Regressed After Only Doing the Tutorial 1

Chapter 1 Prologue

“This is the last time. Doing this with you.”

I muttered calmly while staring at the enormous being before me.

Fifty years since I fell into the Tutorial.

More than half of that time had been spent with this thing.

Baal’s avatar.

The strongest monster that could be summoned in the Tutorial.

And my final teacher, my final opponent.

Boom!

Of course, there was no way this thing, which had never once responded to me, would suddenly understand and answer me just because it was the last day.

Instead, it swung down its fist with enough force to shatter a mountain.

I twisted my body to dodge, a movement so familiar it was second nature.

Then, I drove my fist wrapped in a surge of energy straight into its skull.

Crunch!

The moment my fist struck, Baal’s skull shattered as if exploding.

Perhaps because it was a tenacious creature, its headless body still twitched, trying to move.

But after I tore its flesh to shreds with a prolonged burst of energy, it finally stopped.

The battle ended in just two attacks.

This act no longer held any meaning for me.

As I stared at the collapsing corpse, I reaffirmed my conviction.

‘There’s nothing left for me to gain here.’

I had already mastered every skill the Tutorial had to offer.

I had even pushed them to their maximum proficiency.

Even Baal’s avatar, the strongest monster that could be summoned, was no longer a match for me.

Truthfully, I had been able to easily defeat Baal’s avatar since five years ago.

But I kept fighting it.

Because it had been the best training material I’d ever encountered.

Until I could perfectly counter every pattern.

Until I understood the meaning behind every movement.

I relentlessly replicated Baal’s fighting style, repeating the process endlessly to refine myself.

And now, even that process had become meaningless.

I had already grasped everything there was to know about Baal’s avatar.

I slowly turned away.

“If you’re done, come eat.”

In the distance, my assigned angel, Estelle, stood with her arms crossed.

“Yes, ma’am.”

I unleashed a burst of energy from my entire body, scattering the blood that had drenched me.

The stench of Baal’s blood clinging to me faded slightly.

Then, I headed toward the mansion I had built myself.

After maxing out my Blacksmithing and Magical Engineering skills, I had constructed this mansion with my own hands.

Looking back, it really was a sentimental place.

‘This will be the last day for this, too.’

I wanted to linger in my emotions a little longer, but since Estelle was waiting, I quickened my pace.

“Stir-fried pork today?”

The spicy aroma hit my nose as soon as I sat at the table.

“Since it’s the last day, I prepared your favorite dish… Do you not like it?”

“Of course not. I’ll enjoy it, as always.”

I picked up my chopsticks with a light heart.

I wouldn’t be able to taste this again soon.

After eating my fill as usual, I looked at Estelle and spoke.

“Thinking that I won’t get to eat this again makes me really reluctant… Should I just not leave?”

She half-closed her eyes and replied flatly.

“Shall I throw a punch for the first time in a while, Player Han Yeong-min?”

“My apologies.”

I immediately bowed my head.

This wasn’t something to joke about, even in jest.

Despite her angelic name, her combat prowess was unmatched even I, who had surpassed the Tutorial’s limits, was no match for her.

If I really resisted, I would die.

‘Just thinking about that time… Ugh.’

When she first taught me advanced martial art , how many hits had I taken?

“Player Han Yeong-min, you learn faster through physical experience than explanations. If you don’t understand, you’ll get hit.”

True to her word, I was beaten all day long, except when eating or sleeping.

Fortunately (?)angels couldn’t harbor killing intent toward players, and their physical abilities were restricted, making real sparring impossible… but still, I thought I was going to die.

Eventually, I ended up using Baal’s avatar for actual combat training.

“Haa… Han Yeong-min, despite what you say, I know you’re more ambitious than anyone.”

Estelle smiled as if reading my expression.

“Over the past 50 years, except for a few incidents, you’ve struggled relentlessly every single day to grow.”

I was born with less talent than others.

To catch up, I needed twice, three times the effort.

So while everyone else quickly finished the Tutorial and entered the Tower, I stubbornly stayed behind, determined to master everything this place had to offer.

After all that effort, I now possessed combat prowess that lagged behind no one.

“You may have started later than others, but you’ll grow faster than anyone.”

Estelle looked at me as she spoke.

“Having built this much strength before even reaching the 1st Floor, you’ll only grow stronger as you climb. Trust me, who believes in you, and don’t rush.”

“You know I’m not that kind of person, right?”

“Exactly. Slow but steady. That’s Han Yeong-min .”

Estelle gave a soft smile.

“It’s hard to believe only 10 years have passed outside.”

Time flowed differently here compared to the outside.

I had lived through 50 years in full.

But outside, only 10 years had passed.

I understood, but it was hard to accept.

“Unlike other Tower entrants, Earthlings have never even felt the flow of mana. This is a natural privilege. Once you enter the Tower, you’ll come to believe it naturally.”

At Estelle’s words, I nodded quietly.

The Tower wasn’t just for Earthlings.

Martial artists, elves, mages, dwarves… all kinds of races existed there.

Earthlings were given the Tutorial as an opportunity to start on equal footing with them.

‘But… can we really call this equal?’

Even after 50 years of training here, even after being granted the right to climb the Tower, the Tower was already overflowing with those who had trained their entire lives in worlds where mana existed.

They were born and raised in environments where magic, martial arts, and divine power were natural.

They had learned through systematic training methods refined over generations.

Meanwhile, Earthlings had no such environment.

Could a few years of training really let us compete with them?

I suddenly recalled the lifespan differences between these races.

“Estelle, how long do the other races live on average?”

“Elves live 500 years, dwarves around 300. Higher races with the ‘High’ prefix can live up to four times that.”

She answered as if it were trivial.

But I couldn’t dismiss it so lightly.

Beings who had lived for centuries.

Those who had mastered magic and martial arts developed over millennia, backed by their absurd lifespans.

“It’s a little worrying now that it’s time to go in.”

I spoke quietly.

“I’ve only trained for 50 years… Can I really win against them?”

Even though the words came from my own mouth, it was a painfully realistic concern.

Even among humans, it was the same.

Martial artists and mages hadn’t learned haphazardly like me they had grown through systematic training methods honed over centuries.

Was I truly complete enough to surpass such a vast gap in time?

Estelle met my gaze directly.

“Just because the same time is given doesn’t mean the same things can be built.”

Her voice was firm.

“The world is full of people who train their whole lives yet achieve less than you did in 10 years. The density of effort differs.”

Hearing those words, my mind cleared instantly.

‘…Density of effort.’

It wasn’t just about time it was about what and how deeply you built within that time.

I had lived 50 years with a density unmatched by anyone.

Countless trials, training to the brink of death every day, utilizing everything the Tutorial allowed to achieve the fastest growth possible.

If even that wasn’t enough… then I just had to grow stronger.

I curled my lips slightly.

“Hearing that puts me at ease.”

I trusted Estelle absolutely.

If she said so, it must be true.

“The gate to the Tower will open soon. Do you have any last words?”

She and I had spent 50 years together.

We’d had countless conversations in that time.

At this point, we didn’t need long speeches—a single glance was enough.

“Even on the last day, you’re still going to call me ‘Player Han Yeong-min’  so coldly?”

“Angels shouldn’t grow attached to humans. The emotions of the infinite burn slowly and fade even slower.”

When I pouted, Estelle chuckled.

“Even so, I’ve grown fond of you, Han Yeong-min.”

Her gaze deepened.

“I’ve seen so much of you over the years. The petty moments, the foolish ones, the stubborn ones, the persistent ones, the dependable ones… and maybe even the cool ones.”

She let out a small sigh.

“You’re someone impossible not to grow attached to. That’s who you are, Han Yeong-min.”

Her sincerity, spoken for the first time in 50 years.

Just as I was about to respond, a message appeared before my eyes.

[You are one of Earth’s last 10 survivors.]

[By the arrangement of Earth’s god, regression will now begin.]

[Please, save Earth.]

“…Huh?”

In that instant—

The world shook.

“Han Yeong—!”

Before Estelle could finish calling my name, my consciousness cut off as if my mind had gone blank.

*****

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a place that was familiar yet strangely foreign after so long.

“…My room?”

I looked around blankly.

The same clothes strewn about, the same unthrown trash, the same monitor left on.

Even the cup noodle container lying on the floor.

Everything was exactly as it had been 50 years ago.

Almost instinctively, I grabbed my phone.

My fingers tremble slightly.

I turned on the screen and checked the date.

December 31, 2024.

My birthday.

‘…The day before I entered the Tutorial?’

My breath caught.

My thoughts tangled into a mess.

‘Did I really go back in time?’

At that moment, I saw my reflection in the mirror—

And my breath stopped again.

“…I’m young?”

A familiar room, a familiar date, and… an unfamiliar face.

This wasn’t the body I had trained and grown over 50 years.

My internal energy was gone, but even more shocking was that my physical age had reverted.

For a moment, I feared everything I’d experienced had been a dream.

“…There’s no way all of that was a dream.”

With trembling hands, I channeled the principles of essence of Heaven-Shattering Technique and struck the wall.

Boom! Crack!

The wall split apart.

Even without my internal energy or trained body, the insights I’d gained over 50 years remained.

A single punch was enough to shatter a concrete wall—something impossible for an ordinary human.

“It wasn’t a dream.”

The 50 years I had lived were absolutely not a dream.

“Ugh…!”

Using such power in an untrained, ordinary body brought intense recoil.

And I hadn’t even used my strongest technique.

The pain confirmed that this situation being sent back in time wasn’t a dream either.

That left only one conclusion.

“After only doing the Tutorial… I regressed?”

An absurd reality was unfolding before my eyes.

Memories of my first run flashed through my mind like a panorama.