* * *

The dungeon I entered was swept by fierce winds.

As Nayoung had said, it resembled a ruined city.

Debris from collapsed buildings was scattered everywhere, offering plenty of places to hide—but making it equally difficult to search for him.

“Ajusshi!”

I floated into the air to survey the area, shouting as I went.

“…Naru!”

I even called Naru’s name, on the off chance he could hear me.

I flew across the desolate ruins, calling their names, hoping to catch sight of something—anything.

The first thing that caught my eye was a dog with black fur tipped in flames.

“Naru!”

At my shout, Naru wagged his tail. I descended to his side.

—Heewon.

He called my name, looking exactly as I remembered.

So unchanged that it made me pause for a moment.

The three companions who remained by my side were all in a weakened state, unable to resist even ordinary people.

So why was Naru unscathed and just as strong as ever?

I set aside the question for now.

Uncle came first.

“…Did you bring someone here?”

—Yes. You used to do it all the time, remember? Bring them here, kill them. Bring them here, kill them.

Naru’s nonchalant tone pricked at me.

But there was no time to dwell on that pain.

“What did you do to him?”

—What do you think?

“Naru.”

—Do you think I killed him?

Naru responded with innocent eyes fixed on me.

—Heewon, you’re a liar.

“……”

—You said you’d kill them all.

Like Susu, Naru was reproaching me for not killing humans.

That didn’t matter right now.

“Did you kill him?”

—If I did…*

“……”

—Would you kill me?

My fists clenched tightly. Kill him?

I had no right to kill anyone, even if they’d taken another’s life.

—Heewon, you should kill me.

“……”

—It’s your way, isn’t it?

Naru spoke softly, as if guiding a child back to the correct path.

Lowering his massive body, he brought his head to my hand, as though inviting me to strike.

I reached out, feeling the soft texture of his fur. I gave it a single stroke before withdrawing my hand.

“…I won’t kill you.”

—……

There was no way he’d killed him already.

If he had, he wouldn’t bother provoking me like this; he’d have simply shown me the body.

“Why did you bring him here?”

—……

“Did you think I’d go back to how I was if he died?”

Naru looked up at me with dark, piercing eyes.

His fur crackled faintly, reflecting his inner turmoil.

“No.”

—……

“I won’t.”

The “Seo Heewon” I used to be and the person I am now are entirely different.

While our beginnings may have been similar, the paths we’ve taken have diverged irrevocably.

—…Heewon, I’m disappointed.

Naru finally answered after a long pause.

Straightening his posture, he turned away from me without hesitation.

• Do whatever you want, Heewon.

“……”

• That is, if you truly can.

Naru’s icy whisper faded away, and his presence vanished entirely from the dungeon.

The threatening Naru was gone, but I couldn’t shake the thought that he might have already killed the man.

While I believed he hadn’t done it yet, there was no guarantee he hadn’t.

Frantically, I began searching for him again.

And then—

“…Uncle!”

I found him hiding behind the rubble of a building.

I ran toward him, but his expression was unusually harsh as he saw me.

The moment our eyes met, his fist came flying at my face. I barely managed to block it in time.

“Uncle, it’s me!”

Had he mistaken me for a monster?

To clarify, I loosened my grip on his fist.

He cautiously moved his hand, flexing his fingers before tentatively touching me.

“…Heewon?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

“How did you even get here…?”

His shocked expression quickly hardened into something I’d never seen before—a face filled with anger.

“…How did you get here?”

“Well, uh…”

“How did you even find this dungeon that I was dragged into like a hostage?”

“……”

Hearing the harshness in his voice, I was hit by the gravity of what I had done.

“Heewon.”

“……”

“You need to tell me everything so I can understand.”

His relentless questioning left me no choice but to explain the truth.

I told him about Lee Jaehee approaching me, and how I had agreed to their request in exchange for finding his location.

After hearing everything, his expression grew even more severe.

“Why on earth would you do something so reckless…?”

“I’m sorry. I just… I couldn’t think of any other way when I thought you might be dead…”

“…I see. I understand.”

He reached out and pulled me into a hug.

Tears threatened to spill, but I held them back.

As I felt the warmth of his large hand patting my back, I let out a sigh of relief.

It had been a reckless move, but in the end, it was worth it.

Judging by Naru’s demeanor earlier, he might have really killed him. I was grateful I hadn’t been too late.

“Let’s get out of here for now,” he said gently.

I nodded and followed him as we searched for the dungeon’s exit.

Thankfully, we found it quickly.

I hadn’t noticed earlier due to the chaos, but the gate was located on a mountainside.

Checking a map app confirmed we were in a remote forested area far from Seoul.

“For now… I should call someone to come here,” he muttered.

“Yes, that sounds like a good idea.”

He took out his phone and sent a message before leading the way down the mountain.

The terrain was rough, and it took quite some time to descend on foot.

“We’re almost there,” he said.

“Yeah, I see it too…”

Bright lights illuminated the base of the mountain.

Squinting, I noticed an unexpectedly large gathering of people.

This wasn’t just a simple call for help—there were far too many.

“Heewon,” his heavy voice brought an ominous feeling to my chest.

“…Uncle?”

“For whatever reason… working with the Black Sea Guild is an act worthy of reproach.”

“Y-yes… you’re right.”

“It’s okay. I’ll explain everything for you. Just cooperate with the investigation, and things will be resolved smoothly.”

For a moment, I was at a loss for words.

So… all these people had been called to take me in?

I couldn’t understand. He wasn’t the type to report me, no matter what.

Unless there was another reason…

“Heewon.”

He pressed forward, his tone urging me to follow.

Hesitantly, I nodded. I wasn’t sure if I was being taken into custody, but the Hunters from the Management Bureau were steadily closing in.

There was no other choice.

At least, that’s what I told myself. But then—

“……”

A surge of something sharp and uncontrollable welled up within me.

[Reassessing compatibility with Trait ‘Villain’s Qualities’.

Control rate for Trait [Villain’s Qualities] is decreasing. When control rate reaches 0%, the trait will go berserk.

[Current control rate: 80%.]

The control rate was dropping rapidly.

With it, I couldn’t hold back anymore.

Blood spewed from my mouth as I coughed violently.

“Ugh…”

“…”

He looked at me in shock. I wanted to assure him I was fine, but my throat tightened, and no words came out.

His concerned gaze fell on me, and he reached out his hand. Just as I moved to take it—

[Reassessing compatibility with Trait ‘Villain’s Qualities’.

Control rate: 78%.]

Another 2% drop in an instant.

A cold sweat broke out as I realized instinctively: surrendering, or even taking his hand, would only cause the rate to fall further.

“Ugh…”

I staggered backward.

I couldn’t let myself be caught.

If I was, the rate would continue to plummet, and if it reached zero…

“Myaaah!”

A familiar cat’s cry rang out by my ear.

Suddenly, a thick fog enveloped me, so dense I couldn’t even see him anymore.

Someone grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and hurled me into the air.

I landed with a thud on a massive beast’s back.

Gripping its short fur tightly to keep from falling, I tried to stay conscious.

But the overwhelming blood loss made my vision blur.

No matter how much I resisted, I felt myself slipping into darkness.

✧✧✧

Seo Heewon had disappeared.

Leaving behind an unbelievable amount of blood.

* * *