The man had a frail body—slightly skinny, fragile, but not malnourished. No abs, no muscles to talk about… just a weak-looking frame that didn't match the sharpness in his eyes. His appearance was simple, messy hair falling over his forehead, a tired yet focused gaze, and a face that looked ordinary at first glance—but the longer one stared, the more unsettling it felt.
He was lying on the sofa, leaning deep into the couch like it was the only thing that mattered right now.
"Yeah… almost… I'm going for MVP this time too!"
"Don't rob my kill, you bastards!!" he shouted in irritation at his teammates.
TAP TAP TAP!!
SKILL ACTIVATED!!
ENEMY SLAIN!!
DOUBLE KILL!!
"That's what I call perfect victory." he said, after getting more than ten MVP streaks in a row, a rare sense of satisfaction spreading through him after his flawless victory.
Who could tell this was the same man—Nova—who once didn't care about winning at all, no matter how good things got…?
He murmured under his breath, "It's already been more than a month… since I ended up in this place."
After dying such a miserable death, he had thought at least after death he could live a life in heaven or hell, whatever awaited him… or maybe be reborn as some wealthy noble—
He clicked his tongue in irritation.
"I somehow ended up in this damn body of this 21-year-old brat... for some unknown reason…"
But that wasn't even the main problem.
"It's about the body itself… it's fragile as hell…and it can't even function properly."
He had already checked the information, and by the looks of it, it had been five years since he died. Thankfully, he got the memories of this body intact, so it wasn't hard for him to adjust to his current situation.
"Stop playing games and come already, Noct."
The voice was mature and gentle at the same time.
He put his phone into his pocket and stood up, starting to walk toward the other room.
"Coming, Master."
Noct… yeah, that was his new name. The name of the original owner of this body.
When he first got here, this boy was covered in blood—not his own—and was doing some kind of shady ritual. It failed… and he ended up dead. At that moment, Nova took over his body.
But his memory of that entire day was still hazy.
He couldn't even remember anything from the last week before he was transferred into this body.
He entered the room and took an empty seat at the dining table, as it was a usual thing to do.
There was food on the table—not much, but enough to fill his empty stomach. It wasn't anything luxurious, just some bread, butter, and a fluffy egg omelet with a smile drawn on it with ketchup.
It looked too appetizing to Noct.
Before dying, he never had the privilege of eating something so delicious. The most he used to eat were near-rotten fruits during wars and his usual meals were just…some boiled soup mixed with vegetables and unknown stuff—it was more water than soup, consisting of 90% water, 5% rotten vegetables, and 5% of that unknown garbage.
"Let's eat now, shall we?" the person in front of him said with a bright smile.
It was a woman in her mid-20s, with long silver-white hair braided to one side and striking blue eyes that felt calm yet distant. A small hair clip rested on her bangs, and her pale, delicate features carried a quiet elegance that made her hard to look away from.
"Yes, Master, let's eat. The omelet looks especially delicious!" he said with a smile.
Yeah… a real, big smile.
He had smiled only once in his previous life. Maybe it was the change of body… or the environment he had lived in for the past month that made him more lively. Who could tell?
"Don't flatter me with those words. This is just a regular omelet," the woman said, though she was genuinely happy from inside, a faint smile forming on her lips.
This woman was his master—or to be exact, the master of the person whose body Nova was now in.
They lived in the house of the same clan.
A clan… yeah, you heard that right. He ended up in a clan again.
A small clan near bankruptcy.
And this woman—his new master, the head of this clan on the brink of demolition—was Elisa.
"Let's eat before it gets cold," Elisa said.
He nodded in agreement and started eating without any further ado.
He picked up the bread first, tearing off a piece before spreading a layer of melted butter over it, the golden sheen slowly soaking into the soft surface as it glistened under the light. He brought it to his mouth and took a bite, the warmth and richness spreading instantly, the softness almost melting as he chewed.
For a moment, his movements slowed, as if savoring something he wasn't used to having.
Then he moved to the omelet. The fluffy texture broke easily under his fork, a bit of ketchup smearing as he took a piece and put it into his mouth.
For a moment, he paused, his movements slowing slightly as he continued eating in silence, without a word.
Piece after piece, bite after bite, he kept going, completely focused on the food in front of him.
He didn't rush, but he didn't slow down either. Like someone who had learned to value every single bite.
Meanwhile, Elisa quietly watched him, resting her chin lightly on her hand.
"You're eating like someone's going to steal it," she said with a soft smile.
He didn't even look up.
"They used to," he replied casually, taking another bite.
She paused, a confused look forming on her face. "What do you mean?"
He clicked his tongue lightly. "Nothing… just talking to myself," he said, giving an excuse while continuing to eat.
While eating, she finally asked what she had been waiting to say all along.
"Have you decided what you're going to do now?"
Noct looked at her, confusion clear on his face. "About what?"
"I'm talking about your future, since you cleared your college."
He replied calmly, "Yes, Master, I have decided—"
But before he could finish, she interrupted.
"Are you finally—" her voice carried a hint of sadness. "Of course, you always wanted to study abroad… since there aren't many cases of Judgement there. ( Judgement — a phenomenon where people are taken without warning into the Night World, a confined and dangerous dimension; those who survive earn a class upon return. It strikes randomly, most often between the ages of twenties to thirties.)You could live a happy life without worries…" she said, forcing a fake smile with an awkward laugh.
She's really sad…
Of course she would be. There was no reason for her not to be.
After this boy's parents died in a war when he was only five, her father was the one who took him in—for repaying his parents for serving the clan until their death. . And Elisa… she always cared for Noct like a younger brother.
He was the only one she had.
She had every right to feel this way.
Just the thought of the only person you care about leaving you behind… it could shake even the greatest warriors.
Noct let out a sigh and said with a mocking, disappointed face, "Jeez, Master… don't make that face. You really can't live without me, can you?"
"Stop teasing me at a time like this!" she protested.
He smiled slightly. "Don't worry, Master. I'm not leaving. I've decided… I'm going to be an Exorcist," he said with an excited grin.
"WHAT!?"
"You heard it right, Master. I'm going to be an Exorcist… and make our clan number one."
After all… I can't let go of my chance to take revenge on those bastards and live a life in peace, he thought, blood pumping through his fragile, weak, pathetic body.
And there was another reason behind this.
And who's going to lick those crap books full of nonsense?
I mean seriously… sin, cos, alpha, beta, gamma, speed of light, atom size, what the sun is made of, one light year—
Fuck all that nonsense.
Just thinking about it made his head dizzy and irritated.
Will any of that be useful when I'm dying? When someone stabs a blade into my chest?
No, fucking hell no. What the hell am I even supposed to do with all that!?
Just a bunch of crap distracting kids these days… instead of learning martial arts, techniques, and survival.
After all, it's your capabilities and willpower that save your life in the Night World—
( The place where people are transferred after Judgement. A strange space that can take any form—a forest, a twisted structure, anything—filled with night creatures like evil spirits, demihumans… even gods. )
"But aren't you scared?" Elisa said, worry clear in her voice. "You could die if you're chosen by Judgement… and what about your dream to study abroad?"
He replied calmly, "A true man never fears anything."
She hesitated. "But—"
Before she could say anything more—
He leaned closer after getting up from his seat, placing his finger gently on her lips, a grin forming on his face.
"No 'but'… or anything."
Do you understand, Master?" he said with a light smile.
She nodded in response, clearly blushing a little.
He thought, now it was time to solve some problems, a hint of excitement rising within him as he already had the perfect plan for it.