NoveLight ™
"What’s going on?"
Hearing Ramisa’s words, I tried to extend my senses to figure out what kind of situation Lee Ha-yeon and Han Se-hee were in. But Ramisa spoke again before I could.
How had things become so twisted that two of the original heroines were on the brink of death five years before the original story even began?
‘The original protagonist is utterly useless.’
Of course, this was five years before the main events of the story, so it was no surprise that Baek Seo-jin was weaker than he would be later. But I had no interest in making excuses for him.
Clicking my tongue at Baek Seo-jin’s inability to even protect the heroines, I focused on spreading my senses to check the conditions of Han Se-hee and Lee Ha-yeon.
Since I was still within Korea, the information came to me instantly.
"Gye Un-jik."
An SSS-class villain who appeared early in the original story as one of the initial bosses.
Yet here he was, showing up five years before the original timeline.
"So it’s him."
In the original, Gye Un-jik wasn’t an easy opponent, even for Baek Seo-jin in the early chapters.
Even among SSS-class Hunters, there were significant differences in strength. Experience played a part, but there were also gaps in sheer capability.
While they were all grouped under the label of "SSS-class," the rankings were broad, with considerable disparities.
‘Some, like Choi Kang-in, are classified as national-level threats, standing in a league of their own.’
Choi Kang-in was so much stronger than the rest that the distinction of SSS-class felt meaningless; he was separately categorized as a national-level power.
Excluding exceptions like Choi Kang-in, if the SSS-class could be divided into five sub-levels, Gye Un-jik would rank around the third tier.
‘A solid tier-three, at that.’
When Baek Seo-jin entered the academy at the age of 20, he was already an SS-class Hunter. His potential caught the attention of Choi Kang-in, who made him the heir of the Kangin Guild. With the guild’s support, Baek Seo-jin grew into an SSS-class Hunter, gaining fame by defeating villains—villains like Gye Un-jik, who served as obstacles on his path.
Even at this point in time, Baek Seo-jin was undoubtedly honing his skills through battles with villains.
‘They won’t die right away.’
Han Se-hee and Lee Ha-yeon weren’t in immediate danger of death, but in 20 minutes, they’d be sacrificed to The Fox That Devours Worlds, a fate worse than death.
I couldn’t let that happen.
"Seo-jun, are you planning to rescue them?"
Seomun Ye-jin, also reading the breaking news, turned to me with the question.
Although she didn’t know Lee Ha-yeon well, she had some familiarity with Han Se-hee.
That was because Han Se-hee was connected to both me and Seomun Ye-jin—she was even a contact on our messenger apps.
Seomun Ye-jin and I occasionally met Han Se-hee when we visited Gaeseong, so it was natural that she wouldn’t want to abandon her.
"Yes, I plan to."
"Then please take me with you."
Placing her hand over her chest, Seomun Ye-jin spoke with determination.
"I’ve grown stronger, Seo-jun. I won’t get in your way this time."
Hearing her words, I stared at her silently for about ten seconds.
"This might be good for your growth."
***
BOOM!
The man who appeared was clad in a sleek black long coat, with a white scarf draped elegantly over his shoulders. His clean-cut appearance, paired with glasses and an intellectual aura, made him resemble a religious cleric rather than a villain.
"Gye Un-jik!"
Baek Seo-jin screamed his name the moment he saw him, his voice filled with panic.
Gye Un-jik, one of the most notorious SSS-class villains, had been dormant in recent years.
But as an SSS-class villain, his name and face were ingrained in the memory of Baek Seo-jin, who recognized him immediately despite his inactivity.
"Let us pray."
Gye Un-jik clasped his hands together reverently, like a devout monk, and murmured a prayer to an unseen entity.
"To the one who brings the end of all things, today I offer you the sacrifices, Lee Ha-yeon and Han Se-hee, in your honor."
There was no doubt about what—or who—the sacrifices were.
"Miss!"
"It’s dangerous! Get to safety!"
Lee Ha-yeon, faced with the unexpected arrival of an SSS-class villain, hesitated in shock.
"Why is someone like him here…?"
If an SSS-class villain revealed himself openly, the Kangin Guild would undoubtedly mobilize to close in and eliminate him immediately.
Appearing publicly in the southern region of South Korea, on top of that, was almost a death sentence.
But Gye Un-jik showed no concern for his own survival as he revealed himself.
"There are far too many nuisances here."
He spoke calmly, raising his hand slowly.
"Stop him!"
"Hurry!"
Hunters from both the Angel Guild and the White Tiger Guild, familiar with Gye Un-jik’s abilities, launched a coordinated barrage of attacks infused with their mana.
Flames, wind, and lightning surged toward him alongside mana-infused weapons.
"We need to run."
Lee Ha-yeon turned to Han Se-hee, urgency lacing her voice.
This wasn’t the time for pride or stubbornness. Gye Un-jik had openly stated his intent to target them, meaning they needed to escape immediately.
If they stayed, the other hunters would likely be slaughtered by Gye Un-jik. But if they fled, Gye Un-jik would likely pursue them, sparing the others.
Running was the only logical choice.
"Understood."
Han Se-hee nodded, fully grasping the gravity of the situation.
As Lee Ha-yeon prepared to grab Han Se-hee and make a break for it, Gye Un-jik spoke again, his tone dripping with condescension.
"Fools who fail to understand the will of the great one."
He waved his hand, and an invisible force spread out, effortlessly nullifying every attack aimed at him.
The unseen energy radiated outward, repelling everything in its path and forming an impenetrable shield around him.
"Cough!"
"Ugh!"
"Argh!"
Hunters from the Angel Guild and White Tiger Guild collapsed, blood pouring from their mouths as they fell unconscious. Their bodies lay motionless on the ground, rendered helpless by the attack.
Smiling at the fallen hunters, Gye Un-jik murmured, "I haven’t killed them. May they enjoy the day of reckoning when it arrives."
His demeanor now exuded the zeal of a fanatical cultist as he turned his gaze toward the remaining figures.
Han Se-hee and Lee Ha-yeon were both on the ground, struggling to stay upright. Unlike the others, they hadn’t lost consciousness, but their faces were pale, and they were visibly weakened.
"To endure that… Truly remarkable sacrifices. Such outstanding talent!"
Gye Un-jik expressed his admiration, his voice filled with twisted reverence. His earlier attack, a wave of pulsating mana, was his signature technique.
The mana wave infiltrated living beings’ bodies, wreaking havoc internally and leaving them incapacitated.
Han Se-hee, however, had instinctively erected a defensive barrier of mana, shielding herself and Lee Ha-yeon from the full brunt of the attack.
While they weren’t entirely unscathed—they still felt nausea and pain from the residual effects—Han Se-hee’s defensive capabilities as a healer were extraordinary for her age.
"Such talent and beauty. The perfect sacrifices!"
Gye Un-jik’s mana extended toward the two girls, binding their bodies.
"Release them immediately!"
A voice rang out—it was Baek Seo-jin, the only other person still conscious.
"Oh my, it seems this little one has quite the artifact."
Gye Un-jik smiled benevolently, almost mockingly, as he looked at Baek Seo-jin, who staggered toward him, sword in hand.
The defensive artifact Seo-jin carried had mitigated the mana wave’s effects, but even with its protection, he could only muster a fraction of his usual strength.
The mana coursing through his sword was faint and unstable, far from its full potential.
"However, you’re nothing more than an obstacle to this sacred ritual."
"I said, release them!"
Despite coughing up blood, Baek Seo-jin charged forward with his sword, a desperate determination burning in his eyes.
‘I will protect them! I must protect them!’
He had come here to save Lee Ha-yeon. He would also protect Han Se-hee, his childhood friend, no matter what.
Channeling his resolve into his blade, he swung it like a hero from a legend…
But Gye Un-jik’s mocking voice cut through the air. "Child, life is no fairy tale."
With a single punch infused with his pulsating mana, Gye Un-jik shattered Seo-jin’s resolve. The punch crushed Seo-jin’s internal organs, sending him flying as he vomited blood.
"Ugh…."
As Seo-jin crumpled to the ground, Gye Un-jik stepped forward and crushed his right leg underfoot, breaking the bone with a sickening crack.
"Arrgh!"
Writhing in pain, Baek Seo-jin lost consciousness, his body limp and defeated.
In the original timeline, five years from now, Baek Seo-jin would have confronted Gye Un-jik in an intense battle, protecting the heroines and cementing his status as a hero.
But in this twisted version of events, meeting Gye Un-jik five years early, Baek Seo-jin’s fate was nothing short of pathetic. His failure and battered state were unrecognizable for someone meant to be the protagonist.
Meanwhile, Han Se-hee, who would have played the role of his supportive heroine in the original story, barely spared him a glance.
For the past four years, she had kept their relationship strictly professional, dismissing Seo-jin’s delusional belief that they were friends. She harbored no fond feelings for him.
Instead, as despair crept over her, Han Se-hee’s thoughts turned to someone else entirely.
‘Seo-jun oppa….’
In this warped version of the story, everything had been distorted, twisting fates and relationships beyond recognition.