The night air turned colder.
Seo Jin felt it first on his skin, a pressure like icy water pressing down on his chest. The moment the man stepped into the broken courtyard, the world itself seemed to freeze.
The assassin who had been lunging toward him stopped mid-step, his dagger trembling in his grip. His body stiffened as though invisible chains had locked his limbs in place.
Seo Jin leaned weakly against the cracked wall, his chest burning from the poison in his veins. His body wanted to collapse, but his eyes remained sharp.
So this is him…
The memories of the body whispered the same name again and again. A man whispered in fear in every tavern, a man every sect warned their disciples about. A villain destined to rise above all, only to bring destruction with him.
The devil of this world.
The Villain.
Seo Jin's gaze lifted, taking in the sight of him.
Black robes fluttered under the dim moonlight, embroidered with silver patterns that shimmered like frost. Long hair fell like a curtain of ink down his shoulders. His features were sharp, chiseled, too perfect to belong to an ordinary man. Yet his eyes—cold, merciless, piercing—ruined any illusion of beauty.
This was not someone you admired. This was someone you feared.
On Seo Jin's shoulder, the white fox shifted nervously. Its golden eyes darted between the two men, tail curling like a nervous spring.
"Host," it whispered directly into his mind, "don't panic. Don't panic! This is a golden opportunity. Remember, Mission Three is to seduce the Villain!"
Seo Jin's lips twitched. "…Are you trying to get me killed faster?"
The fox blinked innocently. "Eh? But look, he's already staring at you~"
Seo Jin ignored it.
The assassin dropped to one knee, voice trembling. "Lord… forgive me. I didn't know you were—"
"Trash."
The word was calm, almost bored, yet it struck like a blade.
The Villain raised his hand. A thin arc of spiritual energy sliced through the air, so sharp that Seo Jin's eyes barely caught it.
The assassin didn't even scream. His body collapsed, lifeless, blood spreading across the broken courtyard stones.
Seo Jin's eyes narrowed. Ruthless. Fast. No hesitation. This man killed the way others breathed.
The Villain flicked his fingers, shaking the blood from his hand like it was dirt. His gaze turned back toward Seo Jin.
"…You should be dead."
Seo Jin forced his lips into a smirk, though his heart pounded inside his chest. "Sorry to disappoint."
The fox gasped loudly, clutching its own little cheeks with its paws. "Host! You're talking back to him?!"
Seo Jin kept his eyes on the Villain, ignoring the frantic fox. Fear was useless. In his old world, he had faced impossible bosses, raids designed to crush even the best players. He had learned that no matter how strong the enemy, they always had patterns. Weak points. It was just a matter of living long enough to find them.
The Villain's eyes narrowed. He stepped forward slowly, his boots tapping against the cracked stone. With each step, the air grew heavier, pressing against Seo Jin's weak body like a mountain.
Seo Jin's legs trembled, but he refused to fall. He tilted his head against the wall, his smirk still faint on his lips.
The Villain stopped a few steps away. His gaze scanned Seo Jin from head to toe—the pale skin, the faint purple veins from poison, the blood stains on his thin clothes.
"This body should not have survived the poison," the Villain said at last, voice low. "How did you?"
Seo Jin gave a dry chuckle. "Maybe death doesn't like me."
Silence stretched.
The fox whispered in his mind, "Ooooh, smooth line. Host, I think he's impressed!"
Seo Jin wanted to smack it.
The Villain's expression didn't change. But the way his eyes lingered—dark, probing—made Seo Jin's skin prickle.
Then the Villain moved.
Seo Jin barely saw it. One blink, and the man was gone from where he stood. The next blink, he was right in front of him.
Cold fingers wrapped around Seo Jin's throat.
The grip wasn't tight enough to choke him, but it was firm, unyielding, a reminder that this man could snap his neck with the smallest flex of his hand.
Seo Jin's smirk faltered. His pulse hammered against the Villain's palm.
The fox squeaked, its tail puffing up like a bottle brush. "Host! W-what do we do?!"
Seo Jin's body screamed at him to beg, to kneel, to do anything to live. But he swallowed down the fear and forced his lips back into a thin curve. His eyes gleamed with a mixture of coldness and defiance.
"Careful," he rasped, his voice low, strained. "If you squeeze too hard, you'll lose your chance to find out my secret."
For a fraction of a second, the Villain's grip tightened. The world blurred around Seo Jin as oxygen thinned. Then… it loosened.
Those merciless eyes bored into him.
The Villain leaned closer, his breath ghosting against Seo Jin's ear. His voice was soft, quiet enough that only Seo Jin could hear.
"Tell me, abandoned young master… who are you really?"
Seo Jin's heart raced—not only from the threat, but from the dangerous pull in that cold voice.
The fox gulped audibly, its paws covering its face. "Oh no, oh no, Host… this looks like the start of something spicy."
Seo Jin thought grimly, Or the start of my early funeral.
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Cliffhanger End of Chapter Two.