NoveLight ™
Gnashing my teeth in silent fury—the perfect way to describe my current state.
I had miraculously returned to life after being betrayed and killed in my previous one, but the rage I felt was unrelenting.
The reason was simple: betrayal by my girlfriend and best friend.
The two people I had trusted most had stabbed me in the back, leading to my untimely demise. Even now, after regressing seven years into the past, their sordid alliance continued unabated.
How should I kill them?
What method would be the most painful?
How much suffering would be enough?
Since my regression, I had been honing my blade for revenge, using every quest from the Beauty talent to grow stronger.
Although my heart burned to confront Seo Jieun and Choi Taehun immediately, I knew I needed more power to take them both down simultaneously.
And, honestly, I wasn’t sure what I might do if I saw them now. Meeting them prematurely could trigger uncontrollable actions on my part. For now, avoiding direct confrontation was the best course of action.
That judgment was correct.
“Hey! You’re here, Hyunsoo!”
Exit 4 of Pangyo Station.
From a distance, I saw Choi Taehun waving at me near the dungeon portal entrance, where the gate had opened.
At that moment, a surge of murderous intent boiled up from the depths of my gut.
“Choi Taehun, you bastard…”
He smiled brightly, acting like we were still best friends.
To anyone else, he might look clean-cut and innocent.
But as soon as I laid eyes on him, the image of his despicable face from the moment he betrayed me flashed vividly in my mind.
My lips curled, instinctively ready to spit out curses.
Unaware of my inner turmoil, Taehun walked toward me with that smarmy grin and clapped me on the shoulder.
Smack!
“Hey, why haven’t you been answering your phone? Did you forget about today’s raid? I even paid the gate fee for you, you punk! You better pay me back when we’re done.”
His carefree tone grated on my nerves.
For a fleeting moment, I wanted to draw my sword and strike him down right there.
But I clenched my fists and forced myself to endure.
“…Overslept. Played games too late last night.”
I gritted out the excuse, summoning every ounce of patience I had.
I didn’t have a choice.
This area was crawling with hunters, and if I killed Choi Taehun here, I’d be subdued and arrested on the spot.
My goal was to take down both Choi Taehun and Seo Jieun.
Taking out only one of them would be meaningless.
I had to bide my time until Seo Jieun arrived.
Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait long.
Suppressing my murderous urges, I stood there until—
“Oh? Hyunsoo oppa is here!”
Seo Jieun emerged from a nearby café, carrying a coffee cup.
“Yeah, he said he overslept because he was up late gaming.”
“Pfft! I knew it. Oppa’s hopeless unless we keep an eye on him.”
At last, I was face-to-face with the two people I hated most.
I gripped my sword tightly, glaring at them as they laughed together.
Their faces were younger, reflecting how we were seven years in the past.
Even their equipment was different—simple leather armor and boots, far from the high-quality gear they’d wear in the future.
But I knew what was coming.
These two would soon begin their meteoric rise.
They would clear dungeons with me, uncover hidden treasures, and complete their talent quests, eventually becoming the guild leader and first team captain of Skyward, one of Korea’s top five guilds.
We had once shared an unshakable ambition to reach the top.
But—
“Well, since Hyunsoo’s here, let’s get ready for the raid.”
“Sure! But let me finish my coffee first, hehe!”
Seven years from now, these two would betray me.
It might seem unbelievable at this point in time, but I couldn’t deny what I had experienced.
Even though I had regressed seven years, to me, it had only been two days since they killed me.
My anger and thirst for revenge were at their peak. But I couldn’t act just yet.
No matter how much I wanted to unsheathe my sword and strike them down, reality kept intruding on my thoughts.
If I killed Seo Jieun and Choi Taehun now, I would:
“That would be the prison ending. I didn’t come back just to live a worse life than before.”
Executing my revenge now would only satisfy my anger temporarily; it wouldn’t achieve anything meaningful.
If anything, it would be the worst outcome.
What’s the biggest advantage of regression?
It’s the ability to use knowledge of future events to create a better life.
Throwing that away for immediate revenge?
“No, that’s not happening. I need to wait for the right time and plan carefully.”
I stroked my chin, watching as the two prepared for the dungeon raid.
Just then, I heard a voice next to me.
“Hm… those two really look down on you, Master.”
“Ah, crap!”
I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sudden sound of Swallow’s sly tone.
“What’s wrong? Why are you so jumpy?”
Seo Jieun and Choi Taehun looked at me, confused.
Their gazes seemed to ask why I was reacting so oddly when there was nothing around to startle me.
I shot a glare at Swallow, who was flying nearby, and scratched my cheek awkwardly.
“Uh… nothing. Just saw a bug fly by.”
“A bug scared you? You don’t even flinch when a monster claws your face. Something’s definitely off today. You ignored our calls, too.”
“Now that you mention it, why is oppa dressed up today? He usually just throws on a sweatshirt and jeans because he can’t be bothered.”
My feeble excuse didn’t quite land, probably because too many things about me seemed different today.
Taehun narrowed his eyes at me, pressing the issue.
“Seriously, though, why are you all dressed up?”
“Laundry day. This was all I had left.”
I replied confidently, knowing they wouldn’t find anything suspicious right now.
Sure enough—
“…Figures. For a second, I thought you were meeting someone else.”
“Taehun, who else would he meet besides us?”
“Haha, good point.”
They laughed and went back to their preparations. Seo Jieun sipped her iced Americano through a straw, while Choi Taehun began equipping his longsword and leather boots from his inventory.
Swallow smirked and spoke up again.
“As I mentioned before, Master, no one can see or hear me unless I choose to reveal myself. Rest assured.”
“Yeah, I know… It’s just surprising that it works even on hunters.”
I sighed in relief and whispered under my breath.
When Swallow first explained his stealth ability, I hadn’t fully appreciated it, but seeing how even Taehun and Jieun—both hunters—couldn’t detect him, I realized how useful it was.
“Unless I deactivate my stealth skill, no one in this world will notice me.”
“Good. But next time, don’t sneak up on me like that. Also… do you really think they’re looking down on me?”
“Yes, Master. They treat you like a servant.”
“…A servant, huh? Yeah, that sounds about right.”
I didn’t want to admit it, but looking back on everything—their constant demands, how I handed over the guild leader position to Taehun, all the items I gave up for them—the term fit perfectly.
I clenched my sword, glaring at the pair as they laughed together.
Swallow adjusted his sunglasses with a wing and asked,
“Are you going to take your revenge now, Master?”
“Of course. That’s why I’ve been preparing.”
I replied quietly, pulling out my leather armor from my inventory.
But then, an unexpected variable appeared.
As I put the worn leather armor over my shirt—
[Activated]
[Trait: The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become (A)]
[Your outfit is unfashionable.]
[Reduced charm due to poor fashion: Appearance Power -1.]
[Appearance Power: 1.]
The Beauty talent’s trait kicked in, and my Appearance Power dropped.
“…What the hell?”
“It’s simple, Master. Your outfit is ugly.”
“I get that much! But why does this feel like a game where changing equipment affects your appearance stat?”
I grumbled as I stared down at the leather armor.
I had known fashion influenced Appearance Power, but I hadn’t expected it to extend to gear.
I checked the armor’s stats.
[Tattered Leather Armor of a Defeated Soldier]
[Grade: Common]
[Effect: Defense +5, Agility -3.]
[Description: Heavy.]
A basic piece of gear with no special skills.
To gain 5 Defense, I would lose 3 Agility and the +1 to all stats from Appearance Power.
It wasn’t worth it.
Reluctantly, I removed the leather armor and reverted to just my shirt and slacks.
“Hmm? Oppa, you’re not wearing armor?”
Seo Jieun tilted her head, puzzled.
How should I respond?
After a brief moment of thought, I gave a casual excuse.
“It’s just an E-rank dungeon. I’ll manage without it.”
“Oh, right. Your armor has an agility penalty. But can you really tank without it?”
“As long as you’re confident you won’t get hit, it’s fine. Still… you’re leading the charge, Hyunsoo, with or without armor.”
My hasty excuse worked, though their lack of concern about me not wearing armor spoke volumes about what they thought of me.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything… including killing you both.”
I smiled outwardly but ground my teeth as I walked toward the dungeon portal.
I had made my decision.
This dungeon would be their grave.
***
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
And for betrayal? Betrayal in kind.
As the dungeon raid progressed, I repeatedly steeled my resolve.
Killing Seo Jieun and Choi Taehun outside the dungeon was too risky, with too many witnesses.
My plan was simple: ambush them during the raid, just as they had done to me in my previous life.
Fortunately, the perfect opportunity presented itself.
“Gyagyak…!”
“Damn it! There are suddenly more kobolds!”
“They’re coming from behind too! Ahhh…!”
Midway through the raid, the number of kobolds—normally weak mobs—increased, putting Seo Jieun, stationed at the rear, in danger.
Seizing the moment, I dashed toward her.
“Haaaaah…!!”
With a sharp yell, I swung my sword.
Slash!
The sickening sound of slicing flesh filled the air, followed by a head rolling to the ground.
What I struck down was—
[Lv. 55 Misty Forest Kobold defeated.]
“Ah! Thanks, Hyunsoo oppa!”
“…Don’t mention it.”
—just a kobold.
The reason I attacked the kobold instead of Seo Jieun was simple.
“Not bad! That’s what I’d expect from the next big thing, Hyunsoo!”
Choi Taehun, my other target, was positioned far from Seo Jieun.
My objective was to kill them both, but I was alone.
If I ambushed one of them now, I’d have to face the other head-on. For that, it was better to take out Choi Taehun first.
His talent as a warrior made him a dangerous opponent in a direct fight.
In contrast, Seo Jieun’s talent as a supporter, focused on buffs, wasn’t particularly threatening in a one-on-one scenario.
There was another issue to consider:
[Retired Mercenary’s Worn Longsword]
[Grade: High.]
[Effect: Attack Power +35.]
[Skill: Powerful Slash (E).]
[Description: A bit dull, but still packs a punch.]
The weapon I was currently wielding wasn’t great.
Its grade was one step above common, but it wasn’t powerful enough to instantly kill Choi Taehun or Seo Jieun, who both out-leveled me.
Even with a surprise attack, I wouldn’t be able to eliminate either of them in one blow.
These factors held me back from launching an immediate assault.
“Whew, we’re almost at the boss room. Let’s take a short break.”
“Sounds good! Let me grab a drink first.”
The raid was nearing its end.
Just ahead lay the boss room, where the raid would conclude.
“Should I wait for another chance?”
Opportunities would abound in the future.
For the next seven years, I’d stick with these two.
If I developed both my swordsmanship and Beauty talents, I could grow much stronger and exact perfect revenge.
But—
“No. Let’s find another opportunity now. Delaying this would be a waste.”
Postponing my revenge would only eat me alive. Besides, the longer I waited, the stronger they’d become, making them harder to kill.
Especially if they got their hands on that item.
“That item? Wait… isn’t this the place…?”
Lost in thought, I suddenly recalled something and began walking deeper into the forest.
Seo Jieun, who was sitting on a tree stump, looked up and asked, “Hyunsoo oppa, where are you going?”
“Bathroom. It’ll take a while.”
“Ugh, can’t you take care of that stuff ahead of time?”
“Hurry back!”
Ignoring their disapproving groans, I nonchalantly continued into the forest.
As soon as I was out of their line of sight—
Step-step-step-step-step-step…!!
I broke into a sprint, tearing through the underbrush.
“Running through the forest like that just to find a bathroom… Master, such behavior is unbecoming. It diminishes your dignity.”
Swallow, who had been circling nearby, flew over to me.
Without sparing him a glance, I snapped, “It’s not what you think! Stop bothering me and go away!”
“I can’t do that, Master. As your charming assistant, it’s my duty to help you shine.”
“I said it’s not like that! Stop annoying me and—no, wait! Go search for a lake. There’s one around here somewhere!”
“A lake?”
“Yeah! If my memory is correct, it should be nearby. We have to find it before Seo Jieun does!”
The Misty Forest Lake.
Seo Jieun used to brag about this place whenever she drank.
Pushing through the dense foliage, I sprinted deeper into the woods.
When I saw her fight earlier, I realized she hadn’t obtained that item yet.
If my memory served me right, this was around the time she got it.
And my memory was accurate.
Flap-flap!
“Master! I see a lake about 300 meters ahead!”
Following Swallow’s guidance, I ran through the forest and soon reached a wide, tranquil lake.
Near the lakeshore stood a massive tree with golden leaves and a hollowed trunk.
“There it is!”
Without hesitation, I quickened my pace.
And from within the hollow trunk—
“Found it…!”
—I retrieved the hidden treasure.