{The Original Heroine}

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"

I was screaming.

An unimaginable pain surged from deep within my body.

Hot, cold, tingling, heavy...

These various sensations swept over me in turns, accompanied by a torturous agony that words couldn’t describe.

The pain was so overwhelming that I thought I might die from the shock.

But death never came.

Five years ago, I was dragged away by the villains.

I opened my eyes, recalling that day.

It wasn’t a dream.
I had simply remembered the past.

The day when my so-called biological parents sold me off, and I was subjected to countless experiments—torture under the guise of science—at the hands of villains.

I survived. And to take my revenge, I gained power.

But as the price for that power, I could never forget the most painful moments of my life; they were burned into my memory.

These memories ensured that my rage and desire for vengeance would never fade.

"Finally, I’m returning."

And now, I would return to the world where I was born.

To the world where my despicable parents and my detestable younger brother—Baek Seo-jin, the protagonist of the original story—lived.

To the world of So Kang-seok, the man who tortured me, and the villains who followed him!

‘I won’t let them die easily.’

I looked at my hands.

The mana swirling around them shifted freely, taking on different forms.

The defining trait of my mana was its limitless ability to transform—into any element, any property, anything I desired.

It wasn’t just about controlling the elements of nature.

‘As long as I have enough mana, I can manipulate reality itself.’

My power was far from complete.

In fact, for my abilities, “complete” would never be a concept that existed.

Because the longer time passed, the stronger my power grew.

‘For now, getting out of here is the problem.’

I was currently in the dimensional rift.

It was a space existing between dimensions—a place where no normal lifeform could survive.

The mana that filled the dimensional rift attacked any living being that entered, ensuring they wouldn’t make it out alive.

Even mana itself was suppressed here, leaving most incapable of using any powers.

But for me, this place had instead become a blessing of mana.

I didn’t need food or water, any wounds healed quickly, and even my deteriorating mental strength had been restored.

This was because I was a reincarnator—a soul reborn by transcending dimensions.

For a reincarnator, the dimensional rift was the perfect place for recovery.

‘It’s time to leave now.’

Five years ago, the villains threw me into the dimensional rift as part of their twisted experiment to see whether I would live or die.

When I didn’t emerge on my own, they assumed I had perished, not realizing I could survive without food or water. They eventually withdrew.

During those five years, I obtained power that made me stronger—but I needed time to adapt to that power.

Now, I finally had the strength to protect myself when I returned to the world.

‘I’m strong enough to leave without any problems now.’

I used my mana to create clothing that suited my body.

Since I had no way to acquire clothes, I had to make them myself. But creating something as simple as clothes was no challenge for me.

Dressed in a plain black shirt and black pants, I prepared to step out of the dimensional rift.

‘It’s better to open the rift in an uninhabited place so I don’t draw attention.’

The crack in the dimensional rift that led to the world I was born in was not recognized as a dimensional rift in that world.

They simply called it a “crack”—an unexplored, mysterious place where any living thing or mana that entered would vanish, making research impossible.

— Are you finally leaving?

A woman’s voice rang telepathically in my head.

"Yeah, I am."

For the past five years, I hadn’t been alone in this place.

"Let’s go, Ramisa."

The one speaking to me was Ramisa.

Otherwise known as The Black Serpent That Devours the World.

She was the final boss of the original story.

Ssshhk—

A slender black snake coiled itself around my shoulder.

***

Anju City, Pyongan South Province, Northern Korean Peninsula.

Even though it had been over 30 years since the region was integrated into the Republic of Korea, the northern part of the Korean Peninsula still suffered from poorer public safety compared to the south.

The reason was simple: this region was where villains thrived the most.

"Waahhh! Daddy!"

A little girl, around seven or eight years old, burst into tears.

In front of her, a man—likely her father—lay on the ground, bleeding from his leg.

"S-Sohee! Don’t worry about me, just run away!"

"Waahhh!"

The father shouted desperately for his daughter to flee. But Sohee, the girl, only cried louder, refusing to leave his side.

Being just a child, she couldn’t imagine running away alone, leaving her father behind.

"My goodness!"

"It’s villains!"

Although there were many people in the vicinity, most were too frightened and ran away.

Some kept their distance while watching, standing ready to flee at a moment’s notice, yet unable to resist their curiosity about what was happening.

"How noble, trying to save your daughter!"

"Because of you, we almost got killed when those damn Hunters showed up to hunt us down."

"Thanks to you, a bunch of our comrades were arrested by those so-called heroes. You’re going to pay for that today."

"P-Please, I’m sorry. Just punish me! Please spare my daughter…"

The man begged the villains desperately, but such pleas had no effect on them.

Instead, the villains turned their cruel gazes toward his daughter.

"She’s just a little girl, huh?"

"Won’t it be fun to see this brat suffer because of you?"

They showed no hesitation in their intent to harm the child.

Even those watching from afar held their breath, trembling in horror at the villains’ brutality.

"Stop right there!"

A girl appeared.

She looked about fifteen years old, with indigo-tinted, pale lavender hair and bright blue eyes. She was around middle school age, yet her beauty was already dazzling.

Her figure, too—her budding curves and slender, elegant lines—hinted at future perfection.

Despite her young age, her appearance showed great promise for what was to come.

The villains’ eyes gleamed with interest.

"This one’s a real gem."

"Wow, what a stunner."

"Her figure’s already something else, isn’t it?"

Even her face, with its overwhelming beauty, seemed capable of putting celebrities on TV to shame.

"Wait a minute… I think I’ve seen her somewhere before."

Some of the villains began to recognize her.

"Seomun Ye-jin!"

"It’s Seomun Ye-jin!"

Seomun Ye-jin—a girl who had recently gained fame through magazine modeling thanks to her stunning looks and figure.

Hearing her name, even the leader of the villains narrowed his eyes in recognition.

"Well, then, we should grab her immediately!"

But before the leader could finish his sentence, his face smashed into the ground.

"Urgh?!"

The other villains who followed him all collapsed to the ground as well, their faces hitting the dirt in unison.

A loud thud echoed as something struck the back of their heads, rendering them motionless.

They had all been knocked unconscious.

"Hoo~"

Seomun Ye-jin exhaled lightly.

It was her power that had taken down the villains.

As evidenced by her hair and eye color, she was a mana awakener.

Though she was officially registered as a Hunter, her status as a minor exempted her from dangerous duties, allowing her to act freely as a Free Hunter.

In reality, she was more of a trainee Hunter.

As someone still inexperienced, fighting villains was something she should have avoided. But she couldn’t stand by and watch a child suffer.

‘I did it.’

If her plan had failed, she had intended to use her telekinesis to lift the father and daughter to safety. She was relieved that it hadn’t come to that.

"Hold on a moment. I’ll take you to the hospital."

Seomun Ye-jin approached the fallen man and spoke gently, then turned to Sohee, patting the girl’s head with a soft smile.

"It’s okay now. I punished the bad guys who were trying to hurt your dad."

"T-Thank you…"

"Sniff… Thank you, unni…"

"Mm!"

Hearing their gratitude, Seomun Ye-jin felt her actions were worth it.

It had been a dangerous situation, but she knew she would have regretted it forever if she’d watched someone die before her eyes.

Especially the death of a young child—just seven or eight years old—would have been a lifelong regret burned into her heart.

She believed she would never forget the courage she showed today.

But two days later…

"Mm! Mmmph!"

She was captured by villains who had been targeting her and dragged off to an unknown place.