"It's finally next month."
Baek Seo-jin, who had just turned 20 this year (21 under the traditional Korean age system), felt his heart race with anticipation.
"Krrk... Krrrk..."
Before him lay a villain groaning in pain, their body sprawled out. The villain was classified as SS-rank—a level so fearsome that, in another country, they could threaten an entire city. Yet here, the villain was reduced to a pitiful state.
For Baek Seo-jin, however, this particular villain wasn’t an especially difficult opponent.
"Just a little more," he thought.
If he could grow just a bit stronger, he might finally stand a chance against Kim Ho-jun.
"Ye-jin noona."
This year, Seomun Ye-jin turned 24, as did Kim Ho-jun. In the media, the two appeared like a picture-perfect couple, seemingly happy in every way. But Baek Seo-jin knew better.
That expression on Seomun Ye-jin's face—it wasn’t the face of someone genuinely happy. No, she had been deceived, forced into a marriage she regretted, her smiles masking the misery she endured.
Considering Kim Ho-jun’s vile nature—a man who, much like Baek Seo-jin's older brother Baek Seo-jun, had shown unthinkable cruelty by the age of 10—it was impossible for him to have brought her any happiness. Kim Ho-jun, who had been equally disrespectful and vicious to his own parents before they handed Baek Seo-jun over to villains, could only make Ye-jin’s life a living hell.
"Damn it," Seo-jin cursed under his breath.
He needed to save her. Yet here he was, still preoccupied with catching villains, stuck in a situation he found deeply frustrating.
"Baek Seo-jin, what are you doing?"
A sharp voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see a girl with long, pink hair and fiery red eyes. She was stunning, though her youthful features betrayed her age.
It was Han Se-hee, a 20-year-old girl who had been his childhood friend for nine years.
"Ah, sorry, Se-hee. I was just lost in thought for a moment," Seo-jin replied.
"Sure," Se-hee said, her tone indifferent, as though she couldn’t care less. But Seo-jin found her attitude endearing.
This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.
To the world, Han Se-hee was always kind and gentle, a picture of warmth and grace. But toward him, she was blunt, even curt—a stark contrast that made her seem genuine. Only in front of Seo-jin did she show such honesty.
Her behavior was a reminder that he was someone she felt comfortable with, someone special. Se-hee, who put on a polished act for others, trusted him enough to be her true self. Seo-jin couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride in being that person for her.
"Even Se-hee needs someone she can be honest with," he thought with a faint smile.
He cherished the idea that she could confide in him in ways she couldn’t with anyone else—not even Lee Ha-yeon, another close friend of hers.
Helping Se-hee brought him joy. Assisting people, especially someone as dear to him as his childhood friend, always gave him a sense of fulfillment.
After suppressing the villain’s overwhelming mana with his power, Seo-jin secured them with special restraints. An SS-rank villain couldn’t be subdued with standard methods—their immense magical energy required extraordinary measures.
"Thank you for your hard work."
Government officials arrived to take the captured villain into custody. In truth, these officials were not ordinary bureaucrats but trained hunters sent by the Kangin Guild—a powerful organization operating under the guise of a state institution.
"Se-hee, it’s almost time for you to enroll in Kangin Academy. Are you prepared?" Seo-jin asked.
"I’ll handle it," she replied curtly, turning her head to avoid further conversation.
"Heh, Se-hee is as adorable as ever," Seo-jin thought, stifling a chuckle. If he said such things out loud, her shy nature would undoubtedly make her lash out again. Wasn’t there a term for this? Tsundere?
Keeping his thoughts to himself, Seo-jin smiled, relishing the dynamic between them.
"With Se-hee and Ha-yeon by my side, it won’t be long before I take Kim Ho-jun down."
***
Annoying.
The thought that she might just want to kill him crossed Han Se-hee’s mind as irritation surged through her.
What Han Se-hee felt was extreme frustration.
Baek Seo-jin—this insufferable guy—despite her explaining years ago that they were not friends, insisted on clinging to the delusion that they were childhood friends.
But to Han Se-hee, who knew the truth about his parents and the atrocities he had committed against Baek Seo-jun, Baek Seo-jin was nothing but a disgusting, hypocritical villain.
Every time she saw him, the repulsion made maintaining her pretense unbearable.
As someone naturally terrible at lying or deceiving others, Han Se-hee found it impossible to act friendly toward Baek Seo-jin, one of her top three most detested people in the world (the other two being Baek Hyung-won and Kim Yoo-jung).
Yet Baek Seo-jin conveniently deluded himself into thinking otherwise.
In his warped mind, the polite facade she showed others was fake, while the curt demeanor she displayed toward him was her "real" self.
Honestly, it was absurd.
Han Se-hee was simply acting as she naturally would. If anything, her behavior toward him was the purest reflection of how much she loathed him.
Still, Han Se-hee felt a sense of relief.
At least she didn’t have to pretend. His self-deception would make her role in Baek Seo-jun’s revenge, set to begin this year, much easier to carry out.
"No matter how you choose to get your revenge, Seo-jun oppa, I’ll do my best to support you," she thought.
She hadn’t asked Seo-jun for specifics about his plan for vengeance. Knowing her lack of acting skills, she intentionally avoided learning too much to prevent herself from accidentally jeopardizing his plans.
The only thing she knew was that the ultimate goal was to shatter Baek Seo-jin’s happiness when he was at his peak.
"It’s convenient that he misinterprets everything. At least I don’t have to put effort into acting."
Even being here now wasn’t because she was working with Baek Seo-jin but because she’d been dispatched to minimize collateral damage during the villain's capture.
And yet, Baek Seo-jin had conveniently decided that she was helping him because they were childhood friends.
"I'm heading out now," she said abruptly.
"Alright, good work, Se-hee. Let’s meet again soon," he replied cheerfully.
Han Se-hee didn’t bother responding.
"I hope I never see him again."
That was her honest wish. The thought of seeing him again, especially at the upcoming Kangin Academy entrance ceremony, filled her with disgust.
It surprised her how deeply she could despise someone.
"Seo-jun oppa... I can’t wait to see you."
Thinking of Baek Seo-jun, Han Se-hee smiled as she pulled out her phone.
After unlocking her gallery with a passcode, photos of her and Baek Seo-jun appeared.
There were also pictures with Seomun Ye-jin and Lee Ha-yeon, but among them, her favorite was one where Baek Seo-jun had carried her in a "princess hold."
"Seo-jun oppa, I’ll do my best."
Even though staying by Baek Seo-jin’s side and letting him misunderstand her intentions was exhausting, she resolved to persevere.
It was necessary for Seo-jun’s revenge to succeed, for him to achieve peace of mind.
Knowing what he had to endure every day, Han Se-hee, as one of the women who supported him, was determined to make it happen.
"I’ll make sure Seo-jun oppa doesn’t just rely on us to maintain his mental stability, but instead lives with clarity and peace every day."
***
It’s almost time.
The long black serpent, Ramisa, flicked her tongue and gazed at me with unblinking eyes.
“Yes, Ramisa. It’s about to begin,” I replied casually to her words, but she responded with a faint smile.
"Have you ever regretted it?"
“Regret? Yeah, I’ve had regrets. Like the day Baek Hyung-won and Kim Yoo-jung sold me off to the villains—I regretted a lot that day.”
"That’s not what I meant. I’m asking if you’ve ever regretted forming a contract with me."
“Not particularly,” I said with a slight laugh.
From the start, I had a perfect memory, capable of recalling every detail with precision. I could even dull my emotions if I wanted to, an ability I’d cultivated deliberately.
However, when I accepted Ramisa’s power, I made a choice. As part of our deal, I chose to vividly remember the pain, anger, and thirst for vengeance I felt on that day.
As a result, the agony of being captured by villains, subjected to torturous human experiments, was as fresh as if it had happened moments ago. The fury and need for revenge I felt after being discarded into the dimensional rift, left to heal and rebuild myself, were as sharp as ever.
“It’s painful to feel these things every day, but it’s the path I chose,” I said calmly.
Escaping this torment was simple. All I had to do was carry out my revenge in a way that truly satisfied me.
“If I can’t achieve satisfying revenge, this suffering would haunt me forever anyway, even without the price of your power.”
Ramisa nodded at my words. There was something oddly endearing about the way the snake’s head bobbed, almost making me want to reach out and pat her.
"That’s true. But, Seo-jun, Baek Seo-jin isn’t your only enemy," she said.
“I know. Baek Hyung-won, Kim Yoo-jung... and soon enough, the Fox That Devours the World will make its move.”
The Fox That Devours the World would undoubtedly begin to exert its influence over this world once again.
To protect the women I love—my wives—after avenging myself on Baek Hyung-won, Kim Yoo-jung, and Baek Seo-jin, I would have to defend this world.
Though I didn’t regret my choices, my mind was constantly under tremendous stress.
Yet, the time I spent with my wives brought me a rare sense of peace.
The stability they provided me was something truly special.
“Dear, it’s time to head out,” came a gentle voice.
Seomun Ye-jin approached me, her hair shimmering in a shade close to indigo, a light purple hue that swayed gracefully as she moved. Her face lit up with a bright smile.