Uichan brushed the musk powder off his hands and quickened his pace. Moving toward the west gate of the hall, he scanned his surroundings. The ceremony had ended, and the room was crowded with people exchanging glittering pleasantries under the lights of the night.He focused all his attention on the faces of the security guards. Among them, he spotted a man in a sleek suit with in-ears tucked into his ears. His eyes darted around rapidly, scanning the hall with exaggerated alertness. Uichan immediately realized—this man was a disguised villain wearing the skin of a hero.Someone handed the man a small white slip. After glancing around, the man dumped the powder straight into his mouth.Found him.The escaped criminal Seok Myeongcheol, villain codename Gangster Lang, possessed an ability called Diffusion. Whatever he spat out multiplied and spread on contact. If the substance he had just ingested was a narcotic, then the moment he exhaled, the powder would spread through the hall and drug everyone within seconds.What they wanted was chaos and ruin—disgrace for the social elites gathered here.He had to stop it before it began. Pulling the in-ear from his ear, Uichan also unclipped the communicator from his belt and tossed it into a corner of the hall. Twisting the bracelet on his wrist, his face transformed into a stranger’s. Rolling his shoulders, he strode toward the man with deliberate calm.Gangster Lang grinned triumphantly and opened his mouth wide. The moment the seething powder burst from his lips, Uichan’s eyes flared electric blue.A heavy stillness fell, followed by black-and-white mist.The escaped convict Seok Myeongcheol widened his eyes at the sight before him. By now, the guests who had inhaled the musk powder should have been writhing on the floor, twitching and clawing at each other like insects. They should have been entangled and collapsing in depravity.But—“……”The world around him had frozen within a monochrome frame. The laughing, drinking people were there, yet separated from him by a strange divide. The powder he had spat out never reached them.Instead, it reversed—like time winding backward—returning to its original form. Veins bulged in Seok Myeongcheol’s neck. He screamed, but no sound broke through the frozen world.“Guh—!”When he blinked, the world flipped. The grayscale shattered, and before him loomed a massive hand. It seized his face and slammed him mercilessly into the ground.Bang!A choked groan tore from him as he fell back, spewing blood and powder from his mouth in a violent cough. Through the fingers gripping his face, he saw movement.The party hall was gone. The west gate was sealed, and beneath him was the cold marble of the corridor outside. Someone stood over him, loosening a neatly fastened tie.“Y-you! What the hell—ugh!”“Ah, sorry. Misjudged the strength. It’s not mine, you see.”Seok Myeongcheol tried to lurch upright, but the same hand slammed his head back down. Pain exploded through his skull, blood foaming from his lips.“Stay still. I just want to ask something. Then I’ll hand you over to the heroes nice and easy.”“You bastard—ugh!”“You said you wanted to see Under Doom, didn’t you?”The convict froze mid-struggle. The burst vessels in his eyes quivered with confusion. Who the hell is this guy? Why can’t I move? How did he destroy my whole plan—my team of villains—with that flimsy body?“Y-you son of a—!! It’s you, isn’t it? You’re Under Doom?!”“No. Just someone who knows him. If you’ve got a message, I’ll deliver it. So—”Thud—thud!The man smashed Seok Myeongcheol’s head into the marble twice more. Cracks split the floor; blood spattered, and Seok Myeongcheol’s eyes bulged grotesquely. Before he could scream, pale fingers clamped over his mouth.“Stop flailing and answer. Hmm? Let’s talk.”“Mmff—kgh!”“You met Aengak, didn’t you?”The soft, even tone of his voice carried an eerie resonance. Even hearing it up close, Seok Myeongcheol couldn’t place what kind of voice it was.He knew it was male, but it kept slipping past his perception, disorienting his ears. His appearance was the same—so plain that one could look away and instantly forget his face. That was thanks to the supporter bracelet Uichan wore.“Aengak?”Seok Myeongcheol spat blood and grinned viciously, eyes blazing like a cornered beast.“If you wanna know… ngh, tell Under Doom to come himself…. That bastard—ugh—last time, he tucked tail and ran. Scared shitless, huh? Or what, you are Aengak?”“……”The white hand grabbed his head again. Uichan decided there was nothing more worth hearing. Dragging Seok Myeongcheol toward the main gate, he planned to toss the man to the heroes like a stray dog’s prey. The convict’s heavy body scraped across the fractured marble.“And another thing, you bastard—”Before he could finish, Seok Myeongcheol burst into laughter, clutching at the hand gripping his hair. Does this fool really think he came alone? Who walks into a hornet’s nest without backup?“You think… ngh… I came here with nothing?”At that moment, the corridor windows shattered as villains poured in en masse. Uichan looked up, startled. In seconds, the corridor filled with bodies—far too many to count.From experience, he knew how this would end: badly, for everyone else.“Look… this’ll only go badly for you guys. I’m just—kind of unlucky, that’s all….”“Kill him!!”Feeling the hair on his arms rise, Uichan released Seok Myeongcheol and leapt back. The marble floor where he’d been standing caved in like tofu under the impact.A deafening explosion echoed. Above, a sinister shadow loomed—figures clinging to the ceiling like ghosts, staring down at him. A wave of killing intent prickled along his skin.Masked assailants hung upside down like bats, weapons drawn. The instant they spotted him, they charged. A storm of attacks descended all at once, forcing Uichan to dodge frantically.Then the west gate burst open. Security personnel flooded in from the hall, heroes among them fully armed and ready. They had anticipated the attack after hearing the explosions.A fierce battle erupted as heroes clashed with the invading villains. The corridor turned into a chaotic war zone.Uichan moved through the confusion, avoiding the heroes while kicking away any villains who tried to grab him. His reasoning was simple—if he helped the heroes here, he’d only end up dead alongside them. Good deeds never ended well for him.The west gate trembled violently, battered by the chaos. Heroes fought tooth and nail to prevent more villains from breaching the hall. Then, a sudden gale swept through the corridor, trapping the villains inside a roaring vortex.“It’s Noatis! La Épée and Blacktan will be here soon—clear the way!”The heroes’ morale shot up the moment Noatis appeared. Uichan quickly searched for Seok Myeongcheol again and spotted him using another villain as a shield. Gritting his teeth, Uichan crossed the battlefield. The convict was once again shoving handfuls of musk powder into his mouth.Catching a flying axe midair, Uichan adjusted his grip.Sorry, but you’re going to swallow that powder yourself.Seeing him charging with the axe, Seok Myeongcheol’s face twisted in horror. He hurled aside the villain he’d been using as a shield and ran. Uichan chased him down the wrecked corridor, the two of them weaving through the chaos. Heads turned as the chase cut through the battlefield.Just when it looked like Seok Myeongcheol was fleeing, he stopped abruptly in the middle of the hall. At that moment, Uichan struck down a nearby villain—but his swing accidentally knocked a hero off balance, sending them both sprawling to the floor.Flustered, Uichan scrambled up and helped the hero to his feet.“S-sorry! I was aiming for the villain, really! No hard feelings!”“Goddamn it, fine! Just watch where you’re swinging, will you?!”“Yes, of course! Sorry again.”After apologizing repeatedly, Uichan felt the air grow suddenly cold. He looked up—and froze. From the far end of the corridor, red petals came swirling toward them.The entire world seemed to drown in crimson light, like a sea of blood. The fluttering petals filled his vision. Hearing footsteps approaching from beyond, Uichan’s stomach dropped.“Phantom Thief Kill! Phantom Thief Kill is here!”Someone shouted frantically, and the crowd scattered in panic. The legendary thief had arrived to adorn the night of chaos.As the petals drifted closer, heroes and villains alike broke into a desperate sprint. Touch even one, and your body would be shredded to pieces. Ahead of them, Seok Myeongcheol stood frozen in shock. When he turned to run, he came face-to-face with Uichan.Uichan shouted at once.“Stay right there! You’ll be fine if you don’t move!”“What kind of lunatic—?!”“No, I’m serious! Just stay where you are! Don’t come near me!”Uichan spoke as calmly as possible, trying not to provoke him. But Seok Myeongcheol, cornered and desperate, was far beyond reason. Uichan, pale-faced, waved his hands wildly.Don’t come here, I’m telling you not to!He only wanted to keep Phantom Thief Kill from being dragged into his bad luck, but to everyone else, the sight told a different story.To the heroes, the indistinct-faced man looked terrified, flailing in panic before the oncoming killer. So, naturally, one of them moved to protect him.A soft gust brushed Uichan’s cheek. Before he knew it, a large man stood between him and the storm of ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) petals. Brown hair rippled in the wind, and his broad back was solid and unwavering.It was Noatis.“Stay behind me.”

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