The World! Time, Stop!

html, body { margin:0; padding:0; }    Rookie: Baek Jaesung 49

"No!"

Minyoung shouted fiercely, leaping to her feet. It was right after the black-helmeted monster on the screen pierced Jaesung's chest.

The murky energy cloaking the monster's hand looked far more potent than any power he'd wielded so far. He must have finally started unleashing his true strength.

"Its aura's changed."

Park Seorin said, arms crossed. The black space on the screen was now blooming with far more man-eating flowers than before. And to top it off, four massive rainbow flowers had emerged from all directions.

That wasn't all. Dozens of black spheres floated in the air like clouds. Judging by the dungeon hunters writhing in agony on the ground, the gravity in that space had multiplied several times over.

"That's a total monster. Definitely a named boss."

Hoseok asked Park Seorin at her words.

"What's the raid difficulty looking like?"

"At this state, minimum top-tier 6-rank. Not sure about raw power, but factoring in the complexity of its abilities... could even be 5-rank."

Hoseok swallowed hard. Named bosses didn't appear often. That made it impossible not to tense up. If a beast like that hit downtown Gwangju... the thought alone sent chills down his spine.

"What a shame. That kid was so tempting."

Park Seorin glanced at Minyoung, who stared endlessly at the screen, and spoke. Her regret wasn't just self-directed. It was also ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for Minyoung, who had finally found a disciple after turning forty. Minyoung's face was rigid as she couldn't tear her eyes away.

"It's impossible. Even if that kid's at 6-rank level, beating that thing is out of the question. Not even considering elemental matchups. Surviving this long is impressive enough."

Park Seorin's words were consolation without the comfort. But something was off. Minyoung's expression, which had been pouring out rage and shock at the screen, shifted. Park Seorin turned to the screen she was watching.

"Huh!?"

A small orb radiating brilliant prismatic light appeared in my hand. The auspicious glow from this millennium-old bead, infused with an imugi's will to ascend as a dragon, was utterly different from my Light Control light.

If I had to describe it, it felt on a whole other hierarchy from my light. This was something that had truly reached the realm of the divine. The light enveloped my entire body.

(?)

Karlon's reaction was like someone encountering an alien species for the first time. But his response was swift. The countless gravity orbs floating in the sky launched toward me as their target.

(What trick is this?)

"Enough already. I've got the gist. Your level. It's so boring I'm dying here."

(You've completely lost it. No idea what technique that is, but die now.)

As the gravity shells blotting the sky rained down on me, my mind fixated on the alert window.

The prismatic light wrapped around my entire body. I didn't defend against the incoming gravity shells hurtling like bullets. No need at all.

Kukukukung!

The armor of light absorbed every single gravity shell flying at me. The attacks that reached me vanished into the light armor as if they'd never existed.

I felt no impact, no sensation whatsoever. Visually flashy and menacing, but it was like they existed in another dimension entirely—couldn't touch a single hair on my head.

'Thanks to Yeouibo Ju's attack ignore effect.'

One of Yeouibo Ju: Jae (Re)'s effects was 1-minute attack immunity. Seeing me unmoved by the storm of gravity shells, Karlon seemed to realize I wasn't as easy as he thought.

(You're dangerous. No clue what ability that is, but devouring you will tell me. Die.)

"Too slow on the uptake, you worm bastard."

Now it was my turn to counter. Yeouibo Ju had reset all my skill cooldowns. So I could use Time Pose again.

Thanks to the rampaging power from Yeouibo Ju, the skill had momentarily evolved. Not permanent, which was a shame, but still good enough.

"Feels like the ultimate high."

I looked around. Grotesque man-eating flowers I wanted to clear out, rainbow flowers, fucking gravity shells everywhere. I felt the need to clean this space. The scenery was pissing me off.

"The World! Time, stop!"

A majestic wave erupted from me, spreading across the entire black space. The space it touched inverted colors grotesquely. Visually, you could tell time had stopped.

Unlike Time Pose, The World had zero cost. But its cooldown was a whopping 24 hours.

'Still, sealing SS-grade or lower passives and items makes it definitely stronger.'

The frozen world was quiet, desolate. As the protagonist on this silent, solitary stage, I felt an overwhelming sense of omnipotence. Like I could do anything right now. Totally different vibe from Time Pose.

My mana surged at my will. I visualized a sword of light in my mind. To use one of my favorites, Light Saber.

In my hand was lightning fragment-like light itself.

If Light Saber was light shaped like a sword, this was crude, like forcibly capturing raw natural light. Yet that roughness conveyed a profound sense of a sacred, great being's natural tool.

I took a deep breath and swung the light fragment. Astonishingly, it stretched long at my will. Like Sun Wukong's Ruyi Jingu Bang from Journey to the West, responding to my intent to cleanly sweep this space, it became a majestic sword dozens of meters long. Naturally, it weighed not even 1g.

"Here I go!"

The holy sword of light cleaved through the grotesque man-eating flowers. The light sliced only what I perceived as enemies.

The countless flowers surrounding me crumbled under the sword's radiance. The massive rainbow flowers followed suit, as did the gravity shells hanging in the air. Everything displeasing around me was purified by the light. Even the darkness-filled space itself was rent by the sword.

Shiiing!

The pitch-black darkness enveloping us shattered against the blade. In its wake appeared a pure white room. Just like the starting chamber.

"Haat!"

After annihilating the annoying summons, my sword's final target was Karlon. I swung down with full force, aiming to split his head.

Woooong!

Karlon's helmet reacted. The helmet that took my slash began cracking with a deafening roar.

'What a ridiculously tough helmet!'

The World halted item effects but couldn't nullify their inherent properties. Karlon's helmet blocked my A-grade skill with its brute durability. But the recoil shattered it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to pieces.

Crack!

The helmet broke, revealing his face. Karlon's head was like an egg ghost—utterly blank. Not even eyes, nose, or mouth on that bald mug.

'Not human after all, huh.'

Stopped time resumed flowing. The inverted world regained its colors, and everyone else snapped back to awareness.

"Eh!?"

The first voice I heard was Jang Hana's confusion. I pointed my light sword at Karlon.

"You fucking bastard. Today's your funeral."

(Grrgh! My helmet...! My treasure! Why!? What trick did you pull!? I won't forgive you!)

"Still don't get it, huh? Die!"

I charged at the shocked bastard.

*-*-*

"......What the hell is that?"

Hoseok muttered blankly at the screen. He'd been watching nonstop, but now he had no clue what was happening.

"Suddenly this massive light bursts from Jaesung, and all the summons around vanish. And that light sword he's holding. Was there a Light Control technique like that?"

"Users make their own techniques."

Jang Hana shrugged. She was laser-focused on the screen. Baek Jaesung, radiating prismatic brilliance, completely overwhelmed the named boss.

Attack power, speed, ability strength, technique. Everything was the polar opposite of just 10 seconds ago.

Jaesung's summoned light sword pierced the named boss's heart. What change had overcome that young man in mere seconds? Even Park Seorin couldn't pinpoint the cause.

'One thing's clear: an insane rookie just showed up.'

So tempting. Park Seorin secretly licked her lips.