"A crestless, you say?" Ma Dong-hyuk repeated, his eyes fixing on me — weighing, dissecting, judging with every heartbeat.
I stood still, hands buried in my cloak pockets, feeling the air thicken around us.
Dong-hyuk's voice dropped to something quieter, but far colder."Mr. Lee… have you been drinking lately? Do you even hear yourself? How could a crestless kill someone with a crest stronger than most hunters in this guild?"
His gaze didn't leave mine now.Outwardly calm — but I could sense it: the fury simmering under that seasoned mask.Hwang Cheon wasn't just any hunter. He was the second pillar of this guild. Losing him was like losing the arm that held their precious god's hammer.
[Without Hwang Cheon, it will take time for the next Reblessing.]
Reblessing — an annual ritual, a gamble for incarnations to stay loyal or switch sponsors.Thunder's deity would have to wait, powerless, for the next festival to bind a new puppet.
Dong-hyuk's next word rumbled deep and dark:"You…"A single syllable heavy enough to crack stone."Speak."
I sighed, shifting my eyes around the room until I spotted a chair.Without hurry, I walked over, spun it around, and straddled it backward — resting my arms across the backrest, chin just above.
I met both of their eyes."You're barking up the wrong tree."
Eunseok bristled, voice sharp:"Nonsense. I saw you — your sword was drawn, you stood over him—"
I cut him off with a calm flick of my hand."Right. You saw my sword. But did you actually see me swing it? Did you see me cut him?"
His mouth snapped shut. Silence dripped thick in the office.
I tilted my head, letting a small smirk pull at my lip."Exactly. And just like your leader said — I'm crestless. No blessing, no deity to back me. So tell me, how does a nobody like me scratch your golden boy?"
I leaned in a fraction closer — my eyes unwavering."Think carefully before you answer."
"Hwang Cheon gambled his own life — and so did the deity of thunder."I spoke evenly, my voice steady as I watched their faces tighten."Your precious deity broke the Divine Link law and possessed him outright. That's why his body fell apart."
I shifted slightly in the chair, one arm lazily draped over the backrest."Before that possession? Hwang Cheon got smashed against the dungeon wall by the boss. Knocked clean out."
I gave Eunseok a look, then flicked my eyes back to Ma Dong-hyuk."While you all were busy fighting for your hides, that deity hijacked him. Too impatient to wait, too proud to admit defeat. So he lashed out — rampaged — killed one of your own."
I let the weight of my words sink in, then raised my brows mockingly."And that, gentlemen, is how your second pillar turned to dust. Any questions?"
I tilted my head, tone dripping with sarcasm."Or are we still pretending this is somehow my fault?"
"Come on now — not my fault I've got trust issues with your so-called myths."I pushed myself up from the chair.
"That alibi is bullshit," the guild leader snapped, his brows furrowing so deep they nearly touched.
I barked a short laugh and spread my arms."If you're so damn sure I did it, then enlighten me — how did I kill him? Go on, I'm dying to hear it."
Silence. Eunseok shifted uncomfortably, eyes darting between me and Ma Dong-hyuk.
"Nothing? Thought so."
I clicked my tongue, my tone dripping mock pity.
"You're all so desperate for someone to blame that you'd point at the one man who couldn't so much as scratch your 'golden boy.' That's how this rotten world works, right? Strong crushes weak, rinse and repeat."
I raised my hands mockingly, wrists together."So do it. Cuff me. Hell, kill me — isn't that what you dogs really want?"
"Don't you dare mock us like that—!" Ma Dong-hyuk snarled, his voice a low rumble ready to split stone.
I cut him off cold."Then answer me, old man. How the fuck did I kill your precious second key? Open your mouth — or shut it forever."
The guild leader's lip curled back in a snarl before he bit it down, his jaw clenching so tight I could hear his teeth grind.Finally, he rasped, "Mr. Lee, get this man out of my sight."
I almost chuckled at the simmering rage behind that forced calm. Eunseok opened the door without a word, and I stepped out, feeling the tension trail behind me like a satisfied ghost.
Outside, in the lobby and on our way toward the exit, Eunseok finally spoke, his tone edged with frustration and a hint of awe."Who are you, really?"
I shot him a sideways glance, then pushed the guild's heavy door open with a shove."Classified."
The street air hit my face, carrying the middle district's familiar mix of market spices, exhaust, and a whiff of old concrete. Eunseok kept pace beside me, his eyes flicking up to where my red label used to hover — the mark branding me 'crestless' for all to see.
"It's gone. The red mark's gone — yet there's no glow, no sign you're blessed. You're a damn mystery."
He wasn't wrong. In this world, the crest — the divine brand — always left its proof: a golden light at the back of a palm, or at the base of the neck. Anyone with a blessing could confirm another's status through the Divine Link system, especially if they shared the same guild pantheon.
If they were from different pantheons, the system still demanded a mutual confirmation first. But before I become myself now, anyone could read me like an open ledger — a nothing, an empty slot.
Now I carried something else: the Ink System.A framework no deity in their gilded seat ever planned for.And no one — not Eunseok, not the Nordic pantheon, not even the self-proclaimed deities above — could peek inside it.
However, as we walked along the cobbled pathway, a screen flickered to life in front of me — the familiar translucent window pulsing in and out of my vision. A small red mark glowed next to my newest skill.
[🔴 Plot Review — A climactic scene will soon begin]
The system's voice whispered the warning directly into my ear, but I didn't break stride. With a thought, I activated Plot Review. Another tab unfolded in midair, letters arranging themselves line by line:
[Not long after, as Eunseok follows the path leading to the inn where Jaemin and the rest gather, he hears a sudden explosion in the distance.]
[He stops, surprise etching his face, before sprinting toward the source of the commotion. There are screams — and the guttural roars of monsters.]
I watched the lines update in real time — the system narrating the next beats of the story. The focus was now on Eunseok.
[Upon arriving, he spots a massive beast wreaking havoc in the lower district. Without hesitation, he charges in to help.]
As if the system's words had ignited reality itself, a thunderous blast erupted in the distance. The ground beneath us trembled. Cracks split the road. Shouts and monstrous snarls echoed from where the lower district lay sprawled.
Eunseok and I locked eyes for a split second.No words needed — we both turned and broke into a run, heading straight for the chaos.
The road seemed to stretch endlessly beneath our feet as we sprinted toward the gate marking the boundary between the middle and lower districts. Ahead, a pillar of black smoke coiled up into the sky, smudging out what little sunlight pierced through the clouds.
From within that haze, a shape emerged — massive, snarling, half-swallowed by the smoke yet unmistakably alive.
Its hide was thick and dark as old iron. Eight eyes, burning crimson, blinked one after another along its broad skull. It crouched low, claws like scythes raking at the stone streets — a colossal wolf made nightmare-flesh.
I glanced at the floating tab drifting beside me. The system faithfully transcribed reality in real time:
[At that moment, Eunseok understood what he faced: the beast tearing through the city was none other than the great Bloodmoon Wolf — Fenrir.]
Fenrir.A name heavy enough to make legends tremble.
Beside me, Eunseok's steps faltered only for a heartbeat. His eyes widened — recognition and dread battling behind them — before he gritted his teeth and pushed forward, toward the slaughter waiting below.
And me?I could only smirk at the absurdity.So, the plot really was in motion now.
Without wasting another breath, we both launched forward — boots hammering against the cobblestones, the wind screaming in our ears. I drew my sword in mid-sprint; its edge caught the fading sunlight, flickering red like a fresh wound.
But then — a thought crashed into my mind, colder than any steel.
If I clash with that wolf here and now, tearing through a monster of this caliber… every whisper that I killed Hwang Cheon will grow teeth and a spine. I'd be confirming their worst suspicion: that a crestless shouldn't have this power.
Tch. Not yet. Not here.
I planted my foot down and kicked off the path, veering away from the charge. My cloak snapped behind me as I leaped onto a crumbling wall and vaulted to a nearby rooftop — just far enough to watch without being dragged into the brawl.
Below, Eunseok slid to a halt, boots skidding sparks on the stones. He threw me a glance, half a snarl."Feeling cowardly all of a sudden?!" he barked, twirling his staff in one hand as arcs of light gathered at its tip.
I just watched — blade humming at my side — as he braced himself alone against the nightmare wolf.
"Tsk, I'm not reckless enough to pick a fight with that thing," I muttered, eyes locked on the snarling mass of muscle and eyes. My sword hummed faintly at my side, impatient."And besides… isn't that beast Fenrir? One of your pantheon's pets?" I added, flicking my gaze to Eunseok just as the wolf lunged for him like a living landslide of fur and fangs.
Eunseok didn't answer — his lips were already moving, a stream of ancient syllables spilling out like a low chant that buzzed through the air.
[ Eunseok then began to mouth forgotten words, weaving ancient binding rites into shape. Golden chains burst from the cracks in the road, coiling like serpents around Fenrir's limbs and torso. ]
I glanced at the floating tab as it scribbled the narration in real time — my private spoiler feed.
Sure enough, reality matched the script. The massive wolf's paws slammed onto the wet street, claws tearing up the stones until the chains tightened. It howled — a sound that rattled glass all the way up to the middle district's windows — but the bindings held, golden and pulsing with runes.
Eunseok planted his staff into the cobblestones, magic swirling like a storm around him."Don't just stand there gawking!" he barked over his shoulder.But I only smirked, flicking the tab aside.
"Handle your pet, priest."
I glanced at the floating tab again, watching the next line write itself into the air.
[All of a sudden, Eunseok heard the subtle clatter of iron boots across the rooftops of the crumbling buildings. A flicker of gold flashed through his vision — golden hair and a gleaming sword.]
Here he is.
[With a warm smile, Eunseok tightened his grip on the chain spell wrapped around the beast. The golden-haired figure leapt from the roof, descending like a divine strike. His sword came down, cleaving through the air — and into Fenrir. The impact echoed like a thunderclap, hurling the colossal wolf down the road in a wave of dust and debris.]
The system script came to life again — a perfect cue. From above, I heard the rush of footsteps skimming rooftops, boots scraping metal. And then, a burst of gold.
He dropped from the sky like a meteor, radiant and untouchable. His blade screamed as it cut through the tension, then slammed against the beast's hide.
"Jaemin!" Eunseok shouted, just as the golden chains shattered from the sheer force of the blow.
The wolf skidded, howling, across the ruined street.
Of course.The main character has arrived.
[A climactic scene is unfolding.]
[Hidden Skill: ???? — Activated]
The system's whisper brushed my ear, but I barely glanced at it. I wouldn't need the hidden skill this time — I had no plans to swing my sword anyway. Not because I was afraid. Far from it.
I just didn't feel like earning another rumor about a crestless killer today.
"Deactivate hidden skill," I muttered before the veil could even weave around me.
Out in the open, the air stank of dust and fur and blood. Across the wrecked street, Eunseok and Jaemin squared up side by side.
The wolf — or whatever ancient nightmare it was — quivered on its belly, eight glaring eyes half-closing in pain as blood spilled in steaming rivulets onto cracked concrete.
"Nice hit," Eunseok muttered to Jaemin without looking away from the beast."It was just a light slash." Jaemin cracked a grin, flicking blood off his blade like it was nothing.
Then Eunseok's gaze darted past the wolf — right at me, where I stood half-hidden behind the broken wall.
"Hey! You're not really gonna stand there doing nothing? I thought you were strong!" he yelled.
I rolled my eyes. With an exaggerated sigh, I stepped out from behind the ruin, boots crunching over shattered glass.
Right on cue, the tab flickered again:
[…however, the wolf slowly rose, its massive frame trembling but defiant. Limbs shaking, blood dripped from its jaws as it fixed its eyes on the two hunters.]
I lifted a hand, pointing lazily at the monster just meters away. "I think you should focus on your pet problem first," I said, voice dry as sand.
The wolf's growl rumbled like a landslide as it pushed up on broken legs — rage coiling tighter with every drop of its blood that hit the ground.
I shifted my eyes past the beast — past Eunseok — to the man standing beside him.
And there it was.
A shimmer of gold bloomed in his pupils, spilling out like dawn through a crack. Then, behind him, something vast unfolded: wings — four of them — pale and spectral, beating the air without sound. Not sprouting from his back, but from a presence looming behind him.
An angel.
Not the kind the temples paint on cracked chapel walls — no. This one was draped in white cloth that floated like mist. A black veil covered its eyes, yet its mouth — those plum-red lips — seemed carved in a hush that knew every secret in this ruin of a world.
The tab flickered open again, but there was nothing — no name, no line about who or what this guardian was. Maybe it had been mentioned somewhere back in the main plot, before I ever crawled onto the page.
Odd.
I flicked my gaze at Eunseok. He didn't flinch. He didn't even look at it, though that angel hovered close enough to brush its ghostly fingers through his hair if it wanted.
Was it just me, then?
Did only I see the angel behind him?