Fei Joo stood over his son's unconscious body, his mind racing with the weight of his decision. He considered the lives of billions that would be lost if he spared Kyung Joo, and the thought sent a shiver down his spine. As he pondered, a thought crossed his mind: if the Unicrofts didn't exist, none of this would have happened. He realized that since the staff could create the Unicrofts, it could also destroy them. This epiphany gave him a glimmer of hope, and he decided to bring Kyung Joo back to the village.
When they arrived, the village head was shocked to learn that Fei Joo's son was the wielder. His face turned pale, and his eyes widened in surprise. Before he could ask any questions, Fei Joo began explaining his offer: to spare Kyung Joo's life and train him as a weapon to save billions of lives.
The village head, a stubborn and proud man, declined the offer without hesitation. "We have protected this village for generations," he said. "We will not entrust our fate to a child wielding such immense power."
Fei Joo's heart sank, but he knew he had to play along for now. The village head ordered Kyung Joo to be held captive for the time being, not to be executed immediately. As a general, Fei Joo's loyalty was crucial to the village's morale, and the village head couldn't risk losing him.
In the cell, Kyung Joo slowly opened his eyes, only to find himself chained and helpless. The cold metal dug into his skin, and the darkness of the cell seemed to suffocate him. He searched his body for the staff, but it was nowhere to be found.
As he moved his hand, the chain broke instantly, despite being coated with strong magic spells cast by the strongest mages in the village. Kyung Joo's eyes widened in surprise, but he didn't have time to wonder about the staff's power. He knew the guards couldn't have taken it, since it could only be lifted by its owner.
Then, he heard a voice in his head: "Summon me." Kyung Joo was terrified, and he started screaming. The guards approached the cell, seeing the chains broken, and started moving away from the cell while others raised the village alarm.
Kyung Joo had no other choice but to run. He broke the cell doors like they were nothing and started jumping far distances apart in panic. The village started attacking, as if they were preparing for a long-awaited battle.
As Kyung Joo ran, the voice in his head spoke again: "I can help you." Kyung Joo was confused, unsure of who was speaking to him. Then, the staff reappeared out of thin air, and Kyung Joo knew that it was the staff talking to him the whole time.
He held onto the staff, and a sudden boost in speed propelled him forward. The village head was slightly behind him, his eyes fixed intently on Kyung Joo.
"If you're going to help me, now would be the right time," Kyung Joo said to the staff.
The staff's speed increased drastically, and Kyung Joo felt himself being propelled around the world in seconds. The earth blurred beneath his feet as the staff revolved around it continuously. Kyung Joo couldn't think, his body being shredded little by little, ions by ions, atoms by atoms.
A white flash appeared, and the village head could no longer see or hear him. Kyung Joo was in a state where he felt immense power, like he could be anywhere he wanted at any time he wanted.
This moment didn't last long, and Kyung Joo suddenly stopped. He felt immense pain and fell to the ground, his body trembling. A horn sounded, and a light shone in at his face. A woman was approaching him, and the voice in his head said: "Unlocked new skill: Time Travel. Say menu for more information."
Everything went blank, leaving Kyung Joo with more questions than answers.