NoveLight ™
"Uh... just now, what was I…"
Jung Woo-bin, still visibly shaken by his sudden outburst, shook his head in confusion, trying to come up with an explanation. His irises, pupils, and skin had returned to normal.
[The designated target (1 S-rank Awakened) has been granted the buff 'Status Ailment Removal.']
Ryu Seo-ha cast his skill again, just to be sure. The status window still displayed Jung Woo-bin as a "target," as if he were a monster. This indicated that the symptoms had only temporarily subsided, without a complete cure.
“What’s going on? What’s wrong with him?”
“Did they start a fight?”
A few government officials and Hunters, who had been cautiously watching for an opportunity to approach, now stared at them with concern. Feeling their eyes on him, Ryu Seo-ha glanced up at Choi Kang-hu.
Their eyes met, and without needing to say a word, Ryu Seo-ha felt the familiar embrace of [Spatial Leap] wrap around him. In the blink of an eye, the chaotic scene was replaced by the familiar interior of a room.
They were now in the reception room at FromHell Guild headquarters. As he habitually let go of Choi Kang-hu’s shirt, Ryu Seo-ha turned to look at Jung Woo-bin, who groaned in pain.
Jung Woo-bin, who had momentarily lost his balance, was now steadying himself. Blood was trickling from his nose and ears—clear signs of his failed resistance against Choi Kang-hu’s magic.
“How did…?”
He seemed utterly shocked, unable to comprehend that he had been yanked through space by a spatial skill, no less. The disbelief in his eyes was palpable.
“Are you hungry? Shall I have some refreshments brought in?” Choi Kang-hu asked, his tone indifferent.
Jung Woo-bin’s bloodshot eyes glared at him, but Choi was preoccupied with seating Ryu Seo-ha comfortably on the soft sofa. His hands gently tidied up Ryu’s disheveled hair with utmost care.
Ryu Seo-ha gave a small shake of his head before glancing at Choi, silently asking for permission. His eyes darted to Jung Woo-bin, who stood there, fuming. Choi Kang-hu gave a nod, granting his approval.
“Where did you buy the potion you drank recently?” Ryu Seo-ha asked bluntly.
"...What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
Jung Woo-bin’s confusion deepened as Ryu’s question caught him off guard, interrupting his growing frustration and resentment.
“You must have used a potion recently—whether it was a healing potion or a booster potion.”
“Why are you asking about that right now…?”
“Do you not want to answer? Should we send you on your way?” Ryu’s tone was unnaturally cold, closer to a threat than a question, causing Jung Woo-bin to fall silent, shocked.
“Be honest with me. Just now, didn’t you want to drink my blood?”
“N-no! That’s ridiculous….”
“Isn’t that why you tried to bite my neck?”
Jung Woo-bin’s hasty denial faltered as Ryu's pointed question hit him. His eyes, which had been darting around anxiously, dropped to the floor in defeat.
“I think I lost control for a moment. I wasn’t trying to….”
“Where did you get the potion?”
Jung Woo-bin, his voice faltering, finally replied, “…From Director Hwang Moon-seok.”
Ryu Seo-ha’s expression darkened. It was yet another of the Four Apostles.
“When did this happen? You haven’t been in any dungeons lately, so why did you need to use so many potions?”
“How do you know how many potions I’ve used?”
Jung Woo-bin’s gaze flickered toward Choi Kang-hu’s hand, which was casually draped around Ryu’s shoulders. Instead of answering his pointless question, Ryu Seo-ha fell into thought.
In the latter half of the original story, the world was hit by not just natural disasters but also an inexplicable wave of violence. These seemingly random attacks originated from Hunters who had been frequently consuming potions.
Like vampires craving blood, these Hunters began attacking those around them with no trace of rationality left. The phenomenon spread rapidly, much like a fictional zombie virus. The problem was that governments underestimated its contagion rate, leading to a slow and ineffective response.
The true cause—potions distributed by the cult—remained elusive for a long time, contributing to the spread of the virus. Governments failed to identify the origin, believing it was a slow-spreading infection.
“…I was training intensively, so I used more than usual,” Jung Woo-bin eventually answered, casting a glance toward Choi Kang-hu, likely spurred by feelings of inferiority after witnessing Choi’s overwhelming strength in the media.
“The Apostle posing as Director Hwang was distributing the potions. How much did you take, and when did you…?”
“Are you implying that the potions made me act strange?” Jung Woo-bin cut him off, his pride clearly wounded. His tone suggested that he found the idea absurd, as if he couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed anything wrong after using so many potions.
Despite government briefings on the matter, Jung Woo-bin still underestimated the power of the cult. It was clear that his disdain stemmed from his early days as a first-generation government Hunter. Awakened as a high school student, he had been “coerced” into a career under government contracts.
Jung Woo-bin’s previous bitter comments to Choi Kang-hu had, in fact, been projections of his own life story—something Ryu Seo-ha had discovered during an investigation into local Hunter resources.
“Surely you don’t believe that ridiculous conspiracy theory?” Jung Woo-bin scoffed.
“Believe it or not, it’s a fact that you acted strangely,” Ryu Seo-ha retorted coldly.
“That was just a mistake. I was… just overwhelmed….”
It was clear that Jung Woo-bin wouldn’t be easily convinced. Shaking his head, Ryu Seo-ha sent a message to the Presidential Office, warning that a shapeshifter Apostle posing as Director Hwang had likely distributed virus-laced potions to Hunters under the guise of support.
“Why do you keep ignoring me?” Jung Woo-bin’s voice grew sharp with frustration. Once again, his eyes showed signs of the strange dark spots from earlier.
“I’ve just been giving you the same treatment,” Ryu Seo-ha replied coolly.
“What?”
“Jung Woo-bin Hunter, you’ve been ignoring my words and only saying what you wanted the entire time.”
“I was just worried about you….”
“Regardless of your intentions, it was still a selfish act, disregarding others.”
At that, Jung Woo-bin clamped his mouth shut, unable to argue. However, his expression soon turned resentful as he tried to justify himself.
“I had my reasons. I wanted to save you, but I didn’t want to close off that area with my own hands….”
What followed was a long-winded recount of the past—one that Ryu Seo-ha wasn’t particularly interested in.
“Do you really think I’m drawing this line between us because of something that happened ten years ago?”
Ryu could understand why Jung Woo-bin had made his choices back then—he had been bound by a government contract, after all, just as Ryu had been by his own forceful agreements. But now?
“If that’s not it, then why are you pushing me away? We used to be like family….”
“It’s this reckless, forceful behavior that I hate.”
The words cut deep, and Jung Woo-bin’s face twisted in shock. It seemed that hearing Ryu explicitly say that he disliked him was more than he could handle.
“What about that guy, Choi Kang-hu? What makes him so different? He does whatever he wants, and you just let him!” Jung Woo-bin spat out, his jealousy now fully on display.
Ryu Seo-ha’s calm demeanor hardened at the absurdity of the comparison.
“Ha, who are you comparing to whom?” His voice lowered dangerously as he locked eyes with the man who had once been like an older brother to him.
“Can you lay down your life for me?” Ryu asked bluntly.
“What?”
“Could you, in the most crucial moments, go against your own values for me?”
“I….”
“You can’t, can you? You were the one who coldly shut me out when I needed help the most.”
Jung Woo-bin paled as Ryu Seo-ha’s harsh words brought back the memory of a day five years ago, a day when Ryu had been turned away without even seeing his face.
“That was a misunderstanding. I didn’t know you had come. The government erased the visit from my records….”
“Didn’t it occur to you to check the survivor list once the blockade was lifted?”
The question silenced Jung Woo-bin once again.
“And when you did meet me again, did you ever have the intention of offering a proper apology?”
This conversation wasn’t worth dragging out. The more time passed, the more irritated Ryu felt.
“Deep down, you just wanted to avoid it. Whether I was alive or not, you knew I would resent you.”
This was a waste of time.
“I tried to apologize, but you wouldn’t let me….”
“Just keep living your life making excuses,” Ryu Seo-ha said coldly. “But don’t force your self-pity on me.”
“...”
“That shallow self-pity, don’t force it on me.”
As Jung Woo-bin opened his mouth again to defend himself, Ryu turned away, finally done with the conversation. He looked at Choi Kang-hu. There was no way to prevent the use of potions completely, given the varying degrees of infection.
“The list of Hunters based on dungeon entry records…” Ryu began, but his words trailed off as a loud crash and a scream echoed from outside the reception room.