Original Chapters (Manhwa): 39~42
10: the enigmatic beau
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The cold sea breeze caressed Eun-Byeol's face, as if he was its child. Although the waves hit the ship rather harshly, Eun-Byeol felt at home. It must be because of my Stigma. The beau thought as he watched the vast sea play around with the wind. While Eun-Byeol felt at ease, Lee Jihye was the opposite. Her face turned pale green as she threw up whatever she ate earlier.
Huiwon was in charge of comforting the seasick girl.
"I, isn't this the movie where the ship sinks?" Jihye asked while trying to keep herself together. "Does that mean we, have to sink the ship ourselves?" The girl threw up again before finally feeling a bit better. It was only when she raised her head that she noticed something odd. "Eun-Byeol-nim, you, why are you the one wearing the dress?!"
Everyone glanced at Eun-Byeol who stood near the railing.
He wore a fitting black dress with a wine red ribbon that hugged his body, a pair of long white gloves, and a pair of heels. What stunned Huiwon and Jihye more was that Eun-Byeol could actually walk straight with such high heels. That and Eun-Byeol practically gave meaning to the word heroine! Even his short hair had turned long, tied in a braid and wrapped in a bun. A few strands of hair were let loose, framing his pretty face.
Kim Dokja grew red in the face and looked down in an instant. I was just thinking how sunbae shouldn't laugh. Why did he have to wear such a dress that made him prettier?! Dokja wanted to scold the master of the Cinema Dungeon. If the master wanted a heroine, they should have picked a biological woman, not a man!
[The constellation Spiders Are The Best squeals in delight.]
[The constellation Lord Of The Watery Abyss says he almost had a heart attack.]
[The constellation Love Me Till Death wishes to see you pose.]
[The constellation Secretive Plotter is stunned.]
[The constellations have gifted you 1 800 coins.]
Eun-Byeol crossed his arms in a rather delicate manner, giving off an air of a fragile heroine in need of her knight in shining armor. Kim Dokja received a critical hit right in the heart when he saw this. "Dokja-shi, are you my male lead-" the beau was just about to fall in Dokja's arms when someone arrived calling for Jeb Dawson... who turned out to be Gilyoung.
An awkward silence passed by.
The beau choked on air. Fuck, that was too embarrassing even for me.
Jihye busted out laughing. "Pfft- HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
In the end, out of embarrassment, Eun-Byeol vented on the villain of the movie. The beau broke all his limbs before throwing the villain overboard. Watching this happen, Lee Jihye stopped laughing at last and avoided making eye contact with the embarrassed Eun-Byeol lest she gets thrown off as well.
[You have reached the second Ending Credit.]
[The cast: Kim Dokja, Jeong Huiwon, Lee Jihye, Lee Gilyoung, Ahn Eun-Byeol]
[You have each received 500 coins for your performance.]
[You have entered 5F, the Reward Room.]
Eun-Byeol was still in the process of forgetting the memories from moments ago when he noticed something bright sparkling ahead.
[You are limited to 2 reward items per person.]
Two? I should get something for Binna, too. The beau looked around until his eyes landed on a glass case, holding a black scythe inside. Various symbols carved on its silver blade. Eun-Byeol opened up the case and brought it out, catching everyone's attention. "Huh? Eun-Byeol-nim, you can use that kind of weapon?" Lee Jihye asked in surprise.
"Not at all. It's for my sister when I see her." Hearing that, Jihye zipped her lips tight. Sure enough, both siblings were not ordinary. She never would have imagined that the small, cute troublemaker of Taepung could wield such a weapon.
"But how does she even know how to use one? I don't think there's anyone in Seoul who teaches how to wield a scythe."
That question stunned the beau.
That's right.
In the first place, why did he even take the scythe? He had never seen Binna with a weapon like this before. His sister would always resolve fights with her fists or anything she could get her hands on. So, why did he think that a scythe this big and dangerous would suit Binna, of all people? His sister, who barely even reached his chest? A pang of pain hit Eun-Byeol out of nowhere, causing him to drop the scythe.
The ringing clatter it made when it fell caught everyone's attention. "Sunbae?" The first to express his concern was Dokja, who walked up to Eun-Byeol. The reader discovered Eun-Byeol's wrinkled expression, displaying how uneasy he felt. "What happened? Was it because you used your skill in the first movie?"
"No, no, I'm fine. I just thought of something." A smile curled on his lips, reassuring the worried Dokja. Despite how immaculate his acting however, everyone else could tell that something was wrong.
Kim Dokja recalled a few moments ago, how Eun-Byeol sunbae and Jihye were talking about sunbae's sister. But nothing seemed out of the ordinary? Maybe sunbae's sister kept it a secret from him. After all, a little girl wielding a weapon like that would have given anyone a heart attack. The reader bent down and picked up the scythe. "I'll carry it for now. Why don't you pick something for yourself, sunbae?"
"Alright~ just hearing Dokja-shi worry about me makes my heart flutter~"
[Ahn Eun-Byeol's skill, Seduction, passively activates.]
[The Fourth Wall blocks this skill from affecting you.]
"Yeah, yeah, just go pick something for yourself, sunbae." A helpless smile appeared on Dokja's lips, only to disappear when he noticed Huiwon and Jihye giving him weird looks. "What? Did I get dirt on my face?"
Jihye snickered. "Blockhead ahjushi."
The innocent Dokja: "...???"
In the end, Eun-Byeol found a sword hidden from view. It looked quite worn-out. The beau planned to draw the sword to check its quality, only for a status window to pop up in front of him.
[The sword, Dainsleif, cannot be sheathed unless it draws blood. Be mindful of its usage.]
[ITEM]
[Dainsleif - Replica]
Grade S Sword
A sword owned by King Högni, a legendary king in Viking mythology. The Dainsleif sword was made by the dwarf Dain who was among the most famous and talented craftsmen in the cosmos. Legend had it that once this Dainsleif was drawn out of its sheath, someone must die to quench the blood thirst of the sword. Every time it reveals its blade out, the holder must wield it to behead someone. The sword Dainsleif never missed its target. A replica.
...
"The sea again?"
Was the first thing Eun-Byeol said once they appeared inside another movie. The beau was starting to grow more and more annoyed with Yoo Junghyuk. If that bastard didn't enter the dungeon on his own, then they wouldn't have to encounter all this trouble, alright? If only Dokja cared less about that guy, Eun-Byeol would have persuaded his hubae to leave that bastard to die on his own.
"Get down everyone!" A voice yelled through the chaos. Several gunshots rang in the air, the scent of blood mixing in with the salty scent of the sea. Dokja quickly pulled Huiwon and Gilyoung behind him. The shield he got from the Reward Room barely hid the three of them from the raining bullets. Eun-Byeol stepped in front of them, grabbing the scythe from Dokja, and the scythe held tightly in his hands. Dainsleif the sword rested quietly by his hips.
The scythe moved fluidly between his fingers, blocking off bullets that headed their way. In that manner, Dokja's shield ended up useless when Eun-Byeol actually managed to deflect all the bullets.
Gilyoung looked at Eun-Byeol with starry eyes while Huiwon's jaw dropped in disbelief. "You, how, what the hell?"
Kim Dokja heaved a sigh of relief. "Sunbae-"
"Dokja-shi."
"Eh?"
When Eun-Byeol sunbae pointed his thumb behind them, Dokja followed it and his heart almost leaped out of his chest. What the hell? We're supposed to have twelve more ships... Why...? "Where's the general?" The reader quickly asked the soldier trembling on the floor.
"T, The general?"
"General Lee Sunsin!"
"...?"
Dokja almost let out a dry laugh. The Cinema Master must have changed the plot! If General Lee Sunsin isn't here, then-!
"Jihye...!"
Ahn Eun-Byeol watched with ease as Kim Dokja took care of the situation. The beau stood at the side, acting like a viewer watching an interesting show playing on screen. Although he looked like that, Eun-Byeol, in truth, was stunned by his own actions earlier. This was the first time he ever picked up a scythe, the first time he ever used said weapon, yet he managed to deflect a rain of bullets with so much ease.
Jihye's words came to mind. Binna... it seems like there's something I must know.
Ahn Binna.
Although she was his sister, born from the same parents, their parents never treated her like a daughter. They often send him letters from wherever they were, asking if Binna left the house or if Binna died already. Eun-Byeol had difficulty understanding his parents. Him and Binna looked so much alike, to the point that if it weren't for the age gap, people would mistake the siblings for twins.
The beau's thoughts were interrupted when the enemy climbed their ship. He left Huiwon and Gilyoung to team up while he dealt with those trying to approach Dokja and Jihye. Very soon, Jihye managed to overcome her personal hurdles. The turn of battle shifted in their favor and it didn't take the group no more than thirty minutes to finish the movie.
All the credits should go to Jihye and Eun-Byeol. By the time the fight reached its peak, Eun-Byeol unsheathed Dainsleif and slain enemies one by one in quick succession. Just as the legend behind Dainsleif said, it never misses. It beheaded the enemy in one slash, quenching the sword's blood thirst.
[The Cinema Master is content with the new ending.]
[You have reached the fourth Ending Credit.]
[The cast: Kim Dokja, Jeong Huiwon, Lee Jihye, Lee Gilyoung, Ahn Eun-Byeol]
[You have each received 500 coins for your performance.]
As soon as they were brought back to the dungeon, Jihye slid against the wall, exhausted from the battle.
"You did good," Huiwon praised the girl who managed to summon a ghost fleet.
"Ugh, I feel sick again..."
Eun-Byeol crouched down in front of Jihye, causing the girl to look at him weirdly. "What are you doing, Eun-Byeol-nim?"
"Why don't you take a rest? I'll be beating some sense into your master later and I'd feel bad if you were there."
Jihye: "..."
Dokja: "..." PFFT-
Eun-Byeol: "I'm serious."
Jihye: "..."
...
"Sunbae," Kim Dokja called as they ran up the stairs. "How do you think you'd fare against Yoo Junghyuk?" Although Dokja already drank the ampules from earlier and used his coins to raise his stats, he was going against the protagonist of TWSA so he worried if his stats were enough. However, there was someone with him who was just as strong, if not stronger, than said protagonist.
Ahn Eun-Byeol sunbae, this anomaly.
Dokja hadn't had time to check the webnovel again. Perhaps sunbae was mentioned but not directly. He couldn't possibly remember every detail from 3 149 chapters, right? Maybe a passage or a sentence mentioned sunbae, even if it was vague.
"For Dokja-shi, I can kill him~"
[The constellation Secretive Plotter complains that you don't focus on the task at hand.]
Pfft—
Who was this constellation kidding?
Obviously, for Eun-Byeol, Dokja was more important, alright?
"Uh," a drop of sweat rolled down Dokja's cheek. "Can we not kill him? Yoo Junghyuk really does make a good ally—" a pair of sharp eyes glanced at Dokja, causing the reader to change his tune. "—but not as good as sunbae!" That sharp penetrating glare disappeared and Dokja thanked his quick wit. I don't know what sunbae sees in me but his jealousy is quite scary!
"Of course he's not as good as your sunbae~" His coquettish tone sent an arrow right through Dokja's heart. We should be planning how to deal with Yoo Junghyuk but sunbae's not taking it seriously!
[You have entered 8F, The Sky Garden.]
As soon as they reached the last floor, they were greeted by Yoo Junghyuk's back. The man stood there in silence, unmoving and quiet. Kim Dokja's expression cracked, annoyed that he had to go through all that trouble. The reader speed-walked towards Yoo Junghyuk and smacked the protagonist upside the head. "Hey, Yoo Junghyuk!" Gosh, that felt so good. You prick, do you know how much I wanted to do that?
While Dokja reveled in that satisfaction, a hand picked him up by the collar and pulled him away before Yoo Junghyuk's palm landed on his stomach. Dokja released a comical shriek as he flew in the air. Only when he landed did he realize that Yoo Junghyuk had just tried to hit him. If it weren't for Eun-Byeol sunbae pulling him away, he might have already coughed up blood.
Don't tell me that the Cinema Master already got Yoo Junghyuk—!
The protagonist, who remained in place, sprinted forward. Eun-Byeol used the sheathed Dainsleif to block Junghyuk's attack. The force behind their clash made Dokja step backward, stunned by their power. Gosh, who knew Yoo Junghyuk was this strong?! And as I thought, sunbae is a match against that bastard. "Sunbae, remember not to kill him!"
"Tsk. Okay!~"
Did he just click his tongue?!
Dokja threw that into the back of his mind for the meantime. Right now, he needs to deal with the Cinema Master before Yoo Junghyuk tries to regress. However, every time Dokja charges at the Cinema Master, it would make Yoo Junghyuk back away from Eun-Byeol sunbae and go after him. Due to this, Dokja had difficulty approaching the Cinema Master.
"Sunbae!"
"Got it!"
This time, the ever-present smile on Ahn Eun-Byeol's lips formed a thin line. His eyes that often glistened with mischief turned cold and merciless.
[Your skill, Mental Manipulation, has been activated.]
An invisible force clashed against Eun-Byeol's mental power. Willing his mental power to overwhelm the opposition, Eun-Byeol's eyes glowed red as his mental power practically devoured the invisible force trying to fight control over Yoo Junghyuk's mind against him. In the background, the Cinema Master threw up blood and Kim Dokja used this window of opportunity to deal with it.
On the other hand, Ahn Eun-Byeol had gotten a bit carried away by the heated battle with Yoo Junghyuk earlier.
Isn't it so easy snuffing out this bastard's life right now?
I can cripple his mind, right?
With just one thought, I can make this useless bastard braindead.
That way, he wouldn't bring trouble to Dokja-shi anymore.
What if I take care of all of these pests—
"Byeol-hyung."
Lee Gilyoung's voice puts a stop to Eun-Byeol's dangerous thoughts. The faint glow of red in Eun-Byeol's eyes died down in an instant. The coldness and cruelty marring his features vanished, replaced with his usual affable smile. The beau raised his head, smiling at Gilyoung as if he hadn't just thought of murdering Yoo Junghyuk.
"Gilyoung-ah~ what's up? Did you get caught in our battle?"
"Nope. I was just curious why you're still standing here when he already fainted." Gilyoung pointed at Yoo Junghyuk's body sprawled across the ground.
Eun-Byeol faked a cough. "Your hyung was thinking when I could rub it in his face that he lost to me."
"Really?"
"Really really~"
"... okay!"
Kim Dokja wiped the sweat on his forehead. He warily glanced at his sunbae, recalling the status window he saw earlier.
[The incarnation, Ahn Eun-Byeol, has lost control. Flee.]
Lost control?
What did that mean, exactly? In Dokja's eyes, Eun-Byeol sunbae didn't look any different. Though, he did look a bit impatient with Yoo Junghyuk earlier. Plus, what's with the 'flee'?
I seriously need to know who sunbae is.
...
Yoo Junghyuk felt like he was floating down a river.
When he opened his eyes, he could see nothing in front of him. Darkness filled his vision. There, staring straight into nothingness, Junghyuk felt he was missing something. It had nothing to do with earlier, how he thought that doing another regression would make things better. This was different. As if something forcefully stripped a huge chunk of memories away from him.
What was it?
It was at the tip of his tongue.
But he couldn't quite grasp it.
What was it that he lost?
When he regressed into this life, he hadn't felt like he was missing something.
It was only triggered when he saw Ahn Eun-Byeol in such a miserable state back in the tunnel.
...
[The constellation Secretive Plotter apologizes with his head down.]
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If no one noticed the update, it's a love triangle with bb byeol in-between 👀
Only because I can't choose between junghyuk and dokja 😭
Bb byeol's dream be like: ↑