* * *
“People really love romance novels. One moment it’s a Northern Grand Duke, the next, it’s a tyrant.”
“Especially the type where a man who’s cold to everyone melts like snow under spring sunlight for just one person. Even I find it fascinating how someone as unyielding as Kang Yigeon turns into a lamb in front of the Guildmaster.”
“You must not know what a lamb is like, Simji.”
“Our Guildmaster should experience Kang Yigeon’s contemptuous gaze at least once to understand how we feel.”
“I experience it every day. Just this morning, in fact. I got such a cold stare when I sighed and unwrapped a chocolate bar instead of eating breakfast.”
“No, Guildmaster, you don’t get it. You’ve never truly been on the receiving end of that gaze. If you ever were, you’d instantly recognize that the look you got over the chocolate was positively tender, like spring sunshine.”
Now, he fully understood those words.
Kang Yigeon’s contemptuous gaze truly stung to the bone.
Even Simjin from back then would likely say, “Um… it wasn’t this bad.”
If he could meet that version of Simjin, maybe he could even lord it over him.
He wandered aimlessly until he found himself outside the mansion’s main building.
There was an open lot being prepared as a training ground, and distant echoes from protesters reached him.
As Seohwa approached the wall, a sharp warning followed.
“If you don’t want to provoke the citizens, stop right there.”
It was Choi Jihyung, the team leader from the Awakener Security Agency.
Seohwa was never allowed to roam alone; someone always shadowed him.
Usually, it was Kang Yigeon, but when he wasn’t available, Choi Jihyung filled in.
“Why didn’t you hide this place’s location better?”
“Go back inside.”
“I’m not getting close to the citizens. I don’t want to get hit by rocks again. I’ll just get some fresh air and head back.”
“Go inside immediately—”
A buzzing interrupted him.
Choi Jihyung’s phone vibrated persistently, not like a text notification.
His stern expression softened immediately upon glancing at the screen.
“Why don’t you answer your call?”
“…Stay right here. Don’t go anywhere.”
Choi Jihyung stepped a few paces away and answered.
“Yes, baby. I’m at work right now.”
“It’s a girl!”
“Huh?”
“Our baby is a princess! She’s so cute. She curled her fingers like this, and when I said ‘princess!’ she stretched them out like she was clapping. Isn’t that adorable?”
It seemed the baby’s gender had been confirmed at 18 weeks of pregnancy.
Choi Jihyung’s expression completely melted, and his eyes even glistened with emotion.
“I should’ve gone with you to the hospital. Just thinking about you walking into that big place alone….”
“It’s a girl! A girl! A princess!”
“If she looks like her queen of a mom, that’d be amazing. I bet she’ll be so beautiful. Every time I see your childhood pictures, I wonder if you were a fairy’s lost child….”
Seohwa chuckled at the conversation. It felt like ages since he’d last laughed.
He, too, was eager to see Choi Jihyung’s daughter.
A clever three-year-old, the spitting image of her mother.
Seohwa wanted to send gifts for the expecting parents, just as he had in the first timeline.
But now?
He’d probably be met with:
‘Don’t meddle in my family’s life, you devil.’
He knew too well how that would go from previous cycles.
While Choi Jihyung was engrossed in his call, Seohwa wandered aimlessly.
He could feel the piercing stares around him.
Though four months had passed, he still hadn’t grown used to it.
Eventually, he found himself near the outer wall by the main gate.
“Exile the demon back to its world!”
“Do not trust that creature! Never trust it!”
“We must drive that monster out of our world!”
The protests had grown louder since two days ago.
This once-quiet countryside had turned into a hub for demonstrators as word of Seohwa’s residence spread.
The numbers were steadily increasing.
Over the wall, garbage, eggs, and even stones were thrown.
These weren’t just pebbles but heavy objects that thudded loudly upon landing.
“Damn it. I didn’t take this job to clean up trash.”
“It’s all because of that bastard. He should be the one cleaning this up, not us.”
The Awakeners assigned to monitor Seohwa were muttering curses as they cleaned up the mess.
They made no effort to hide their words, knowing full well Seohwa could hear them.
Feeling the weight of their hostility, Seohwa slowly retreated from the wall.
To escape the megaphone cries, he’d have to head back inside.
But the mansion wasn’t much of a refuge. His hunger gnawed at him, and thoughts of the past swirled relentlessly.
Drained, Seohwa slumped under the eaves of the building.
“That thing is the dungeon’s demon! The government is protecting a devil!”
“Don’t be deceived by that monster! We must protect ourselves!”
The desperation in their voices was palpable.
Had he been an outsider, even he might’ve been convinced.
‘Two weeks until the first summon. Can training even happen with this going on?’
The protests were sure to disrupt the Awakeners’ focus. Seohwa felt uneasy.
His fears became reality.
As the summon date approached, the number of protesters tripled, and various interest groups began to join the fray.
Among them were cult-like organizations like the New Humanity Sect and Entetera, both designated as terrorist groups worldwide.
These groups advocated for letting dungeons explode rather than clearing them.
When dungeons exceeded their time limit, monsters would escape at a higher rank, and the surrounding area would face catastrophic destruction.
Their ultimate goal was to transform Earth into a haven for monsters, ensuring humanity’s extinction so monsters could evolve as the next dominant species.
They had even developed a virus called “Monster Synthesis Blood” (MSB), capable of turning humans into monsters with enhanced abilities. Once transformed, there was no going back; these individuals, called “superhumans” or “New Humans,” retained monstrous forms permanently.
These “Evil Humans,” as most called them, had long been engaged in acts of terrorism.
After learning of the apocalypse tied to a sixth-grade dungeon in three years, they had turned their efforts towards eliminating Seohwa, whom they saw as the obstacle to their goals.
They went as far as disguising themselves as Korean citizens to carry out attacks.
But the Korean government, known for its intelligence capabilities, wasn’t an easy target.
With close cooperation between the Awakener Safety Department and the National Intelligence Service, they swiftly identified and neutralized threats before any terror plots could unfold.
“How many times has this happened now?”
“Fifth time, sir.”
“Five attempts at terrorism in just three months and fifteen days? If it were me, I’d have planned it more meticulously and thoroughly before striking. They’ve underestimated the intelligence capabilities of a country that was once divided.”
Seohwa clicked his tongue as he examined the fifth batch of captured operatives.
Their appearances were grotesque—sharp spikes replacing hair, skin tough and gleaming like an alligator’s hide, and mouths filled with hook-shaped teeth.
“So, do you recognize any of them?”
“Nope. Like I’ve said multiple times, I know nothing about the New Humanity Sect or any fringe religions. I’ve spent all my time across various timelines solely focused on clearing Level 6 dungeons. I have no knowledge about terrorist organizations.”
Each time the government caught operatives, they showed their faces to Seohwa, hoping for some future-related insight.
But there was nothing he could offer.
Kang Yigeon frowned, his thick eyebrows furrowed.
“You’ve been so single-minded. Did you do nothing but fight monsters like a brute?”
“Bingo. That’s how I’ve been since the first iteration. If you had been the one sent back in time, you’d probably have provided a wealth of information about the New Humanity Sect and Entetera.”
“Was it impossible to apply ‘Flight of Time’ to someone else?”
“Impossible. And even if it were possible… you should be grateful it wasn’t you. Coming back to the past and enduring everyone’s resentment isn’t as easy as it sounds.”
“… …”
“Why are you looking at me like that? I’m serious. Trust me. I’m the veteran here.”
Because Seohwa knew nothing about the Evil Humans, the government had to detect and prevent their terrorist plans on its own.
The problem was, it wasn’t just terrorist organizations that wanted Seohwa dead.
The government could decisively eliminate groups like the New Humanity Sect and Entetera for their global terror activities.
But for the groups it couldn’t—or wouldn’t—judge, preventing their attempts was much harder.
And then it happened—a day before Seohwa’s summons.
* * *
