As I stood there, dazed and spacing out, I heard Taeeon’s voice.

“Roy, are you okay?”

“Huh?”

Only then did I snap back to reality. I’d been so fixated on the status window that I hadn’t noticed the others watching me.

“Ah, I’m fine. Just a bit nervous. It’s my turn now, right?”

I tried to act nonchalant as I stepped forward.

“Stay where you are, everyone. I don’t want anyone getting caught in the blast.”

I had five skills available. But since I’d never used any of them—and they were all area-of-effect—I was uneasy. My first time using my true ability would be broadcast live. Sure, I wanted to dazzle everyone with something flashy, but overreaching always ends badly.

This is my first try, so let’s stick to just sparking a little flame, I thought.

But when I actually tried, I drew a blank. Of course—I didn’t even know how to ignite fire. I rolled my eyes in place, feeling helpless.

Wouldn’t it be great if it just worked cleanly and cleverly on its own, like God’s Lighting?

Cold sweat trickled down my back. Just then, my eyes met Seohyunwoo’s.

【Casting skill ‘Possession of the Sword Demon.’】

What?!

My eyes shot wide in shock. At the same moment, Seohyunwoo clutched his chest and staggered. Finally, I’d used something other than God’s Lighting—but of all things, it had to be “Possession of the Sword Demon”...!

I’ve tried to commit attempted murder?!

In martial-world lore, that was considered a grave illness—like modern-day cancer. While I froze in place, Yeonwoo, who had been beside Seohyunwoo, caught him before he toppled.

“He’s far away? They say my sword went wild?”

“Maybe he’s just hot? He seems to be sweating...”

Just as the medic had said, Seohyunwoo’s shirt was damp with sweat. A moment ago he seemed fine, so they assumed heatstroke.

“Hey, you should probably take that mask off. Can I remove it?”

As Yeonwoo reached for his mask, Seohyunwoo swatted his hand away and turned his head.

“No, I told you he’s overheated. He’d feel better if he took it off.”

He shook his head emphatically. Even if it killed him, he wasn’t taking off that mask. The rest of us scratched our heads in confusion.

Meanwhile, I edged forward hesitantly, wanting to check on Seohyunwoo’s condition.

“Um, Hyung—”

“You’re sweating, too, Roy. Are you hot?”

Anna glanced between me and Seohyunwoo, brows furrowed.

“Huh?”

“You’re both totally drenched in sweat. It’s not warm in here. Why are two people suddenly like this?”

Well, Seohyunwoo was writhing under Possession of the Sword Demon, and I was the one who triggered it. If I’d just sent someone flying for no reason, I’d be a psychopath if I were calm. I’d messed up—there was no going back—but I had to do something.

I should have stuck to God’s Lighting while I could.

“Hot?”

“A bit? But I’m just the type to get hot easily...”

“Oh, right. You’re fire attribute, aren’t you?”

“Y-yeah.”

“Then why are you stammering all of a sudden?”

Please ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) stop talking to me...! Anna’s questions felt suffocating. I forced an awkward smile and slipped behind Taeeon. Only then did Anna lose interest in me.

I’ve never experienced it myself, but I heard Possession of the Sword Demon is agonizing.

Seohyunwoo showed incredible endurance for an assassination—or rather, an information-guild rookie. He’d held on for over ten minutes.

“This won’t do. He’s going to collapse. I’ll take him to the infirmary.”

“No, Roy’s in training. I’ll take him—”

“No?! He’s my partner. It’s right that I take him. You lot keep training.”

When Taeeon tried to help Seohyunwoo, I cut in and took over. With so many eyes on us, I couldn’t try anything while he was in view.

“Everyone, keep practicing. I’ll be right back!”

Hoisting Seohyunwoo onto my back, I trudged out of the training hall, dragging his legs.

✧

“Oof, you’re heavy!”

I carried Seohyunwoo to our dorms instead of the infirmary. I wanted to try something before showing him to the healer—some way to cancel the skill, maybe, or at least stop it. No idea if it would work.

I stared down at him lying unconscious on the bed.

He can’t be dead, right?

I placed a finger on his philtrum and felt a faint breath. Thank goodness—he was alive.

What do I do now?

I folded my arms, glancing at him sprawled out. If I wanted to do anything, I needed to wake him up. Maybe a shock would jolt him. Squatting opposite him, I tapped his cheek gently. No reaction.

...Should I hit him?

I couldn’t just wait forever. A single jolt might be best for both of us. Just as I clenched my fist, Seohyunwoo’s eyes snapped open.

“Ack! Shit, you scared me!”

I screamed and tumbled backward. His bloodshot eyes were so eerie I thought my heart would stop.

“Um, are you coming to?”

Before I could calm my pounding chest, he said nothing.

This is bad. Has he been left mute by side effects?

My worry spiked, but as I rose, Seohyunwoo suddenly dropped to his knees, forehead crashing to the floor.

Thud!

“I have committed an unforgivable crime!”

“?!”

He bowed so deeply I nearly fell over.

“W-what are you doing?”

“I tried to track your every move, Roy. I’m so sorry!”

Track my moves? Me???

I took a step back, keeping my distance.

So those rumors about assassination were real? And I was the target?!

Goosebumps ran down my body. I scanned around for anything I could use as a weapon, but Seohyunwoo crawled forward on one knee until I shouted.

“Stay back!”

His eyes were red—I almost mistook him for a blood fiend. Yet despite my warning, he pressed on, face twisted in agony.

“Roy—”

“Seriously, don’t come any closer!”

“Please accept my apology. I can’t stand the pain any longer. If you want my life—”

“No, stop with the apology! Explain properly...!”

You’re cutting me off and talking like that, how am I supposed to understand? I kept my arms outstretched to ward him off.

Maybe my sincerity got through—Seohyunwoo halted his advance.

“Say it right there.”

“Understood.”

If I’m the infamous madman of Star Hero, Seohyunwoo is known as the ultimate curmudgeon—nicknamed for his constant silence. So why was he suddenly groveling like this?

His voice is supposed to be impossible to hear. Must be due to Possession of the Sword Demon.

I still had no idea what that skill actually did. Sweat beaded on my forehead as he spoke.

“Do you know why I came here?”

“...Because of the Star Show?”

I wanted to ask if he’d been sent to assassinate me, but I lacked the courage. He shook his head.

“No. Of course an S-rank item is great, but it didn’t catch our attention.”

“Our” again—so it wasn’t Seohyunwoo’s choice to come here. Pluton, then. Damn.

“Then what is it?”

“Well...”

Please just spit it out!!

“I...”

Is he dodging? Talking in circles makes it feel like he’s stalling.

“Could you please just answer?”

I’ve got rabbits waiting in the training hall.

—Lied. I was nervous, with no reliable skill to defend myself. If Seohyunwoo snapped and attacked, I’d be defenseless.

Under my pressure, Seohyunwoo finally confessed.

“I came on the guild leader’s orders.”

Shit!

I’d asked why he tracked me, not who sent him. But Seohyunwoo, like an unbridled colt, spilled everything.

“They think Lee Roi will appear on , so I was ordered to bring you back.”

No!

I fought the urge to bolt from the room, screaming inside.

“But why track me...? He’s in Busan. I heard he’s not appearing.”

I tried to deny it—to see if he was testing me. But it was useless. Pluton wasn’t some small-time guild. It was one of the Big Three. Each had its specialty: Daehan handling military might, Earth handling healing, and Pluton recon. There was no way they didn’t know which S-rank awakener I was—they just wouldn’t share.

Because,

“We know you really are S-rank, Roy. So I’ll be direct: come join our guild.”

They wanted to recruit me. Every Big Three guild had S-rank members—except Pluton. They prided themselves on shadow ops, so they needed someone agile and lethal. High-grade intel missions were the most dangerous, so they demanded top combat ability.

They’d struggled with a recent assignment—every agent they sent vanished. And Infinite, a mid-tier guild using A-rank awakener recruits, had been taunting them in the press, saying Pluton didn’t even deserve its Big Three status. That spite rankled Pluton’s leader, Bella.

That was why Seohyunwoo was sent to .

“I actually like your guild.”

He hadn’t planned to beg so much... but under Possession of the Sword Demon, his eyes glistened through the mask.