Chapter Text
It was the first day after Kim Rok Soo's week-long vacation. He had rested well, even finishing all five volumes of The Birth of a Hero, and was ready to return to work. However, the peace didn't last long. An unidentified, unranked monster suddenly appeared, prompting his team to respond urgently.
They were close to defeating the creature when it attempted to self-destruct. Without hesitation, Rok Soo pushed his skill Instant to its limits and struck the final blow. His body cracked, blood flowing uncontrollably. As his consciousness faded, a single thought crossed his mind:
"After everything… I can finally rest."
With his final breath, he turned to Kim Min Ah, the vice-captain, and the others, saying:
“Min Ah, I’m passing the captain’s title to you. Take care of everyone. And remember this—Being alive is the best.”
Tears streamed down their faces as they watched their leader fall, powerless to stop it.
Rok Soo lost all sensation. Darkness enveloped him… until he suddenly awoke in what looked like an office.
“What the hell…? I remember dying…”
A loud voice echoed outside the office.
“What happened to Being alive is the best, huh?! Now look at you, sacrificing yourself!”
Rok Soo turned toward the voice and was stunned to see a familiar face—his former team leader and family-like figure.
“Team leader… why are you here…?”
His eyes widened, shimmering with tears as memories flooded in.
Lee Soo Hyuk approached and pulled him into a tight embrace.
“I’m sorry I left you alone like that, Rok Soo. But we don’t have much time, so I need to explain everything quickly.”
Rok Soo calmed himself and returned to his usual stoic expression, quickly analyzing the situation.
“Team leader… can you tell me what’s going on? Why am I seeing you?”
Soo Hyuk sighed and took a seat on the sofa.
“I’m here on behalf of a certain bastard who was too much of a coward to face you himself.”
“What? Who?”
“You’ll know soon enough. But for now, to the point: Rok Soo, you’re going to be reborn into another world.”
“...What?”
“I know it sounds insane. But listen carefully—you’ll be sent to a place where you can grow and be stronger.”
“Wait, why do I need to get stronger? Honestly, I’d rather be reborn into a wealthy family and live a life where I don’t have to lift a finger.”
Soo Hyuk let out a long sigh.
“Haah… You really haven’t changed. But you’ll need strength. That world is dangerous.”
“Those so-called gods want you to save that world. But me? I just want you to live the life you truly want. That’s all.”
Rok Soo was touched by his former captain’s words.
“Team leader… I…”
Before he could finish, the space around them began to tremble.
“Damn it, it's collapsing already!” Soo Hyuk cursed. “Listen closely, Rok Soo. I have a gift for you—my ability: Embrace. You remember how it works, right? After all, you were the strategist who knew every teammate’s skills by heart.”
He stood up and hugged Rok Soo once more.
“That day... what Jung Soo and I did was our decision. You have no reason to blame yourself. Thank you… for surviving.”
Those words lifted a heavy burden from Rok Soo’s heart. Tears streamed down his face.
“Thank you, hyung. I won’t blame myself anymore. But you’re not allowed to blame yourself either.”
As soon as the words left his lips, the world around him began to fade. Soo Hyuk’s figure slowly vanished.
“Heh… Alright, kid. Time to say goodbye. Who knows? Maybe we’ll meet again someday.”
“Wait, what do you mean by—”
Before he could finish, everything disappeared, and Rok Soo lost consciousness once more.
Sherrit, once the Dragon Lord, now existed only as a remnant—an illusion bound to the White Castle within the desert. For thousands of years, she had remained in this place, her presence barely more than a memory lingering in the ancient halls. But today, something was different. A strange aura, unfamiliar yet divine, brushed across her senses from the front courtyard.
Alarmed, she immediately made her way outside—only to freeze in astonishment. There, on the stone steps, lay a cradle. Inside it, peacefully asleep, was a baby wrapped in soft white cloth. Next to the cradle was a scroll, radiating divine energy.
She picked it up, and as she read, her expression grew solemn:
“To the former Dragon Lord—please care for this special child. Raise him well. One day, he will help you rediscover the happiness you once lost.”
She knew immediately—this child had been sent by a god.
A long, quiet sigh escaped her lips as she knelt beside the cradle and gazed upon the infant. He had blood-red hair that reminded her of one of the two eggs she had once cherished. His skin was soft and pale like moonlight, and above his head floated a laurel-shaped halo, glowing faintly with divine light. There was no doubt—this child was an angel.
And yet… there was something odd.
Two small horns peeked out from his forehead.
Sherrit blinked. An angel… with horns? This went against every description she had ever known—even the ancient texts from her days as Dragon Lord said nothing of angels like this.
Still, as she looked down at the baby, a feeling stirred within her. It wasn’t just duty, or curiosity. It was… warmth. A faint echo of something she thought had been lost long ago.
"He reminds me... of the one I couldn't protect."
And just like that, her mind was made up.
After ten thousand years of solitude—after wandering the sands as a ghost clinging to a fading castle—Sherrit once again became a mother.
When Rok Soo regained consciousness, he found himself lying in a white room. The ceiling above him was high and ornate, and soft blankets surrounded him. He raised his hand instinctively—but instead of a familiar, muscular arm, what he saw was a tiny, chubby baby’s hand.
“So… I really have been reborn. But where am I?”
He was still lost in thought when a gentle voice reached his ears.
“You’re awake, little one. Welcome to this world. I will take care of you, my precious angel.”
He turned toward the voice and saw a beautiful woman with flowing white hair and faint freckles scattered across her kind face. She was smiling warmly at him, her eyes filled with deep affection.
“Is this… my mother in this world?”
He reached his small hand toward her, and she immediately took it into hers. At that moment, something intangible yet powerful blossomed between them—a bond, pure and unshakable.
To Rok Soo, who had grown up as an orphan in his previous life, this feeling was utterly foreign. Yet warm. Comforting. There was no father figure nearby, no other presence.
“That’s fine. I’ll protect this family and enjoy the lazy life I never had.”
With that thought, his eyes fluttered shut, and he fell asleep. Sherrit gently smiled and left the room to prepare everything needed to raise a child of divine blood.
Time passed quickly. One year later, Rok Soo was toddling about his luxurious nursery. The room had everything a child could dream of—soft rugs, shelves of toys, and enormous windows letting in the desert sun.
“Strange… I’ve never seen anyone here except Mama.”
Indeed, he had assumed he had been reborn as the son of some wealthy noble family, but no servants ever appeared. Only Sherrit—his "Mama."
“Little angel, it’s time to eat,” she said, entering the room.
“Okay, Mama.”
He replied naturally, sitting up and smiling. Though they shared no resemblance—neither in appearance nor in race—her gentleness made him feel safe. Even the way she called him little angel felt personal.
“Maybe that’s just her way of calling me her baby.”
After eating, he returned to his room and gazed into the mirror. What he saw surprised him.
“Why do I have a halo floating above my head? And horns too? How annoying...”
He had long suspected he wasn’t fully human, but he didn’t want to be labeled as anything either. Half-jokingly, he thought:
“Disappear.”
Poof.
The halo and horns vanished.
“Oh. That actually worked…”
Grinning to himself, Rok Soo felt relieved. Now, at least, he looked like an ordinary human child—safe from any zealous priest or curious noble eye.
Years passed.
At age five, Rok Soo had nearly forgotten the halo and horns altogether. His days were filled with meals, naps, books, and basic lessons in language and the world around him. Eventually, he came to a shocking realization:
“Wait… this is the world of The Birth of a Hero—the novel I read.”
And that world? It was one of chaos and war.
“No wonder the hyung told me I needed to get stronger,” he muttered, sighing heavily.
Just then, Sherrit entered the room. Today was different—today, she would finally explain the truth: about him, about his origins, and about herself.
Though Rok Soo had always known she wasn’t his biological mother—or even a living being—he had long accepted her as family. Her nurturing presence, gentle teaching, and warm smiles had filled a hole in his heart he didn’t know still existed.
She sat beside him on the sofa and said softly:
“Today, I’ll tell you how you came to be here.”
“You’re smart, so I’m sure you already know. We’re not truly mother and son. And… I’m not really alive.”
Rok Soo looked down, his voice a whisper.
“Even so… I still think of you as my mother.”
Sherrit chuckled.
“What was that? Say it louder?”
“Nothing!” he said quickly, cheeks flushed.
“Anyway,” she smiled, “let me tell you the story of the day I found you.”
He listened closely as she recounted every detail. When she finished, everything finally made sense.
Yes—he was an angel. He could no longer deny it.
But still, he decided to keep that secret to himself. After all, the fewer people who knew, the safer his peaceful, lazy life would be.
“Then… why do I have horns?” he asked curiously. “I thought angels didn’t have horns.”
Sherrit looked puzzled.
“Even in the oldest texts I have from my days as Dragon Lord, there’s no mention of angels with horns. I don’t know why either.”
Rok Soo tilted his head in thought, then shrugged.
“Well, I can hide them, so I guess it doesn’t matter.”
“If that’s how you feel, then I’ll trust you,” she said, smiling again. “Oh, and one more thing—it’s time you chose your name.”
“My name?”
“According to the scroll, angels are noble beings who choose their own names. It’s a part of their identity.”
Rok Soo hesitated. His old name had died with his old self.
He looked up at her, eyes full of trust.
“Why don’t you name me, Mama? Whether I’m a noble being or not doesn’t matter to us, right?”
Sherrit let out a soft, affectionate sigh.
“Alright then. I’ll think carefully and give you a name worthy of you.”
“Thank you, Mama,” Rok Soo replied, smiling gently.
That day, the two of them spent their time reading books, cooking together, and sleeping side by side. It was a rare and precious peace—a peace neither of them had known in a very long time.