RCMT-Chapter 1

Ch.1 The Regression Of Calamity-Level Monster Tamer

“One who reaches the summit of the Tower.

Shall be granted any wish.”

The System window one first encounters upon becoming a Player.

Entranced by that phrase, countless people harbored ambitions and threw themselves into the Tower. Of course, I was one of them.

―Exclusive Report! Kang Si-woo ascends to Rank 1 of Dimension ‘Earth’!

―‘Human Calamity Kang Si-woo’ becomes the first to successfully conquer Giant Orte!

―Victory after victory! The Walking Disaster, Kang Si-woo, sweeps through the hellish 500th floor!

As I climbed the Tower, fame and power naturally followed. But to me, they were meaningless things.

My wish was only one.

‘To destroy the Tower.’

That was the solution that would accomplish both—my mother’s revenge and my own redemption.

That’s why I had run forward looking only at that goal, and now the end finally seemed within sight.

No, I had only thought so.

Urp!

Unable to bear the nausea, I fell to my knees and dry heaved.

Then something hot rose from my throat and was expelled.

“Keuheok, kueeeeek!“

In an instant, the ground became drenched in dark red liquid.

A chronic illness obtained while climbing the Tower, an unknown deadly poison.

I had barely managed to suppress it until now, but I had finally reached my limit.

‘This won’t do…’

Immediately after defeating the final floor boss, without even resting, I had fought consecutive battles against powerful enemies in one-versus-many combat.

Fighting to this extent without being fine would be stranger.

I wiped the blood with my sleeve and opened my mouth.

“You’re not going to heal me, are you?”

“……”

“……”

At my question, seven shadows fell over the pool of blood.

Silhouettes of different physiques.

I could vividly picture their appearances from those shadows alone.

The colors of the clothes they wore.

The scars on their bodies.

Even the expressions they must be making right now.

They were comrades who had shared life and death toward the same goal, and they were like family—the only ones who could understand each other in the Tower.

Of course, now they were nothing but enemies blocking my path.

“For old times’ sake, can’t you at least answer me?”

I grabbed my trembling legs and stood up.

Then, behind the seven silhouettes, the brilliantly shining Tower came into view.

The final passage connected to the highest floor.

How much I had struggled to reach that place.

As if reading my gaze, one of them stepped forward.

“Si-woo, stop now. Give up. All of us, impossible to fight.”

The owner of the stiff voice had a massive physique and was covered in golden scales all over his body.

Delpiero Blotan.

The homeland of the dragonkin, Rank 1 of Dimension ‘Draconys’ and a Warrior Chief who boasted supreme strength in close combat.

He too was covered in wounds from fighting me.

“You’re finally talking to me.”

If I wanted to struggle even one last time, I needed to buy time.

“Hoo, let me ask you this. Why exactly did you betray me?”

“Si-woo, wish.”

“My wish? You guys were okay with that, weren’t you?”

“Then, now. Different.”

If we don’t eliminate the Tower, the Apocalypse will come.

This was a fact everyone knew.

Of course, the order in which it comes to each Dimension would differ, but the conclusion of long research was that it ultimately couldn’t be avoided.

The problem was that Earth’s turn was next.

“What…?”

The one who responded to my question was a man in Eastern clothing holding a single sword.

The supreme being of Dimension ‘Dosan Geomlim’ and a man called the Sword Saint, Sa Ja-hyuk.

“Our thinking is that the Tower’s order must not collapse yet.”

“…Yet? What kind of bullshit are you spewing now? Earth is already being consumed by Erosion—”

Kwaaaaang―!

Suddenly, something flew at me with a roar.

“Keuuk…”

The massive wings that sprouted from my back blocked it, but they couldn’t block the impact itself, so I had to vomit blood once again.

“Hey! You two! Have you only seen the leader act like this once or twice? It’s obvious he’s buying time, so what are you doing!”

“……”

“……Great warrior, last, courtesy.”

“Courtesy my ass after a sneak attack. If you’ve decided to betray him, do it properly. If we slip up, we’re the ones who’ll get devoured.”

The woman who appeared while scolding the two had a pulse sniper rifle resting on her shoulder. She lifted her sunglasses and looked at me.

“We need the Tower for our wish. That’s all there is to it. So let’s quickly sever this tiresome connection.”

“Beltris…”

Yulia Beltris.

Rank 1 of Dimension ‘Neon Nova’, an excellent sniper and genius engineer at the same time.

Her insight was unrivaled accordingly.

“Considering your usual chronic illness… you probably have about 30% of your strength left now, right?”

“Hehe, aren’t you being too overconfident? Is that a disease?”

“Why don’t you worry about the disease the leader has instead of me? That disease… do you still think you caught it because of bad luck?”

“…?!”

What she meant was that they had been planning to betray me from quite some time ago.

From that very moment when we were smiling and talking to each other.

Seeing my rotten expression, Beltris shrugged her shoulders.

“Don’t think too badly of us. To face a ‘Calamity’, we need to go this far to be fair, don’t you think?”

Right.

My alias was the Walking Disaster.

A nickname earned from possessing power Beyond Specifications.

Actually, it couldn’t be considered solely my own power.

I was a ‘Kaiju Tamer,’ after all.

“…Thanks for letting me know. Your words definitely gave me strength.”

Originally, I thought there was no method other than resisting moderately and dying.

It seemed those bastards must have had some lingering affection after all.

But I just changed my mind.

‘This changes the story.’

I drew up power using life force as fuel instead of my depleted Magic Power.

I was going to die anyway.

I planned to cause as much chaos as possible before dying.

That way, when I die, I’ll feel at least a little less wronged, won’t I?

I immediately whispered to those beings who were both my trump card and my love-hate relationship.

‘I’ll give you what you’ve been coveting so much, so lend me your power one last time.’

―The time has finally come.

―Fulfill the covenant. Then it shall be done as you desire.

Picky and stingy bastards.

‘I transfer everything I have to you.’

―The deal is made.

Kuguuung―

As soon as their words ended, a massive wave spread out in concentric circles.

“Wh-what?!”

“Fuck, this is why I said we shouldn’t give him time!”

“Stop talking and block it quickly!”

Archmage Gober Merlin roared and shot lightning, but it was futilely blocked by an opaque barrier.

I looked at those bastards and sneered.

“It’s already too late.”

[User summons the ‘Three Calamities’ from the Nest.]

[Having received their price, the ‘Three Calamities’ regain their true forms.]

―――――!!

Simultaneously with my murmur, three monsters appeared with roars.

Ziz of the sky.

Behemoth of the land.

Leviathan of the sea.

They were beings called by multiple aliases at once.

The First Beasts.

Rulers of All Magic Beasts.

Heralds of the End.

And the System seemed to know this fact as well.

Ttiring!

[You have acquired the title ‘Master of Destruction and Calamity’!]

[The Constellations are hostile toward the user!]

[Danger! Energy Beyond Specifications detected.]

Immediately, the System began ringing alarms and taking measures.

[The Tower restricts the power of the three monsters.]

[Resisting.]

[The Tower restricts the power of the three monsters.]

[Resisting.]

[The Tower restricts the power of the three monsters……]

[Resist……]

……

……

.

Despite the intense pressure, the three monsters looked down upon the seven betrayers with overwhelming presence and majesty.

Though each of them was a Rank 1 powerhouse in their respective Dimensions, they were mere insignificant creatures before the Incomprehensible.

“What is this…”

“That doesn’t make sense!”

As the betrayers fell into panic, the Saintess wearing a white head covering, Elga, shouted loudly.

“Everyone snap out of it! His presence is disappearing at a rapid rate! If we just hold on a little longer, he’ll self-destruct!”

I responded to the Saintess’s words while extending my hand.

“Our model student, Elga. The words you spit out are just like a class president—always so correct. Correct to get hit.”

Simultaneously, the three monsters shot tremendous power toward the void in unison.

Then that energy passed by the betrayers and shot behind them.

“…!?”

“…?”

“Huh? Did he run out of strength? Where exactly is he aiming—”

“Hehe, Beltris. I told you. Overconfidence, that’s the disease.”

At Beltris’s sneer, I raised the corners of my mouth.

My last struggle.

It was to completely block the method of salvation when the Apocalypse came to their Dimensions as well.

Also, to struggle for my one and only wish.

Thus, the power of the three monsters rushed toward the entrance of the Tower.

Kwaaaaaaaang!! Kugugugugugu―

The ground shook from the tremendous explosion.

“……”

“…!”

As the dust slowly cleared, the expressions of the seven people were colored with shock.

“The entrance to the summit has collapsed…?”

In fact, only a very small part was damaged compared to the Tower’s massive size.

But the Tower, which was supposed to be absolutely indestructible according to the System, had been damaged.

Everyone froze at that absurd sight.

‘A bit regrettable.’

Just blocking the entrance was already a miracle-like feat, but I couldn’t help but smack my lips in regret.

Though I succeeded in revenge against the betrayers, I couldn’t fulfill my last wish.

‘Mother, in the end I couldn’t keep my promise. When we meet in the afterlife, I’ll apologize.’

As relief from having taken revenge and guilt toward my mother intersected, strength gradually began draining from my body.

“Damn it, this is different from the plan!”

“What about our dimension now! What do we do!”

“Everyone calm down! There must be another way…”

Through my fading vision, I saw the betrayers arguing.

‘Idiots.’

Still, since I got my revenge, I felt I could close my eyes a bit more comfortably.

Starting from my fingertips, my body began crumbling into powder and scattering.

My legs disappeared and my arms scattered.

My mind felt like it was being torn to shreds. No, it probably actually was.

Thud.

I fell to the ground like a puppet with cut strings. Even in the midst of this, System notifications continued ringing in my head.

[‘Making the Impossible Possible―!’ You succeed in destroying the Tower!]

[The System is malfunctioning!]

[You have acquired the title ‘One Who Escaped Order’!]

[All Constellations watching are shocked by the user’s achievement!]

[Constellation ‘Primordial Dragon’ buries its head in its lair.]

[Constellation ‘Sword God’ drops its sword.]

[Constellation ‘Ocean of Knowledge’ ripples.]

[Constellation ‘Embracing Light’ is……]

‘What use are achievements when I’m dying?’

As even my chest crumbled into powder and disappeared, my consciousness became hazy like a fading candle flame. At that moment, the System alarm began ringing frantically.

[Warning! Warning! Warning!]

[□□□ □□ identifies the cause of the Error!]

[System Debugging……]

[□□□ □□ gazes upon the user!]

[The Constellations scatter in utter chaos!]

In this moment, even as I was scattering into an existence lesser than cosmic dust, I felt a massive pressure constricting me.

[□□□ □□ calculates the user’s achievements.]

[□□□ □□ discovers a glimmer of possibility in the user.]

[□□□ □□ decides to give the user a chance.]

[□□□ □□ forcibly takes the user’s fragments from the Three Calamities.]

[Reconstructing the user’s spirituality.]

[Reweaving the user’s soul.]

[Reshaping the user’s body.]

[Sending the user back to the past.]

‘What is all this…’

I tried to gather my wits at the sudden situation, but the light in my vision rapidly faded and my consciousness completely went out.

***

A world of only pitch black.

From within it, someone speaks to me as if whispering.

“…What are you doing?”

A very familiar, no, a dearly missed voice.

“…Si-woo!”

Like my mother’s voice…

“Hey! What are you doing closing your eyes while walking?!”

Whack!

“Uheok!“

A tingling pain felt on the back of my head.

I gasped for breath and snapped my eyes open.

“Wh-what?!”

The first thing that entered my vision was a middle-aged woman with a puzzled expression.

Long hair tied back modestly.

Wrinkles around her eyes that showed the traces of time.

It was the face of my deeply missed mother, Ms. Park Mi-kyung.

“M-Mother?”

“Mother? Why is he giving me goosebumps like this? Did I hit him too hard? But our son has a rock for a head so he should be fine…”

She looked worried as she examined my body.

‘No way…’

Leaving her aside, I reflexively surveyed my surroundings.

When a sudden situation strikes, first grasping your current environment is a natural quality for a first-rate Player.

Shopping bags in both my hands.

An alley lined with familiar houses.

The Tower rising high, piercing through the setting sun.

‘When I lost my job and came back home.’

It was that time in my memory, the one I had regretted and revisited so many times.

‘If this is reality, then what comes next is…’

Beep―! Beep―! Beep―!

The smartphone ringing noisily in my pocket.

Immediately, warning sounds also rang out from pedestrians around me.

It was the alert sound of an emergency disaster message.

I hurriedly took out my phone and checked the message.

「April 3, 2034, 17:26

Sudden energy storm occurring in Gangdong-gu.

Non-precursor Rift expected to occur.

Residents please evacuate to shelters as quickly as possible.」

‘…Right. I’ve come back to that time 10 years ago.’

To the moment right before losing my mother.

Sure enough, along with a raging storm, a Rift formed, splitting the air vertically. And one massive Gray Wolf burst out through the opening.

‘A Magic Beast…’

[A Gate Break has occurred within a 10m radius.]

[The first Wave is arriving.]

The System message floating before my eyes also announced the urgency of the situation.

Awoooo―

As the wolf let out a long howl, people fell into panic and the street was engulfed in chaos. Because everyone knew that one was just the beginning.

“M-Magic Beast!”

“Kyaaaaa!“

“Uwaah! Mom!”

“I don’t want to die… I don’t want to die yet!”

I maintained my composure even in the chaotic situation.

‘This was the transitional period when Rifts caused by the Tower were rapidly increasing. That’s why the government and Guilds’ response is slow. First…’

“Status Window check.”

[Status Window]

Name: Kang Si-woo

Level: 1

Class: Undecided (Pending)

Talent: Empathy (C), Beast’s □□ (?)

Skill: ―

Stats:

―Strength: 2

―Agility: 2

―Stamina: 2

―Magic Power: 2

‘As expected, nothing useful.’

Weak, so weak.

Level, skills, stats. Compared to before Regression, everything was.

Still, there was exactly one thing worth looking at.

‘Talent.’

I was lucky enough to be a ‘Double Talent’ Awakened.

Yes, I literally had ‘talent’ as a Player.

And that talent was what made me a Human Calamity in the past.

According to my memory, those names were definitely…

‘C-Rank Talent [Empathy] and A-Rank Talent [Beast’s Friend]… Huh?’

‘Empathy’ unlocked the latent abilities of Magic Beasts to a limited extent.

‘Beast’s Friend’ made it easy to build Intimacy with Magic Beasts.

But the latter of those two had changed.

‘…What is this?’

[Beast’s □□]

―Rank: ?

―Information: ???

Even when I opened the information window to investigate further, there were no useful hints. I couldn’t tell what Rank talent it was or what ability this talent possessed.

‘Could it be a bug created because of the Regression?’

I vaguely formed a hypothesis, but speculation without hints was just an illusion.

At that moment, my mother grabbed my collar and pulled me back to reality.

“Si-woo! Don’t just stand there dazed, hurry to the shelter and run—”

“…Ah!? It’s okay, Mother.”

I hurriedly came to my senses and grasped my mother’s hand to reassure her. As I felt her rough skin, I became angry at myself for being distracted by the Status Window even briefly.

‘Get it together, you bastard. Are you going to repeat the same mistake after regretting it so much?!’

As I bit my cheek hard, a thick smell of blood filled my mouth.

I quickly organized my priorities.

First, never lose my mother again.

Second, repay the betrayer bastards more than what they did to me.

Last, definitely destroy the Tower this time.

There was no need to be impatient.

I just needed to do it one by one step by step.

The bastards I need to take revenge on would be in their respective places, and the Tower I need to topple would be standing there stupidly in its place.

‘This time I’ll truly become a Calamity.’

One that will devour all my enemies.