The Villain’s Assistant is too Competent chapter 1

You have encountered a figure referred to as the Grim Reaper.

He is a threatening adversary to you, and you are an enemy he must eliminate.

Take appropriate actions that favor survival and escape death at the hands of the Reaper.

– Quest Reward Upon Success: ???

━━⊱⋆⊰━━

[You are currently “an unnamed enemy soldier extra.”]

[(!) A death flag has been triggered.]

[Time until death: 1 minute and 45 seconds.]

Kang Seyeon had already died once, crushed under an overturned truck.

But when he opened his eyes again, he was told he would die in 1 minute and 45 seconds.

“Arghhh!”

A scream erupted nearby, its owner unknown.

It was followed by sounds of unrelenting brutality, the likes of which he had never heard before.

Blood sprayed into the air like a fountain, arching in a crimson curve before his eyes.

A tall man stood not far away. His vivid blue eyes—unlike anything a Korean would possess—flickered like flames.

Their gazes met.

The man, who resembled the Grim Reaper, began striding toward him, gripping a menacing sword.

[Time until death: 33 seconds.]

Kang Seyeon couldn’t comprehend the translucent, ominous screens in front of him, nor could he make sense of what was happening.

But one thing was crystal clear: the primal survival instinct rooted in his genes was screaming at him.

“If I stay here, that man will kill me.”

Humans, inevitably, will die someday.

But why does it have to be now?

And after dragging someone back from a painful death, why kill them again?

The vivid memory of his earlier death made his vision spin.

I need to run. I don’t want to die.

The fear of death thundered in his chest like a roaring drum, but his tense body only grew stiffer with each second.

Kang Seyeon conClauded that getting up and immediately turning to run was not an option.

Finally, the tall man closed the distance.

His sharp, sculpted features—like a marble statue—were as seductive as a devil’s, crafted to mesmerize humans.

The blue eyes, gazing down from above, held an ethereal beauty like a mythical god looking over the world.

Yet, at the same time, they were cold and merciless, as if heralding death like Hades guarding the underworld.

[Time until death: 4 seconds.]

The man’s lips, tightly shut, did not part.

His raised sword gleamed ominously in the light.

Kang Seyeon tried to step back but collapsed onto the ground instead.

[Time until death: 2 seconds.]

“P-please…”

His heart swelled as if it would burst.

Run.

But it’s too late.

Think of something to say.

But there’s no time to think.

“Save me!”

His outstretched hand flailed in the air.

The man showed no sign of stopping.

Like a falling ride at its peak, the razor-sharp blade descended toward Kang Seyeon’s neck.

[Time until death: 0.5 seconds.]

“I’m a hostage!”

It was almost a scream.

Shutting his eyes tightly, he hunched his shoulders.

The blade, as if in a lie, stopped just before his throat.

Kang Seyeon cautiously opened one eye, only to see the sword hovering terrifyingly close to his neck. Startled, he scrambled backward.

Then, an oddly cheerful notification sound rang in his ears.

[Your choice has aided your survival.]

[You have successfully extended your life for a little longer!]

[(!) The quest is not yet cleared.]

[Time until death: 5 minutes.]

The quest wasn’t cleared.

The moment he read that line, he knew instinctively.

This man wasn’t convinced yet.

“…A hostage?”

The deep, melodic voice captivated his attention instantly.

There was an innate elegance and arrogance in it, as though the speaker was born with such refinement.

Kang Seyeon’s thoughts raced faster than they ever had in his life.

He was certain now: the only way to survive was to convince this man that he was nothing more than a pitiful hostage.

Clinging to the man’s pant leg, he furrowed his brows pitifully.

“Please spare me! I was just a hostage! I was dragged here without knowing anything. I don’t know who you are, but please, have mercy and let me live!”

“……”

The man’s expression remained skeptical.

The standoff continued in silence, until the noise behind Kang Seyeon grew louder.

Curious about the commotion, he shifted his eyes but dared not turn his head.

The man’s piercing gaze shifted briefly behind Kang Seyeon before returning to him.

Trapped under that unrelenting gaze, Kang Seyeon felt frozen, as though even his breathing was shackled.

Then, the man’s sharp lips curved into a crooked smile.

He lifted his sword and pointed it behind Kang Seyeon, like a staff.

“Will you seek their help?”

“……”

“Or will you keep pretending to be a hostage? Decide.”

The last statement made Kang Seyeon feel uneasy, but it also felt like permission to look back.

Turning his head, he saw the source of the noise: grotesque monsters and a group of humans using them as shields, clamoring and climbing toward him.

Though unfamiliar, it was obvious: those humans were “allies” of the body he now occupied, while the man before him was their “enemy.”

What was there to hesitate about?

Without a second thought, Kang Seyeon shouted, “I have nothing to do with them!”

“Is that so?”

The man withdrew his sword, spun it in his hand, and raised it high.

Is he going to stab me?

Terrified, Kang Seyeon curled up instinctively.

Thud!

There was no pain.

But the dull sound rang out clearly.

When he opened his eyes again, Kang Seyeon saw the man standing with his sword planted into the ground instead of his body.

Boom!

The earth erupted, debris flying in every direction.

A powerful wind swirled around, forcing Kang Seyeon to huddle into a ball.

Behind him, savage noises and screams harmonized in a cacophony of chaos.

When the noise subsided, he cautiously lifted his head.

“Ah…”

The scene before him was a massacre: humans and monsters alike lay dead in pools of blood.

Whether it was magic from a fantasy novel or something else entirely, one thing was clear—this man’s power was far beyond anything Kang Seyeon had ever known.

And somehow, the scene felt hauntingly familiar.

That’s when it hit him.

It was a scene from the fantasy novel he had been reading right before his accident.

[‘A Crossroads Between Life and Death’ Quest Cleared!]

[…Calculating clear reward…]

[Clear reward determined.]

━━⊱⋆⊰━━

[Prologue: A Crossroads Between Life and Death]

– You, who should have spent your life merely leaving a single ink stain on dry paper, are now stepping forward to rewrite your fate. From now on, your existence will be rewritten anew.

– 『His name is Latian. Latian Dimerlos.』

– (!) A new name has been bestowed upon you.

━━⊱⋆⊰━━

[(!) Updated information exists in your status window.]

━━⊱⋆⊰━━

– Basic Info: Latian Dimerlos (new!) / Male / 28 years old
– Traits: Strong will to live (new!)

━━⊱⋆⊰━━

[The main quest has been unlocked!]

━━⊱⋆⊰━━

[Main Quest: ]

You have survived one ordeal.

However, countless threats of death still surround you.

At times, choices will be presented, and you will have the opportunity to make better decisions.

Strive to reach your own unique ending in this world.

– Reward upon completion: ???

━━⊱⋆⊰━━

[You are currently ‘an unidentified civilian.’]

[(!) The death flag has been removed.]

[Your life will be indefinitely extended until the trigger occurs.]

Reading through the flurry of information blinking before his eyes—quest cleared, rewards, and another quest—he let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

It was a shaky exhale, one that came as tension drained from his body.

‘I’m alive.’

Relief brought delayed trembling. Wrapping his arms tightly around himself, Kang Seyeon, now bearing the name Latian, slowly raised his head.

The man sheathing his sword.

Latian already knew the name of that man.

‘Claude Ocellania.’

He was the protagonist of this novel’s world.

“Hey, you.”

“…Yes? Me?”

Startled, Latian pointed to himself.

One of Claude’s smooth eyebrows arched sharply.

“Who else is here but you? Follow me.”

Immediately, a soft ding sounded in Latian’s ears.

[Meaningful turning point detected.]

[(!) Different sub-quests will open depending on your choice.]

━━⊱⋆⊰━━

– Option 1: Follow the man in front of you.
– Option 2: Run away from the man in front of you.
– Option 3: Choose an option not listed here.

━━⊱⋆⊰━━