Morning came slower than usual.
Jaemin opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling for a few seconds before sitting up.
"...That wasn't a dream."
The memory of that place was still clear. Too clear.
The shattered sky. The pressure.
Axiom.
Jaemin ran a hand through his hair and let out a quiet breath.
"Yeah… definitely real."
He stood up and stretched slightly. His body felt normal, no lingering injuries, no strange aftereffects.
At least physically.
"System."
The panel appeared instantly.
[Name: Jaemin Park
Level: 17
Experience: 120000 / 500000
Hunter Rank: E
Class: None
Skills: System Sync Level 1, System Analysis]
Jaemin's eyes lingered on one part of the panel.
"...System Sync."
He frowned slightly.
"I got that after killing that weird system anomaly in the alley…"
The memory flashed briefly. That thing wasn't normal. Even the system treated it differently.
"So it wasn't just some random reward…"
He crossed his arms.
"If that skill lets me interact with system-based entities…"
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"...then it's definitely tied to whatever that Axiom bastard is doing."
He let out a slow breath and shifted focus.
"Forget that for now."
Jaemin stood up fully, grabbing his jacket.
"If I keep worrying about him, I won't get anywhere."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"I already have an advantage."
Knowledge.
Even if parts of the story were being changed, the foundation should still exist.
Characters. Events. Key locations.
"They erased my novel from existence…"
He smirked faintly.
"But they can't erase it from my head."
That was his biggest weapon right now.
Jaemin stepped outside.
The morning air felt normal. Calm.
Too calm.
He walked down the street with a clear goal this time.
"If the timeline hasn't shifted too much…"
His eyes focused ahead.
"Then some of them should already exist."
Not all characters appeared at the same time in his novel. Some showed up early. Some much later.
But there were a few
Very important ones
Who should already be active.
Jaemin stopped at a roadside and pulled out his phone.
"Let's confirm something first."
He searched through recent hunter-related news.
Guild activity. Recruitment announcements. Incident reports.
Most of it looked normal.
But then
He saw a name.
Jaemin's eyes narrowed slightly.
"...No way."
He tapped the article.
A small local report. Nothing major.
But the name was there.
"Kang Seojun…"
Jaemin leaned back slightly.
"...He already showed up?"
That wasn't supposed to happen this early.
Or maybe
It was.
Jaemin frowned.
"In my original timeline…"
Seojun appeared as a background character first.
Quiet. Unknown. Weak.
Then suddenly
Exploded in growth later.
"...A late bloomer type."
Jaemin lowered his phone slowly.
"If he's already here…"
Then things might still be following the original structure.
At least for now.
A small grin appeared on his face.
"Good."
That made things easier.
Jaemin started walking again, this time with more purpose.
"If I can find key characters early…"
His eyes sharpened.
"Then I can control how things play out."
Not everything
But enough.
He stopped near a training facility used by low-rank hunters.
A simple place. Cheap equipment. Nothing special.
But
Important.
"This is where he started."
Jaemin stepped inside.
The sound of metal clashing and people training filled the space.
Most of them were F-rank hunters or people preparing for their license tests.
Weak.
Inexperienced.
Just like Seojun used to be.
Jaemin scanned the room slowly.
"If I remember correctly…"
He walked further inside.
"...he always trained alone."
Back corner.
Avoiding attention.
Jaemin's gaze shifted.
Then stopped.
"...Found you."
A young man stood near a worn-out training dummy.
His movements were rough. Unrefined.
But
There was something there.
A faint sense of rhythm.
Potential.
Jaemin watched silently for a few seconds.
"...Yeah."
"No doubt."
That was him.
Kang Seojun.
The future monster.
Right now
Just another nobody.
Jaemin smirked slightly.
"Crazy how things turn out."
He walked closer.
Seojun didn't notice him at first, too focused on his training.
Punch.
Pause.
Punch.
Pause.
Inconsistent.
But determined.
Jaemin stopped a few steps away.
"...You're wasting energy."
Seojun froze slightly.
He turned around, confused.
"...What?"
Jaemin crossed his arms.
"Your breathing is off."
Seojun frowned.
"...Who are you?"
"Someone better than you."
Jaemin replied casually.
Seojun's expression hardened slightly.
"...You picking a fight?"
Jaemin shrugged.
"Not really."
He stepped forward and lightly tapped the dummy.
"If you keep hitting like that, you'll just tire yourself out before doing any real damage."
Seojun stayed silent for a moment.
Then
"...Then what should I do?"
Jaemin smiled faintly.
"Better question."
He raised his hand slightly.
"Watch."
Jaemin threw a simple punch.
Nothing flashy.
No excessive movement.
Just clean.
Direct.
The dummy shook violently from the impact.
Seojun's eyes widened slightly.
"...That…"
Jaemin lowered his hand.
"Control your breathing."
"Don't waste movement."
"And stop overthinking every hit."
Seojun stared at him.
"...You're not normal."
Jaemin chuckled slightly.
"You just realized?"
A brief silence followed.
Then Seojun spoke again.
"...Why are you helping me?"
Jaemin turned slightly, already starting to walk away.
"Because I feel like it."
Seojun frowned.
"...That's it?"
Jaemin stopped for a second.
Then glanced back.
"For now."
He smirked slightly.
"Don't fall behind too much."
With that, he walked out.
Seojun stood there, still confused.
But something had changed.
A small shift.
Jaemin stepped outside, letting out a quiet breath.
"...One piece secured."
If Seojun grew properly
He would become a major asset later.
And more importantly
Jaemin would be the one influencing that growth.
He looked up at the sky.
Normal. Calm.
But now
He knew better.
"...Axiom."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"You want entertainment?"
A faint smirk appeared on his face.
"Fine."
He started walking again.
"I'll rewrite this story myself."