Chapter 2. The Protagonist (3)

Regardless of their screen time, there were a few characters in World Guardian that I particularly cherished. Seo Yeon-hee is a prime example.

She didn't appear often on the page, but I put far more effort into her backstory than most supporting characters. If I'd written a side story about how she gained immortality, it could've filled a whole book. Her abilities were exceptional too—under specific conditions, she wielded powers so transcendent that invincibility wouldn't be an overstatement.

And then there was her true appearance, not as the Mist Witch Seo Yeon-hee, but her original form. I wrote it outright in the setting file: the most beautiful woman in the world. So, excluding Lee Si-hyeok and Jeong Se-bin, if I had to name my most treasured character, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it would be Seo Yeon-hee without a doubt... but there were others I cared about almost as much. One of them was the Martial God, Han Tae-gang, who had just arrived at the funeral hall.

A graduate of National Academy 1, a year ahead of my parents. The master of the top-class guild Eternal, renowned not just in Korea but worldwide. One of the elite among the 36 Heroes, the world's strongest fist fighter. And finally... my fiancée's father.

The moment he entered the funeral hall, he bowed to Yeom Ui-jun's portrait before striding toward me without hesitation. I'm pretty tall myself, but his frame was massively imposing—over 190cm, with muscles that even his black mourning clothes couldn't hide. His expression was utterly impenetrable, like pricking it with a needle wouldn't draw a drop of blood, and he fixed me with a cold, disdainful gaze.

I read two emotions there: annoyance and pity. Neither was positive.

Finally, he spoke.

"Pathetic fool..."

I knew it wasn't the time, but I nearly burst out laughing anyway. It matched my expectations without a single deviation.

I'd always liked Han Tae-gang. From writing World Guardian right up to today. A man whose outer self matched his inner one. Deeply sentimental beneath the surface. A reliable guardian to his comrades, a romantic to his wife, and a strict but good father to his daughter.

Sure, he was awkward to deal with, and whenever we crossed paths unintentionally, I ended up getting scolded like this... but that wasn't his fault. What father in the world would want his daughter marrying a good-for-nothing like me?

In his gruff tone, he continued.

"Se-ra will come back to Korea this summer."

"...It's come to that already, huh."

Han Se-ra. Han Tae-gang's daughter and my fiancée. Twenty-five this year, same age as me, currently studying for her graduate program in the US. She'd been rushing through early graduation and all that back when she was at university in Korea, and now it seemed her grad school days were wrapping up.

But my response clearly didn't sit well; anger flickered in Han Tae-gang's eyes.

"When she returns and brings it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠up, I won't stand in her way."

Sea, standing behind me, flinched in surprise. My sister knew exactly what that meant. Our engagement was nominal at this point, but he was saying he'd make sure it ended for good. If Se-ra wanted it, he'd happily arrange the breakup.

So those words were his final warning to me—a chance to show some improvement by summer if I didn't want to be dumped.

I replied softly.

"I understand completely."

"Hah..."

He let out an exasperated breath, narrowing his eyes, but I had nothing more to say. Promising to do better would be a lie. And with Se-ra abroad, I couldn't shamelessly suggest breaking it off first.

The best I could do was meet her when she returned, talk it over, and end it as amicably as possible on my account.

"Enough. I don't want to talk anymore—get out."

His tone dripped with displeasure. I bowed politely and left.

From behind, I heard him speak gently to her.

"Sea, you've grown so much since I last saw you."

"Yes..."

His voice was naturally deep and resonant, but the warmth was worlds apart from how he'd spoken to me. Well, he might disapprove of me, but there was no reason to extend that to my Sea.

Just before exiting the funeral hall, I glanced back, hoping for some useful clue. But the hologram offered no new info, and by coincidence, my eyes met those of the two students who'd come with Sea.

They all looked sharp, but one boy and one girl stood out especially. The boy was... pretty, in a way that's hard to describe accurately. He seemed friendly with Sea earlier. The girl had sharp, upturned eyes giving her a haughty look—not as beautiful as my sister, the prettiest girl in the world, of course, but still strikingly attractive. She seemed on bad terms with Sea, though. She'd snorted softly to herself while Sea and I talked.

Then a foreboding thought struck me.

No way... It had to be overthinking, but... what if both liked the boy and were fighting over him? I'd never allow that.

I shook my head to dismiss it and hurried away.

And the instant I fully left the funeral hall—

"Whoa..."

The exclamation slipped out involuntarily. It was on another level from previous rewards—truly over-the-top.

And it didn't end there.

Thud.

A strange sensation bloomed inside me. Something foreign had formed near my heart—a pulsing foreign object steadily siphoning my mana. Regularly, just like a heartbeat. Not burdensome, but ceaseless.

This must be the Black Heart. I'd figure out how to use it later... but even at a glance, it felt insanely overpowered.

Then the third hologram appeared.

That settled it. The protagonist was one of the students.

Attention level seemed like fame or notoriety... During Birth of the Demon God, the system had hounded me not to act out as Lee Dojin, but now that the sequel started, it flipped completely.

I wasn't thrilled about the sudden change, but it lightened my mood too. Plans came easily: narrowing the protagonist search and boosting attention.

Back home, after changing clothes, I messaged Seo Yeon-hee—or more precisely, the phone for her current alias she often used.

She picked up in seconds, her voice playful and teasing.

<Why? How long's it been, and you're already missing your big sis?>

"...Send the list."

<...Give me thirty minutes.>

We traded a few awkward barbs, then I waited. About twenty or thirty minutes later, dozens of mana-formed images flickered into view.

Seo Yeon-hee had sent profiles of the students who'd attended the funeral. Members of National Academy 1's middle and high school student councils. Freshman first-years weren't in the council yet, so they hadn't come.

Middle school second- and third-years: six and seven. High school second- and third-years: five and six.

Once I'd checked them over, I asked the empty air.

"Is the protagonist of Kill the Evil... a second-year in National Academy 1's high school division?"

"...Good."

The OX questions from the rewards. They wouldn't answer overly sensitive ones, but they were the most reliable for my curiosities. Open-ended were more precise but often frustratingly arbitrary.

This one was half a gamble. Four grades total—safer to ask 'high schooler?' But I trusted my gut. No hard evidence, but it felt like the protagonist was Sea's age. Protagonist and final boss's sister as friends? Plausible.

And luckily, it paid off. The protagonist was indeed a high school second-year like Sea.

Now to narrow further...

"Is the protagonist of Kill the Evil a guy?"

The protagonist was female.

Simple now. From the profiles, only two high school second-year girls at the funeral. One was my sister Sea, of course. But she couldn't be—no encounter notice until the funeral.

So the other girl. Her face was vaguely familiar too.

"Jin Yu-ri..."

I murmured her name quietly. The protagonist of Kill the Evil, my destined enemy. The girl whose stock ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had already plummeted in my eyes for mocking Sea.

One question left.

"If I eliminate Jin Yu-ri right now... would that cause problems?"

Unable to answer. That was the perfect response, really. Touch her carelessly, and it'd unleash headaches beyond OX's scope.

"Wasted one question."

The stingy hologram seemed generous today. Satisfied, I picked up my phone.

I'd identified the protagonist. Time to tackle Kill the Evil Volume 1 quest.