Chapter 05 …
A space soaked in blood comes into view.
The thick, stale air carries an unknown heat that feels deeply unpleasant.
Behind me lie countless corpses piled high, and ahead—only a cliff standing at the edge of a sheer precipice.
What on earth could have reduced them to such a horrific state?
And—
Who is the one standing at the edge of that cliff?
As frustration wells up from knowing nothing—
—Let me ask you something.
The giant figure in front of me speaks.
He is an old man with a full head of white hair, yet his body is far too ferocious for his age.
The problem is—
—The martial art you just demonstrated… was it something you created yourself?
Nearly half of his upper body was gone.
Blood flowed endlessly. It was a situation where death would have been natural long ago, yet the old man calmly continued speaking.
The person standing before him—a black-haired young man whose face was hidden by his hair—looked at the old man and replied.
—It was.
—…I see. I thought as much.
The old man nodded.
—What is your name?
—I haven’t decided yet.
—Then, may I name you myself?
—Do as you please.
—Heh heh heh…
At the young man’s answer, the old man let out a quiet laugh. At the end of that low chuckle, blood pooled at his lips.
After laughing for a brief moment, the old man whispered—
—…Pacheon (破天).
—Pacheon?
—You shattered the heavens. There could be no name more fitting than that.
Pacheon.
Hearing the meaning behind the name, the young man tilted his head slightly.
Then—
—I like it. Pacheon it is.
He nodded and accepted the name.
—Good…
Drip, drip.
Blood poured freely from the hole in the old man’s torso.
—I, Baek Yeojuk, the 21st Cult Leader of the Divine Sect, acknowledge you…
Leaving all the corpses behind him, the old man spoke to the young man.
—From this moment on, you are the master of the world.
Thud.
As he finished speaking, the old man’s body collapsed where it stood. His lifeless form fell to the ground.
—Hmm…
The young man looked down at him and spoke in a voice devoid of emotion.
—What a shame.
What exactly was a shame? I couldn’t understand.
But then—
‘…!’
The young man’s gaze suddenly turned toward me.
My body stiffened. Goosebumps erupted along my back. Even though his eyes were hidden by his hair, it felt as though I were staring down a wild beast.
‘What…?’
Why was he suddenly looking at me? Unable to understand, I stood there blankly—
—Now.
The man spoke.
—Wake up.
At that moment, my eyes flew open.
* * *
“Gah—!”
My eyelids snapped open as consciousness rushed back.
An unfamiliar ceiling.
I never thought I’d say this in my life, but—it was truly an unfamiliar ceiling.
‘What the…?’
Perhaps because of the dream I’d just had, my heart was pounding violently.
What was that? What did I just see?
It was far too vivid to be dismissed as a meaningless dream, yet too absurd to be reality.
What was it?
My vision felt foggy, and my stomach churned uneasily.
As I was overwhelmed by the unfamiliar sensations—
“…Ah.”
Something I had forgotten came rushing back.
‘…The terrorist attack…!’
I remembered the building that had been attacked. I tried to sit up—
Zzzzt!
“Guh—!?”
My entire body screamed in protest. An overwhelming wave of pain crashed over me.
“Hah…”
The pain was so intense I couldn’t even scream. My body trembled as I froze in place.
‘What is this?’
Why does everything hurt this badly? And—
‘Where am I?’
It was an unfamiliar place. Slowly looking around, I realized—
‘A hospital?’
It was the inside of a hospital. A rather high-end one, at that. An IV was inserted into my arm, and in the quiet stillness, only the steady beep—beep— of a monitor echoed softly.
As I wondered why I was in a hospital—
Creak—
“…Oh my!”
I made eye contact with a nurse who had just opened the door.
“Uh, excuse me—”
Before I could say anything—
“Doctor! Patient Lee Jinwoo is awake…!”
She rushed out in a panic.
“…Uh…”
I awkwardly scratched the back of my head.
Even then, my body still hurt like hell.
* * *
“Are you feeling all right?”
“…Ah, yes…”
The doctor, holding a stethoscope, examined me here and there. It was quite uncomfortable—especially since he wasn’t alone. Several doctors had crowded into the room.
“There’s no serious trauma from the impact. It doesn’t look like there’ll be any scars either… and there shouldn’t be any aftereffects. You were very lucky.”
“…Yes. I suppose so.”
What was with this kindness? It was the first time I’d ever experienced something like this.
“Oh, and by the way… our other patient—”
“The superhuman Dan Ajin has also awakened without any issues.”
“Ah…”
That was a relief. Only then could I finally breathe easy.
“…Thinking of others even in a situation like this. As expected.”
“Pardon?”
“No, it’s nothing. The treatment went smoothly, and judging by your condition, a few days of rest should be sufficient.”
“Ah, yes…”
“Then, we’ll see you later.”
The doctor bowed politely and left.
Too late, I realized I should have asked why I was lying in such a luxurious hospital room.
‘…How much is the hospital bill?’
I panicked. I didn’t even have enough money to pay rent—how was I supposed to afford hospitalization and treatment?
“Excuse me—!”
I tried to call the doctor back, but—
“…You bastard.”
“Ah.”
Seeing who entered as the doctor left, I immediately understood the situation.
“You trying to get yourself killed? Are you insane?”
Standing there with a furious expression—
It was Jin Gyeongbeom.
My only real friend.
* * *
Jin Gyeongbeom. A cursed connection.
We first met when we were twelve, and from then until now, we’d always been inseparable.
For reasons that no longer mattered.
“Why the hell didn’t you answer your phone? Is it just for decoration?”
“…I was busy. Really busy.”
“Bullshit. You’re too busy to answer me, but you answer your ‘teacher’ just fine? And you expect me to buy that?”
“…”
We’d been friends for years, but honestly—
He cared far more about me than necessary.
He always had. Despite living a life completely different from mine, he always looked out for me.
“Crazy bastard.”
His mouth was foul, though.
“What the hell were you doing going back in there?”
“Well—”
“Did awakening scramble your brain? Or were you already insane? Actually, yeah, you were never normal to begin with. I knew that much—but I didn’t think it was this bad.”
“Wait—”
“Only a lunatic would go back into a building where a terrorist attack just happened. You’re insane.”
“…Hold on.”
I tried to stop him, but his mouth never rested. My ears felt like they were going to bleed.
“You’re going to die like that. You know that? Or maybe you don’t.”
After that final remark, silence finally fell. Thank god.
“Haa…”
Since I wasn’t responding, Gyeongbeom let out a heavy sigh.
He pulled a chair over and plopped down.
“…You awakened, right?”
“Yeah.”
“So you actually did it. Didn’t think you would.”
“Me neither.”
“You lunatic… and the first thing you do after awakening is that?”
“It’s not like I wanted to. Who would’ve known there’d be a terrorist attack?”
At my weak excuse, Gyeongbeom frowned.
“Bullshit. The attack is one thing—going in there was your choice. Am I wrong?”
“…”
I couldn’t refute that.
“Idiot.”
It was said with irritation.
Then—
“Hey.”
He asked,
“You going to do it?”
“Do what…?”
“Become a knight. You going to go through with it or not?”
“…”
“Your face says you are.”
“I have to.”
I had to.
After all, the reason I’d tried so hard to become a superhuman in the first place was to become a knight.
“No matter what, I have to.”
My answer wouldn’t change.
“…Hah.”
Gyeongbeom let out a hollow breath.
“You bastard.”
Only then did I feel relieved. That tone meant he’d given up arguing.
Now it was my turn to ask.
“…Hey.”
“What.”
“This hospital room—did you arrange it?”
It was obviously a luxury room.
A private room like this would cost a fortune, and I definitely couldn’t afford it.
So I assumed he’d paid for it.
Taesung Group. His father was one of Korea’s top conglomerate chairmen.
So money wasn’t an issue for him.
But—
“What are you talking about?”
He frowned.
“Why would I do that for you?”
“Huh? Not you?”
“No, idiot. You’d raise hell if I did it without telling you. Why would I bother?”
“….”
Then who paid for this?
“…Then what is it? Why am I here?”
When I asked, confused, Gyeongbeom smirked.
“You’ve become quite the big shot, so of course they treat you accordingly.”
“…What kind of bullshit is that?”
Big shot? Who?
At that moment, Gyeongbeom fiddled with his phone and tossed it to me.
“Look.”
“…Huh?”
I picked it up and checked the screen.
“Eh?”
My eyes widened instantly.
[Another terrorist attack by an unregistered superhuman…]
[The Choyeon Building in Yeouido burned and collapsed due to the attack…]
[The culprit is an A-rank superhuman with a mage-type previous life…]
The news was flooded with articles about the recent terrorist incident.
[Repeated terror attacks by unregistered superhumans—what is the Superhuman Association doing?]
[Delayed response by the Superhuman Rescue Team—golden time missed.]
As I scrolled through the endless articles—
“…What is this?”
Something stood out among them.
[A young superhuman who saved civilians amid the terror.]
[Who is the man who appeared like a savior when even the Rescue Team had not arrived?]
[This Lee—who made the greatest contribution to suppressing the incident—had awakened less than a day ago and has yet to be ranked…]
“Holy shit.”
Mixed in with all those articles were photos that clearly looked like me.
“What the hell is going on…?”
As I stared in disbelief, Gyeongbeom snatched his phone back.
“What do you think? It’s the aftermath of what you did.”
“…Aftermath?”
“You ran around sticking your nose everywhere, and now look at you. They’re calling you a hero.”
“…”
Hero. The word felt awkward—unfitting.
“One of the people you saved was a reporter. Thanks to that, all these articles came pouring out. So?”
He looked at me.
“How does it feel to become famous overnight?”
“…Is this a dream…?”
That was the best answer I could manage.
* * *
I sat there blankly for a long time in the empty hospital room.
—I’ll come again tomorrow, so behave yourself.
Gyeongbeom glared at me as he said it. I hoped he wouldn’t come, but knowing him, he definitely would.
“…”
Suddenly, I slapped my own cheek.
Smack—!
“Ugh.”
It stung.
So it wasn’t a dream.
“…What the hell is this…”
If it wasn’t a dream, then it was reality—and that was hard to believe.
“…”
I looked at my phone again.
The major portal site was still flooded with articles about me.
There were plenty about the terror attack, but even more focused on me.
[A Young Hero.]
[The Savior of Yeouido.]
[A True Superhuman.]
Ridiculous titles, one after another.
“…Hah.”
I turned off the phone.
“I’m losing my mind.”
Now that I thought about it, the doctors and nurses had kept coming in nonstop, running tests.
Apparently, the Superhuman Association had arranged this hospital room directly.
And even—
‘They said the Association Chairman is coming tomorrow.’
The Chairman of the Superhuman Association.
A current S-rank superhuman—one of the biggest figures alive—was flying in from overseas just to see me.
“…Ugh…”
The pressure was overwhelming.
How did things end up like this? It felt like the world had changed the moment I opened my eyes.
I swallowed the unease rising in my chest.
“Phew…”
After finally calming down, I brushed my trembling hand over the back of my own hand.
Ding—!
A familiar alert sounded, and a system window appeared before my eyes.
[■ Previous Life Information]
[■ Martial God (武神) (EX)]
[■ Synchronization Rate (3%)]
[■ Synchronization rate is too low; abilities are limited.]
[■ Pacheon Art: First Mastery]
[■ Pacheon Martial Art, First Form: Pacheon Muyoung (破天武永)]
“….”
New information had appeared—things that weren’t there before.
‘Synchronization rate is up to 3%… and Pacheon Art…’
So I hadn’t imagined it back then.
The system said I’d cleared a quest, my synchronization rate increased, and I obtained Pacheon Art as a reward.
“What quest?”
I’d never heard of a system giving out quests—let alone rewards.
This was completely unheard of.
“…A quest…”
And clearing it increased my synchronization rate.
And with that increase, I gained that power.
Then—
‘That was my previous life’s power…?’
My memory was hazy, but I remembered my body moving on its own, doing something.
I cautiously looked at my phone again. The upper floors of the Choyeon Building had been completely blown apart.
Was that the terrorist’s doing?
Or—
‘…Did I do that?’
Did I really do it?
I didn’t know.
But if I did—
‘What on earth…?’
That would mean I’d done something unbelievable.
‘EX…’
A rank I’d never seen before.
Power obtained with only 3% synchronization.
Then—
‘If it goes higher…’
Would I gain even greater power?
Thump—!
My heart raced.
‘Maybe even higher than S-rank.’
That thought filled me with excitement.
If my assumption was correct—
‘I can do it.’
Becoming a knight.
‘And even revenge.’
Everything would be possible.
“Then how do I do it?”
First, I had to raise my synchronization rate.
If that was how I grew stronger, then that was the path forward.
‘How do I raise it?’
Normally, synchronization increased naturally. At worst, it should’ve gone up in a day or two.
But judging from this, it didn’t increase on its own.
Then—
‘Quests.’
The quest I’d cleared back then.
It seemed like I had to clear those.
‘…Where do quests come from?’
Did I have to look for them? Or—
‘Like last time…’
Would they just appear on their own?
The moment that thought crossed my mind—
Ding—!!
[Quest Activated.]
“Huh?”
As if on cue, a quest appeared.
[■ Clear the Gate.]
“…!”
I froze as I read the system message.
A gate.
‘A gate?’
No superhuman could fail to recognize that word.
‘But…’
It wasn’t time for a gate to open yet.
‘Once a gate closes, it doesn’t reopen for five days.’
The timing was off.
Just as I thought that—
Ding—!!
[■ Emergency notice from the Previous Life Network.]
A red alert flooded the air.
[■ A gate has appeared.]
[■ If the gate is not blocked, contamination will begin.]
[■ Reincarnators, please enter the gate immediately.]
“What—?”
The network activated on its own.
Ding-ding-ding—!!
An overwhelming alarm rang in my ears.
I saw a bell-shaped icon with +999 beside it—notifications I hadn’t checked.
Ignoring that for now—
[Paris Romance: What’s going on? Why is a gate opening now?]
[Marcel’s Farmer: Are you kidding me? There were still days left! A gate out of nowhere?!]
[Gyeyang Mountain Duck Butt: It’s chaos since dawn. A mutation right at the start of the year? Seriously?]
Posts were flooding in. Judging by the reactions, this wasn’t something that happened often.
‘Mutation…’
A mutant gate.
Right—this was a mutant gate.
‘I’ve heard of these.’
Gates that appeared suddenly, ignoring the regular cycle.
That’s what people called mutations.
And one appeared now? At this exact timing?
I was staring at the Previous Life Net in disbelief when—
[■ Entry will begin. Please choose quickly.]
The system appeared again.
[■ D-Rank 11/100]
“….”
The gate entry display.
An alert that only reincarnators could see.
“Ah…”
My eyes trembled as I looked at what I’d wanted for so long.
[Would you like to enter?]
That was all I could focus on.
Enter the gate?
At the repeated question, I didn’t hesitate.
I pressed the system floating in the air instinctively.
A place superhumans were meant to go.
The moment I did—
Wooooong—!
It felt like my consciousness was being lifted.
[■ You have chosen to enter a D-rank gate.]
[■ Prevent dimensional contamination.]
I closed my eyes, recalling everything I’d learned about gates at school.
I’d studied for this.
It would be fine.
Surely—
[■ Entering the gate— bzzzt.]
‘Huh?’
It should have been.
[Bzzzzzz—!]
A harsh noise filled my ears.
Then—
[■ Correcting dimensional configuration error.]
Unexpected messages appeared.
[■ A non-standard reincarnator is entering.]
[■ EX-rank gates are not currently open.]
[■ Correction failed. Entering D-rank gate.]
[■ A vast existence is entering the dimension.]
[■ Gate danger level has risen drastically.]
[■ D-rank gate danger increased by 200%.]
‘…What?’
What kind of insane nonsense was this?
Before I could even process it—
[■ The gap between reincarnator and gate is extreme.]
[■ Calculating power scaling to adjust rank difference.]
[■ Reincarnator’s stats increased by 5,000%.]
[■ Entering gate.]
Even more insane messages followed.
