As my body plummeted downward, a fierce wind tore across my face.
The instant I reflexively squeezed my eyes shut, someone caught me mid-fall—arms firm, familiar.
Cha Sahyeon, who had flown swiftly toward me, pulled me tightly into his embrace and descended to the ground.
“Cough—! It’s dangerous...!”
Kneeling on one knee and barely holding himself upright, Kwon Taehyuk spat blood the moment he saw me and shouted urgently.
He didn’t need to say more. The chilling murderous intent filling the air said it all.
When I raised my head, countless golden spears were filling the sky above us.
“Cha Sahyeon!”
I called out urgently and triggered my skill.
《Skill: Divine Power (S-rank) activated!》
《Holy energy overflows!》
White light burst outward from my body. At the same time, one of Sahyeon’s wings expanded enormously, spreading over me and the others like a protective canopy.
Clang, crack, clang—countless sharp metallic crashes resounded as the spears struck against the smooth, impenetrable wall of that wing and shattered. The ones that slipped through stabbed into the ground, shaking the earth violently.
“Are you all right?”
In the brief pause created by Sahyeon’s protection, I quickly checked the most injured—Ryu Sunghyun and Kwon Taehyuk first.
Fortunately, the blessing contained within the Divine Power skill seemed to have worked; their faces had regained their usual color.
“...I was worried,” Kwon Taehyuk said, wiping the blood from his mouth and letting out a sigh of relief.
He was the one who had nearly died, yet he was worrying about me.
“I thought you were going to die, Mr. Cha Seohu,” Eun Woojeong muttered irritably. I ignored him and looked up. The rain of spears had stopped, and Sahyeon folded his wings.
High in the cold, stormy sky hovered Ryu Sunghyun—golden wings spread, expression unreadable—as he gazed down at us.
“......”
Only then did the reality sink in.
Ryu Sunghyun had really attacked us—with intent to kill.
This wasn’t a fake created by the Rift or a doppelgänger’s weak imitation. I knew that better than anyone.
The man before me was the very same “Sunghyun hyung” I had followed before regression—and now he stood as our enemy.
...I couldn’t breathe properly.
As I struggled to process the shock, “Ryu Sunghyun” touched his lips thoughtfully.
“As expected. No matter how many buffs I get, I still can’t pierce that shadow.”
His golden eyes turned toward me and Sahyeon.
“Still, I thought I was fairly strong. Is it because I’m only an L-rank? Or... maybe even if he hasn’t fully awakened, since he’s the Catastrophe, there’s a limit to how much a mere human can do against him?”
“......!”
My shoulders flinched involuntarily at those words.
Seeing me freeze, “Ryu Sunghyun” gave a short laugh.
“Why so surprised? Oh, wait—was that supposed to be a secret from the others?”
I forced out a voice through my clenched throat.
“How did you...?”
“The monster I devoured had that ability.”
“Ryu Sunghyun” explained in a calm tone.
“It searches through its prey’s mind, copies the appearance of the person that prey cherishes the most. During that process, I absorbed it. So, Seohu—your memories ended up remaining inside me.”
I stared up at him blankly.
I couldn’t understand what he was saying—or maybe I just didn’t want to.
The pounding of my heart echoed in my ears; every nerve focused on his lips.
Then he continued.
“So what now? You killed me, you killed the Guildmaster, you killed all of us—and then you took in the Catastrophe as family? Lived with him, gave him affection?”
My frantically beating heart dropped with a heavy thud. The world turned red for an instant; cold sweat trickled down my temple.
“You’re going to attack me alongside the Catastrophe? Why? Because you’ve got a new ‘Ryu Sunghyun’ now?”
I felt the real Ryu Sunghyun beside me flinch.
After several futile attempts to form words, I barely managed to speak.
“No...”
“What do you mean, no, Seohu? Look around you. Am I wrong?”
“No, I...”
I shook my head desperately, but no more words followed.
I wanted to refute him, but there was nothing I could say.
Is Cha Sahyeon the Catastrophe? Yes. He killed everyone.
Even if not in this timeline, he had admitted it himself—how all memories across timelines were engraved in the Shadow, and that as synchronization rose, those memories would return.
Right now, the sync rate was low, so he didn’t remember—but he was still the same being as before regression.
And I... I had treated him like family. Maybe it started with another purpose, but ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) not anymore.
At least from the moment I declared in the Great Dungeon that Sahyeon was “my little brother” before Taehyuk and Sunghyun, he became my family.
A cold silence followed. Only the sound of the fierce wind echoed between me and “Ryu Sunghyun.”
After staring at me expressionlessly for a moment, “Ryu Sunghyun” gave a soft, sighing laugh.
“I see. That’s your truth, Seohu. You’re not protecting the past—you’re protecting your new future.”
“......”
“How much of that am I supposed to understand? I devoured a monster just to see you again.”
As he spoke bitterly, an even stronger golden light began to radiate from his body. The killing intent that had momentarily subsided flared once more.
The S-ranks who had been watching, unable to interrupt, instantly shifted into battle stance.
“What will you do, Seohu?”
Just before the clash resumed, Ryu Sunghyun asked quietly,
“Will you ask the Catastrophe to kill me? He’s the only one here who can.”
I silently looked at “Ryu Sunghyun,” then lowered my head.
Not looking at him made the pain worse.
It hurt—my heart, my chest, my whole body.
It hurt too much to think rationally.
“...Cha Sahyeon.”
In the end, I gave up.
“This fight... stay out of it. Don’t interfere.”
“Hyung?”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, everyone.”
I apologized to Sahyeon, then to the rest of the team. But I couldn’t bring myself to meet their eyes. I was too pathetic—too ashamed.
“Hyung, it’s dangerous.”
Seeing me silent, Sahyeon shouted urgently.
“You promised me. That we’d never be apart. That I’d protect you. Then why—”
“Kid.”
I gave him a bitter smile.
“Not this time... not against him.”
Sahyeon’s green eyes wavered. Frowning as if he couldn’t understand, he hesitated, then reluctantly stepped back.
“If your life’s in danger, I’ll step in. If you don’t want me to move, then end it yourself.”
“Yeah.”
After persuading Sahyeon, I turned to the others.
Mook Jeongho remained expressionless; Eun Woojeong just shrugged as if it didn’t concern him.
“There must be a reason. Even if one of us steps out, there are still five S-ranks. We won’t lose,” Kwon Taehyuk said calmly, catching my gaze.
And Ryu Sunghyun added quietly, “...When this is over, explain.”
His low voice carried cold confusion.
I only nodded silently, then lifted my head again.
“Ryu Sunghyun” smiled faintly as he looked down at us.
“All done? Then... shall we begin?”
He snapped his fingers.
Click.
The crisp sound rang out—and golden light bloomed all around us.
No, it hadn’t appeared; it had been there from the start. The tiny motes of light suddenly expanded, swelling into deadly bombs.
A chill ran down my spine. At that same moment, Ryu Sunghyun beside me grabbed my shoulder and leapt sideways.
Boom! Boom-boom-boom!
Dozens of light spheres exploded one after another.
Scattered in all directions, we barely dodged the blasts. Thick dust clouds billowed, obscuring everything.
“Guh—! Cough—!”
As I collapsed to the ground, coughing, I heard Ryu Sunghyun draw a sharp breath nearby.
Through the dust, two silhouettes clashed.
Between the swirling smoke, I saw the composed “Ryu Sunghyun” and the real one, desperately parrying as he staggered back.
Somehow, the fake now held a long golden sword.
The real Ryu Sunghyun’s weapon shone the same color, but it was simpler—closer to a staff than a sword.
“Not bad reflexes.”
At that cold remark, Ryu Sunghyun’s eyes trembled. Seeing that, “Ryu Sunghyun” whispered,
“Then how about this?”
In a blink, the swinging sword transformed into a whip.
“......!”
The golden whip lashed like a snake. Ryu Sunghyun gasped, jerking his body backward—but too late.
The shining whip coiled several times around his neck and yanked him forward with brutal force.
“Kh—!”
Strangled, Ryu Sunghyun was dragged helplessly toward him.

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