RG 121

Everything was swallowed by pitch-black darkness—a void with no wind, no scent, no sensation at all.

There was no way to tell what was front or back. He couldn’t even see his own body. He could no longer be certain… that he existed. Even time seemed to have slipped away in this space. There was only one person in the world who could create such a realm with shadows.

Jay swallowed dryly and blinked. Movement was impossible. He didn’t know where his arms or legs were. Even trying to curl his fingers into a fist gave no response. He had the same skill, but he didn’t dare try to use it. Holding his breath was the best he could do.

How long had he been in here? Five minutes? Five hours? Five days? …Five years?

The more he thought, the faster his mind began to unravel. So he consciously began letting go of each thread of thought. And then—

Crrrk, crack!

“Ghh…!”

A faint sound echoed from far away.

Jay immediately recognized what it was. The sound of flesh being torn, breath being cut off. Someone had been devoured by the shadows. Probably one of the remaining staff.

As soon as he realized he could smell blood, the oppressive darkness vanished all at once, like a curtain being drawn back.

Whoosh!

His senses returned all at once, and the realization hit him—he was back in reality.

‘How long was I in there…?’

Still trembling, he looked down at his hands as he sat slumped on the floor, then slowly lifted his head.

At the center of the lab—shattered glass and broken equipment. In front of it, a corpse mangled beyond recognition lay sprawled in a spreading pool of blood.

When he checked the current time on one of the machines, his eyes widened in shock.

‘Only… one minute?’

Cold sweat dripped from his temple. He had thought at least five hours had passed. Realizing it had only been a minute, overwhelming fatigue swept over him. Paralyzed by helplessness, he remained still—until a silhouette began to move across from him.

Step. Step. Crisp, heavy footsteps echoed. 

The man walking toward him with long strides looked far too composed for someone who had just emerged from a chamber of fluid.

A green sapphire earring glittered on the man’s ear.

“Get up.”

“Ah—ghk…!”

A shadow slithered from behind the man as he rolled up his sleeves and wrapped itself around Jay’s neck. He was yanked to his feet by force, choking, and raised his gaze.

Clear green eyes met murky green ones. The man looked at him for a moment, then his lips curled into a smirk. “What should I say? ‘Long time no see’?”

“…I don’t understand… why you’re angry.” Even as his throat was gripped, Jay let his body go limp. It was a sign he wouldn’t resist. “As you know, things went wrong from the start this time. That’s why I tried… to correct the distortion as best I could—”

“I don’t care about your excuses.”

A chill glinted in the man’s eyes, and the shadow around Jay’s neck tightened. His face turned pale from the pain crushing his throat.

“H-hhk, ugh, why…?”

As if his throat was being torn apart, Jay could no longer endure it. He grabbed at the shadow with both hands, struggling—but his feeble strength wasn’t enough to break free. His pupils rolled back behind his lids as he neared the point of death.

Thud!

The shadow finally released him, and he collapsed to the floor. Gasping and choking, Jay clutched his swollen, red throat and fought for breath.

The man—Cha Sahyeon—looked down at him, now groveling at his feet, and said, “This settles the debt. And revenge.”

It was revenge for wrecking the home where he had lived with Cha Seohu, and it was to repay the debt of sparing Cha Seohu’s life. 

That decision—to save Cha Seohu—had, in turn, saved Jay’s own life. No matter how many memories he had, he surely didn’t want to die without being able to do anything.

Turning his head away from Jay without a trace of emotion, Cha Sahyeon muttered quietly, “Come out.” The shadow cast on the floor rippled, and a dark form sprang forth.

It was a large bird, its entire body made of pure shadow. After a few strong flaps of its wings, it perched naturally on Cha Sahyeon’s arm. Looking into the bird’s green eyes—so identical to his own—he gave it an order. “Find him. And protect him.”

As if in reply, the bird blinked once, then soared into the air. It passed through the wall in front of it and swiftly exited the lab.

For now, that meant safety.

With a short sigh, Cha Sahyeon turned to leave. But just as he took a step, a rough voice called out from behind him, “…Where are you going?”

“Don’t concern yourself with me.”

“I… don’t understand. Why you’re angry with me, or why you woke up without increasing your strength further.”

“Why should I have to explain anything to you?”

“At least tell me where you’re headed. If I knew that, I could…”

Without answering, Cha Sahyeon turned his back again.

“Don’t tell me you plan to act separately? That can’t be allowed.”

That was the end of the conversation.

Leaving a flustered Jay behind, Cha Sahyeon walked away without hesitation.

***

The pounding of multiple footsteps and explosive crashes echoed through the air. Cha Seohu’s shoes screeched against the floor. Thrown backward by the shockwave, he slammed into the wall and exhaled a breath that had reached up to his throat.

‘Disgustingly many of them.’

Beyond the raised blade used to block a skill, enemies kept flooding in. There were at least thirty of them—every one of them combat-class. Their aura told him they were B- and C-classes… and there was even one A-class.

“This way!” the A-class Hunter shouted, and the others quickly rushed over. That A-class was clearly the one in charge. “The intruder is tired! Don’t stop using your skills!”

“Push in!”

The killing intent radiating from the dozens of enemies made his skin tingle. His heart pounded hot in the life-or-death moment. Taking a deep breath, Cha Seohu secured the scabbard in his left hand to his waist. Then he gripped the hilt with both hands.

‘If only I had a skill…’

Not a fake S-class created by a hidden skill, but a true, perfect S-class. What would things have been like then?

A skill that let him dominate the battlefield with a sharp sword. A skill that summoned chains to take control of the space at will. A skill that opened infinite possibilities with blinding light. If only he had a skill like that. Even if it wasn’t anything grand, if it could help even a little in this fight—things would’ve turned out differently.

‘At the very least, I wouldn’t have lost that kid so stupidly.’

Cha Seohu stared coldly at the blood smeared on his blade.

‘I wouldn’t have let my people die so meaninglessly.’

Even if he temporarily became S-class, it was still the same in the end. All he truly had was his body. So he lived by what he’d learned.

“Come.”

As soon as Cha Seohu spoke, the Hunter at the front swung his greatsword horizontally.

“Die!”

Whoosh! The heavy sound of air being sliced brushed past his ears. Dodging the blade by bending deeply at the waist, he pushed off his thigh and launched forward like an arrow. 

A person who used a massive weapon like a greatsword would always have a gap in their guard. Cha Seohu’s blade struck precisely through that gap, moving like lightning.

“Guh…!”

The tip of the sword pierced through the man’s throat and poked out the top of his head. As the Hunter collapsed, spewing blood, another charged in from behind, weapon raised.

In the middle of the basement hallway battle, an A-class Hunter at the very back sneered at Cha Seohu.

‘What a dumbass.’

To crawl in here all by himself.

Whoever he was, this place was one of the sanctuaries personally designated by the cult leader. Coming here alone—there was no way he’d make it out alive.

Claaang!

While the A-class Hunter mocked, Cha Seohu continued to swing his sword. The clash of weapons rang endlessly, and the killing intent stabbed into his chest like needles.

“Focus.”

That man’s voice came to mind. It sounded vivid, as if he were right there beside him.

“Don’t swing your sword lightly. There’s nothing more arrogant than swinging a sword carelessly with your level of skill.”

You must never swing a weapon lightly. That was the first lesson he ever received. Whether swinging the sword once, ten times, or a hundred, your mind must never waver. Even if you swing it a thousand times, your focus should remain as sharp as the first. From the tip of the blade to its edge, to the hilt, the hand gripping it, the arm, and his head—everything had to move with one single purpose.

Sweat streamed down his cheeks and scattered into the air. The enemy’s blood and his own sweat mixed beneath his feet.

“Argh!”

“Gack… ugh!”

The enemy’s screams echoed through the blood that blurred his vision. Cha Seohu pressed forward without hesitation.

“Move.”

He twisted his body just as a spear thrust narrowly missed him. Spinning halfway, Cha Seohu cleanly sliced through the opponent’s neck.

“Faster.”

Obeying the command ringing in his head, his body moved even quicker. His muscles felt like they were tearing from the strain, and a hot pain spread through the arm gripping the sword—but he couldn’t stop. The screams, the blood, the resentful eyes of those being killed—all of it made him forget his limits.

The sword sliced diagonally. His robe, Wisdom of the Sky, fluttered and glowed faintly as it followed his movement. The blade that severed an enemy’s torso came down vertically without pause, flowing like a graceful dance.

Splash—as he made the final step, ripples spread through the pool of red blood beneath him.

“Hah… haah…”

Only then did Cha Seohu, gasping for breath, finally lower his sword.

“What the… f–freak…”

The A-class Hunter stumbled back, face pale with terror.

A total of 34. Thirty-four Hunters had been mercilessly slaughtered by a single S-class standing before him.

[Main Quest: Reunite with the antagonist (Time Remaining: 2 hours 57 minutes)]