Seowon Guild, Nam Woo-jin’s laboratory.

“Cough, cough.” Nam Woo-jin’s gaunt shoulders trembled. He lowered the hand that had been covering his mouth. It was drenched in bright red blood. The boy standing beside him offered a damp towel.

“Here’s the towel, Master. Should I prepare some water to rinse your mouth?”

“Ah… yeah. Leave it here.”

“Yes, Master. May I report the news regarding White Hole and Hunter Hong Yeseong?”

“…Speak.”

“The White Hole has disappeared from the sky. Additionally, Hunter Hong Yeseong is currently uncontactable, and the space he created has reportedly collapsed. The Bureau has classified him as missing and is tracking his whereabouts.”

“Wait, what did you say?”

The blood-soaked towel fell from his skeletal hand. The boy stared blankly before responding.

“The lock restraining the apocalypse has been released, Master. The number of mutation reports coming in from various regions has also increased significantly.”

“…Damn it!”

Nam Woo-jin cursed as he hurriedly turned around. But his emaciated body couldn’t maintain its balance and staggered violently. Nam Woo-jin clutched the edge of the drawer and dropped to his knees. The boy supported his master’s arm, helping him to stand.

“Please be careful, Master. Your body has become severely weakened.”

“Shut up! My body isn’t what matters! Get me the vaccine, now….”

“No, Master.”

In the glass-like green eyes, the reflection of the frail Nam Woo-jin was captured. Slowly, the boy’s small hand struck the back of Nam Woo-jin’s neck with unerring precision.

“Kuhk…!”

Nam Woo-jin’s gaunt body lost its balance and toppled forward. Just before his face hit the floor, the boy caught his master’s body. The half-lidded, ghostly white eyes struggled to glare up at the boy.

“You… right now… what….”

“Forgive me. I was too inexperienced to make you pass out immediately.”

“What are you… This is… disobeying orders!”

The hand that was nothing but skin and bones feebly grabbed the boy’s collar. But even with his collar gripped, the boy answered calmly.

“No, this is not disobeying orders, Master.”

“What…!”

“As you know, your current health is at a dangerously critical level. I have determined that you require a period of physical recovery.”

“Shut up!”

“The command you gave me was to always stand by your side and serve you, Master. And…”

The boy’s cold, small hand held onto the withered hand. Emotionless eyes blinked.

“The command given to me by my creator was to protect you, no matter what. No matter what it takes. No matter what I have to do.”

“…….”

“I must eliminate anything that harms my master. Even if that means…”

The pale, burned-out eyes slowly rolled back beneath his eyelids. The boy listened closely to the gradually stabilizing breaths and completed his sentence.

“…even if that means you yourself.”

“…….”

The boy gently removed the crooked glasses and whispered softly.

“Sleep well, Master.”

***

It was silent.

No one dared to open their mouths.

It was just a "gaze." And that alone was enough to make it difficult to breathe. A few of those staring up at the sky collapsed to the ground. Some couldn't endure the presence and vomited, while others shut their eyes and screamed, frothing at the mouth.

A soul that had endured two apocalypses. The terror etched into its essence.

Even the Hunters couldn’t move. They were frozen, as though rooted to the spot.

However, there was one who moved alone.

A black cloak fluttered.

Uijae knelt down on one knee before a person foaming at the mouth, securing an airway. After performing brief first aid, he wedged the phone between his ear and shoulder and spoke.

“…Jeong Bin.”

Uijae looked up at the sky again.

It was still watching.

Staring at Cha Uijae.

“The White Hole… It’s an eye.”

―……

“Until now, it had no purpose or consciousness… It was just open, watching. Like a surveillance camera.”

―So, now it has a purpose?

“…Maybe.”

Uijae stood up. The scattered puzzle pieces in his mind started to come together.

‘There were no black holes or white holes in the dungeon either.’

There was no need to watch a world that had already ended.

“I’ll hang up for a moment, Jeong Bin.”

His heart was pounding. Was it fear? No. Something else was churning inside him.

Since the moment he met eyes with the one that possessed a will, his soul had been thrashing.

Fear?

No.

Something even more intense.

Uijae placed a hand over his heart. At that moment, something poked at his ankle. It was Kkokko, whom he had set down earlier while administering first aid.

“Kkokko? You want me to hold you again?”

“Kkoo!”

Kkokko shook its head vehemently, then dashed into the Pado Guild building. It gestured to Uijae as if to follow.

“…….”

Did it have something to tell him about Hong Yeseong? Uijae looked around at the people still frozen, staring up at the sky, then started running after Kkokko.

Kkokko, seemingly tireless, hopped up the emergency stairs and reached the floor where the meeting room was located. It squeezed through the half-open door and sat on the desk where the projector screen had been pulled down.

“Why here?”

“Kkoo.”

Kkokko opened its beak. From within, a brilliant white light burst forth. The light projected onto the screen like a film reel. Uijae stared blankly at the image.

A workshop cluttered with tools and materials, with scattered supplies rolling across the floor. Hong Yeseong was seen picking them up. And…

Outside the door stood Cha Uijae.

The scene was familiar. A landscape he had seen somewhere before.

White ashes fell. Above them, a white vortex whirled, swallowing most of the sky.

Uijae remembered instantly. It was the memory he saw at the end of the Memorial Dungeon, when he had gone to save Gaeul. A memory from the first world, just before the apocalypse.

Wasn’t that where it ended? Before he could question further, ‘Cha Uijae’ in the projection started to move. Blinking his bloodshot eyes, he bent down and picked up the scattered junk. Arms full of assorted objects, ‘Hong Yeseong’ asked,

―How much memory are you planning to keep?

The voice was clearer than when he had heard it in the Memorial Dungeon. ‘Cha Uijae’ shrugged.

―As much as I can.

―How much do you plan to squeeze out of me?

―It’s fine. I’ll buy us some time.

―Buy us time? How? You said you were going to turn back time.

‘Hong Yeseong’ fired off questions. ‘Cha Uijae’ dumped the junk onto the desk and answered,

―Why’d you suddenly get so stupid? You ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) try everything you can and then rewind, obviously.

―Wow. You were the one who said you were already at your limit! You said there wasn’t enough time!

―I’m going to push to the limit of that limit. Gotta figure out as much as I can.

‘Cha Uijae’ took a bent cigarette from his inventory and placed it between his lips. He flicked the faulty lighter several times, trying to ignite it. He perched on the edge of the desk and exhaled a long plume of smoke.

―If it really doesn’t work, I’ll use the watch.

―What if you die before you even get to use the watch? Why don’t you just use it now….

―Who knows? Maybe I can at least scratch it with my spear.

‘Hong Yeseong’ paced the workshop anxiously, biting his thumbnail before cautiously asking,

―You’re not… giving up, are you? You’re not going to kill yourself or anything, right? You can’t do that. You can’t just throw your life away.

―Suicide? …Does it look like that? Me?

Through the hazy smoke, a pair of blue eyes glinted sharply. Kikikik… ‘Cha Uijae’ laughed, his shoulders shaking. He rolled his neck once and then tilted his head, murmuring,

―You still don’t know me very well, do you….

‘Cha Uijae’ extended his hand toward the open door. White ashes, dried blood clinging to his fingers, brushed against his hand.

―I think it’s better to live, no matter how pathetic it is.

―……

―Because as long as you’re alive, there’s always a chance.

―Sounds like something a guy who’s about to go die would say.

―Well, sometimes you can’t run away.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

―And right now is one of those times.

―……

―Besides….

A sharp crack echoed as he cracked his knuckles.

―I have to kill that bastard. Suicide? No way.

―…Huh?

―He messed with Sa-young.

The voice was calm and steady. The blue eyes glowed chillingly.

―I’m going to settle that debt.

‘Hong Yeseong’ scowled as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He looked down into the basket of mana stones and muttered,

―That’s a pretty selfish reason for a hero’s sacrifice.

―Who said a sacrifice had to have just one reason? Besides, nobody will even know it’s a personal revenge.

―You’re really not cut out for a quiet life, are you?

Uijae grinned and placed a finger over his lips.

―This is a secret.

The smirking face dissolved like mist.

―Because we’re friends.