Rain poured from the dark sky like the world itself was mourning.
Arin knelt on the cold ground, his hands trembling as blood slowly spread beneath him.
His chest burned. Each breath felt like swallowing broken glass.
In front of him stood the people he trusted the most.
His teammates.
His friends.
And the woman he loved.
Arin looked up slowly, disbelief filling his eyes.
"Why…?" his voice cracked.
The woman who once smiled warmly at him now stared down with cold indifference.
Lena.
The same girl who promised to stay by his side forever.
She sighed impatiently.
"You were never supposed to know," she said calmly.
Arin's heart tightened.
Behind her, the team leader chuckled.
"Come on, Arin. Don't make this harder than it needs to be."
Arin's fingers dug into the muddy ground.
"You… used me?"
The leader shrugged.
"Of course we did."
His words fell like a hammer.
"You were the only one stupid enough to enter the forbidden dungeon first."
Arin's mind went blank.
Forbidden dungeon.
That place where countless hunters died.
Where monsters beyond imagination lived.
And yet…
He went first.
Because they asked him to.
Because he trusted them.
Because he believed they were his friends.
A bitter laugh escaped his lips.
"So everything… was a lie."
Lena stepped forward, her boots stopping inches from his face.
"You should feel honored," she said coldly.
"Your sacrifice helped us obtain the artifact."
Arin's pupils shrank.
Artifact?
The team leader lifted a glowing crystal in his hand.
A mysterious cube pulsed with ancient power.
"This thing will make us the strongest hunters in the world."
Arin's breathing grew heavy.
"So that's why…"
The leader nodded.
"You were always the weakest among us."
His smile widened cruelly.
"But you were useful."
Lightning flashed across the sky.
Arin's vision blurred as more blood flowed from his wound.
He could feel his life slipping away.
His entire life flashed before his eyes.
A useless man.
A disposable teammate.
A fool who trusted the wrong people.
Tears mixed with rain on his face.
"If… I had another chance…"
His voice faded into the storm.
"I would never trust anyone again."
The leader raised his sword.
"Well, too bad."
The blade pierced Arin's chest.
Pain exploded through his body.
Then—
Darkness.
Endless darkness swallowed him.
Everything disappeared.
No pain.
No sound.
No light.
Just silence.
Seconds passed.
Or maybe centuries.
Then suddenly—
A strange mechanical voice echoed through the void.
[Detecting compatible host…]
[Condition: Host has experienced extreme betrayal.]
[Condition: Host possesses high survival instinct.]
[Condition: Host hatred level — extremely high.]
Pause.
Then the voice spoke again.
[Requirements satisfied.]
A glowing blue window appeared in the darkness.
[Infinite System Activated]
Arin's eyes snapped open.
But the world around him… was no longer Earth.