NOVPUBInside Sejun’s mental realm.
“Ugh...”
Why is it suddenly so cold?
Sejun shivered and curled up.
Then—
“Ah. Now’s not the time for this.”
He closed his eyes and focused.
‘Hey, clones, what are you doing? Break’s over—time to work.’
He tried to locate the energy of his clones—Santa Sejun, God of Christmas, and Doom Sejun, God of Destruction.
But he was just the original. A humble Sejun. There was no way he could track down his Transcendent-class divine clones.
“Hey! How long are you planning to slack off?! The main body’s suffering here—shouldn’t you be helping?!”
Unable to find them, Sejun yelled at the sky, hoping one of them would hear.
...
Of course, there was no reply.
“Tch. Jerks. Fine. I’ll do it myself.”
Trying to play it cool, Sejun gave up on their help.
“Alright. Time to get some real sleep.”
And with that, he finally fell into a deep slumber.
“...Ugh.”
Shivering from the cold.
Kuong?
[Where’s that cold wind coming from?]
At this rate, the crops might freeze to death.
Thankfully, Pink Fur happened to be passing by and blocked the dimensional gate—where the frigid air was leaking out—with her front paw.
The chill was intense.
But for Pink Fur—
Kuhuhuhu. Refreshing.
—it just felt nice and cool.
“Hehehe. So warm...”
Thanks to her, Sejun could sleep soundly in warmth.
A world of endless white—snow and ice blanketing everything.
A barren, nameless land.
Because of the extreme cold, they hadn’t encountered a single soul while traveling, so there was no way to know what this place was called.
And then—
“This way, nya!”
Queng! Queng!
[No, this way!]
“No, nya! The pull is stronger this way!”
Theo and Queng, both searching for Sejun’s birthday present, had been heading in the same direction—until now. Their paths diverged.
Turns out, “pull” and “scent” weren’t the same thing.
At that moment—
(Bat-Bat. I’ll follow big brother Theo. Kkamang, please go with Queng.)
Bat-Bat offered a solution.
Kihihit. Squeak! Squeak!
[Hehe! Just trust the great Kkamang! I’ll make sure big brother Queng doesn’t get lost!]
Kkamang puffed up with pride, boasting confidently.
I went forward before, so going backward should take me home!
...He was already lost.
And so, they split into two teams:
Te-Bat Team (Theo and Bat-Bat)
Qu-Kka Team (Queng and Kkamang)
“Puhuhut. Let’s meet back at the dimensional gate once we find the great hybrid Chairman Park’s birthday present, nya!”
Kuhehehe. Queng!
[Hehehe. Got it!]
They each left footprints heading in opposite directions.
Then—
Whooooosh.
A fresh snowfall erased the footprints instantly, leaving the land as pristine as if no one had passed through.
Dawn, 55th Floor of the Black Tower.
“Lady Lala, it’s time to go.”
“Yes.”
Ppochie and Lala left their home to prepare for the wedding.
The ceremony was scheduled for noon, but they needed to stop by the 75th floor to get their bridal makeup done.
When they reached the Merchant’s Passage—
“What the heck? Why is it so crowded?!”
“Did the hamsters rent the entire floor?! Why are there so many of them?!”
Complaints rang out from rabbits lining up to use the passage.
All of Hamc’s hamsters were flooding toward the 99th floor for the wedding, clogging the path entirely.
Did something happen in Hamc?
“Excuse me, where is everyone going? Is everything okay in Hamc?”
Worried, Ppochie asked a nearby hamster.
The hamster answered excitedly, holding up a crisp white invitation:
“We’re going here! We heard we can see the Ham-God Iona there!”
You are invited to the wedding of Groom Ppochie and Bride Lala.
“...Huh?!”
That’s our wedding invitation!
Ppochie stared in shock at the paper.
Chui! Chui!
[Ppochie-nim! So many hamsters want to attend your wedding! What should we do? I think we need more invitations!]
Gyuk!
[They said they’ll bring wedding gifts—so we sent out as many as they wanted!]
At the same time, Ppochie remembered how he’d gotten blinded by greed when Galchi asked about sending out more invites.
All these hamsters... are here for my wedding?!
No way... right?
Ppochie rushed around, asking the others for confirmation—but every hamster he met was holding his invitation.
I’m screwed...
Ppochie realized—too late—that he’d made a huge mistake.
“Sejun-nim must be furious...”
Suddenly, he was terrified to show up at his own wedding.
But—
“Well... I might as well get married before I die.”
Despite it all, he still wanted to get married.
“Lady Lala, let’s go!”
He grabbed her hand and joined the procession of hamsters.
Unaware that Sejun was preparing a special event just for him.
“Puhuhut. Let’s hurry and find it so we can help Queng too, nya!”
(Bat-Bat! Yes!)
Theo and Bat-Bat dashed across the frozen wasteland.
After traveling for about 30 minutes—
“Puhuhut. It’s down here, nya!”
BANG!
Theo struck the ground hard with his front paw.
RUMBLE.
The ice beneath them cracked outward in a spiderweb pattern, and the earth trembled. no𝚟𝚙u𝚋.c𝚘m
“Bat-Bat! This way, nya!”
(Bat-Bat! Got it!)
The two of them leapt between the shifting cracks and descended into the depths.
Soon—
“Puhuhut. We’re here, nya!”
They arrived at the foot of a massive tower, frozen in ice. Over a kilometer tall and made of metal.
CLINK.
“Nya!”
Theo extended his Dragon Claws and tore through the ice, punching a hole straight to the top floor of the tower.
“Puhuhut. This is it, nya!”
Clack.
He picked up a flat stone from the center of a room filled with high-tech equipment.
(Bat-Bat! Big bro, congratulations!)
Bat-Bat cheered as Theo found Sejun’s gift.
“Puhuhut. Since you helped too, I’ll give you a share of the credit, nya!”
Theo replied with a generous grin.
(Bat-Bat! Really?!)
Bat-Bat was stunned. Of course he was—Theo never shared anything related to Sejun.
Looks like Theo was finally starting to act like a real big brother.
Just then—
–Who’s touching Dr. Jun’s legacy?
A monitor flickered on, displaying the face of a beautiful woman along with a voice.
At that moment—
“Puhuhut! If you’re asking who I am, then it’s only right I answer! I am the great hybrid golden cat, Vice Chairman Park Theo, Chairman Sejun’s lethal right paw, and the luck mascot of the Black Tower!”
Theo, as always, was ready and waiting for his dramatic introduction. Self-introductions were everything.
And then—
(Bahehe~! If you’re asking who I am, then it’s only fair I answer too! I am Secret Security Officer Bat-Bat of Sejun Company, and also the King of Karaoke! Also... I like fruit.)
Bat-Bat followed up shyly, voice trembling with excitement. He’d been waiting so long for this moment.
I did it! I finally introduced myself too!
Bat-Bat was overwhelmed with joy after his first successful self-introduction—
“Park Theo. Park Bat-Bat. These are unauthorized names.”
“You are therefore classified as intruders and will be eliminated.”
The woman on the monitor shook her head and spoke in a cold, robotic voice.
Zzzzt.
At the same time, red lights lit up on the walls.
Clunk. Clunk.
Steel giants with glowing red mono-eyes began to move.
But—
“Nyan-Nyan Storm Fist, nya!”
“Bat-Bat Storm Fist!”
With their attacks, Theo and Bat-Bat made quick work of the steel giants.
Then—
All laboratory security bots have been destroyed. No means of protecting the lab remain. Per Dr. Jun’s final directive, initiating meltdown of all ten fusion reactors. Self-destruct protocol activated. All data will be incinerated in ten minutes.
The woman on the monitor forcibly reactivated the long-dormant fusion cores powering the tower.
RUMBLE.
The extreme heat generated by the tower instantly melted the icy terrain around it, flooding the surrounding area with massive torrents of water.
And—
“Puhuhut. At this rate the whole place will melt, nya! Let’s get to Queng, quick!”
(Bat-Bat! Yes!)
Having caused the entire mess, Theo and Bat-Bat bolted to find Queng.
As they disappeared—
Ssssshhh.
The once-frozen world began to drown, water surging around the heat-emitting tower at its center.
Kuhehehe. Queng!
[Hehehe. Kkamang, it’s that way!]
Queng pointed toward the summit of an icy mountain, hidden behind clouds. Or more accurately, to the invisible peak.
Kihihit. Squeak!
[Hehe! Big bro Queng, let’s fly!]
Queng!
[Got it!]
BOOM!
Queng grabbed Kkamang and shot up toward the clouds.
But—
CRASH!
Queng?
Squeak?
They were pelted by thin, jagged shards of ice.
The clouds weren’t clouds—they were clouds made of ice.
Fortunately, the ice couldn’t pierce the tough hides of Queng and Kkamang. Queng simply charged through.
And then—
Queng!
[There it is!]
At the top of the mountain, basking nobly in the sunlight, was a small sprout with shimmering blue leaves.
Baby Puppet Icebloom
The very item Sejun had been searching for.
Kuhehehe. Queng!
[Hehehe. Daddy’s gonna be an SS-rank Tower Farmer now!]
That means Daddy gets stronger—and his cooking will taste even better!
Queng flew toward the Baby Puppet Icebloom, brimming with joy.
But then—
[Stay away!]
CRACKLE.
The Icebloom, possessing enough cold to plunge an entire world into an ice age, violently resisted. It froze the surrounding area solid—including Queng and Kkamang.
But—
FWOOOSH.
You’ll get scolded by Mom if you play with fire too much, you know!
CRACKLE.
Queng summoned a gentle flame, melting the ice around them.
Queng!
[Back off, or you’ll get hurt!]
CHOMP.
With his hand wrapped in flames, he grabbed the Icebloom.
Ssssst.
[HIEEEK!]
He lightly seared it.
[............]
The Icebloom passed out on the spot and instantly submitted.
Kihihit. Squeak! K-choo!
[Hehe! That’s what happens when you mess with my big bro! ...Achoo!]
Kkamang strutted over and smugly stepped on the Icebloom’s root—then sneezed.
Just then—
“Queng, we gotta go, nya!”
(Bat-Bat! The ice is melting!)
Theo and Bat-Bat reappeared, urging them to return home.
Just like they’d silently agreed, neither mentioned the metal tower or the steel giants. They both knew they’d... probably caused a disaster.
Queng!
[Got it!]
Kihihit. Squeak!
[Hehe! Let’s go home!]
And so, the Te-Qu-Bat-Kka brothers dashed toward the dimensional gate.
Along the way—
RUMBLE.
Towering waves formed by the melting ice surged dozens of kilometers high, swallowing the land behind them.
Fortunately, the ice in front of the dimensional gate was still intact.
Queng!
[Mom’s foot!]
Queng dove straight for Pink Fur’s outstretched paw, clinging to one of her toes.
Kuong?
Feeling something latch onto her foot, Pink Fur instinctively lifted her paw to check.
Naturally, Queng—hanging onto her toe—was carried across the gate and landed on the 99th floor of the Black Tower.
Kuhehehe. Queng!
[Hehehe. Mommy, Queng’s home!]
Kuong?
[Are you hurt anywhere?]
As Pink Fur checked Queng’s body—
“Puhuhut. We’re home, nya!”
(Bahehe~! We made it back!)
Kihihit. Squeak!
[Hehe! The great Kkamang has returned safely!]
Theo, Bat-Bat, and Kkamang also crossed the gate and returned.
(Bat-Bat! Close it!)
Just as Bat-Bat hurriedly sealed the gate—
KRA-KA-BOOM!
A massive wave engulfed the space where the gate had been.
Thus # Nоvеlight # ended the world where no living creature remained.
Dr. Jun... can I finally meet you now?
The woman in the monitor, who had guarded the tower without a master for hundreds of years, closed her eyes with a sad smile—and shut down her own power.
And then—
10.
9.
8.
...
..
.
1.
[Destroying the research lab of Dr. Sejun Park.]
[Thank you all for your hard work ^^]
Those final words appeared on a black screen.
BOOM!
The world, already ruined once, was destroyed again—this time, for good.
Earth E-264, lost to the ice age.
Erased.
System 371 quietly and mechanically recorded yet another tragedy.
