Yoon-Soo's lifeless body hit the ground with a dull thud.
The arrogant, untouchable B-rank assassin—the man who mocked everyone weaker than him—was now nothing more than a corpse.
The Red King's burning gaze slowly turned to Kai.
Then—
It raised its greatsword.
And Kai realized.
This was it.
He was going to die.
Paralyzed by Fear – The Moment Before Death
Kai's legs wouldn't move.
His breath came in short, ragged gasps, his chest tightening as his vision blurred.
"Move. Move, dammit!"
But his body refused.
A part of him had always known this day would come.
He wasn't like the others.
He wasn't fast like Yoon-Soo.
He wasn't strong like Dae-Ho.
He wasn't skilled like Min-Jae.
He was just Kai Ren.
A D-rank reject.
A Scrivener.
A record keeper.
And now—he was about to die like one.
The Red King's Approach – Despair Takes Hold
The Red King's massive form loomed over him, its armor glinting under the blood-red sky.
Each step it took sent deep tremors through the earth, as if the world itself feared its presence.
Kai couldn't breathe.
It felt like an ocean of pressure was pressing down on his chest, like the very air had turned into solid stone.
A System Notice appeared before him.
🔹 [SYSTEM ALERT: SURVIVAL RATE – 0.01%] 🔹
⚠ WARNING! HOST IS INEVITABLE DEATH STATE!
His hands shook.
He wanted to fight back.
He wanted to scream, to run, to do anything.
But he had nothing.
"I can't die. I can't die like this."
But what could he do?
Write the Red King's biography in his notebook?
The Party Breaks – Desperation Takes Over
Dae-Ho gritted his teeth, stepping between Kai and the approaching monster.
"Run, Ren!"
Kai snapped out of his daze.
"Dae-Ho, wait—"
But Dae-Ho wasn't listening.
He roared, lifting his tower shield, mana surging around his body as he activated his strongest skill.
🔹 [Fortress Wall – Rank B!]
A glowing golden barrier appeared around him, reinforcing his shield as he braced for the Red King's attack.
"COME ON, YOU BASTARD!" Dae-Ho roared.
The Red King tilted its head.
Then—
It swung.
One. Single. Strike.
CRACK!
The shield shattered like glass.
Dae-Ho's entire left arm was ripped from his body—severed at the shoulder.
"AHHHHHHHH!"
His scream of agony rang through the battlefield as blood sprayed into the air.
Then—he collapsed.
"DAE-HO!" Hana screamed.
She rushed forward, trying to heal him, but Min-Jae grabbed her.
"We have to run!"
"No—Dae-Ho—!"
"HANA, HE'S ALREADY DEAD!"
Min-Jae's Desperation – The Breaking Point
Min-Jae's face was twisted in fear.
The Red King wasn't a boss monster.
It was a force of nature.
And now, it was moving toward them again.
Kai could see it in Min-Jae's eyes—he was about to do something reckless.
"Min-Jae—don't—"
Too late.
The mage turned and ran.
Hana stared in shock.
"Min-Jae…?"
He didn't even look back.
He was abandoning them.
"HANA, RUN!"
But she was frozen in place.
Tears streamed down her face as she looked at Dae-Ho's bleeding body.
"Come on, Hana, MOVE!" Kai grabbed her arm.
The Red King began moving again.
And Hana…
…couldn't move.
Her body was paralyzed by grief.
So Kai did the only thing he could.
He pushed her away.
"RUN!"
And in that moment—
The Red King's greatsword came down.
Straight toward Kai.
Kai's Death – The End of the Weak
The instant before impact, time seemed to slow.
His mind raced.
There was no escape.
There was no miracle coming.
There was only this moment.
And as the massive blade descended, Kai's final thoughts were:
"I don't want to die."
Then—
Blackness.
A sudden weightlessness, as if his very soul was being pulled from his body.
And then—
🔹 [SYSTEM OVERRIDE DETECTED] 🔹
🔹 [NECROTIC CORE ACTIVATED] 🔹
🔹 [FORCED RECONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS] 🔹
A voice echoed in the darkness.
Cold. Ancient. Inhuman.
🔹 [Death is not the end.]
🔹 [The fallen shall rise.]
🔹 [Do you accept?]
And then—
Kai opened his eyes again.