Han Ji-a’s stat window flickered into existence, hovering between us, its faint blue glow catching the edges of her cheekbones.
Na : Han ji-a
Gender : Female
Age : 26 years old
Nature : Shadow
Level : 21
Class : Assassin
Sub-Class : (Unlocks after Mission 5)
Title : ( Unlocks after Sub-Class )
Strength : 0250
Agility : 0400
Health Points : 0100
Magic Points : 0150
Stamina : 0150
Nature : Shadow
The user have the access to shadow realm. The user can travel through shadows.
Skills:
•) Venom Edge : Deals continuous damage over ti.
•) Silent Execution : One kills opponents of their health is below 25%.
•) Evasion: Can Dodge one life threathing attack once a day.
Equipnts:
•) Katana Fangbite.
Description:
A black-forged katana with a faint crimson edge, as if it has been drinking blood for centuries. The blade hums when drawn, whispering like a predator ready to strike. It earned its na for the way its edge "bites" into flesh, leaving behind wounds that burn and weaken the victim.
Effects:
Predator’s Edge: Damage increases by 10% when striking from behind.
Shadow Draw (Passive): First strike after unsheathing the katana deals 25% damage
Her stats weren’t overwhelming, but they told their own story—of soone who had scraped through by grit, precision, and stubborn refusal to die. Survivor’s numbers.
I leaned back, crossing my arms. "Not bad. But stats don’t explain everything. So tell , Ji-a—how the hell did you survive all this?"
Her lips parted, then pressed shut again, as though the mories tasted bitter on her tongue.
When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet but steady. "Lee Hyori and I survived Golden Hell Week together. Barely. If it wasn’t for her... I wouldn’t be here to show you those stats."
I raised a brow. "Her? What exactly did she do?"
Ji-a’s eyes flickered, recalling. "When Mission 2 hit, we weren’t lucky. The boss spawned right in our sector. It was... brutal. Too fast, too strong. The kind of monster that makes you realize just how fragile you are." A shadow crossed her face. "We would’ve been torn apart if it weren’t for Hyori’s foresight... and then Su-bin showed up. With the three of us together, sohow, we killed it."
Su-bin. That na again.
"And after that?" I asked, though I already knew where this was going.
Her expression hardened. "After that, Su-bin beca the leader. Missions 3, 4, 5... all him. He cleared them, or... forced others to. People here either follow him or stay out of his way. There’s no middle ground."
The more I heard, the more the puzzle pieces twisted into sothing ugly. "Then why Hyori? Why would he kidnap her?"
Ji-a’s voice dropped, like speaking the truth too loud would summon him. "Because of his ability. Su-bin can steal powers, Ye-jun. Tear them out of soone, store them like weapons on a shelf, and then use them himself—or bestow them to soone else. But the mont he does, the original owner is left useless. Empty. It only lasts a while, so he has to keep... harvesting."
Her mouth tightened. "If that ability belonged to soone sane, he could’ve been a savior. But Su-bin was already broken before this world ended. An asylum case, sentenced for life. Now? He calls himself king. And everyone else? We’re just his subjects."
A muscle in my jaw ticked. "And Hyori’s power?"
Ji-a hesitated for a heartbeat before answering. "She can see the future. Just two minutes ahead, no more. But with that, she kept us alive through Golden Hell Week. With her visions, we could dodge attacks, lay ambushes, stay one step ahead of monsters. Without her..." She swallowed. "We’d all be dead."
Two minutes of foresight. Small, but devastating if used well. And in the hands of soone like Su-bin, who could stack abilities like playing cards?
"Perfect," I muttered, rubbing my face. "So the city’s salvation is also its damnation. A tyrant strong enough to protect everyone, but sick enough to crush anyone he doesn’t like. What a headache..."
Ji-a studied quietly. "What will you do, Ye-jun?"
My voice ca out low, colder than I ant. "Find a middle ground. If I fight him, people die. If I ignore him, people suffer. So... I’ll deal with him in a way that keeps this city alive. Sohow."
Her gaze lingered on , unreadable. For a mont, the silence between us was thick—not hostile, just heavy, like two people standing at the edge of different cliffs, both staring at the sa storm.
But then sothing slipped out before I could stop it.
"Why didn’t you ever tell it was Hana Lee who spread that photo back in high school? Or that you knew I was smoking?"
That got her. Her eyes widened—an unguarded flicker, gone as quickly as it ca. She straightened, pulling herself back into that practiced calm. "Because I didn’t care enough at the ti. I just wanted to graduate fast. No distractions. No problems. That was all that mattered to ."
Her words stung sharper than I expected. She’d always been good at shutting doors in people’s faces... including mine.
She pivoted before I could push further. "What about Aunt Mi-sun? And Ye-rin?"
I exhaled, loosening my jaw. "They’re safe. Back in Buk-gu, Ulsan. Hana Lee’s with them too. She... has a baby boy now. Min-jae. Did you know?"
To my surprise, Ji-a’s lips curved into sothing soft—almost wistful. "Yes. I attended her wedding. I knew about the baby."
The bottom dropped out of my stomach. "What?"
She tilted her head, eyes narrowing. "Ye-jun... you didn’t know?"
"She never ntioned it." The heat in my chest rose, bitter. "And you—why are you still friends with her? She helped kidnap you. She—"
"She apologized." Ji-a’s voice cut across mine, gentle but firm. "And I forgave her. Sotis... forgiveness is easier than carrying the weight forever."
Her words sank into like a blade, uncomfortably precise.
Before I could respond, a familiar flutter of wings broke the tension. The air shimred, and Roger dropped his invisibility, landing on the table with a sharp *thud*. His golden eye glead, feathers ruffled in excitent.
He let out a triumphant hoot, a sound that vibrated in my chest like a war drum.
I froze.
I knew that look.
Roger had found her.
Lee Hyori.
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