“Who could it beee~?”

Hee-ah sensed the countless strikes that pierced through So Kang-seok’s chest, utterly destroying his heart.

The attack carried a destructive quality so potent that not even her powers of restoration could undo the damage. This wasn’t the work of just anyone.

“I’m dying, huh.”

So Kang-seok realized that Hee-ah had abandoned him, and his breath rapidly left his body.

Even as an SSS-class villain, survival was impossible without a heart.

***

What Is This?

After his death, So Kang-seok found himself in a state of nothingness, yet fully aware of his own existence.

It was a strange sensation, one that could only be described in this way given his current circumstances.

I should be dead, shouldn’t I?

How could someone who had died still exist with such a clear consciousness?

As soon as that question arose, memories of Hee-ah came flooding back.

He recalled the past few years when his consciousness had been dominated by her, turning him into nothing more than her puppet.

Ha… Ha-ha. This is absurd. There’s nothing amusing about this.

The memories of his time as a mindless puppet, stripped of his will and acting only on her commands, brought him no joy.

Instead, they left a bitter taste. Now that he had regained his free will and the ability to think for himself, he also remembered his death.

Someone had pierced his heart, crushing it completely and snuffing out his life.

Ironically, it was through death that he had regained himself.

Who was it?

Who had killed him?

Even under Hee-ah’s control, So Kang-seok was an SSS-class mana awakener.

He was a fearsome individual, so powerful that even Baek Hyung-won, the master of the White Tiger Guild—one of Korea’s top ten guilds—wouldn’t dare to challenge him.

Being controlled by Hee-ah hadn’t surprised him, as she was an entity beyond human comprehension. For someone of her nature, capable of instantly dominating the consciousness of an SSS-class being, such a feat was within reason.

Compared to an otherworldly deity bent on destruction, he had realized he was nothing but a small, insignificant human.

But the one who had killed him wasn’t Hee-ah.

It must have been a human. And for someone to kill an SSS-class villain like him in an instant, even in a surprise attack, only one person came to mind: Choi Kang-in.

Could it have been Choi Kang-in?

Choi Kang-in was the master of the Kangin Guild, effectively the ruler of South Korea, and the leader of the most powerful group of mana awakeners in the world.

Widely acknowledged as the strongest mana awakener alive, he held many titles, such as “State Power Level” and “EX-Class.”

However, the idea that someone as deeply invested in running the Kangin Academy as Choi Kang-in would come all the way to Somalia seemed unlikely.

Was it Choi Kang-in? Or someone else?

As he pondered, a young boy’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Hello, So Kang-seok.”

The unfamiliar voice dispelled the suffocating darkness around him.

The pitch-black void vanished, revealing the figure of a young boy standing before him.

Though the voice was unfamiliar, the boy’s appearance struck a chord of recognition.

With blue hair and red eyes, the boy possessed striking, handsome features and appeared to be about fifteen years old. The moment So Kang-seok saw him, he realized who it was.

“Could it be… Baek Seo-jun? Are you Baek Seo-jun?”

The eldest son of the White Tiger Guild’s master—the ill-fated boy who had been sold off to villains.

Five years ago, the boy had been subjected to horrific human experimentation before being thrown into a dimensional rift, presumed dead. Yet here he was, standing before So Kang-seok.

“That’s right. It’s been five years, hasn’t it?”

Baek Seo-jun smirked.

But even as he smiled, the murderous intent emanating from him was unmistakable. So Kang-seok couldn’t help but laugh with intrigue.

“Did you die, too? Or are you alive and standing here before me?”

“You seem awfully relaxed.”

“Well, I’m already dead. Ha-ha. I never thought dying would be so liberating. This is quite amusing.”

“Amusing, huh? Even now, you’re searching for entertainment? Ha, that’s perfect. I’ve found some entertainment of my own.”

Seo-jun’s smile deepened, radiating a cold, dangerous energy.

“What do you mean?”

“You think death is the end? Did you ever stop to think about what comes after?”

What comes after death?

So Kang-seok had never thought about it.

Why would he? He had been too busy enjoying his immense power, delighting in the suffering and despair of others.

Watching the ugliest sides of humanity unfold before him had been like enjoying a thrilling movie.

He had no reason to spare a thought for the unknowable realm beyond death.

“I figured as much. You villains probably don’t believe in an afterlife to begin with.”

It was true. He hadn’t believed in concepts like judgment or hell.

He had never even entertained the idea because he had never felt guilt for his actions.

“But you should have expected this: even if the gods don’t judge you, I will. Though I doubt you ever imagined the test subject you tormented would return for revenge after five years.”

“Revenge?”

Something about Seo-jun’s words filled So Kang-seok with dread.

“Yes, revenge. You know, it was me who killed you.”

At first, So Kang-seok couldn’t comprehend what Seo-jun was saying.

A mere fifteen-year-old boy had killed an SSS-class mana awakener like him?

Even with the advantage of a surprise attack, it seemed impossible.

But if it were true, one explanation came to mind.

“The rift… Did you gain power there?”

“Something like that. But instead of explaining it to you, wouldn’t it be better for you to experience it firsthand?”

Seo-jun’s smile turned chilling, his expression serene yet foreboding.

“This will be an enlightening experience for you, So Kang-seok.”

“What do you—Arghhhhhh!”

Suddenly, So Kang-seok was overwhelmed by excruciating pain.

It wasn’t physical pain.

It was a torment that tore through his very soul, indescribable in human language.

Perhaps it was because his body no longer existed, leaving only his soul behind.

The pain was beyond horrific, yet his consciousness remained fully intact, unable to escape the agony.

Had he still possessed a body, he might have fainted or died outright. But as a disembodied soul, there was no relief.

“P-please… stop! Arghhhhhh!”

Desperation consumed him as he screamed for the pain to end.

“Did you stop when I begged you to? Why should I?”

Watching So Kang-seok writhe in agony, Seo-jun smiled with a chilling glee.

“So from now on, live in this pain. While I extract your memories, I’ll enjoy watching you suffer.”

***

Watching So Kang-seok's soul writhing in agony filled Baek Seo-jun with a deep sense of catharsis.

Five years ago, Seo-jun had screamed in similar pain, his body and mind tormented by So Kang-seok. Now, he had successfully given So Kang-seok a taste of his own medicine.

According to his original plan, Seo-jun had intended to keep So Kang-seok alive, torment him slowly, then kill him and trap his soul in eternal suffering. However, due to the interference of the <Fox That Devours Worlds>, he had been forced to kill So Kang-seok earlier than planned. Even so, this outcome wasn’t bad.

“I only came to secure the truth, but I ended up saving the world.”

Unbeknownst to the people of the world, Seo-jun had prevented a global catastrophe.

He began to extract So Kang-seok’s memories methodically, the process effortless thanks to his absorption of Ramisa’s powers—the final boss of the original storyline. For someone with his abilities, delving into the memories of a mere human was a trivial task.

“Hmm… so this is what it was.”

In just two seconds, Seo-jun had fully read So Kang-seok’s memories, uncovering the details of everything he had gathered.

Yet, most of these items held no interest for Seo-jun.

There was only one thing he cared about.

“Found it.”

The video storage device containing the truth of five years ago.

The files stored on this device would expose the vile lies of Baek Hyung-won and Kim Yoo-jung, revealing a truth that contradicted their deceitful narratives.

I won’t release this immediately. But when you’re at your happiest, I’ll drag you to rock bottom.

Anticipating the day of his ultimate revenge, Seo-jun spread his energy throughout the area.

His goal was to capture every one of So Kang-seok’s subordinates who were still nearby.

Ah, even those researchers who experimented on me are here.

They, too, would learn what it felt like to suffer the way he had.

Now that So Kang-seok was dead, the <Fox That Devours Worlds>, which had been observing the area through So Kang-seok’s consciousness, could no longer see what was happening.

For the time being, that entity would remain unaware of this location, leaving Seo-jun free to act without restraint.

And he fully intended to make every last one of these villains suffer.

Unlike with Baek Hyung-won and Kim Yoo-jung, tormenting these villains would genuinely satisfy him.

They deserved this kind of pain.

“Seo-jun, do you have plans until the day of your revenge?” Ramisa asked, her voice calm yet curious.

“I’ve got a few,” Seo-jun replied with a smirk.

“And, of course,” he added, his grin widening, “I should drop in to see my little brother’s face every now and then, don’t you think?”