Thirty Minutes Earlier…
Those two strangers—judging by their accents, I could tell they were Chinese. If I connect Park Yoon-Suk's death in the past with these two, the pieces begin to fit.
Even back when I was nothing but a failure before reincarnation, I understood the tension between South Korea and China.
The conflict wasn't between the people themselves, but between certain factions within their governments.
I won't claim my own country is blameless—we're no angels.
But for the Chinese Guild to orchestrate the assassination of someone like Park Yoon-Suk? That crosses every line.
No… I won't condemn them so quickly. I'll assume, for now, that this was the scheme of a rogue member within their Guild.
« I need to find Kim Nina. Where is she now? » Ji-Kai muttered as he hurried through the Guild Tower's corridors, scanning left and right. At last, he spotted her, sipping a glass of water near a cooler.
« Miss Nina, may I have a moment of your time? » Ji-Kai asked as he approached. He was slightly out of breath, but still spoke with formal politeness.
« What is it? And why are you panting like that? Were you being chased? » Nina's eyes narrowed with suspicion, probing his intent before he could say anything unnecessary.
« The truth is… I have something you'll like. Something very special, » Ji-Kai said, forcing a confident smile, though inside he felt no joy. The clock was ticking—only twenty-five minutes remained.
« Something I'll like? Did you hit your head somewhere? Go bother someone els—what?! » Her words cut off as Ji-Kai produced a small card, a ticket embossed with three letters: BBS.
It gleamed like a VIP pass, rare and expensive. The sight alone made Kim Nina tremble with excitement.
« Yes, yes, I know. It's a ticket to the BBS concert. A friend gave it to me as a gift, thinking I liked that kind of music. But I'm not interested. »
« So I thought… maybe you'd want it? After all, you're a girl—you might enjoy their songs. » Ji-Kai spoke with feigned indifference, though the truth ran deeper.
Back to the present—on the rooftop. Park Yoon-Suk had scrambled behind a stack of iron crates often left by workers, while Ji-Kai now stood face-to-face with the Chinese assassin.
Her entire body was covered in tight, black, light-reflecting fabric, her mask sealing her features away.
The outfit was designed to distract, to unsettle—but Ji-Kai's focus was elsewhere.
Kim Nina's mission had been simple. I knew that much. She was still the same person I remembered. And because she was the same,
I knew she was a devoted fan of that band. The former owner of this body had been obsessed with them too.
Just thinking about it makes me want to leap off this tower—but that's not the point.
I had obtained the consumable A-rank item. Not what I expected, but still extraordinary.
[ Item Name: Memory Elixir ] [ Rank: A ]
[ Details: Appears as a simple liquid in a vial, but stirs dormant memories, allowing the user to temporarily reclaim a skill or ability from the past. Duration: 3 minutes. ]
[ Quantity: 1/5 ]
Before launching at the assassin, I drank it.
With only three minutes of power, I was racing against time. Two minutes and ten seconds remained.
For those precious moments, I would be stronger than I am now. I chose to recall my strength from before I turned back time.
[ Status Window – Kim Ji-Kai ]
[ Strength: 30/100 ] (temporarily enhanced )
[ Speed: 45/100 ] (temporarily enhanced)
[ Intelligence: 55/100 ] (temporarily enhanced)
[ Constitution: 55/100 ] (temporarily enhanced)
[ Mana: No data available ]
[ Overall Level: 37/100 ] (temporarily enhanced)
Since my current body hasn't unlocked mana pathways, I couldn't summon my full stats.
I had wanted to recall my peak strength from just before my death, but this would do. Half my power was enough to deal with her.
The woman studied Ji-Kai briefly, then lunged. Agile and fast, her movements were sharpened by mana, forcing Ji-Kai onto the defensive.
Yet his boosted stats gave him the edge.
Spotting an opening, he drove a punch toward her stomach. She twisted away, but his fist clipped her thigh, hobbling her slightly.
Still, she pressed on, relentless. Then, in a sudden feint, she slipped past him and charged at Park Yoon-Suk.
Damn it!
« Yoon-Suk! Run! » Ji-Kai shouted, startled by her maneuver.
The assassin closed in, but Yoon-Suk reacted quickly. From his pocket, he pulled a small vial of green liquid, yanked the stopper, and hurled it into her face.
The substance splashed across her mask, blinding her. She staggered, giving Ji-Kai the chance to strike—but Yoon-Suk collapsed in the process, tripping Ji-Kai as well. Both men hit the ground.
« You Korean rat—I'll make you suffer before you die, » the woman hissed in Chinese, her tone venomous.
« Speak a language I understand, you pervert woman, » Ji-Kai snapped back in English. His accent was rough, but his intelligence stat made his words clear enough.
I have to finish this now! Less than a minute left on the elixir!
Ji-Kai attacked with renewed ferocity, aiming to knock her unconscious.
His strikes grew more aggressive, but her flexibility made her hard to pin down.
Her long legs lashed out with speed, forcing him to dodge. Seconds bled away.
Finally, Ji-Kai drove his knee into her abdomen with brutal force, sick of her evasions.
The blow was devastating. She dropped to one knee, gasping in pain. At that moment, the elixir's effect ended.
[ Enhancement expired. Stats returning to normal. ]
[ Status Window – Kim Ji-Kai ]
[ Strength: 9/100 ]
[ Speed: 6/100 ]
[ Intelligence: 50/100 ]
[ Constitution: 10/100 ]
[ Mana: No data available ]
[ Overall Level: 13/100 ]
It had only been a simulation of my past strength. If I'd had my true power, I would have shattered every bone in her body, no matter her speed.
Still, she was already in bad shape. Dealing with her now would be—
Without warning, she hurled something at Park Yoon-Suk. It struck his left thigh: a small electronic dart, filled with a diluted purple liquid.
The toxin spread instantly. Within seconds, Yoon-Suk collapsed, unconscious.
« Yoon-Suk!! » Ji-Kai cried in shock, his voice twisting into fury.
« You bitch—I'll break your legs! » He lunged, but before he could reach her, the assassin convulsed violently.
Her body shook, then went still. With her last breath, she whispered in English:
« Fack ... you… Korean rat ... »
And then silence.
« What the—what just happened? » Ji-Kai rushed to her side, checking her pulse.
« She's dead… did she just kill herself? » He was stunned, but didn't linger. He sprinted to Yoon-Suk, who lay unconscious.
« Yoon-Suk! Yoon-Suk! » Ji-Kai shouted, panic in his voice. He checked his pulse—still breathing, heart still beating. Relief washed over him.
« Thank God. He's alive. I need to get him to emergency care, now! »
He hoisted Yoon-Suk onto his back, kicked open the locked stairwell door, and left the assassin's corpse behind.
You must not die, Park Yoon-Suk. Not again. I swore my second chance at life would be different.
Keeping you alive—at your best—is part of that vow. And I will save you, no matter the cost.