Special Cleaning Company Office.
A place where various tools were scattered about, and the floor was littered with messy remnants of boxes.
The supervisor called Kang You-jin, who had just returned to clock out, aside to the smoking area.
“You don’t have to come to work starting tomorrow.”
He announced it while holding a cigarette.
A sudden dismissal.
Kang You-jin was utterly dumbfounded. Lately, he had become quite skilled, handling tasks better than many of his colleagues.
“What do you mean all of a sudden…?”
Normally a man who rarely showed anger, Kang You-jin now glared with intense eyes as he asked.
“You’re a potential dangerous Awakened One, aren’t you?”
“…”
“Is that necromancer working as a cleaner? I started wondering if you might be planning something big, like those villains. I almost called the police today.”
The supervisor tilted his chin smugly as if expecting gratitude, lecturing Kang You-jin.
Kang You-jin’s mind raced.
“I’m not a necromancer, but how did you find out? Did you investigate me?”
“Ah, you really don’t know? Starting today, the <PotentialDangerousAwakenedOne Alert e> is being enacted. Warnings will be sent out to the neighbors or workplaces of people like you.”
“…”
Kang You-jin’s face contorted painfully. Anger twisted inside him.
‘I thought the law was going to improve soon, so I’d become a hero again…’
Instead, the situation worsened. Kang You-jin couldn’t understand why the societal system continued to torment him.
“I understand.”
“Technically, you’re not eligible for severance pay, but I left a small amount in an envelope for you, so take it.”
The supervisor handed him a money envelope in a charitable tone. Kang You-jin bowed his head deeply, muttered a thank-you, and slowly left the office.
The office was located in the middle of an industrial district filled with factories.
A gray street where people were rarely seen, except for the occasional delivery truck.
With his head down, Kang You-jin walked listlessly. He still had ten more minutes to reach the bus stop.
“Shit. Why do I have to be treated like this? What did I do wrong…?”
Falling from a high place always hurt more. Had he started from nothing, he might’ve accepted it more calmly, but having once been just a step away from becoming a hero, Kang You-jin couldn’t bear this intense feeling of loss.
Thud.
Suddenly, he bumped into someone.
“Hey, shit! What is this?”
The person had tattoos all over his arms, a gold chain around his neck, and gave off the air of someone often described as a typical troublemaker—what people called “Ddeok-Mae-Dae-Gi-Bok” (a slang term for a tough-looking individual).
Already full of grievances against society, Kang You-jin’s anger flared. Even if the other guy was strong at a basic level, Kang You-jin was an Awakened One.
“Did you just say ‘shit’?”
“I sure did, you son of a bitch! Watch where you’re going. Why are you blocking me?”
The delinquent shoved Kang You-jin while yelling. Despite his bulk, the delinquent believed in his natural fighting abilities.
“And you, what gives you the right to be rude and curse at me?”
Kang You-jin’s anger boiled. He wanted to tear this person apart. If only there was some legitimate reason to unleash violence…
“Huh. You’re being too loud, buddy. Haven’t your parents taught you some respect?”
Smack.
Kang You-jin’s face was slapped, jerking it to the side by the delinquent.
“Haha…”
Kang You-jin started laughing uncontrollably. The corners of his mouth twisted upward.
“Wh-What is this?”
Seeing Kang You-jin’s strange reaction, the delinquent stepped back slightly.
‘This should give me the right to kill him now.’
At that moment, Kang You-jin’s skill proficiency continued to rise inexorably.
————- <Skill>————-
◈ Name
Seed of Evil
◈ Rank
771 F
◈ Description
Suffer and hate.
Gain strength.
Additional Stats: 771
———————————-
*
After returning to the hotel, Shinnoda equipped the twin Alpha and Omega with some clothes, and neatly groomed their hair to make them look more human.
Since they were created with similar DNA samples, they could rightly be called twins.
They had white hair, red eyes, and a western appearance that gave off an exotic and mysterious aura.
Shinnoda took them to Seoul. He couldn’t leave them in a shelter, given their complete lack of social experience. Besides, Omega’s “Fragment of Chronos” skill was worth securing.
‘Even if the raid on the Demon King fails, as long as I survive, I can return to the past and start again.’
On the other hand, Alpha’s skill was useless. Although “Reflection” sounded good on the surface, it couldn’t withstand damage above a certain level, and it would be ineffective against modern weapons.
“What about those children?”
Once home, Shinnoda had to explain Alpha and Omega to Park Hayeon.
“They’re my half-siblings! It seems my father messed around somewhere again.”
Laura pointed at Shinnoda, making him sweat nervously.
“It’s not like that….”
For 30 minutes, Shinnoda narrated the full story, though it was a completely made-up lie.
‘If the family situation is suspicious, it’s already strange for a high school boy to have one child entrusted to him. Adding two more?’
Park Hayeon found it hard to believe.
“So, when you went out this time, everyone in the family gathered, and the distant uncle from abroad just happened to leave these twins with us for a while? And they just happen to be Awakened Ones?”
Park Hayeon narrowed her eyes critically.
“Yeah, that’s right. Right, kids?”
Shinnoda lied effortlessly.
“Yes!”
He had already aligned the story with the children. Alpha and Omega felt deeply indebted to Shinnoda and treated him like a father.
“Hmm. If even the children agree, I guess I have to believe you.”
Park Hayeon reluctantly nodded, though a bit dissatisfied.
Shinnoda smiled.
‘I have no choice but to accept. To be fair, this is my house after all.’
As she thought about the now-busier household, Park Hayeon frowned.
At first, she had felt slightly uneasy about living under the same roof with an adult man, so Laura’s arrival had been a relief. However, as trust built and bonds formed between them, she began to prefer the simplicity of just the two of them.
‘Laura, sometimes she feels like a nuisance…’
Shinnoda occasionally locked his door and had private conversations with Laura. Every time that happened, Park Hayoen felt excluded. Moreover, they also went out together sometimes.
‘Where exactly do they go…?’
Park Hayeon harbored small grudges against Shinnoda for not telling her everything and felt jealous of Laura, who seemed to know more.
‘They can’t all be Shinnoda’s children, right? It’s really suspicious…’
But she had no way of discovering the truth.
That concluded the matter of the twins, and Shinnoda began preparing for the “cruise party.” It was set for the next evening, but he needed to strategize because “Red Knight” was S-rank and had numerous followers.
‘Thinking about it, information brokers don’t stay on the ship all day long…’
Attacking when the broker steps off the ship might make the task easier than expected. But Shinnoda didn’t know where the broker lived.
Laura offered advice from the side.
“Buy the address from another information broker, or if that’s too hard, just go for a frontal assault.”
Laura, who had lived for a long time, had sharp insight into people. She believed “Red Knight” wouldn’t risk unnecessary conflict with “Dark Knight.”
“It would be tough to face the combined attack of Red Knight and his followers. He might have some hidden trump card.”
At Shinnoda’s concern, Laura shook her head and corrected him.
“In my opinion, even if you kill the information broker on the ship, Red Knight won’t be able to do anything to you.”
“…”
“The kind of people who live by strong-prey-on-weak usually won’t act recklessly if you show strength. They’ll likely hesitate, thinking, ‘Is he stronger than me?'”
Though Shinnoda didn’t fully agree, he listened to the advice of the old dragon.
“Alright.”
“And in the worst-case scenario, can’t you just escape? From what I see, you’re at the same level as him, and probably more experienced in one-on-one combat.”
As Laura explained point by point, Shinnoda unconsciously pet her head.
“Hey! What are you doing?”
Laura rammed Shinnoda with her horn.
“Oof, thinking of my little sister.”
Shinnoda groaned in pain. Her horn was quite sharp.
“In any case, understood. It’s late today, so let’s check it out tomorrow night. I think I could run away if necessary. Though if it comes to that, I won’t be able to go back.”
He said seriously.
