"Ugh...!"
Darkness filled everything around .
In that darkness, I felt sothing cold and squishy slither up my ankle.
Sothing thick, coiling around my leg like a snake, climbing upward — it was definitely the black tentacle-like thing I had seen just before being dragged in.
A chill ran down my spine.
In the pitch-black darkness where not even a speck of light shone, I struggled to tear it off, but instead of freeing myself, I found both my arms pinned down by sothing too.
Whether it was another tentacle or sothing else, I couldn’t tell — I couldn’t see a thing.
'Why can’t I break free?'
If it were my normal body, maybe.
But right now, I was in an S-rank state after using a Hidden Skill.
And yet, whatever this was, it was completely restraining .
Even if the darkness filling the office was soone’s skill, and even if the opponent was an S-rank, restraining this completely should have been impossible.
'Wait, then...'
What about Cha Sahyeon?
If even I, an S-rank, couldn’t get free, there was no way a B-rank like Cha Sahyeon could.
The thought that the kid might be in danger made my heart plumt.
I struggled harder against the restraints and shouted.
"Cha Sahyeon!"
I didn’t know if yelling in this pitch darkness would reach them, but I couldn’t just sit still and do nothing.
I shouted again at the top of my lungs.
"Cha Sahyeon, where are yo—ugh!"
It happened then.
The black tentacle that had been slithering over my body suddenly pulled hard, dragging helplessly and slamming down sowhere.
"Ugh..."
I hit sothing hard — probably the floor — groaning as I rubbed my aching elbow and looked around.
The darkness that had dragged deeper was starting to thin.
And from within it erged soone I knew very well.
"Cha Sahyeon?"
The small figure standing right in front of was unmistakably Cha Sahyeon.
The cool green eyes staring down at , the tightly sealed lips, the pale skin that almost seed to glow — everything pointed to Cha Sahyeon.
Seeing the child standing there, unafraid of the surrounding darkness, and noticing how only around them the darkness had receded, I realized it.
'It was Cha Sahyeon’s skill.'
The mont I understood that the darkness swallowing the office was Cha Sahyeon’s doing,
Ding — a system alert popped up.
[User Information: Sahyeon (Villain)]
Age: 22 years old
Main Skill: Living Shadow (B-rank)
Title: The Master of Shadows
Attack Power: B-rank
Attack Speed: B-rank
Movent Speed: B-rank
Agility: B-rank
Special Notes ▼
└ Seed of Catastrophe (Progress 37%)
The skill stats remained B-rank.
Which ant that even with a B-rank skill, Cha Sahyeon’s ability was strong enough to completely restrain an S-rank like .
'If Cha Sahyeon's skill rank were to rise...'
Cold sweat ran down my cheeks.
Recalling the Catastrophe I saw before regression made my throat go dry.
Of course.
It wasn’t for nothing that Cha Sahyeon carried the Seed of Catastrophe.
Even as a re B-rank, they were already this powerful.
If, as I feared, the Seed’s progress reached 100% and their skill rank rose— then just like before regression, the world would be destroyed.
It was a fresh reminder of why I had to stop the Seed’s progression no matter what.
"...!"
I was about to call out to Cha Sahyeon again, swallowing dryly, when a sudden crushing sensation hit my abdon, cutting off my breath.
Reflexively lowering my head, I saw another black tentacle wrap tightly around my waist.
It was Cha Sahyeon — binding to stop from running.
Finally, they spoke.
"Where did you go?"
"Kiddo, this is... guh!"
The tentacle squeezed tighter around my waist.
The pain was sharp, and I grabbed at it desperately — but it wouldn’t budge.
"You said you were going to call while I was bathing. So why did you leave?"
"Uh, just... can we, guh..."
"You lied to ? Were you trying to run away?"
"Ugh..."
I couldn’t breathe.
The pressure squeezing my organs blurred my vision.
'You little psycho...'
If I was trying to run, why would I even be here?
I would’ve bolted already.
I had plenty to say, but arguing was aningless when Cha Sahyeon’s mood had already turned sour.
Barely clinging to consciousness, I fumbled desperately across the floor.
Rustle.
Heaven must have taken pity on — my hand landed on the paper bag I’d brought.
I had managed to hang onto it even when I was dragged into the darkness.
Clutching it tightly, # Nоvеlight # I thrust the paper bag toward them and shouted.
"G-gift!"
Cha Sahyeon blinked, startled by the paper bag suddenly shoved toward them.
Sensing a sliver of hope, I hurriedly added,
"I brought you... a gift, gah..."
"A gift...?"
Cha Sahyeon took the bag with trembling hands, muttering with a dazed expression.
"A gift... for ?"
Unable to speak anymore, I simply nodded.
"You bought it... for ?"
I nodded again.
"......."
Cha Sahyeon alternated glances between the bag and , groaning in pain on the floor.
Then slowly — their lips curled upward.
Hugging the paper bag tightly, Cha Sahyeon gave a shy little smile.
And at the sa ti—
Flash!
The black tentacles wrapped around my waist, along with all the darkness filling the office, receded like a tide.
The darkness shrank and vanished, sucked cleanly into Cha Sahyeon’s shadow as if it had never existed.
I stared, dazed, at the unbelievable sight.
anwhile, Cha Sahyeon, blushing bright red from cheeks to ears, hesitated and asked,
"Can I open it?"
"...Yeah."
Barely escaping from the pain and pressure, I exhaled heavily and nodded.
Leaving Cha Sahyeon, who was happily unpacking the box from the bag, I pushed myself up and looked around.
The office, now free of darkness, looked like a typhoon had torn through it — furniture thrown everywhere across the floor.
"Haa..."
I wiped my face wearily, swallowing down my tears.
What the hell had happened while I was gone to leave the place like this?
...Though, thinking about it, maybe this was still lucky.
At least the Seed’s progress hadn’t risen.
'When am I supposed to clean all this up?'
Still clutching my aching waist, I could only sigh endlessly.
Then Cha Sahyeon tugged on my sleeve.
"Hyung, what is this?"
Cha Sahyeon looked up at , their big eyes sparkling.
Their voice was unusually full of cuteness.
'At tis like this, you really are just a kid.'
How could their mood, which had been bad enough to unleash a skill, brighten completely over a gift?
It was both ridiculous and funny.
I couldn’t even stay mad.
"It’s a ga console. When I was your age, I used to play with one a lot. You've never tried it?"
"Nope."
Cha Sahyeon answered imdiately, their face brimming with excitent.
It was impossible to pretend not to notice, so I dragged over a sofa, plopped myself down, and pulled Cha Sahyeon onto my lap.
"Here, look."
I pulled out the handheld console and ga chip from the box and turned it on for them.
I even set up a new account and launched the ga before handing it over.
Cha Sahyeon, nestled against , carefully took the device.
"You just press the start button at the top. To move, use these buttons. See the arrows? That’s the direction controls."
Following my instructions, Cha Sahyeon pressed the buttons and started the ga.
Watching their intensely focused expression, I could tell — the gift had hit the mark.
I had bought it because a new entry in a childhood RPG series I loved had co out, and it turned out to be a very good decision.
'Ugh, I’m dying...'
It was good that the crisis had passed, but my battered body was screaming in protest.
Unable to hold on anymore, I rested my forehead against Cha Sahyeon’s small shoulder.
The little body in my arms flinched slightly.
Ding, ding, ding!
"...?"
Ding, ding!
The mont I leaned on Cha Sahyeon, the system alert sounds rang out noisily.
If it had only happened once, I would have ignored it — but it kept going nonstop.
Lifting my heavy head, I frowned.
'What now?'
The mont I looked up, multiple status windows filled my vision.
《The Villain is satisfied!》
《The Villain is happy!》
《Warning! The Seed of Catastrophe progression has changed!》
《The Seed of Catastrophe progression has decreased!》
"Huh?"
I had assud the progression had risen again — but when I read the windows carefully, I froze in shock.
'The progression... dropped?'
While I was still trying to process the situation, the system kept pouring out ssages.
Ding!
《Hidden Quest unlocked!》
《Hidden Quest: Lower the Seed of Catastrophe Progression (L-rank)》
《Hidden Quest: Lower the Seed of Catastrophe Progression (L-rank) cleared!》
《Hidden Quest clear rewards are being distributed.》
《Item Shop unlocked!》
《You can now access the Item Shop.》
Item... what?
Item shop?
Faced with a status window that shattered all my expectations, my jaw dropped open.
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