5. One MC

Far away from Little Kwan's Supper Awesome Noodle shop.

Inside the Yun residence.

A little girl named Yun So-Jin, who was in the middle of an afternoon nap, silently lost consciousness. Then, something impossible, something that no one in this universe could ever notice, happened.

And the little girl started screaming.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

Dozens of servants rushed in, not just maids, but bodyguards, and even shadow operatives became alert. In just a few seconds Yun residence was locked down, nothing on Earth could come in, or go out without anyone knowing. Not even Cheon Ma could fool the formations underneath the mansion!

The screams' intensity continued to increase with every passing second. Shadow operatives brought the doctor of the residence directly to the little girl. The doctor, who was clueless about what was going on, tried to use all of his skills to get his bearings.

"Restrain her! This… This is Mana deviation! Restrain her limbs! Stop her from hurting herself!" Fiercely yelled the doctor. Now more than a hundred guards surrounded the napping room and created a defensive formation.

The head servant immediately wrote something on a piece of parchment, then drew complex patterns on it using his blood. As the screams continued, he put some of his life essence to activate the seal. The parchment caught fire instantly and was no more in the blink of an eye.

Yun Sang-Kyu, the head of the Yun group, and the grandfather of the little girl called Yun So-Jin, was now informed.

The screams continued until late at night, until the little girl's voice had gone out. But that wasn't the end of it, only her voice was gone, not the pain. Instead of screams, she now started spewing blood.

Hours later, with the first light of the next day, Yun So-Jin's little body couldn't hold on anymore, and finally collapsed.

The nurses and guards looked at each other with doubt and fear plastered all over their faces.

"… She's unconscious; her mana seems momentarily stable. Swiftly move her to the intensive care ward." The doctor ordered with a tired voice. "Keep everything that has her blood here, every tool, every piece of equipment, even your clothes. Move!"

The pink room was now a mixture of crimson red and brown. The dried blood made the interior look like a slaughterhouse rather than a napping room for a 7-year-old girl.

Let alone a child, even a healthy person couldn't survive losing so much blood, yet the little girl's heart was still beating.

The implication was clear to everyone. At the age of 7, Yun group's princess, Yun So-Jin, had gone through mana awakening.

Whether she could survive, was a matter no one dared to guess.

* * *

A day later.

After his first breakfast, Cha Kwan jumped on the couch and started waiting for "Cheon Ma - The Hero of Murim" cartoon. A familiar mood settled as he watched ad after ad.

'Why am I still watching Saturday morning cartoons in the age of holographic television?! Why would anyone invent holographic projection before a video streaming service?!'

Originally, he had thought the streaming services had gone bankrupt! But in reality, they really weren't invented yet!

Some technology of this world was downright sci-fi, while others were still stuck in the late 90s. This would've been one of Cha Kwan's pet peeves, if not for his love of retro-futurism! Not surprising, considering his favorite childhood movie of all time.

'They really did Back to the Future dirty in this world…'

As he shook his head, the time hit 8:02, and the show he had been dying to watch for a week, finally started.

Cheon Ma and his lieutenants stood at the edge of a grand valley, and somberly gazed at the thin, black structure on the horizon. As the camera zoomed in, one could see seemingly random extrusions on the black surface.

'Huh… Doesn't that look like the thing on the Legend of the Saint series intro?' Cha Kwan wondered.

"So it has come to this…" said Cheon Ma with a sigh. "My friends… It is time for this one to say goodbye."

Cheon Ma's lieutenants collectively gasped. Even the one with shifty eyes, that one character Cha Kwan hated, looked shaken.

Cha Kwan understood their hesitation! For three seasons, Cheon Ma did everything he could to unite Murim! Clans were wiped out, cities were razed, sects were destroyed! All for Cheon Ma to abandon everything? Now? After a well-deserved victory?!

'Huh, now that I think about it, isn't this a bit too dark to be a kid's cartoon? Or is this the sanitized version already?'

Lieutenants looked at each other. For some, this was the best thing that could ever happen to them; they already were plotting to take Cheon Ma's place, though were afraid to take the first step. A few started to sweat, a few fell into deep thought.

Only one person stepped forward.

But Cheon Ma shook his head. "This is not your fight."

"You gave this slave freedom, purpose, and a name." As if that was enough explanation, Yun Sang-Kyu stood near Cheon Ma without a word.

Cha Kwan couldn't help but smile. The writers really went all out for this character! Cheon Ma was definitely The Man, but Yun Sang-Kyu was…

'… The f*ck, Yun Sang-Kyu? Yun?! F*ck!! Is the Yun Corporation related to him?!'

While Cha Kwan was flabbergasted that he had never made this connection before, the show continued.

Cheon Ma turned his back and faced the tower. "For the rest of you…" It was as if he already knew how they would react. "… Pray that you will be able to make the same choice I've made today."

The screen faded to black, and not a moment later… "DO YOU want to know what it's like to fight like a ranker? THE SPEED? THE MOMENTUM? Play CLIMBER WORLD ONLINE Now! And win a chance to obtain the exclusive "Luned Evans" figurine!…"

"Commercials already?!" Cha Kwan couldn't believe it.

'F*ck, commercial break not even 5 minutes in, f*ck this sh*t, why the f*ck Jetflix isn't a thing in this world I swear to f*cking god-'

Cha Kwan took a deep breath to calm down. At least he was watching the first broadcast; he didn't have to worry about spoilers…

'Wait… Isn't this depicting Cheon Ma's life… in the world of Murim? Can't I… spoil everything by looking at his wiki page?'

Rejection came immediately. No way! Since he started with the cartoon, he would finish the story first with the cartoon! It didn't matter if this was a real story! He was an 7-year-old kid! Real history would be taught in the school anyway!

Then, he remembered something else.

'Hang on, is Cheon Ma going to enter a tower? A Tower?'

There being a tower on Earth was one thing, but if there was one in the world of Murim… Wasn't this a typical setup for planets being the floors of a tower?

'… Don't tell me there'll be climbers wreaking havoc on Earth just to get to the next floor…'

Cha Kwan was going to become a 2nd grader in a few days. The days of playing around the noodle shop in ignorance would soon be over (probably). The world was opening up, and he was becoming deeply concerned the more he realized how vast it really was.

Finding out yet another web novel element gave him complex feelings. It was as if his time would soon run out. Felt as if the ordinary life he enjoyed could shatter to bits at any moment.

Another ad played, but this time it was a new one. Beneath the thick CG trailer, Cha Kwan realized it was an ad for a card game.

Even worse, a collectible one.

"Every pack is a new chance to get the world-exclusive limited-edition licensed Cheon Ma cards!

Only one will be ever manufactured! Only one, is allowed to exist!"

"…" Cha Kwan suddenly thought a card game would be a good opportunity for Ma Yong to learn and practice math!

* * *

Yun So-Jin woke up to the long forgotten, yet still strangely familiar hum of medical equipment. Though the quality of the sounds seemed antique almost, as if the equipment was at least a couple centuries old.

Of course, she immediately realized that this was an illusion. Obviously.

She tried to open her eyes, to see the culprit of this fantasy, and give them a piece of her mind.

Did they think she would break this easily?

Yun So-Jin could only inwardly laugh, because she couldn't control her body at all, she realized.

'Is this what it's like to get consumed by the void gods?' She thought.

Her death was of no consequence, but, as long as she was alive, she would fight!

'Status.'

A blue panel appeared in her mind's eye.

[Name: Yun So-Jin]

[Age: 7]

[Class: Mage]

[Level: 1]

[Titles:]

------------------------------------

[Regressor] [*New*]

[Last Human]

[Last Defender]

[Frenzied Sentinel]

[Last Hope of Humanity]

[Savior]

[Bringer of Hope]

[Expand to View More]

After a brief moment of confusion, Yun So-Jin sneered. From inside of course.

'What a cheap ploy…'

"Leave the room." Said a familiar voice. Though it was familiar, Yun So-Jin realized she couldn't immediately remember the owner. It was from an older male, pride was evident from the tone, and somehow it gave her a feeling of security.

As she thought of the voice, indistinct footsteps slowly faded away, one by one.

Yun So-Jin waited among the hum of the medical equipment.

"I'm here." The voice spoke once more.

This way of speech, Yun So-Jin knew a person like this, a long time ago. So long that she was surprised that she still remembered.

Taciturn, reticent, prideful, but most importantly, loyal to the death.

'Grandfather…'

There was no mistake. Though she couldn't see him, this presence, was just like she remembered!

Yun So-Jin gathered his thoughts and went over the past events. And realized a crucial point almost immediately.

She had died.

She remembered her last breath. Remembered how her consciousness faded away into nothingness.

And then, she was here!

Yun So-Jin fell into deep thought. Though she couldn't control her body, her senses were slowly returning. She was laying on top of an exceptionally soft bed. The sickly-sweet mana-polluted scent of blood was in the air. The noises from the medical equipment were eerily similar to one of her childhood memories…

After going through the events in her mind once again, Yun So-Jin realized that this was actually the past. Somehow, the Authority of Time, had intervened after her death.

Doubting herself? That wasn't possible. Yun So-Jin could misinterpret events if there wasn't enough information, but she would never doubt her own judgment once she made up her mind!

This was the past. She was 7 years old. Her grandfather was alive. Even her elder sister. Even she, was alive!

'… She must be conducting research right about this time.' The memories of her elder sister's smile flooded her mind.

Everyone was alive.

Yun So-Jin wasn't the last of humanity anymore. And this time, she wasn't going to let humanity die off.

No matter the cost.

* * *

Unfortunately, though she made her resolve, Yun So-Jin's body didn't cooperate with her for the following weeks!

This was especially frustrating for someone like her! This was time she would not have again! How could she stay idle when there was a chance to right so many wrongs?!

But all she could do was wait.

Still, Yun So-Jin tried to use this downtime as best as she could.

So, she made a hit list.

Humanity, had many traitors over the next four centuries. Quite a few of them were born in the golden era of hunters. The era started five years ago, and would last another thirty, until the year of 2107.

The era that 7-year-old Yun So-Jin was currently living in!

The biggest four traitors were yet to be born, but Yun So-Jin knew of the special conditions of their birth, all thanks to having to clean up their mess for centuries!

2 out of 12 overlords were born in this decade. The ones that took advantage of the Interdimensional Alliance's fall, and hastened humanity's demise. She remembered them all, because they were already influential before becoming utterly corrupt. Taste of power, was all that they needed to throw their beliefs away.

All of them, she would eliminate! She would kill them before they could awaken. Preferably, before they were even born. If possible, she would kill their parents before they were born!

Unfortunately, during the process of planning, Yun So-Jin realized that her memory wasn't as good as she thought!

In fact, the more she tried to remember, the more she realized how selfish she was! The vast majority of her memory was filled with magic! Why oh why, she never tried to memorize the names, habits, and life history of all those traitors?!

But not everyone was against humanity, of course. When there were villains, there would be heroes.

It's just that it was a shame that every single one of them had died a gruesome death, and all they worked for was lost, and their lives had no meaning in the end…

If Yun So-Jin could control her body, she would've narrowed her eyes. Of course, now that she was in the past, she could use this as an advantage. Perhaps she could train some of the more useful ones…

As for the four Saints, two of them were going to attend the same academy in less than 10 years. Yun So-Jin would know, because she was one of them, while her lifelong friend Elanor was the other.

Then her thoughts turned more toward her personal life.

And she realized she almost couldn't remember anything! She was six centuries old when she died, and the last two were spent defending humanity. Her childhood memories were long gone. All that remained was the obsessions of her youth.

The biggest one being, the murderer of her elder sister…

Yun So-Jin had gotten revenge in the previous timeline. She had already made those responsible pay the price. But not even six hundred years could mend some wounds. Time could not heal, but only make her forget.

As she laid on the hospital bed without motion, Yun So-Jin dreamed of burning Sword Saint's soul to ash.