Chapter 0 – Prologue
[Prologue – Verse 1] I Am a Bad Adult
On a terrace of a surreal palace built atop the clouds, a man clad in extravagant golden armor, impractical for any real use, gazed down upon the world.
“Finally, stability.”
He had grown stronger by defeating countless formidable enemies, and at last, he had toppled even the shadowy mastermind controlling the world from behind the scenes.
Of course, the journey had been filled with relentless hardships and trials.
The death of a friend, the betrayal of a lover, the king’s suspicion, assassins of the dark…
Yet, he overcame all of it and finally reached the pinnacle.
And now?
“Ho ho!”
“Heh heh heh!”
Beautiful women gazed at him with adoring eyes.
Each of them bore three pairs of pure white wings on their backs, symbolizing “messengers of the gods.”
Angels.
Though they appeared and acted like delicate women, each possessed power rivaling that of an entire nation.
‘Who should I choose today… Heh heh heh!’
The man, indulging in lascivious thoughts, scanned the angels flaunting their figures in provocative attire.
In this world without rivals, it would be no exaggeration to say everything revolved around him.
Tomorrow, and the day after…
It would be filled with dreams and hope.
Boom-!
“What…?”
A deafening explosion shook the palace, causing the man to raise an eyebrow in confusion.
‘Are there still enemies left?’
Pop!
He summoned a weapon from thin air, his face showing no trace of fear or worry.
Only excitement!
His life, now devoid of adversaries or even competitors, had grown tedious, and he had been craving something to break the monotony.
“Hope they’re worth my time.”
He had longed to grow stronger, but having achieved unmatched power, everything felt trivial.
Rumble-
The palace, befitting the mightiest warrior, shook violently with an earthquake strong enough to topple ordinary people, and part of his grand residence crumbled.
“Darling!”
“Master!”
“Your Majesty!”
The angels, each with their own unique bond and story with him, called him by different titles. Yet, their voices and gazes were filled with boundless trust.
“No need to worry.”
Holding a weapon for the first time in ages, the man flashed a reassuring smile as he surveyed the scene.
Boom!
Crash!
The palace guards rushed to the scene, but instead of quelling the disturbance, the chaos and damage only escalated like a snowball.
‘Impressive.’
The man was genuinely amazed. The guards protecting this place were no ordinary rabble.
Magic, weapons, armor, skills…
These were elite warriors he had personally trained and nurtured. Up until now, they had handled everything on their own.
“Kyaa?!”
“Argh?!”
“Ugh?!”
Yet, that defensive line was collapsing—pathetically, rapidly.
And then,
Boom-!
A pebble thrown by the intruder flew like a cannonball, obliterating the terrace.
“Interesting.”
Flap!
Embraced by the beautiful angels with their wings spread wide, the man gracefully descended to the ground.
“Greetings.”
The intruder, surrounded by guards, casually brushed the dust off their clothes and offered a light greeting.
But the master of the palace wasn’t in the mood to accept it graciously.
Because they were an obvious enemy?
No.
“A suit…?”
Because the intruder was dressed in a black suit, something that shouldn’t exist in this world!
Noticing the master’s gaze fixated on their attire, the intruder responded in a clear, confident tone.
“I’m on duty. Can’t exactly wear casual clothes, can I?”
“Duty? Hired for an assassination?”
“No.”
“Everyone denies it at first. Can’t exactly reveal their client, right? But answer me this—where did you get that outfit?”
“It’s mine. Didn’t buy it, though.”
“…Are you from Earth too?”
“If I may be so bold, your question is flawed from the start. We’re still on Earth.”
“Earth…?”
“Yes.”
“…”
The man couldn’t comprehend the intruder’s words. This world, filled with magic and monsters, couldn’t possibly be Earth.
But the intruder’s demeanor was too confident to dismiss as nonsense.
“Darling.”
“Hm?”
“Now’s not the time for casual chatter. They’re an intruder—an obvious enemy.”
“…You’re right.”
He should have been furious, but the thrill of encountering a strong opponent after so long took precedence. That’s how dull his peaceful life had become.
Still,
“Intruder. If not for assassination, why are you here?”
He decided to align with his angry wives for now.
“To meet you, of course.”
“And you thought wrecking someone’s home was the way to do it?”
“It’s not wrecking. I was hired by your mother.”
“Lies! My mother died giving birth to me!”
“I’m talking about your real mother, the one who gave birth to you.”
“I told you! My mother died giving birth—”
“Kim Young-hee.”
“H-How do you know that name…?!”
“It’s the name of the client who hired me to come here. She’s desperately waiting for her son.”
“…Lies.”
“It’s the truth.”
“Lies! It’s all lies! That can’t be true! My name is Kaiser! The man chosen by the gods…!”
“Kang Cheol-su.”
“No! Kang Cheol-su is dead…!”
“You’ve been lying unconscious in a hospital room for six years.”
“Nonsense! I was reborn in this world…!”
Whoosh-
The enraged man leaped with all his might to silence the intruder.
“Tch…”
As if expecting this, the young man sighed and pulled a green metal object from inside his black suit.
Swish-
A thick-bladed, ornate bronze sword with a wavy pattern, fit more for ceremonial use than combat.
The young man, gripping a weapon clearly unfit for killing, didn’t dodge the ferocious assault unleashed by the absolute ruler of the world. Instead, he met it head-on.
Clang!
“Kang Cheol-su.”
“Shut up!”
The moment their swords clashed, the palace built atop the clouds was obliterated.
The people there? The lives?
“Kang Cheol-su.”
“I am Kaiser!”
“Did you come up with that name yourself? Kaiser, derived from the Roman general Caesar, a title for German emperors—”
“Shut up!”
Boom! Crash!
Despite possessing power great enough to defeat the entire world single-handedly,
‘Why the hell!’
He couldn’t silence this ‘impure existence’ that shouldn’t even be here.
“Kang Cheol-su.”
“Shut up!”
“…One last thing.”
“Don’t!”
“There’s a saying, ‘When whales fight, the shrimp’s back breaks.’ The women cheering for you are getting caught up and dying—”
“Gasp!”
Startled, the man retreated and looked around.
“Ugh…”
“Argh…”
The angels, their bodies torn and tattered, could no longer spread their wings.
“…”
“…”
And some of them would never spread their wings again.
“No… This can’t be…”
Thud.
Realizing that his carelessness had caused his wives to be injured or killed, the man collapsed in despair.
“Kang Cheol-su, don’t be sad.”
“Because of your nonsense…!”
“Ezekiel 1:5 in the Old Testament. ‘And from the midst of it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness.’”
“What?”
The Bible, out of nowhere? Was this an attempt to pray for the souls of his dead wives?
But as he listened closely, that wasn’t it.
“Their feet were like the soles of a calf’s foot, and they had wings.”
“What nonsense have you been spouting…?”
“Cherubim.”
“Cherubim?”
“Cherubim are heavenly beings created by God, far superior to angels.”
“So what?”
“Calm down and listen. It’ll comfort you.”
“…”
“All angels described in the Bible are wingless young boys. Winged angels, women, or baby angels are just figments of artists’ imaginations. Including the women who were cheering for you.”
“What…”
“Winged beings aren’t angels—they’re cherubim. Perfect creations made by God, with the heads of animals, not humans—”
“Shut up!”
Covering his ears with both hands, the man shouted in a terrified voice.
“Kang Cheol-su—”
“Shut up! Please…!”
His tone was now closer to pleading than anger.
But the young man was relentless.
“The existence of female angels is clear proof that this world is fiction.”
“No!”
“Accept it.”
“No way! The Bible is wrong! Female angels exist!”
“Your mother, Kim Young-hee, is desperately waiting for you.”
“N-No…”
The man’s voice, denying reality, grew weaker.
“Kang Cheol-su.”
“Please, say it’s not true…”
“I’m sorry.”
“Sob…”
Kang Cheol-su began to wail like a petulant child.
“It’s not real. Do you want to die of malnutrition? You’re already skin and bones.”
“…”
“When you were hospitalized after the accident, you were a 15-year-old minor. Now, you’re a full-grown adult. Act like one and face reality.”
“…Okay.”
The man hung his head and complied meekly.
But,
“You still don’t accept it. Let me say it again: female angels with wings don’t exist.”
“But cherubim—”
“They have animal heads. They’re not beautiful women, not even human. Give it up.”
“Who… who are you?”
“Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Kang Mun-soo. This is what I do.”
“What you do?”
“I play the bad adult.”
“What does that mean…?”
“I’ll explain later.”
The young man stretched leisurely as he watched the world crumble around him.
***
“Cheol-su! Do you recognize me?”
“M-Mom…”
“Yes, it’s Mom! Oh, God, thank you! Doctor, thank you! Honey, come to the hospital quick! Your son Cheol-su is awake!”
“It was all a dream…”
“Son?! Why are you crying?! Are you hurt?! Did you have a nightmare?!”
“N-No… Sob!”
I pulled the IV from my wrist, changed from hospital clothes into a black suit, and quietly slipped out of the tear-filled hospital room.
The first thing I did was check the date and time on my smartphone.
“…Not bad.”
If I hadn’t studied theology on the side, it would’ve taken much longer.
Still, I couldn’t say it was quick, even by my own standards.
53 missed calls!
Amidst ads for real estate and insurance, the same number kept repeating.
“Hm…”
It wasn’t saved in my phone, but I didn’t hesitate to call it.
Ring-♪
Barely a second passed before the call connected, cutting off the melody.
“This is Kang Mun-soo. How can I—”
“Please help! My daughter hasn’t woken up for ten days!”
“I see. How old is your daughter?”
“She’s 18.”
“Did you see my subway ad? Or was it a referral? Referrals get a 20% discount.”
“The hospital director…”
“Ah! Which hospital is your daughter in? Book now, and I’ll shatter love, friendship, dreams, and hopes at a very reasonable price.”
My job is to be the bad adult.