Hyunwo moved with a light step, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. The sword in his hand glinted faintly beneath the sunlight that filtered through the trees. His new clothes—a comfortable gray sweater paired with an elegant black-and-white jacket and practical black pants—gave him a casual yet alert appearance.
"Hmm... where's the safest hiding place? Actually, I know a few ideal spots," he murmured, a slight furrow appearing on his brow as his eyes scanned the surroundings carefully.
As Hyunwo continued walking, his sharp instincts sensed another presence. Jinwo. He knew Jinwo had been following him for a while, his shadow dancing behind him like an inseparable tail.
"Jinwo, I know you're following me. Ever since I started walking, right?"
Hyunwo turned back with a friendly smile, but his eyes radiated a piercing calmness. He had been aware of Jinwo's presence from the start, even as he pretended to search for a hiding place.
"How did you know I was following you?" Jinwo asked, his eyebrows raised high, deep wrinkles forming on his forehead. His eyes radiated irrepressible curiosity, yet vigilance was still clearly visible.
"I saw your shadow dancing on the ground as I walked," Hyunwo replied, his voice calm but containing a mysterious tone that made Jinwo even more curious.
Disbelief showed on Jinwo's face. "You must want this sword, right? It's written all over your face, Jinwo," Hyunwo said, his gaze piercing but without a hint of panic.
"I want to ask," Jinwo began, his face showing deep confusion. "How did you know the location of that sword? Don't tell me... you're the same as me? Constantly experiencing regression?" His voice trembled, reflecting a mixture of hope and fear.
Hyunwo fell silent. Not out of fear, but because he felt the presence of a terrifying aura. The Demon God. He was heading in their direction, his aura of darkness making the surrounding air feel heavy and suffocating.
"Alright, I'll answer your question," Hyunwo finally said, "but before that, we should hide, okay?"
Seeing the panicked expression on Hyunwo's face, Jinwo immediately understood. Is it because he sensed the Demon God's aura? But how can Hyunwo sense it? Jinwo wondered, confusion and worry mixing in his mind.
"Okay, let's hide first," Jinwo said, "but after the Demon God is gone, you have to tell me how you knew the location of the Emperor's Sword. Promise?"
Jinwo and Hyunwo quickly hid behind the thick bushes. The scent of damp earth and rotting leaves stung their noses. From behind the leaves, Hyunwo peeked out and saw the Demon God's terrifying figure.
"That's him... the Demon God," Hyunwo whispered, his voice trembling.
Seeing the Demon God's form, Hyunwo shuddered. So the Demon God really is terrifying, he thought, his eyes widening in horror. Jet-black wings spread wide on his back, fiery red horns protruded from his forehead, his red eyes radiated burning vengeance, and his black-red hair swayed wildly. Ugh... so scary.
Hyunwo swallowed hard. The Demon God's aura was so powerful that it caused the surrounding trees to wither and decay. The air felt heavy and suffocating, as if all hope had vanished.
"How did you know that these bushes were a safe hiding place?" Jinwo asked, his voice whispering but full of deep curiosity. His heart became more and more convinced that Hyunwo was a regressor.
So it's true... Hyunwo also experienced regression like me, Jinwo thought. But why wasn't he there when the first scenario started? His mind swirled with unanswered questions.
Hyunwo just remained silent, listening to Jinwo's chatter while continuing to monitor the surroundings. After making sure the Demon God was gone, he signaled for them to come out of the bushes.
Ugh, if Jinwo and I come out now, even though the Demon God is gone... But why does my instinct tell me not to come out yet? Hyunwo felt a bad premonition enveloping his heart.
Hyunwo turned towards Jinwo, and instantly he was shocked. Behind Jinwo, the Demon God stood tall, a terrifying grin adorning his pale face.
Oh dear... Jinwo, I hope you're safe, Hyunwo whispered in his heart, a wry smile etched on his lips.
"Why are you like that? Why do you look panicked when you see me?" Jinwo asked, confusion clearly visible in his eyes.
Hyunwo couldn't say anything. He could only point behind Jinwo with his finger, hoping his friend would understand the danger that lurked.
Jinwo, who was too curious to ignore Hyunwo's warning, turned around. His eyes widened, his heart felt like it stopped beating.
The Demon God had already raised his hand, ready to launch a deadly attack. A terrifying grin adorned his face, showing sadistic satisfaction.
What to do? If the Demon God attacks, we could die! Jinwo thought in panic, cold sweat soaking his body.
"Calm down... Jinwo, if we move, the Demon God will attack us," Hyunwo whispered, trying to calm himself and his friend. "When I count to three, we jump immediately, okay? One... two... three... JUMP, JINWO!" Hyunwo shouted, his voice trembling but full of determination.
BOOM!!
The ground that was once smooth and flat shattered into pieces, turning into a gaping crack that was very large. Debris of stone flew into the air, creating a small deadly storm.
Hyunwo and Jinwo, who had jumped first, managed to avoid the Demon God's deadly attack. Even though their breaths were ragged and their hearts were pounding, they felt relieved that they had escaped danger.
"We made it..." Hyunwo said, his voice still ragged.
"How... how could you know the Demon God's movements? How did you know all that?" Jinwo asked, his eyes radiating irrepressible curiosity.
"Hmm... I'm just someone who likes to read," Hyunwo replied, his gaze straight and honest. "And I'm not a regressor."
Jinwo still didn't believe Hyunwo's words. He shifted his gaze towards the Demon God, who now stood tall in front of them, ready to launch his next attack.
"Hyunwo, what should we do? Only you know all the Demon God's movements," Jinwo said, his voice full of despair.
"The next step... I leave it to you, Jinwo," Hyunwo replied, a faint smile etched on his lips.
Jinwo nodded slowly, but suddenly his face turned shocked. "WHAT...! How am I supposed to defeat the Demon God? I can only hide!"
Hyunwo just smiled, his eyes radiating full confidence in Jinwo. Jinwo, seeing Hyunwo's sincere gaze, felt new courage growing in his heart.
"Trust me, Jinwo," Hyunwo said, his voice soft but full of conviction. "Do you know why I took your sword? Because only this god's sword can defeat the Demon God."
"WHAT? Are you sure... you can defeat the Demon God with this sword?" Jinwo asked, doubt still clearly visible in his eyes.
"Yes, that's right," Hyunwo replied, "The Emperor's Sword is still sealed, and only you can unlock it, Jinwo."
As they spoke, suddenly the Demon God appeared in front of them with astonishing speed. Jinwo and Hyunwo ran as fast as they could, trying to avoid the Demon God's increasingly insane rampage. The ground trembled beneath their feet, and a rumbling sound filled the air.
"Quick, use this sword! If you don't want to die, I have my own way to escape from the Demon God," Hyunwo exclaimed, his breath ragged.
"Alright, I'll use this sword!" Jinwo replied, hesitant but determined.
With trembling hands, Jinwo took the Emperor's Sword from Hyunwo. The sword felt heavy and cold in his hands, as if it contained unimaginable power.
"How do I release the seal on this sword? Tell me quickly!" Jinwo urged, his eyes radiating panic.
Hyunwo smiled faintly, his eyes radiating confidence. "Listen carefully," he said, "First, close your eyes, Jinwo. Feel the energy flowing inside you. When you feel a blue flame burning inside the Emperor's Sword, that's the true power of the sword."
Jinwo closed his eyes, trying to focus on the sensation inside him. He felt a strange throbbing in his hand, and slowly, he began to feel a warmth spreading throughout his body.
"Okay, I feel it," Jinwo said, his voice trembling. "But... we don't have a system. How do I release this seal without a system?"
"That's the problem with you," Hyunwo replied, his tone slightly mocking. "You've experienced regression 50,000 times, but you still don't understand the basics. Tsk... tsk."
Jinwo's eyes widened in shock. "How could you know?" he asked, confusion and suspicion mixing in his mind.
"Don't think about that now! Quickly follow my words," Hyunwo exclaimed, his eyes radiating urgency.
"Okay, okay! Tell me what to do," Jinwo replied, trying to calm himself.
"This is how to use the true power of the sword," Hyunwo said. "First, place your right hand in the middle of the sword's blade. Take a deep breath, and close your eyes. Imagine the blue flame burning inside you, and let that energy flow into the sword."
Jinwo did what Hyunwo instructed. He felt a burning heat in his hand, and slowly, he began to feel an incredible power flowing into him.
"Why does my hand feel so hot? Hyunwo, what's happening?" Jinwo asked, his voice trembling from the power that flooded his body.
"Oh, you feel the heat, huh? That means you're ready," Hyunwo replied. "When your hand feels hot, we stop running. We'll turn around, face the Demon God, and slash him with all your strength!"
Jinwo stopped walking, and at the same time, Hyunwo also stopped running. With a quick movement, Jinwo turned around and swung the Emperor's Sword with all his strength.
SWOOSH!!
The slashing aura of the Emperor's Sword shot towards the Demon God with astonishing speed. The blazing blue energy surrounded the sword's blade, creating a stunning and terrifying sight.
The Demon God, who was shocked by the power that suddenly emanated from the Emperor's Sword, tried to dodge. However, the slash was too fast and too powerful to avoid.
Why... why is the Emperor's Sword in the hands of a human? the Demon God thought in panic. Crap! If I get hit by this slash, I'm done for!
As the slashing aura approached, the Demon God realized that he had no chance to escape. He could only resign himself to his fate.
"Heh... why does my body... feel so light?" the Demon God muttered, his eyes radiating deep confusion.
Then, realization hit him like a sledgehammer. He realized that his body had been split in two. He fell to the ground with a terrible thud, tears streaming from his eyes.
"Well, that's done," Hyunwo said in a casual tone. "Good job, Jinwo. You're really suited to use this sword. Go ahead and take the sword, it's yours now."
"Heh... this is your sword. Why are you giving it to me? Don't tell me... you just took it to show off?" Jinwo asked, still not believing what had just happened.
"No," Hyunwo replied, a mysterious smile etched on his lips. "Because I've received a much greater reward. Hehehe."
Jinwo was still confused by Hyunwo's words, when suddenly, a blue screen appeared in the sky.
[Congratulations! You Have Successfully Escaped the Second Scenario. The Player Who Successfully Completed the Second Scenario Is: K.H.]
The entire city was shocked and confused by the announcement. Who exactly is K.H.? How could he complete such a difficult scenario?
"Who exactly is K.H.?" one citizen whispered to his friend.
"I don't know either. But it seems like K.H. is very strong," his friend replied, his eyes radiating admiration and fear.
Meanwhile, somewhere on top of a mountain, Han Soomin smiled at the blue screen. Her eyes radiated admiration and a deep curiosity towards Hyunwo.
On the Mountain: Han Soomin
Han Soomin smiled softly, her eyes fixed on the blue screen displaying the name K.H. in the sky. "You really are amazing, Hyunwo," she whispered, admiration clearly visible in her voice. "But why does Hyunwo seem to know what will happen in the next scenario? And why does he still remember what happened today? Does Hyunwo still remember... about us?"
Soomin smiled bitterly, her thoughts drifting back to the past, to their first meeting that changed her life.
Flashback: The Day Hyunwo and Soomin Met
Soomin was absorbed in playing on her phone while walking towards her room in the apartment. Her eyes were fixed on the screen, her fingers nimbly typing messages. Without realizing it, she bumped into someone walking in the opposite direction.
"Ouch! Sorry! I didn't see you," Soomin said
"It's okay," the person replied briefly, his voice calm and cool.
As the person walked away, Soomin looked up and was shocked. She recognized that face. Wait… wait! Isn't that Kim Hyunwo? But… why is he here? Isn't Hyunwo's residence in one of the apartments near school? Soomin thought, a sense of curiosity tickling her mind.
Without thinking, Soomin ran after Hyunwo. She wanted to ask why Hyunwo was in her apartment. However, fate had other plans. While running in the apartment hallway, she slipped on the still-wet floor.
"Ouch! I forgot the apartment cleaner just mopped! Why did I have to run anyway?" Soomin grumbled inwardly, her face showing a funny look of resignation.
Everyone below the apartment was shocked to see a girl falling from the 15th floor. Panic-stricken screams filled the air.
"Hey! Look at that! Someone's falling! Call an ambulance quickly!" a resident shouted in panic.
Soomin closed her eyes, resigned to her fate. However, suddenly she felt hands encircling her body. She opened her eyes slowly and was shocked.
Who… who saved me? Soomin thought, her eyes searching for her savior.
When Soomin fully opened her eyes, she was beyond surprised. Her savior was Hyunwo!
"Hyunwo? Why are you here? Shouldn't you be downstairs already? And… how could you jump so high?" Soomin asked in disbelief.
Soomin stared at Hyunwo's face. His gaze was cold and piercing, as if she was talking to a ghost.
"You have to be careful, Soomin," Hyunwo said in a soft but firm voice. "If you fall, fate might change."
Soomin's cheeks flushed hearing Hyunwo's words. She felt her heart pounding seeing Hyunwo's handsome face from so close.
"Alright… I'll go. Be careful, Soomin," Hyunwo said again, before disappearing from Soomin's sight, as if he turned into the wind.
What… why is my heart beating so fast? Could it be… could it be that I fell in love at first sight? Soomin thought, confused, her face flushing even more.
Soomin fell and sat on the ground, clutching her pounding chest. She couldn't stop thinking about Hyunwo, her mysterious savior.
Back to the Present
Soomin smiled bitterly, the memories of her first meeting with Hyunwo still etched clearly in her mind. She didn't know if Hyunwo still remembered that incident, or if he had already forgotten it.
Does Hyunwo still hold those memories? Or… has he forgotten them already? Soomin thought, a mixture of curiosity and longing swirling in her heart.
Soomin remembered the announcement of the second scenario's completion. She turned around and started descending the mountain carefully. She knew that the real adventure had just begun.
---
Chapter 3 Completed.