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Translator: uly
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: This is Sion Claussen.
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Did I take him out?
"Y-Young Lord, why on earth would you..."
"Not yet, not yet!" Sion muttered to himself as he swung at Trey's head once more.
He worried the guy might actually die from this, but dragging things out any longer could mean shaking hands with this knight and strolling off to the afterlife together. No room for hesitation.
"Thwack!"
With a final yelp, Trey sprawled out in a starfish pose, out cold.
Sion let out a sigh of relief, realizing he couldn't waste another second. He hurried toward Lucia.
"Stay away!
Don't do this, don't!"
"..."
If Kim Yu-hyeon burst in right now and saw this scene, it wouldn't end with just losing an arm—that was for sure.
Falling into the novel's world mid-conversation with the author was absurd and unfair enough. The last thing Sion wanted was to end up as an extra getting dismembered by the protagonist.
No matter what it took, he had to calm the woman in front of him and sweet-talk her into going along.
That was the only way he'd make it through the night with all his limbs intact.
'Think, think.
As the number one fan, there's no way I'd forget details about a character—especially one of the heroines, Lucia!
Focus and remember!
If you don't want to die!'
Then it hit him.
The decisive reason one of the heroines, Lucia, met her miserable end: Sion.
The simple reason she'd been kidnapped by the utterly depraved Sion and subjected to all sorts of horrors.
'Her looks.'
Having grown up with her father from early childhood until nearly adulthood, Lucia had a tendency to let her guard down around men—especially handsome ones.
In the novel, Sion was an antagonist whose "looks" the author had explicitly praised as exceptional.
And right now, that Sion was him—Lee Ji-hoon himself!
"Miss Lucia."
He cleared his throat, and a pleasantly smooth tenor voice emerged.
Sion gazed at her with the softest smile he could muster.
He felt a wave of self-loathing for acting like some cheesy rom-com lead, but if it meant survival, he'd roll in shit or eat it—whatever it took.
Meanwhile, Lucia, trembling at the sound of his voice, looked up at him with terrified eyes.
Sion decided to try something no noble heir would ever do to a commoner.
He dropped to one knee, bowed his head deeply with utmost courtesy.
"I'm sorry, Miss Lucia."
"...Pardon?"
"It seems my guard knight misunderstood my order to bring you here.
I simply wished to meet Lady Raido's daughter, Miss Lucia, in person and have a conversation. I assure you, there were no impure intentions."
Lucia stared at him blankly, stunned by his sudden words and actions.
Sensing this was the make-or-break moment, Sion bowed repeatedly as if offering profound atonement, apologies pouring out nonstop.
That was when the gates of hell swung wide open, and the grim reaper descended.
BOOM!
The world seemed to crumble with the roar.
In that instant, Sion knew the novel's protagonist had finally arrived.
Debris flew everywhere, dust billowing in the aftermath.
'...Fuck, why bust through the wall when there's a perfectly good door?
You're scaring the shit out of me.'
The novel hadn't described it, so he'd assumed the guy would use the door.
But it wasn't the door that shattered—it was the wall.
No idea why, but if the goal was to intimidate, it was a resounding success.
Hoping against hope he'd survive the night, Sion cautiously turned toward the noise.
'What?'
But there was only a gaping hole—no one in sight.
Staring dumbly at it, Sion suddenly recalled the unbreakable rule of horror movies.
The monster that vanishes right in front of you is always standing behind you.
No way the creep was actually lurking there, right? He turned around.
'...Shit.'
His eyes locked straight with the monster's.
In that moment, a single thought flashed through Lee Ji-hoon's—no, Sion's—mind.
I'm dead.
Even a perfectly ordinary guy from modern Korea could instinctively feel it: those eyes gleamed with utterly cold, savage menace.
"..."
The man stared at Sion for a moment before his gaze shifted to Lucia, sitting beside him.
And just like that, flames erupted in the man's eyes.
Anyone could see it—even an idiot, a moron, or the most oblivious fool.
That was raw fury, churning killing intent.
Sion felt wronged.
Not the petty grievance of being threatened for something he didn't do.
No—this was about possessing into a novel character destined to get pummeled by Kim Yu-hyeon sequentially. Why this pathetic fucker? Why not start as one of the far stronger, better-characterized villains?
The readers' top favorites like 'White Death' or 'Khan,' or countless others—why Sion Claussen of all people!
He wasn't strong like the others, had no potential or foreshadowing for growth, wasn't even a schemer. Sion Claussen had clawed his way to villain status purely through pettiness and betraying his own family.
Anyone could see he was prime Jordan River Express ticket holder. Possessing into this loser? Yeah, Sion had every right to feel screwed.
"You."
A single word slipped from Kim Yu-hyeon's lips.
But to Sion, it morphed into a barrage: You're begging to die, huh? Perfect day to croak. Or maybe: Slice you horizontal or vertical?
'Author, author.
You fucking asshole.
This is bullshit.'
Staring at Kim Yu-hyeon's hand reaching for him, Sion inwardly cursed the author, who might be listening.
Life's a bitch—first in reality, now in the novel. As he braced for the pulse-pounding future ahead, a ridiculous laugh nearly bubbled up.
"W-Wait a second.
Yuhyeon."
Yes! Salvation from an angel was at hand!
Kim Yu-hyeon, about to grab Sion's throat, halted at Lucia's plea.
Sure, the unrivaled supreme of the martial world stopping for a woman's word might seem odd, but Sion knew why.
The old man Raido had nursed the gravely wounded Kim Yu-hyeon after his arrival in this world and taught him everything.
Kim Yu-hyeon had taken him as his master, and Lucia was the man's sole daughter—benefactor, mentor's precious child, someone to protect at all costs.
Sion, who'd nearly had his head yanked off to become a giraffe, inwardly cheered three cheers.
'I'm alive!
Alive!
Miss Lucia, thank you!
A heroine with a kind heart is the best!
My full investment in Lucia coins reached the heavens!'
Sure, she'd plummeted to delisting after her gruesome death at Sion's hands, but up till then, it'd been a regret-free ride.
'But this time's different!
Damn right!'
The villain who'd ultimately driven Lucia to her death: Sion Claussen.
But that same Sion Claussen was now fan number one, who'd gone all-in on Lucia coins?
This chart was blasting past the atmosphere, ozone layer, straight to the stratosphere.
'Decided.
I'm backing you.
I'll make sure you live happily ever after with Kim Yu-hyeon, even playing soccer with the kids!
Let's walk the flower path, my Lucia!'
While Sion paved a rose-strewn path at Lucia's feet, Kim Yu-hyeon stepped back, glanced around, and posed the obvious question to Sion.
"Why'd you kidnap Lucia?"
"Huh?"
"Be honest.
If there's even a hint of a lie, prepare yourself."
Small mercy: Kim Yu-hyeon didn't have some lie-detector superpower.
Sure, he'd survived a cutthroat martial world, so his instincts weren't dull, but at heart, he was a decent guy. Couldn't be helped.
And fan number one Lee Ji-hoon knew that inside out.
Wetting his lips, Sion sighed loudly enough for all to hear.
"My mistake."
"...Hm?"
"I heard she was the sage's daughter and wanted to meet her, chat about some things.
Lately, I've had these headaches, you see.
Wanted some quiet advice, but that idiot subordinate over there got the wrong idea."
"..."
On the surface, it sounded suspicious as hell.
Plenty of wise folks around—why her specifically? Why secretly and quietly?
But Sion's expressions and acting were flawless, and beside him, Lucia even murmured an "Ahh..." in agreement. Kim Yu-hyeon couldn't openly doubt it.
"That idiot subordinate, huh."
Instead, he redirected his target.
Sion thought, *Perfect!* and kept up the act, steering attention to the still-unconscious Trey.
"Yeah.
He's my new guard knight—stubborn as hell, overly loyal to a worrisome degree.
Must've twisted my 'I want to meet her' into something else."
"And Lucia ending up like that..."
"Didn't get a chance to stop him before he went off the rails.
I was too stunned to intervene in time."
Kim Yu-hyeon glanced at Lucia; she nodded in confirmation.
After all, it was Trey who'd tried stripping her, and Sion who'd bashed his head.
"...So you're saying that blunder today was entirely your subordinate's doing."
"If we're splitting hairs, yes."
"Then I'd like to punish him myself."
Sion smiled, about to agree.
But he clamped his mouth shut and stared straight at Kim Yu-hyeon.
Puzzled by the reaction, Kim Yu-hyeon met his gaze, as if asking what the problem was.
'...Is this rat poison right now?'
Kim Yu-hyeon came from the martial world.
Dozens of elite experts had followed him to the death; hundreds including regular warriors.
Maybe that's why he held those around him—ally or foe—in special regard.
And now, the "master" was casually offering up his subordinate like, "Take him, please"?
That was worse than saying to someone whose face got shredded by a tire after tripping, "Aw, tough break on that face."
It nuked goodwill.
'Damn, his eyes are screaming: Hand over that subordinate or we're buddies on the Jordan cruise.'
Had to choose wisely.
Play a bit of resistance to avoid provoking him, then hand over Trey?
Or risk life and favor for a dangerous gamble.
"Answer."
Kim Yu-hyeon pressed, ignoring Sion's inner turmoil.
Sion sneaked a glance at Lucia, hoping for backup, but she looked uninterested this time.
Didn't care about the guy who'd wrecked her like this.
'Scared? Then die, fucker.'
A movie scene flashed in his mind.
Yeah, cower and tuck tail here, and it's heaven-bound express.
Life demands occasional mad gambles, knowing full well they're insane.
"Sorry, but no can do."
Sion forced a calm expression and tone.
But exactly two seconds later, he regretted it.
"..."
Eyes that could devour crowds with a glare alone.
Kim Yu-hyeon fixed him with a piercing, murderous stare, blue flames blazing in his irises.