IGWNI Ch 2

“Is it some kind of magical animal? It breathes fire. And I think I saw wings last time.”

He looked around, but there was no trace of the wings he had seen at the hot spring. As Yoon Jaewoo peered around, the creature, as if annoyed, turned its head and rolled over.

The beast before his eyes could kill him at any moment if it wanted to, but it didn’t.

Why?

Yoon Jaewoo, staring at the creature lying under the moonlight, cautiously asked,

“You… don’t have anywhere to go, do you?”

Yoon Jaewoo recalled the moment he first encountered the beast. The beast, covered in blood, had slowly walked into the water. Animals, especially predators, had clear territories. Yoon Jaewoo was convinced that the animal in front of him had lost its territory in a fight and had nowhere to go.

“You’re staying here because you have nowhere to go, right?”

Yoon Jaewoo asked again. Remembering how scared the people here were of this animal, chasing it away would be the right thing to do, but… he thought taming it wouldn’t be bad either.

Moreover, it wasn’t just a ferocious and huge animal. Considering that the wound inside his mouth had completely healed just from its tail slightly brushing against his face, it was clearly a sacred creature.

“You don’t have a home to return to, right?”

Yoon Jaewoo’s voice trembled slightly. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t afraid. The creature before him was a monster that had thrown him to the ground with a roar and tried to strangle him with its tail. But if he could use it, he had to.

Strategy was extremely important on the ground. Even within the same team, the skill level varied significantly depending on the coach’s strategy and how they utilized the players.

Yoon Jaewoo was currently employing a strategic approach. It might be cowardly, but this was what he had to do to survive in this strange place with no one to rely on.

He felt that people’s attitudes toward him had become a little cold due to the disgraceful behavior he had displayed in the hallway during the day. He felt like he had disappointed the people who believed him to be a god.

If he could control a sacred creature with the ability to heal human wounds, he could regain some of his divine authority.

Yoon Jaewoo desperately hid his fear and smiled gently. His pretty eyes crinkled up. Although his appearance was generally neat, his biggest charm was how his atmosphere changed 180 degrees when he smiled.

There had even been an article claiming that Yoon Jaewoo’s eye smile was the biggest reason for his popularity. There were rumors that even during soccer matches, when there was a quarrel with the opposing team, if Yoon Jaewoo ran over and broke it up with a bright smile, most fights would subside. Yoon Jaewoo’s smile was that effective.

“Worri… Worri, Worri…”

Yoon Jaewoo smiled effectively and extended his trembling hand forward. His whole body shook with the fear that his hand would be bitten off by the monster’s mouth, but he barely managed to hold back.

“Worri, good boy… Yes.”

His palm grazed the creature’s body, barely making contact. Yoon Jaewoo quickly stepped back, anticipating another swipe from the tail. But the creature, perhaps intoxicated by the moonlight, lay sprawled on the floor, motionless.

Good.

“I, If you don’t have anywhere to go, you can stay here. I’m the owner of this place,”

Yoon Jaewoo exclaimed.

He wasn’t actually sure if he was the owner or not. But he believed he had enough power to allow a large wolf to stay. Moreover, if he could bring this animal under his control, it would be good for everyone.

“So, you can live here.”

He spoke as if granting a great favor. It didn’t matter if the creature understood him. For now, Yoon Jaewoo had said everything he wanted to say.

“Listen to me. Then I won’t chase you away. Worri, Worri, okay?”

After throwing out the words he wanted to say the most, Yoon Jaewoo quickly descended the pavilion. Fear that the creature would chase him and harm him made him run across the garden with his limping leg.

When he reached the hallway connecting to the building, past the white-flowered tree, Yoon Jaewoo finally looked back.

A white bundle of fur lay nestled comfortably, bathed in the pale moonlight. Watching the moonlit fur shimmer like white pebbles, Yoon Jaewoo resolved to tame it.

That was the first goal Yoon Jaewoo had set for himself since coming to this world.

The bell announcing morning rang. It was the sound of the people of this place starting their day.

During his athlete days, Yoon Jaewoo always started his day by waking up early and exercising in the morning. Even after he stopped exercising due to the accident, he continued to wake up at dawn out of habit. No matter how hard he tried to close his eyes and go back to sleep, it was no use. By the time his body rhythm was disrupted, his health was completely ruined.

When he opened his eyes with the morning bell, Yoon Jaewoo felt that his health was slowly recovering.

He heard footsteps outside the door. Soon, the servants entered the room. Yoon Jaewoo obediently surrendered himself to them.

As someone who exercised, he showered more frequently than average men, but his shower time was average. He brushed his teeth while washing his hair and cleaned his whole body while washing his face. The bath time, which at most took about ten minutes, had increased to about an hour, but not by Yoon Jaewoo’s will.

Bathing in this world was complex. First, they burned incense and warmed his whole body with the fumes. Every time, Yoon Jaewoo would drift off to sleep. The servants carefully washed his hair. After washing his hair, the servants would take him to a large tub. As he lay submerged in the water infused with fragrant oils, the servants would begin to massage his body. Yoon Jaewoo had even wondered if this place was heaven because of these massages. When his whole body was relaxed and his mind became hazy, the servants brought towels soaked in moderately cool water and wiped his body.

Afterward, they brought a bathrobe made of fabric so soft that it seemed to melt away at the touch and dressed Yoon Jaewoo. When he came out of the bath, his cheeks were flushed rosy pink, and his wet hair shimmered.

Yoon Jaewoo stared at the mirror for a while.

If he returned to his original world in this state, he might be able to reclaim the title “Flower Boy” from “Flower Boy Soccer Player,” even without the “Soccer Player” part.

A servant brought a red drink on a silver tray. Yoon Jaewoo immediately frowned. This drink was the only thing in this world that tasted terrible.

It was a drink they brought every time, despite his strong refusals. He drank it, thinking they wouldn’t give him anything harmful, but he couldn’t help but frown.

“Ugh, I don’t want it.”

Even though he openly showed his dislike, the servant didn’t take the drink away.

Yoon Jaewoo figured this drink after the bath was a custom or law in their world.

“Oh, well.”

He picked up the cup and drank it all at once. He had learned through numerous gagging experiences that drinking it in portions made it several times more agonizing.

As Yoon Jaewoo emptied the cup and grimaced, the servant brought sugar-glazed apples. At first, he was surprised that this world also had apples and sugar, but now he took it for granted that there were many overlapping aspects.

While he was munching on the apple, a meal was set on the table. There was no need to go anywhere to eat. When the time came, the table unfolded, and the food was served.

Yoon Jaewoo was pleased with the breakfast, which looked several times more abundant than usual. As he sat leisurely, observing the dishes served, the servants standing by the door suddenly knelt.

Yoon Jaewoo was startled to find the creature strolling in and instinctively jumped up from his seat. The creature walked leisurely and settled into the head seat at the table.

“Oh,… you really came.”

Yesterday, he had told it to stay here if it had nowhere to go, but he wasn’t entirely sure. He thought that as a beast, it might disappear somewhere when morning came.

But it settled in naturally as if this place had been its home from the beginning.

The frightened servants remained kneeling with their heads bowed.

Of all things, why did I have to bring that?

Yoon Jaewoo clicked his tongue inwardly and sat as far away from the creature as possible. Then he glanced at the enormous beast. Its glossy fur shone exceptionally white in the morning sunlight. It even looked sacred.

Yoon Jaewoo suddenly recalled yesterday’s memory of being thrown to the ground in front of everyone. He had to prove that he was superior to the animal.

Yoon Jaewoo stood up abruptly. The servants’ shoulders flinched. He walked in front of the creature for all to see.

“Don’t be afraid and listen.”

Yoon Jaewoo raised his head and exclaimed. The white-furred beast glanced at him.

“This is the animal I raise, Ramia’s animal.”

Yoon Jaewoo pointed to himself with his palm and clearly pronounced, “Ramia.” He heard sighs escaping from all around.

This wouldn’t do.

Yoon Jaewoo raised his hand. Then, mustering as much courage as when he jumped off the cliff, he stroked the area near the creature’s back.

The fur was long and thick enough that his fingers sank in. He recalled the times he stroked Jinsu’s fur.

It was dirty and coarse fur, but he liked the tickling sensation on his palm, he liked the feeling of it entrusting its whole body to him, so he used to pet it for a long time. This one, too, had such a pleasant texture.

The resilient and soft fur brushed against his palm as if embracing it. It felt like each strand of fur was carefully caressing his palm. If he could, he would want to touch it until he died.

“….!”

The sharp sound of breaking glass rang out from the doorway. Yoon Jaewoo, who had been stroking the creature’s back with a rapt expression, turned his head in surprise. The head servant, who had been carrying food, stood frozen like a statue. Broken dishes and food were scattered at his feet.

Yoon Jaewoo tilted his head slightly in bewilderment. The head servant had never brought the food himself. He guided Yoon Jaewoo or helped support him, but he hadn’t directly served him. For some reason, today, he had appeared carrying the food himself.

The head servant prostrated himself on the floor, bowed his head, and shouted something. Then everyone chanted the same words and bowed their heads. Yoon Jaewoo muttered to himself, thinking he had seen this scene somewhere before.

“Where was it? What was it? I definitely saw it somewhere….”

The servants chanted the same words and bowed their heads to the floor again. Yoon Jaewoo recalled a scene he had seen on television in China when he couldn’t sleep during a friendly match.

That horrifying scene of people banging their heads until they bled, begging the emperor for forgiveness.

“Please get up. It’s okay.”

Yoon Jaewoo hurriedly ran over and helped them up. However, the servants didn’t dare to raise their bodies.

A long sigh escaped from behind him. When Yoon Jaewoo turned around, the creature was looking at him with a disdainful look. Yoon Jaewoo quickly approached it.

“I know you don’t have anywhere to go,”

Yoon Jaewoo whispered softly into the creature’s ear. He was about 80% sure it wouldn’t harm him.

“So, please cooperate.”

There was a 70% chance the creature would understand him.

“You can eat a lot of delicious food if you stay here. So… Worri, Worri.”

Making cooing sounds as if coaxing a puppy, Yoon Jaewoo stroked the creature’s back with trembling hands. The servants, who had their heads bowed to the floor, repeated the same words as before in terror.

They’re shuddering with guilt for pushing the scary and fearsome beast onto the god. It’s okay though… What should I do?

Yoon Jaewoo pondered, “Hmm,” and moved his hand a little higher.

His palm, precariously close to the creature’s head, trembled. Yoon Jaewoo wanted to prove to the people that he could completely control this animal.

Oh well. People already attend to everything from eating to dressing and washing, so what’s the big deal if I lose a hand?

Yoon Jaewoo boldly stroked the creature’s head with his palm. The creature’s eyes slowly opened.

Gasp. This is it.

Instinctively sensing danger, Yoon Jaewoo quickly lowered his hand. Thinking that this was enough, he turned his head forward to see everyone’s faces pale with shock.

Dismay and astonishment.

It was the same expression he saw on the opposing team’s coach’s face during his athlete days when he scored the tying goal and then the winning goal in a comeback situation. Yoon Jaewoo immediately became smug.

“Hahahaha. What’s the big deal?”

Yoon Jaewoo was simple. He felt good when someone liked him and felt down when someone cursed or disliked him. One of the reasons he struggled so much after quitting soccer was that the countless praises and compliments directed at him instantly turned into criticism and ridicule.

Yoon Jaewoo learned through the malicious comments directed at him how much people enjoyed the moment a successful person fell to the bottom.

So, these moments of reaction in this world were precious and joyful to him. Yoon Jaewoo shrugged and calmed the people down.

“Yes, yes. It’s okay, so everyone, please stand up now.”

The creature behind him wagged its tail and then tapped the floor. Yoon Jaewoo thought that one day, he would touch that tail in front of everyone.

The people who had been prostrated on the floor all stood up at once, clasped their hands together, and bowed respectfully.

Yoon Jaewoo was certain. His action had given the people immense awe and surprise.

He smiled brightly and looked at the creature, who had endured its foul temper. As their eyes met, Yoon Jaewoo whispered, “Thank you.” The creature’s bluish eyes curved.

It didn’t take long to realize that the crashing sound was the sound of the table flying into the air and shattering.

Yoon Jaewoo felt acutely that people’s attitudes had become several times colder after the breakfast incident. Their attentive demeanor while serving him remained the same, but their eyes and atmosphere were different.

Soccer players could read a lot from a fleeting glance at their opponent’s eyes. Yoon Jaewoo, who had been repeatedly training this for over a decade, easily picked up on people’s subtle changes.

“Damn it.”

Yoon Jaewoo, strolling through the flower garden, kicked the ground with the tip of his foot, uttering an irritated curse. The two servants following him whispered to each other, pointing at him.

The creature that had overturned the table had disappeared as casually as it had appeared. Yoon Jaewoo had tried to reassure the people that everything was alright, but since they couldn’t understand him anyway and the atmosphere was terrible, he gave up.

Eventually, Yoon Jaewoo was moved to another room as if he were being kicked out and received the most modest breakfast since arriving here.

“…There weren’t even twenty dishes.”

Recalling the number of dishes on the table, Yoon Jaewoo sighed deeply.

Humans are truly fickle. Until recently, a cup of ramen and a bottle of soju were enough to get him through the day, but now he was feeling depressed with less than twenty dishes.

However, compared to the lavish treatment he had been receiving, twenty dishes were very modest and paltry.

All of this was because of that big, white beast. Until it appeared, he had even been thinking it was a good thing he had died once!

Yoon Jaewoo gritted his teeth.

He thought he had become moderately friendly with it, but he was greatly mistaken. Just because he touched it in front of people, the beast overturned the table and disappeared.

“I should have just chased it away.”

The moment he saw the creature disappearing with a thin smile, Yoon Jaewoo had a bad premonition that he would never be able to tame it.

Yoon Jaewoo stopped for a moment because his leg hurt. Come to think of it, the person giving him the massage today seemed to have moved their hands less diligently than usual…

“Sigh…”

No matter how much he sighed, the frustration didn’t disappear.

At times like this, if he could run for a couple of hours and sweat it out, his thoughts would clear up.

Yoon Jaewoo looked down at his right leg.

He hadn’t run once since the accident.

The only exercise he could do now was walking. Even then, with the servants who were giving him cold stares behind him, his heart only grew more complicated.

Yoon Jaewoo glanced at the servants following him.

“I want to be alone…”

Again, no real answer came. It felt like talking to a wall. Yoon Jaewoo, pondering how to shake off the servants, remembered the small door he had gone out of earlier.

It was definitely around here.

As he looked around, a small wooden door caught his eye. Yoon Jaewoo quickly walked towards it. He hadn’t noticed it before, but the door had the same pattern carved into it as the one on his bed.

“Come to think of it, I see this pattern a lot around here.”

Yoon Jaewoo rubbed the pattern with his fingertips and then abruptly asked the servants,

“I’m going outside. You’re not following me, right?”

Whether they answered or not, he grabbed a handful of pebbles, put them in his pocket, grabbed the doorknob, and opened the door. The servants frantically tried to stop him, but Yoon Jaewoo didn’t care.

“I’ll just take a short walk. I’m going to throw these as I go, so I won’t get lost.”

He showed them the pebbles in his pocket as he said this. The servants’ attitude in stopping Yoon Jaewoo was firm. Yoon Jaewoo, who had a contrary nature that made him want to do things even more when he was told not to, increasingly wanted to be alone.

“I’ll be back soon. This time, I’ll really just walk around near the wall.”

The two servants shook their heads vigorously. If this didn’t work, they looked like they would drag Yoon Jaewoo inside. The image of the servants seeing him off outside the gate came to Yoon Jaewoo’s mind. If his thinking wasn’t wrong…

“Oh well!”

Yoon Jaewoo pushed the two aside and threw himself out the door. The softly falling snow was piled up high enough to reach his shins. Yoon Jaewoo’s body sank deep into the snow.

He heard the servants’ screams from behind. Yoon Jaewoo looked back. As he expected, the servants couldn’t take a single step outside and were just hopping around inside.

Yoon Jaewoo got up, brushed off the snow, and waved.

“I’ll be back.”

He saw the head servant running from afar, but Yoon Jaewoo ignored him and started walking.

Because the heavy snow made every path look the same, Yoon Jaewoo walked along the wall. If he followed the wall, he wouldn’t get lost.

Yoon Jaewoo continued walking with one hand on the wall. Although his feet sank deep into the snow, making movement difficult, the feeling of walking along the quiet snowy path was definitely the best. The snow kept falling endlessly, but it didn’t pile up any higher than his shins. He didn’t know how this was possible, but it wasn’t something to be particularly surprised about.

This wasn’t the first or second strange occurrence in this world. To begin with, the fact that he had come to this world was unbelievable. If he went back and told others about this, how many people would believe him? He’d be lucky if he didn’t end up locked in a mental hospital… if he went back, that is.

Yoon Jaewoo raised his head and looked at the sky. Although he couldn’t guarantee anything in the future, he had a premonition that he wouldn’t return to the world he belonged to.

Even if he found a way to go back, would he even want to?

“No way…”

Yoon Jaewoo muttered bitterly and then shook his head. The important issue for him now wasn’t whether or not he could return, but how to resolve the people’s distrust.

Once sown, distrust grows like a snowball. It was the same in matches. The moment you thought you might lose, the game was as good as over. In moments like these, a decisive goal was needed.

“So, a goal-scoring opportunity has to come…”

Remembering that he had developed a habit of talking to himself since coming here, Yoon Jaewoo chuckled and turned around. He started walking back the way he came, using the wall for support. He checked the pebbles he had dropped one by one as he walked.

Once he returned inside the walls, Yoon Jaewoo decided that the first thing he would do was find the creature.

If he brought food and coaxed it gently, it would somehow work out. Regardless of time and place, taming animals with food was the universal truth.

“It’ll be a carnivore, right? Naturally. Then I should give it meat.”

As Yoon Jaewoo pondered what to feed the creature, the white snowfield and the endlessly stretching wall came into his view. Just how far did this wall extend, and how vast was this snowfield?

Thinking of the efforts of the people who built this long wall, Yoon Jaewoo slowly continued walking. He walked and walked, and then a disturbing thought crossed his mind.

…I don’t think I walked this much when I came out.

Yoon Jaewoo turned around. The wooden door he came out of should be visible around here. Why did it seem like the door had disappeared?

As if to shake off the ominous thought, he shook his head.

“That’s impossible.”

He walked back in the opposite direction. However, even after walking for a while, he couldn’t find the wooden door. Yoon Jaewoo started searching for the pebbles he had dropped on the ground.

“Aaack!”

It was enough to make him go crazy and jump, enough to make him fall backward. The pebbles, which had been sparsely visible until now, had completely disappeared. Yoon Jaewoo banged on the wall with his hand and shouted.

“Hello! Anyone there!”

He thought someone from beyond the wall would hear him and come to rescue him. However, no matter how much he shouted at the top of his lungs, no sound came from inside.

“This won’t do.”

He tried to find a foothold to climb over the wall. The smoothly constructed wall didn’t offer any handholds, let alone footholds. He couldn’t just stand here and freeze to death. Yoon Jaewoo jumped with all his might. It was, of course, impossible to see inside the wall, which was well over 10 meters high.

“…What do I do?”

Yoon Jaewoo’s face turned pale.

He had confidently walked out, leaving behind the servants who had desperately tried to stop him, and yet again! He was stranded.

No, being stranded was one thing, but there was no guarantee they would come looking for him this time. Hadn’t the morning’s incident created a chilly atmosphere?

Yoon Jaewoo lowered his head, leaning against the wall. He had come out to calmly organize his thoughts, yet he had lost his way again. His sense of self-disgust was immense.

“…Let’s turn back.”

Yoon Jaewoo raised his head, keeping his hand on the wall. He didn’t know how far this wall extended, but he moved his feet, thinking it must end somewhere. However, no matter how far he walked, the wall seemed endless. Perhaps because of the falling snow, the scenery beside him remained the same.

He even wondered if he was walking on a treadmill. Yoon Jaewoo dug into the snow beneath his feet to check the ground. The ground wasn’t moving.

Just in case, he walked while checking towards the plains, but the luck of discovering a hot spring like before didn’t find him.

“What kind of god am I… Just a pathetic fool.”

He was a fool like no other in the world. Yoon Jaewoo continued walking endlessly with his limping leg, indulging in depressing self-deprecation. He started losing feeling in his toes. It was dangerous. If he kept walking like this, his toes might burst from frostbite.

“Should I just die again, twice over?”

Thinking brightly that perhaps he might go to a better world if he died this time, he took heavy steps.

That’s when it happened. Something moved.

Yoon Jaewoo narrowed his eyes and checked what he had spotted. It was certain. Something dark was desperately moving on the white snow. Yoon Jaewoo had never been so grateful for his near 2.0 vision.

He quickly ran toward the something he had discovered. Whatever it was, he thought it might be a way to escape this endless wall, this hell of infinite space. The closer Yoon Jaewoo got, the more he realized that the black something was larger and longer than he had initially thought.

“Gasp!”

Yoon Jaewoo cried out in surprise. A jet-black, long snake was wriggling and crawling on the snowy ground. It was a snake so large that he could have mistaken it for a dragon. If he had seen a snake of this size in his original world, he would have run away without looking back, but not here. Yoon Jaewoo thought that he might be able to communicate with the snake and that this conversation might help him escape this snowfield.

“Excuse me! Here! Mr. Snake!”

Yoon Jaewoo shouted, waving at the snake. The snake, as if it had also spotted Yoon Jaewoo, changed direction and started slithering towards him fiercely. Even though he had called it, Yoon Jaewoo flinched and stepped back involuntarily. The momentum of the snake rushing towards him was too fast and frightening. It was like a black horse galloping without legs.

That would be quite something to ride, wouldn’t it? If things went south, coaxing it and bringing it back to show off his divine authority in front of the people would be a good strategy.

The snake quickly approached Yoon Jaewoo. Yoon Jaewoo gave an awkward smile and greeted it.

“Hello. So, I…”

Just as he was about to say that he needed to go back beyond the wall, the snake lunged at him with its mouth wide open. Yoon Jaewoo threw himself aside without even screaming. The snake’s mouth barely grazed his side.

The attack continued. With excellent reflexes, Yoon Jaewoo narrowly avoided the attacks. However, having walked a long distance, and with one leg not fully healed, he soon succumbed to the snake’s tail.

In an instant, the snake coiled tightly around Yoon Jaewoo’s body, flicking its tongue and letting out a chilling laugh.

“Do you know who I am? I, I’m Ramia!”

He shouted the only word he had learned in this world, but it was no use. The snake’s mouth opened wide. Yoon Jaewoo squeezed his eyes shut.

Let’s live a more proper life next time I open my eyes. Let’s not do what I’m told not to do…

“….?”

A long time passed, but he felt no impact. Wondering what was happening, Yoon Jaewoo slightly opened his eyes. It was the creature. It was holding the snake’s mouth open from both sides and looking at him. As their eyes met, its large white tail brushed against Yoon Jaewoo’s face as if caressing him.

The snake released Yoon Jaewoo. It had changed its target. As soon as Yoon Jaewoo fell to the ground, the snake swiftly wrapped itself around the creature and began rolling in the snow.

It was a tremendous sight. The jet-black body constricted the huge white beast’s neck. The snake’s body looked as hard and thick as a centuries-old tree. It seemed near impossible to remove it.

Crack. Yoon Jaewoo heard the sound of bones crushing. Yoon Jaewoo looked around with a pale face. He had to get that snake off somehow. He plunged his hands into the snow and blindly groped the ground. The moment something hard touched his fingertips, he frantically dug. He found a rock the size of a child’s head. Yoon Jaewoo raised the rock above his head and slammed it down on the snake’s tail with all his might. The snake’s scales bristled all at once. It worked. Yoon Jaewoo frantically pounded the snake’s tail.

Black blood splattered on his face. It felt like his skin was burning, but Yoon Jaewoo didn’t stop. The snake writhed and shrieked grotesquely. Its grip loosened. The creature seized the opportunity and broke free from the snake’s coils.

Yoon Jaewoo raised the rock above his head with all his might. But before he could bring the rock down, the snake’s fangs pierced Yoon Jaewoo’s abdomen.

“….!”

Yoon Jaewoo couldn’t even scream. Even when his leg was crushed under the car in the accident and he howled in pain, it hadn’t hurt like this. All he could do was let out a breathless gasp from his parted lips. He felt the poison spreading through his side. It felt like a red-hot blade was churning his stomach.

“Ugh… Huh…”

Black blood gushed from Yoon Jaewoo’s mouth. The jet-black snake narrowed its eyes and opened its mouth. But then, the snake’s head was split in two and thrown into the air. The creature pressed down on the wriggling snake’s body with its large forepaw and landed softly on the ground.

Yoon Jaewoo smiled as he looked at it with his blurring vision.

“…Jinsu. Thank goodness.”

He seemed to have said that. If his tongue had been working properly, he definitely would have said that. He was glad he hadn’t died. He was truly glad that he had saved Jinsu.

Thinking that he could at least hold his head high if he returned to that day when he was nine years old, Yoon Jaewoo closed his eyes.

It was a man’s duty to repay kindness. Having died fulfilling a great duty, he hoped to be reborn into a more comfortable and better life in his next life.

Warm, soft fur enveloped his body. A strange thought suddenly occurred to Yoon Jaewoo. Yes, in his next life, it wouldn’t be bad to be born as an animal with such soft and comfortable fur, living a lifetime receiving love from its owner. Happily, without complex worries.

He heard a low clicking sound from above his head. He wanted to see the beast’s expression as it clicked its tongue, but his eyes wouldn’t open. Yoon Jaewoo’s consciousness sank into darkness.

He heard murmuring voices by his bedside. Sighs mixed with lamentations about why they were going through such trouble.

Even amidst the burning pain throughout his body, Yoon Jaewoo knew he had died and come to yet another world. Fortunately, it seemed he could understand their language in this world.

…It couldn’t be that I’ve returned to normal, could it?

Yoon Jaewoo tried to lift his eyelids, wanting to confirm where he was. However, as if his corneas had been peeled off and disappeared, his vision was blurry, and he couldn’t see anything. He blinked hard several times, but it was the same.

「You won’t be able to see yet. Your eyes haven’t regenerated.」

The moment he heard the voice, an unbearable pain shot through his ears. A faint groan escaped Yoon Jaewoo’s lips.

「Your ears haven’t fully regenerated either. It must be a little difficult to hear my voice.」

Despite knowing this, the man spoke in a playful tone. Every time he did, Yoon Jaewoo felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his ears.

「Feel the pain.」

Gasping for breath from the pain, Yoon Jaewoo questioned his ears. Surely that man had just told him…

「Only through pain will you learn how foolish you were.」

The man’s voice was low and cold. Cold enough to send shivers down his spine just by listening.

He instinctively knew that this man held considerable influence in this place.

「Consider yourself fortunate to be alive.」

Damn you. Shut up. Please just shut up!

Amidst the pain that felt like his body was being torn apart, Yoon Jaewoo’s resentment towards the man grew steadily. Of all places, to be revived in a world with such a nasty person!

「Lord Eustace. I’ve brought the tember you requested.」

Strangely, other people’s voices didn’t cause him any pain. Only the man’s voice tore at Yoon Jaewoo’s ears.

「Pour it. Submerge him.」

Before the command ended, warm water covered Yoon Jaewoo’s body. His breathing eased instantly. Strangely, even though the water filled up to his nose, completely submerging him, he could breathe.

「…For how long….」

「Keep repeating….」

As his body sank beneath the surface, the people’s voices gradually faded away. Yoon Jaewoo struggled to hold onto consciousness, trying to hear what they were saying, but he soon lost consciousness.

He regained consciousness because of the cold cloth wiping his body. As his vision cleared with each blink, Yoon Jaewoo thought that this place looked strangely familiar.

「It seems you’ve come to.」

「What tenacious vitality. Whether it’s good luck or bad luck.」

「Everything is according to Lord Dweord’s will.」

The servants clicked their tongues as they wiped Yoon Jaewoo’s body with a cloth soaked in lukewarm water. As Yoon Jaewoo barely came to his senses, he realized that these were the people who had been attending to him before and opened his eyes wide.

“Oh, you…”

「Your fever has subsided, but can you eat something? Would you like some water?」

“Yes. Please.”

As Yoon Jaewoo nodded and spoke, one of the servants went outside to fetch water.

“Just let me…”

As Yoon Jaewoo tried to sit up, the servant quickly approached and helped him lean against the bed. Just a slight movement drenched his entire body in cold sweat. The servant wiped Yoon Jaewoo’s forehead again with a water-soaked cloth.

“What happened?”

「Everything is as Lord Eustace wills it.」

Yoon Jaewoo realized that the man named Eustace was the one who had inflicted the ear-splitting pain.

“Who is Eustace?”

Before the servant could answer his question, the other servant who had gone to fetch water returned with the head servant. The servants helped Yoon Jaewoo drink the water. As the cold water flowed down his throat and spread through his body, Yoon Jaewoo finally felt like he was alive.

「Have you reported to Lord Eustace?」

The servant said as he set down the cup.

「I’ve just spoken to Lord Ebner.」

“Who is Ebner?”

After drinking the water, speaking was much easier. Yoon Jaewoo became curious about the names he heard in their conversation.

“Who is Ebner? What does Eustace do?”

「By the way, what is Lord Eustace thinking….」

「You mustn’t speak so carelessly. Everything is as Dweord wills it.」

As they said, “As Dweord wills it,” the two made the same gesture. Yoon Jaewoo noticed that it was similar to making the sign of the cross in Catholicism.

“By the way, why can I suddenly understand what you’re saying?”

After opening his eyes, he could understand these people’s words. He didn’t know how this had happened, but being surprised could wait.

Yoon Jaewoo began to pour out the questions he couldn’t ask when they couldn’t communicate.

“What happened to me? Where is this place, and how did I get here?”

Even as Yoon Jaewoo eagerly questioned them, the servants just stared blankly at his face.

「Judging by how well he speaks, his throat must be much better. I should have them bring some fruit juice.」

「I’ll go get it.」

The servant who had fetched the water earlier left again. Yoon Jaewoo was speechless for a moment in bewilderment.

“Hey. Why are you ignoring me?”

「Are you feeling alright? If you have a fever or any discomfort, please point with your hand.」

The servant spoke politely and wiped Yoon Jaewoo’s body. Yoon Jaewoo brushed his hand away and shouted,

“If someone speaks to you, you should answer. You understand what I’m saying now, don’t you? Why are you pretending you don’t?”

「Are you cold?」

The servant brought a silk cloth and covered Yoon Jaewoo with it. Yoon Jaewoo was furious.

“Are you kidding me? Are you ignoring me now? Are you ignoring me just because I got messed up by that damn white dog? I’m Ramia. Don’t you know Ramia?”

Yoon Jaewoo hated old men who got drunk, caused a scene, and yelled about how people didn’t know who they were. It was a favorite repertoire of the orphanage director when he was drunk. But now, in this situation, he had no choice but to deliver the very lines he hated, word for word.

“I’m Ramia! You guys called me Ramia!”

The servant’s eyes wavered subtly. Realizing that the word “Ramia” had affected him, Yoon Jaewoo cheered inwardly.

“So answer me. Where is this place, and what happened?”

「Ramia.」

The servant called him. Yoon Jaewoo nodded and looked directly at the servant.

「You are Ramia. So you must not forget your duty.」

Yoon Jaewoo flinched at the tone, as if an adult was scolding a child. Then the servant who had gone to fetch fruit entered the room with the head servant.

「Are you feeling a little better?」

The head servant asked Yoon Jaewoo with a concerned look.

“Yes, I’m fine, although I’m a bit sore here and there, but I don’t know how I survived. …Anyway, I have a lot of questions.”

He believed that this person might be able to communicate with him. It was common sense that negotiations should be conducted with the leader of the group.

「If you need anything, tell these two, no, point with your hand and instruct them.」

“What? What do you mean? Can’t I talk? Why do I have to point with my hand…?”

「You were able to survive thanks to Lord Eustace’s grace, so you must be careful in your conduct from now on.」

“Yes, I’ll be careful. I’ll be careful, but let’s start by figuring out who this Eustace person is.”

Yoon Jaewoo asked, brushing his sweat-soaked hair with his hand. Perhaps due to the fever, he kept sweating, and his body felt languid. But he didn’t want to keep showing weakness in front of these people, so Yoon Jaewoo straightened his body and cleared his throat.

“Can you hear me?”

When no answer came, Yoon Jaewoo asked in an anxious voice. Just as the head servant was about to open his mouth, the door opened. The people hurriedly knelt down.

A man walked in.

The moment he saw him, Yoon Jaewoo gasped involuntarily. He was a beautiful man. He had never seen anyone so beautiful, male or female. It wasn’t a common prettiness or handsomeness, but a frighteningly beautiful kind of beauty.

His silver hair, reaching down to his waist, and his silver-blue eyes gave off a strange feeling that made it hard to think of him as human. He was so tall that Yoon Jaewoo, leaning against the bed, had to tilt his head back as far as possible to see his face.

Most extraordinary was the air surrounding the man. The moment he entered, Yoon Jaewoo clearly felt the room grow colder. A cold power, as if pulling the air in the room from both sides, created an overwhelming tension.

Yoon Jaewoo stared at the man who had entered the room, lost in thought.

「Show some respect.」

The head servant said, his head bowed. Yoon Jaewoo, believing without a doubt that the words were directed at the man, stared blankly at him.

「What are you doing? Now that you understand, show some respect….」

「It’s fine.」

The moment the man raised his hand and spoke, Yoon Jaewoo realized the meaning of the head servant’s words.

“Are you telling me to do that?”

Yoon Jaewoo asked, pointing at himself. The head servant quickly gestured for him to lower his head.

“Is this person higher than me?”

He couldn’t believe it.

He was a god in this place. He had been treated with the utmost care and respect, as if he were made of precious jade or gold, yet he was being told to bow his head to a man who seemed devoid of any humanity.

“Is this person higher than me, Ramia?”

When Yoon Jaewoo burst out, the man laughed. His bluish eyes curved slightly. It was a breathtakingly beautiful face, but Yoon Jaewoo instinctively sensed danger.

Athletes needed good instincts. Otherwise, they couldn’t survive on the battlefield-like ground, competing with twenty other players. It was a different matter from being quick-witted. Instinct was the body reacting before the mind could think.

Yoon Jaewoo’s instincts were far superior to those of other athletes. His body reacted before his mind could process which direction the ball would come from or how the opposing player would move.

Those instincts were now sending out warning signals. If possible, he should run away right now, but all he could do was lean against the bed. Even that required effort, and cold sweat trickled down his back.

「I don’t understand what you’re saying, but…」

As the man smiled, slightly crinkling his eyes, the surrounding air seemed to tremble. Yoon Jaewoo swallowed hard.

「I’ll have to educate you on the meaning of the word ‘Ramia’ first.」

With the man’s single sentence, Yoon Jaewoo realized that the moment had arrived for his status to undergo a massive upheaval.