Ch.67Chapter 67 – Bitter Thoughts

Kim Jaemin asked the kneeling Kwak Taewoo.

“But who are you? That kind of scroll is extremely rare. Such a precious item only royalty would use…”

Shocked by his defeat in just seconds, Kwak Taewoo could only gape wordlessly. Meanwhile, Shin Jaehyuk, having healed his burns, answered instead.

“That’s Kwak Taewoo! A serial killer!”

“Kwak Taewoo? Who’s that?”

“Ah… you might not know. Right before you returned from your disappearance, he was a psychopath famous for stabbing people to death without reason! I was attacked last night without any explanation!”

Kim Jaemin frowned.

“Weren’t you two acquainted? According to Skyscraper, you were fighting like you wanted to kill each other. It’s obvious even now.”

“That’s because he attacked me first and I fought back in self-defense! Look at this trap he set—he clearly wants me dead. Should I just let myself be killed?”

“What about Skyscraper? You fought with him too?”

“He was the one who swung his knife first. I wanted to resolve things through conversation, but I couldn’t even speak to him because I don’t know English…”

Kim Jaemin looked dubious. Of course, he hadn’t expected to encounter someone he knew when he came to capture a supposed terrorist. From Kim Jaemin’s perspective, Shin Jaehyuk seemed genuinely wronged. His desperate gestures lent credibility to his innocence.

‘So does this mean this Kwak Taewoo guy caused all the trouble alone? And Shin Jaehyuk is just a victim who got dragged in? Or is this all Shin Jaehyuk’s lies?’

While Kim Jaemin was deliberating, Shin Jaehyuk was extremely tense. He couldn’t sense anything from his opponent.

‘It means Kim Jaemin’s concealment level far exceeds my detection ability… Plus, that teleportation just now was 6th-tier magic, Blink.’

In Eden, magic was classified from 1st to 9th tier, with 7th tier and above being the realm of archmages. Being able to cast 6th-tier magic with just an activation word and no lengthy incantation meant his opponent was at least a 7th-tier magician.

That wasn’t all. Shin Jaehyuk had clearly seen what Kim Jaemin did to Kwak Taewoo’s scroll. The ability to manipulate natural mana to counter a scroll required the mana control of an archmage.

‘I thought he was a holy power awakener, but he’s a magician? Or is he a special case like me, possessing both mana and holy power?’

Shin Jaehyuk cautiously activated his insight.

「===

《Name》 Kim Jaemin

《Level》 1280

<Genius> – Possesses eyes that see the stars and arms that reach them.

<Blessing of Language> – The language before Babel.

<Chaos Origin> – Harboring two energies in one body.

<Hero’s Contemplation> – Know thyself.

<Storge> – Blood is thicker than water.

<Limit Break> – Transcending the limits of species.

<Unity of God and Sword> – The body is the stem, the sword is the branch.

<Master of Mana> – One who receives nature’s reverence.

<Terror of Demons> – Who does the being of fear fear? Here lies the answer.

===」

‘1280?! What kind of level is that..!’

A figure with a different order of magnitude. Shin Jaehyuk was shocked by this unexpected level of power. His own level was 810. By simple calculation, Kim Jaemin was at least 1.5 times stronger.

Moreover, his achievements column was incredibly impressive. Nine accomplishments that ordinary hunters couldn’t even dream of… Shin Jaehyuk trembled at the existence of someone who had reached such heights in just a few years since the gates opened.

Suddenly, Kim Jaemin muttered.

“—So it was a lie after all?”

With those words, Kim Jaemin’s form vanished. Accustomed to combat, Shin Jaehyuk’s eyes habitually tracked his opponent’s movements, allowing him to catch Kim Jaemin’s action just in time.

The archmage and swordmaster swung his sword with a body enhanced by magical power. Recognizing the attack clearly aimed at him, Shin Jaehyuk hurriedly moved his spear to block.

“Why are you attacking?!”

Kim Jaemin clicked his tongue once and questioned with eyes full of distrust.

“You just drew up mana to secretly attempt something, didn’t you? And that was undoubtedly to ambush me.”

Having suffered countless assassination attempts in Eden regardless of friend or foe, Kim Jaemin was extremely sensitive to surprise attacks.

The boy who had fallen alone into a medieval fantasy world with no one he knew had depended emotionally on the 2nd Saint Aisha, the only person he could trust. After she died from the Four Heavenly King Mammon’s surprise attack, Kim Jaemin became extremely sensitive to anyone doing anything suspicious behind his back.

The extremely subtle flow of mana he had just detected was enough to trigger Kim Jaemin’s switch. Shin Jaehyuk, who hadn’t expected his use of a small amount of mana for insight to be misinterpreted as an ambush, hurriedly explained in confusion.

“Wait! This is a misunderstanding! I wasn’t trying to ambush you—”

“Shut up, criminal. I’ll just cut your tendons so you can’t resist and take you to Skyscraper.”

Already consumed by deep-seated paranoia, Kim Jaemin erased the explanation from his mind and began muttering a spell. Seeing ice crystals forming in the air, Shin Jaehyuk shouted.

“Fuck, Light!”

Holy light wrapped around and circled his spear shaft. The golden radiance spun around the spear like a whirlwind, shining hotly. Shin Jaehyuk swept the light-formed spear shaft in a figure-eight pattern in the air. The approaching ice crystals melted away in the holy heat.

“A holy spell? Come to think of it, I thought you were a holy power awakener, but you used mana earlier? Can you use both mana and holy power like me?”

Startled by the voice behind him, Shin Jaehyuk reflexively swung his spear widely behind him. The spear shaft hit nothing. He stopped himself from turning his head and kept looking forward.

“Where are you looking?”

Kim Jaemin was already in front of his eyes. Shin Jaehyuk understood what he had done.

‘Consecutive Blinks without cooldown… Fuck, mages are so overpowered..!’

Shin Jaehyuk broke into a cold sweat at these movements that would make even an assassin back down. As a master of spear techniques, Shin Jaehyuk knew that controlling distance was the core of all combat. He also knew what it meant to be able to dominate that distance.

Despite the obvious opening created when Shin Jaehyuk hastily stopped himself from turning around, Kim Jaemin didn’t attack. He simply leisurely twirled his finger, creating about twenty new ice crystals in the air.

‘A swordsman of at least master level, and a magician who can freely maintain distance… Even if he just keeps his distance and stalls for time, I’ll lose.’

Of course, if he fought desperately, he might win, but he was reluctant to cause a commotion that might bring reinforcements, and he was uncomfortable fighting one of his few acquaintances to the death.

Shin Jaehyuk dejectedly suggested:

“How about we call it a draw…?”

***

Bound by magic, Shin Jaehyuk looked to the side. Kwak Taewoo, in the same predicament, was glaring fiercely at him.

‘Fuck.’

During the brief skirmish between Shin Jaehyuk and Kim Jaemin, Kwak Taewoo had been unable to escape and remained cornered. Kim Jaemin had already cast a binding spell on him without Shin Jaehyuk even noticing.

So Shin Jaehyuk and Kwak Taewoo were now kneeling, bound in the middle of the abandoned factory with ash and dust flying around. Kim Jaemin, who had captured them, had contacted Jessica and was waiting for the special vehicle to transport the awakened criminals to arrive.

Though helplessly captured, Kwak Taewoo thought this might not be so bad. He looked to the side. Seeing Shin Jaehyuk bound as pathetically as himself, Kwak Taewoo burst into gleeful laughter.

“Kuk kuk, you look ridiculous, Shin Jaehyuk… Yes. Sacrificing myself to capture you is worth it. A profitable trade. This time there’s no Dark Knight, no S-class assassination…”

Though he would be caught by the police and face execution, Kwak Taewoo was satisfied. He should have died long ago. He had used the life saved by Cha Eunkyung to save her in return, so he had no regrets.

However, Shin Jaehyuk found this mockery simply baffling.

“What nonsense are you spouting? Dark Knight? You’ve been saying incomprehensible things all along. Why did you try to kill me in the first place?”

“Keke, knowing now won’t change anything. Just die in ignorance.”

“Both of you shut up. What right do criminals have to talk?”

Kim Jaemin struck both their heads with the flat of his sword. With that mild irritation-filled blow, Kwak Taewoo immediately closed his mouth. But Shin Jaehyuk still couldn’t hide his indignation.

“No, I’m really innocent! I swear to God I’m the victim here!”

Shin Jaehyuk strongly protested his innocence. Even to Kim Jaemin, that seemed like a perfect victim’s reaction. If it was an act, then Shin Jaehyuk would be as skilled an actor as Satan, the Demon King, who was the most skilled person in deception and trickery that Kim Jaemin knew.

‘That brilliant holy power… The amount I sense now is even more than mine? Well, an evil person couldn’t possess such an overwhelming amount of holy power.’

Though Kim Jaemin felt uneasy about some aspects, it wasn’t enough to make him break his promise to Skyscraper and release Shin Jaehyuk.

Despite repeated pleas, Kim Jaemin remained unresponsive, causing Shin Jaehyuk to clutch his head. He needed to find a reason for Kim Jaemin to release him. Recalling their commonalities, Shin Jaehyuk thought of an escape route.

“That’s right! Kim Jaemin, you said you made a contract with President Park Jugwan? I did too! I’m Korea’s second unidentified S-class!”

“What? That’s impossible!”

The reaction came vehemently, but not from the front—from the side. Kwak Taewoo loudly denied it.

“That’s impossible! What reason would you have to defeat Belial? Stop lying!”

His voice was almost possessed with rage. He couldn’t believe it. No, he didn’t want to believe it. Though he had suspected last night that Shin Jaehyuk might be S-class due to his holy power, Kwak Taewoo had been deliberately erasing that possibility from his mind.

A person who should have been active as Mine suddenly awakening holy power, and even being S-class?

Kwak Taewoo was confused about what to do in this situation. His firm course of action conflicted with the current situation.

Finding those who would commit evil in the future and killing them all before the seeds of disaster could sprout—that was why Kwak Taewoo dirtied his hands.

But now an exception had arisen. A man who deserved death had become someone who shouldn’t be killed? Considering the terrible bosses that would emerge from the gates in the future, each S-class was an invaluable asset that couldn’t be lost. The S-class hunters were beacons of humanity that couldn’t be sacrificed. That’s why eliminating the Dark Knight, who accounted for over half of S-class hunter deaths, was so important.

‘But Shin Jaehyuk is an S-class holy power awakener? An S-class holy power awakener might be able to face even the Four Heavenly Kings alone. Killing him would be a major loss of strength… But he’ll fall and become a Dark Knight? No, he’s not a Dark Knight now. He’s already changed significantly. He’s become an S-class that didn’t exist in the original history…’

Kwak Taewoo clearly remembered Shin Jaehyuk’s face. The face of the one who killed Cha Eunkyung. Just before using the Holy Grail, Cha Eunkyung and Kwak Taewoo fought against a Dark Knight who came to interfere.

The Dark Knight was terrifyingly powerful and overwhelmed them one-sidedly. Then, in the final moment, the dying Cha Eunkyung barely managed to remove the helmet of the distracted Dark Knight. Thus, the face of the Dark Knight, whose nationality and race had been hidden in the helmet, was finally revealed, and the appearance of the enemy, seen for the first and last time, was firmly imprinted in Kwak Taewoo’s mind.

So he couldn’t possibly mistake it.

No matter how thick-headed Kwak Taewoo might be, he didn’t have face blindness. Shin Jaehyuk was definitely the Dark Knight.

‘But why has Shin Jaehyuk now awakened holy power and gained S-class strength? What influenced this? ‘

Kwak Taewoo was confused by this dilemma.

‘It’s like a final boss from an RPG’s first playthrough suddenly appearing as a good guy in the second playthrough—a crazy situation… Where did things go wrong? What am I missing? According to the original history, this should be when the destruction of Incheon, Kim Jaemin’s fatal injury, and the appearance of the Dark Knight all converge…’

Kwak Taewoo was anxious. Fate was like an intricate clockwork mechanism; he feared that if he accidentally disturbed one component, the entire mechanism would break. And Kwak Taewoo wasn’t confident that his stupid head could fix the broken gears.

‘But what if Shin Jaehyuk is released here and then falls later? An S-class falling… Wouldn’t that create an even stronger Dark Knight than in the original history?’

While Kwak Taewoo grew more anxious, Shin Jaehyuk gained confidence. He suggested:

“If you can’t believe me, why not contact Park Jugwan now? My wallet that Kwak Taewoo took has Park Jugwan’s business card in it. You can contact him with that number.”

At those words, Kim Jaemin looked at Kwak Taewoo. Sensing something ominous, Kwak Taewoo bundled all his worries together and raised his voice to bury his anxiety.

“Kim Jaemin! Don’t listen to him and kill him right now! You absolutely must not release him!”

The air in the room reverberated with the lung capacity of an A-class awakener. Kim Jaemin frowned at the unreasonable command.

“Do you understand your position, criminal? And not just any criminal, but a crazy serial killer? Why should I listen to you?”

At those words, Kwak Taewoo hesitated. Revealing what he knew felt like breaking a taboo. He was afraid to twist anything further. What storm would the butterfly’s wings bring this time? Kwak Taewoo feared that fate would enter unpredictable chaos like a runaway train derailing from its tracks.

‘…Still, it might be better than letting Shin Jaehyuk go free. I can’t imagine a worse situation than that.’

After much deliberation, Kwak Taewoo slowly parted his lips.

“…Because he will kill you in the future. You and other S-classes too.”

Kim Jaemin had extensive experience interrogating demons, which allowed him to distinguish truth from lies by observing subtle facial muscle movements or changes in pulse. Based on that experience, he judged that Kwak Taewoo was telling the truth.

A shocking murder prediction. However, the person more surprised by this prediction was not the potential victim, but the person marked as the killer.

“What nonsense is that? Why would I kill Kim Jaemin?! And the future? What makes you so confident—”

Then a piece of information flashed through Shin Jaehyuk’s mind. The achievement he had glimpsed in Kwak Taewoo’s status window.

<One Who Remembers the Sixth Heaven> – The universe rewinds. For just one person.

“—You, could it be?”

As Shin Jaehyuk was about to speak, having caught a glimpse of the shocking secret indicated by the achievement, Kim Jaemin cut in first.

“A skill? Are you a prophet? Or do you receive oracles?”

“……”

“It doesn’t matter. You know a lot.”

“……”

“And you don’t intend to tell me willingly.”

“……”

“Then I’ll have to make you talk.”

Kim Jaemin uttered the activation word for a spell suitable for this situation.

“Domination.”

Upon reaching the level of archmage, one can create one or two unique spells. Kim Jaemin’s created domination spell controls the mind of the target, making them follow the caster’s commands like a puppet.

As powerful as the spell was, it had drawbacks: a short duration and ineffectiveness against extremely strong targets or those whose minds were already manipulated, like familiars. But it was an excellent spell for interrogation.

“Did it work? Raise your right hand.”

While Shin Jaehyuk was amazed at this unfamiliar spell, Kwak Taewoo trembled as if trying to resist the command with all his might. His face turned crimson as blood rushed to it. Despite his desperate resistance, he eventually raised his right hand as ordered.

Having confirmed that Kwak Taewoo was under the spell, Kim Jaemin commanded:

“Now, recite everything you know. Your identity, your purpose, and your life. All of it.”

Kwak Taewoo gritted his teeth so hard they seemed about to break. His teeth ground audibly with an awakener’s jaw strength, and his jaw convulsed. However, being merely an A-class awakener, Kwak Taewoo had no means to resist Kim Jaemin’s magic. Finally, he gave up resistance and squeezed his eyes shut.

“…I am.”

Shin Jaehyuk also listened intently to the truth Kwak Taewoo was about to reveal. It was the moment when all questions would be answered—why he had attacked him, and what all his incomprehensible words and actions meant.

Kwak Taewoo slowly opened his mouth.

“I am Kwak Taewoo.”

Both men focused on one man’s calm confession.

“I was once an A-class awakener who couldn’t break through to S-class,

a mere member of the Human Coalition,

an extremely ordinary examiner who could be replaced by anyone.”

Shin Jaehyuk was perplexed. Unlike what one would expect from a criminal who massacred civilians, his voice was filled with extreme anguish. Why?

“You may not understand why or with what feelings I kill people, when to you I’m no different from a murderer, but I am cutting out small evils to prevent greater ones.”

Was this a psychopath’s self-justification? Or a madman’s ravings? Shin Jaehyuk couldn’t hastily conclude.

“The goal of all my actions is to prevent the end of the world. To prevent the extinction of humanity. That is everything in my second life, and the reason why the hands of the world’s clock were rewound once.”

Because what flowed from those lips was,

“I am one who has returned from a future driven to the brink of destruction,

a regressor.”

The bitter lament of a regressor.