“Prologue”
**Prologue**
“Why that expression, Shina?”
“Shut up, don’t call my name.”
“…It’s sad. That our time is only preserved in me.”
He laughed. His eyes, as black as graphite, stared straight at me. What could you be thinking beyond those abyss-like eyes? I can’t tell.
“Thanks to me, you even awakened. You should honestly be happy.”
“I was never happy! I don’t know anything about the time you’re talking about!”
Through my gritted teeth and suppressed voice, I could hear his laughter.
Even at this moment, blood was flowing from Cheon Shin-woo, staining the floor. It must be a side effect of the reverse skill.
As if death was the only thing needed on this land, the frozen ground and the scattered pieces of despair upon it.
The first fragment of destruction, the result brought about by the first Demon King, was nothing short of catastrophic.
It was only because Cheon Shin-woo blocked it that it was this manageable. As soon as I thought that, a cold chill ran through my entire body.
There’s no time to argue with him, I need to deal with this quickly.
If it weren’t for me, Cheon Shin-woo wouldn’t have been so severely injured and could have easily dealt with the first fragment.
He was that strong of an existence.
Contrary to my mind, which was turning blank, he just kept laughing, as if he found something amusing.
“It’s really sad. Is this what it feels like to be left alone in the world? But it’s okay. Just like in the old days, if you kindly call my name.”
**”I told you, I don’t have such memories!”**
The person, wearing an expression I couldn’t read, reached out a hand towards me. I slapped the hand away. The person, with an expressionless smile, blinked once and then reached out to me again.
The touch that swept across my cheek was unbearably gentle.
“You can’t help but understand me. Even now, you say you don’t have those memories, yet you don’t push me away.”
I wanted to argue, but my lips wouldn’t part as if they were glued together. If what I saw in those numerous nightmares was true…
But this isn’t right. This way is wrong.
I’m here now. Isn’t that enough? I wanted to say, but the moment I met his pitch-black eyes, my breath caught in my throat.
Someone’s groan was heard. It was the sound of the survivors in this pandemonium.
The person glanced at the survivors and soon lowered his hand, touching my necklace that had lost its light.
“Alright, I’ll end the greetings here. Next time we meet…”
Ting. The string of the necklace snapped. The ‘Blue Sorrow,’ which was given to me for my safety, was now in his hand.
“-It will be when the world ends, right?”
After the farewell, only the softly fluttering wind remained in the spot where he had left.
**Chapter 1. Apparently, I’m the Top-Ranked Sister.**
The sky was particularly blue. A few clouds drifted lazily. The weight in my hand felt light. Had I already finished a can? A sigh escaped me.
There’s a saying, “Life is full of ups and downs.”
Many say that if there’s a good thing, a bad thing will follow, and if there’s a bad thing, a good thing will come. Yeah, if that’s the case, isn’t it about time for some light to shine on my life too?
“Damn it, let’s see if that Manager Kim from the farming department is living well after firing me.”
**Chapter 1. Apparently, I’m the Top-Ranked Sister.**
But unfortunately, there were no such twists in my life.
Someone might look at me and say, “What are you so dissatisfied with in your short 23 years of life? If you keep trying, you can live well in the future.”
To that, I would reply, “Try living like me.”
No parents. No siblings. Not a single relative by blood. A life where I have to take care of myself was exhausting.
Though being an orphan isn’t particularly special since the Day of Destruction passed, it’s a different story when you add unfair dismissal.
I just got fired from the company I had been working at for two years.
Not a month’s notice, but just now! They kicked me out, damn it.
I’m going to report this. Grinding my teeth, I opened a new can of beer.
It tasted bitter.
“Mom, I think that person is crazy.”
“Shh, just walk past quietly.”
A kind-looking mother and child walked past me. Tears welled up.
I know that I’m too young to talk about the ups and downs of life. I know, but it was still unfair.
Others awaken or return and live grandly, so why am I like this?
The clear, blue sky contrasted with my mood, making me feel even more depressed.
Do you know about the awakened or returnees?
To explain them, I must first talk about the destruction of this world.
The world went through a single destruction and upheaval.
One day, gates appeared. In the despair that poured out of those gates with the monsters, some people gained special powers and saved the world. It was an ordinary, novel-like story.
Awakened individuals possess special powers. Additionally, all returnees, who fell into other dimensions through torn spaces and came back, are also awakened. For reference, I’m a returnee too. So, naturally, I thought I would awaken. But I didn’t.
For some reason, despite being a returnee, my life was not a fantasy action adventure but a life documentary. Still, I worked hard to live. I’m not sure why I tried so hard, but I kept going. I did various part-time jobs and scraped together a thin resume to get a job at a small company.
And then, I just got fired.
“Does it make sense to fire me just to put your nephew in my place?!”
The beer can in my hand crumpled. But my anger didn’t subside. In an era of job scarcity, it’s possible to fire a well-performing employee to insert an unemployed nephew. Sure, it’s possible.
I had just one grievance. Damn it, I should have quit that lousy company first!
“Status window.” “Status window.” “Status window.” “Status window.” “Status window.” “Status window.” “Status window.”
I shouted in frustration after downing four cans of beer. Nothing changed.
“Status window, status window, status window!”
The more nothing happened, the angrier I got. People strolling leisurely in the park glanced at me and whispered.
“He must be an aspiring awakened. He won’t awaken just by doing that…”
I know. I know! But I’m a returnee! Shouldn’t I at least be able to see a status window even if I don’t have cool skills?!
“Ha…
I had no more beer to drink, and a sigh escaped me.
I didn’t want to return to my moldy house. When I checked my phone, my contacts list was pitifully sparse.
“Everyone else returns, awakens, and lives grandly, but me! Why just me?!”
I felt even more bitter after reaching out to someone I finally found after scrolling through my contacts. But the drunken cries of a half-intoxicated person reached no one.
Light seeped through my eyelids. Along with the alarm ringing at the designated time, my skull throbbed. Annoyed, I tried to turn off the alarm and then jumped up in alarm.
What was I thinking?! Drinking so much on a weekday!
But then I quickly remembered I had been unfairly fired from my job.
Right. I don’t have to go to work now. I turned off the alarm, grabbed some water to drink, and lay back down.
By the time I finally got up, it was midday. Normally, I would never sleep that late, but thanks to the alcohol, I slept soundly without any dreams.
My head was pounding, and my stomach felt queasy.
After washing my face, I opened the refrigerator to find a shriveled onion. When did I buy that…
I rummaged through the cupboards, but there wasn’t even a single packet of ramen. A wave of melancholy washed over me.
I really am having a bad day.
With no other choice, I grabbed my coat and staggered out the door.
At a nearby restaurant, I ordered bean sprout ramen, and only then did I start to feel a bit better. Ordering hangover soup in the middle of a weekday—this is the epitome of unemployment.
The restaurant owner looked at me with a hint of pity in her eyes, but it was probably just my imagination. I pretended nothing was wrong and watched TV.
The news was on.
“Cheon Shin-woo, known for single-handedly conquering the notorious S-class gate ‘Black One Day’ that even the top elite party of Amwol couldn’t tackle, continues to make headlines with his shocking exploits…”
The face on the screen was familiar. Not someone I knew personally, but a face known to everyone living in this country.
“Now, we’ll have an interview with Cheon Shin-woo of Cheonrang. You insisted on soloing the boss this time. Was there a particular reason?”
“I don’t need unnecessary obstacles dragging me down.”
His personality shone as brightly as his achievements.
Is it okay to use such language on a national news broadcast? Despite the harsh words, the handsome man with an aura of poignant beauty looked annoyed.
Some people are struggling after getting fired from a small company that pays peanuts, while others are soloing S-class gates and showing off their personalities.
Life might be a luck-based game, but does it have to be this unfair?
Just as I was about to get melancholic, the bean sprout ramen, steaming and fragrant, was placed in front of me.
“Miss, are you a fan of Cheonrang too?”
The lady who served the food sat nearby and started a conversation.
“Well, I guess.”
“Oh my, my daughter is crazy about him. He’s more popular than any celebrity. I wonder what this world is coming to…”
The lady seemed bored due to the lack of customers. As I gave her some polite responses, she quickly began talking about various topics. I ate my ramen while answering her half-heartedly. Ramen cooked by someone else tasted incredibly good.
“No matter how good-looking someone is, you can’t be fooled by appearances. These days, kids don’t understand. What’s the point of being handsome? You need to have good character.”
“That’s true.”
The lady lamented in front of me. Not exactly the best thing to say to someone who just said they were a fan.
“My daughter spends all day on weird websites. I wish she would just focus on studying instead of all this awakening stuff… But she’s too young to remember the fear from those times.”
“That’s unavoidable.”
I responded nonchalantly. The fear of those days—people who experienced that era were just as desensitized to safety concerns as everyone else.
The news continued to talk about the Black One Day or whatever it was called. They said it was so severe that even parties with S-class members couldn’t conquer it, and there were numerous fatalities.
At that moment, I didn’t think much of it.
I had no idea how I would end up getting entangled with that ‘Cheon Shin-woo.’ Oblivious to the future, I simply slurped my ramen.
