Massive fangs pierced through his shoulder and waist without mercy. Amid the searing pain, Eun Woojeong found himself oddly dumbfounded.
He hadn’t planned this.
Shelob already had a sword embedded in her underbelly. Even if Cover became incapacitated, Eun Woojeong could’ve finished the job alone.
‘Then why...’
Why had he acted without thinking?
He couldn’t understand it himself. Maybe it was just... when he saw Cover shut his eyes like he was giving up, facing Shelob’s charge head-on, it reminded him of his past self.
Maybe, without realizing it, he had mimicked the Cover who had once thrown himself into danger to protect ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) him—without a moment’s hesitation.
“You crazy bastard!”
Seeing Eun Woojeong getting bitten in his place, Cover cursed in horror and swung his scabbard.
Kyaaak!
Shelob staggered after taking the hit and released Eun Woojeong. Barely staying on his feet, Eun Woojeong raised his trembling hand.
From the wounds the fangs had left behind, a heat unlike pain began to spread. It was as if fire was boiling beneath his skin. The poison was taking effect.
‘I won’t last long.’
Swallowing a groan, Eun Woojeong summoned new chains and wrapped them around Shelob’s torso.
There were far fewer chains than before, but with her weak spot already pierced, Shelob had been so weakened that even this was enough.
“Gah!”
Gripping Shelob with force as she thrashed in agony, Eun Woojeong coughed up a mouthful of black-red blood. Cover’s expression went ashen at the sight.
“Hey, you—”
“G-get moving!”
Cover, eyes wide, bit his lip and sprinted forward. Shelob, collapsed on her side and flailing her legs, had her underbelly fully exposed.
Dodging the erratic strikes, Cover climbed onto her belly and gripped his sword. As he tried to pull the blade free, a surge of monster fluids gushed out.
The shadow bird, who had been Cover’s wings, helped him. Its massive twin wings, tipped with sharp feathers, stabbed down around the embedded sword.
Kiiiek, kiiiek!
Shelob shrieked even louder. Her body trembled violently. Gripping the hilt with all his strength, Cover held on.
Chaaaa!
Finally, the sword came free.
Without stopping, Cover gripped it again and began hacking into her underbelly.
Shrrreeek.
Even though the black bird shielded him with its wings, not all the poison could be blocked. Every place the liquid splashed burned through cloth and flesh, but Cover didn’t stop.
Intent on cleaving her completely in half, he focused his slashes on the same spot again and again—until Shelob’s screams gradually weakened.
Her struggling stopped. Completely disemboweled, Shelob’s huge body stiffened, her seven remaining legs bent at odd angles.
Panting harshly, Cover jumped down from the corpse and rushed over to Eun Woojeong. The man could no longer summon chains—he was buried under the swarm of spiders.
“Stay with me!”
Cover hacked away the crawling spiders and pulled Eun Woojeong upright.
Eun Woojeong, limp in his grasp, didn’t open his eyes. His sweat-soaked face was ghostly pale, like a corpse.
Cover placed a hand under his nose—he was still breathing, but just barely. The thought that Eun Woojeong might actually die made Cover’s heart plummet.
‘If a main character dies... what happens?’
Cover bit his lip and slung Eun Woojeong onto his back. The man’s blood soaked into his clothes almost instantly.
Why did he have to get involved? Why didn’t he just keep throwing chains from a distance like before? What was he thinking...
Cover’s chest tightened.
That moment, replayed in countless nightmares, was happening again. Someone was going to die because of him—and he didn’t want to see that ever again.
With Eun Woojeong on his back, Cover looked around.
An exit.
He had to find an exit and get them out of here—now.
He couldn’t treat Eun Woojeong here, not with the spiders still closing in. Desperation rising, he cut down another wave of spiders when—
Kreee!
The shadow bird that had been circling above suddenly called out to him. It folded its wings and dove, landing squarely on Shelob’s corpse.
Kreek, kreeek!
It let out short, clipped cries and circled in place.
It was clearly trying to communicate something.
Cover kicked away another spider and returned to Shelob’s body.
“This is...!”
Shelob’s corpse, flipped over.
Right where he had carved into her underbelly—there bloomed a single flower. A vibrant green blossom, growing from the nutrients of the monster’s guts.
‘Why the hell... is this inside Shelob...?’
Cover recognized the flower instantly.
He was momentarily stunned—but quickly reached out.
There was no time to figure out what it was.
RUMBLE!
The moment he plucked the flower from the corpse, the entire dungeon shook violently.
Dust rained from the ceiling, and the spiders that had been attacking suddenly screeched and retreated.
From the corridor they had entered through, smoke began to rise—followed by a deafening roar and increasingly violent tremors.
Cover realized what was happening.
The entire space was collapsing.
Just then, an oval-shaped dungeon exit appeared behind Shelob’s corpse.
Cover didn’t hesitate. He bolted toward the portal.
The ground behind him crumbled with a thunderous crash.
Just as he was about to leap into the exit—
“......!”
Something caught his eye: a black object on the ground.
A videotape. One of the tapes from the box, miraculously undamaged.
Cover hesitated for a heartbeat—then picked up the remaining tape and stuffed it into his inventory along with the flower.
The floor beneath him gave way.
The black bird, still clinging to his back, flapped hard and pulled both Cover and the unconscious Eun Woojeong into the exit.
The portal, after swallowing the two, rippled once—then vanished.
Thud!
“Gah!”
Cover tumbled across the floor of the abandoned building, dragged through the portal by the black bird. Eun Woojeong, even after crashing down, still didn’t open his eyes.
“Shit... I’m gonna die...”
Cover wasn’t as badly hurt as Eun Woojeong, but he’d been beaten up all over. Groaning, he forced himself upright.
‘I need to heal him... now—’
That was when he realized something.
They were definitely outside the dungeon now—yet his hidden skill hadn’t deactivated.
The space around him was pitch black, chillingly dark. The abandoned building was so deeply shadowed, he could barely see.
Cover sensed something and raised his head.
Someone was standing in front of him, watching.
Even in the dark, their green eyes glowed clearly.
The moment Cover swallowed dryly, a new status window filled his vision.
[Warning! The Seed of Catastrophe has progressed!]
[Warning! The Seed of Catastrophe has progressed!]
[Warning! The Seed of Catastrophe has progressed!]
[Warning! The Seed of Catastrophe has progressed!]
He couldn’t believe what he was reading.
As he stared blankly at the system messages, a newly updated status window appeared:
[User Info: Sahyeon (Villain)]
Age: 22
Primary Skill: Living Shadow (Grade L)
Title: The Master of Shadows
Attack Power: Grade L
Attack Speed: Grade L
Movement Speed: Grade L
Agility: Grade L
Special Conditions▼
└Seed of Catastrophe (65% Progress) (Synchronization 66% Progress)
‘Sixty-five percent...?’
It had jumped three percent in an instant. Still in shock, Cover heard a soft voice near his ear.
“Hyung.”
Cha Sahyeon was suddenly right in front of him.
Leaning forward, he met Cover’s eyes and asked,
“Are you hurt badly?”
“......”
Cover reflexively moved his lips to answer—but nothing came out. His throat was dry, parched.
It was too dark to see Sahyeon’s expression. All he could see were the glowing green eyes staring down at him.
Pale and trembling, Cover groped blindly at the floor.
His fingers brushed the hilt of a sword—but he couldn’t bring himself to pick it up.
Even if he held a weapon, what could he possibly do? The person in front of him was...
“Haa.”
Sahyeon let out a long sigh, as if exasperated.
“I can’t even get mad.”
With a flick of his hand, the shadows that had filled the building vanished in an instant.
As the darkness lifted, sunlight streamed in through a shattered window.
[Warning! Silverlight’s Blessing (S-rank) will be deactivated shortly.]
[Silverlight’s Blessing deactivating in 3...]
[Silverlight’s Blessing deactivating in 2...]
[Silverlight’s Blessing deactivating in 1...]
[Hidden Skill: Silverlight’s Blessing (S-rank) — Deactivated]
Crackle!
“Urgh...!”
The countdown ended—and sparks surged around him.
His body shrank slightly. His dusty blond hair turned pitch black.
As he hunched over, enduring the sharp pain, a large hand gently cupped his cheek.
Lifting Cover’s chin, Cha Sahyeon frowned, brows furrowed in displeasure.

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