats are so low. A bull probably has better strength than me.'

'Oh... Some of my skills from my past life are included too.'

'wait... Is it a past life or the probable future? I would just call it the original timeline... 

"And what is this bunch of question marks below."

"..."

Adrian examined his whole body and slapped his face to make sure that everything he felt was real.

'Ouch! He winced in pain, confirming that he was indeed in the present and not dreaming. 

As he continued to think about his regression, a sense of curiosity and excitement welled up within him.

"This is reality!" Adrian laughed maniacally. /

"I will make the lives of those who betrayed me, ve-'

Interrupting Adrian's thoughts was the worried voice of Vincent, who had just entered the room.

"Adrian, are you really okay? I've heard you shouting some words and laughing like a mad man."

"Don't mind that, grandfather. I'm just very happy." I smiled at the old man to show him I'm okay and probably ease his worries.

"okay... I have already prepared the food. I'll help you eat." Vincent nodded, still concerned, but decided to trust Adrian's reassurance. A sense of relief and gratitude for their shared meal gradually replaced the worry that had been present in the room as they began to eat.