I Became the God of Destruction
Wolf - (1)
01.
It had been a day and a half since I dealt with the Ace Guild members who committed murder.
"..."
Outside the window, the sun rose as it always did, heralding a new morning, a new day. The sunlight was peaceful and warm—more so than ever—but the Seoul it bathed, and indeed the entire nation of South Korea, was plunged into utter chaos.
The guilds and players of the SPR, now fully prepared, had launched their counteroffensive in earnest. They clashed fiercely with the monsters spilling out of the Light Rifts. Some cities were reclaimed with ease, their rifts sealed shut. But these were no mere illusions—they were the monsters of Season Off Fantasy, infamous for their overwhelming destructive power, resilience, and merciless cruelty.
Even with the players’ efforts, many cities were losing ground, overwhelmed by the monsters’ ferocious attacks and sheer numbers. Still, the fact that a counterattack had begun at all was a glimmer of hope for a populace gripped by fear and uncertainty, wondering if total annihilation awaited them.
And so, the world stood on the brink of a monumental turning point, ready to embark on a new chapter in its story.
"...Quiet, isn’t it?"
Yet, despite the chaos engulfing the world, the rundown hillside neighborhood where I lived remained largely unchanged. Sure, it was still part of Seoul, so monsters occasionally wandered in. Most, however, were D-grade—weak enough for ordinary residents to handle. The rare C- or B-grade threats were swiftly dispatched by the neighborhood’s lone player, a Holy Shield Knight, keeping public safety largely intact.
If I had to pinpoint the greatest danger since this all began, it’d be the Ace Guild members who murdered and looted the locals. As always, humanity’s truest enemy wasn’t beasts or monsters—it was humanity itself.
"Humans..."
Lying in bed, lost in thought, my mind drifted to the concept of humanity and my own disillusionment with it, inevitably circling back to my past.
A memory from exactly five years ago flashed through my mind.
"...I was so young then."
Five years ago, when my business was thriving, I was arrogant, cocky, and brimming with pride—utterly ignorant of the world’s harsh realities.
"Today’s on me!"
"Order whatever you want!"
"Hey, I’ll buy you an apartment! Becoming a tycoon is just around the corner!"
"Wow, you’re the best!"
"Oppa, you’re so cool..."
Money poured in endlessly, and the people around me showered me with praise. I felt like a king, convinced that with this power and influence, I could do anything. I even fantasized about rivaling—or surpassing—Korea’s top conglomerates.
But it was a naive delusion. Nothing in this world is absolute, and what comes quickly departs just as fast. Short-sighted choices always exact a heavy toll.
"Huh...?"
One day, I awoke to frozen bank accounts, a vanished office, and not a soul left by my side. All that remained was crushing debt, a deep-seated loathing for humanity, and contempt for my own arrogance.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck..."
I despised myself for mistaking fleeting power for everything. I hated my ignorance of my place in the world, my insatiable greed that led to my ruin. I regretted my recklessness, my blind trust, my obsession with ideals and desires.
"You need to know when to stop climbing, got it?"
"..."
They say an empty cart makes the most noise. True power is silent—it gazes down from above, steady and composed. Fakes, though, are loud, foolish, and blind to anything beyond what’s right in front of them, scrambling upward without a plan.
But at the top, they meet the "real" ones, fully prepared. The fate of fakes who ignore reality is simple: to be kicked down into the abyss.
The price I paid to learn that lesson—and to swear never to repeat it—was steep.
"..."
But now, everything was different. I stood higher than anyone—higher even than those who’d cast me down. Perhaps I was at the very pinnacle of this world.
Celberion, the Frost of Destruction, the God of Destruction, had never once looked up to anyone.
Sigh...
So this time, from the lofty heights where Celberion stood, I would silently watch the fakes below.
And if there were those intoxicated by fleeting power,
Those who, blind to reality, gazed only upward,
Those who deluded themselves into thinking they were kings,
I wanted to tell them:
Don’t get cocky.
For the fate of fakes is to be crushed by the real.
02.
"Ah..."
After dispatching a sluggish slime in the poverty-stricken neighborhood, Holy Shield Knight Kim Dong-wook let out a dazed groan. Thirty-six hours had passed, yet the shock still clung to him.
"Celberion, Celberion..."
The image of that stunning white-haired girl lingered in his mind. The way she effortlessly felled the formidable Ace Guild members, the hand she extended to ask if he was okay—her presence haunted him.
"Dong-wook...? Are you okay?"
Priest Yoon Ji-ah, his college classmate and close friend, called out with concern. Dong-wook nodded hastily.
"Y-Yeah, I’m fine. Of course I’m fine."
He wasn’t. How could he be, after speaking with, shaking hands with, and even being told to call for help by the God of Destruction herself? It was as if a mythical fox spirit had bewitched him—thoughts of Celberion, good or bad, consumed him, making daily life nearly impossible.
Meeting her twice might drive him mad, so with the cleanup she’d requested now done, he hoped to avoid her from here on out.
"That doesn’t look fine at all..."
"Huh? What’d you say?"
"...Nothing. Let’s call it a day and rest."
"Yeah, good idea..."
Agreeing to end their patrol, Dong-wook let out a deep sigh. He needed rest—mental rest, especially.
"Let’s head back..."
After pocketing the D-grade magic stone dropped by the slime, they prepared to return to their studio apartments. A shower might clear his head. With lighter hearts, they turned to leave the alley.
"...Hey! Hold on a sec!"
"?"
A stranger’s voice stopped them—a cheerful yet commanding female voice that struck their ears. Dong-wook turned cautiously to see three figures: two men and a woman.
Though unfamiliar, their shields and unusual weapons—like a harp—marked them as players.
Players...?
Despite the potential help they could offer against monsters, Dong-wook frowned. With most players busy reclaiming bustling areas, their presence in this poor neighborhood felt suspicious. The SPR had deprioritized this area, so their motives likely weren’t noble—probably looting or worse.
Recalling the Ace Guild members who attacked two days ago, Dong-wook instinctively gripped his massive iron shield in a defensive stance. He quickly sized up their classes.
Ironclad and Bard...
An Ironclad, a tank clad in full armor, and a Bard, specializing in buffs and debuffs. The combo was common—the Bard’s buffs could amplify the Ironclad’s defense significantly.
What’s the woman up front?
The leader, a woman with wolf ears and a tail, was harder to pin down. The animal features might just be cosmetic, and she carried no visible weapon. A close-range Fighter? Or a Druid, attacking with plant roots and needing no gear?
Damn...
In Season Off Fantasy, where enemy classes weren’t displayed, pre-battle deduction was a maddening psychological game. Unable to decide between Fighter and Druid, Dong-wook’s expression soured.
"Heh, no need to be so on edge."
"!"
Noticing his sharp gaze, the wolf-eared woman smirked and spoke.
"We’re not weirdos. We came to see you. Holy Shield Knight Kim Dong-wook, nickname ‘Sinsa-dong Masochist,’ right?"
Shrugging, she rattled off his full name and nickname. Startled by this stranger’s knowledge, Dong-wook stepped back, growling, "Who are you...?"
"Pfft, relax, I said. We’re from the Ace Guild, currently overseeing the capital region."
"Ace...?"
One of Korea’s Top 4 guilds, a key SPR member tasked with defending the capital, including Seoul. Rivaling "Legend" for the top spot, their claim prompted Dong-wook to scrutinize them further.
Then he spotted the red diamond emblem of the Ace Guild on their collars.
"See? We’re Ace. No need to doubt us. Actually, we’re here because of your report."
"Report...?"
"Yeah, you reported that our guild members killed a resident and fled the night before last."
"Ah."
Her casual tone widened Dong-wook’s eyes. Indeed, he’d reported to SPR and the police that Ace Guild members had murdered a resident and escaped.
Though the Assassin and Thief were already dead by Celberion’s hand, he couldn’t reveal that, so he’d fabricated the story.
If guild members committed crimes and vanished, it made sense for the guild to investigate. Their knowledge of his identity and presence in this backwater area wasn’t surprising.
Finally, Dong-wook eased up slightly and nodded.
"Yes, that’s right. I’m Kim Dong-wook, the witness and reporter."
"Great, we found the right guy!"
The wolf-eared woman clapped her furry, mitten-like hands with a grin.
"If it’s not too much trouble, could we ask you a few questions about the incident? We can do it here if moving’s a hassle."
She politely requested to question him. Dong-wook nodded without hesitation.
"...Sure, I can spare a moment. Go ahead."
No need to visit the Ace Guild office or police station—a few questions here were manageable.
He could stick to the truth about the incident and feign ignorance about the culprits’ fates. With no other witnesses or CCTV in this rundown neighborhood, as long as he denied knowing more, they couldn’t uncover Celberion’s involvement.
What’ll they ask first? Where I last saw them? Which way they ran?
Dong-wook waited confidently, expecting predictable questions.
But his assumptions shattered in just three seconds.
"Alright! First question."
"..."
"...Why’d you lie?"
"...Huh?"
Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Dong-wook flinched. Bewildered, he replied, "Lie...? Who lied? Me...?"
He genuinely didn’t follow. The woman narrowed her eyes sharply.
"Heh, playing dumb? You falsely reported that Woo-jin and Jin-ho fled."
"Excuse me...? What do you mean...?"
She seemed to know something. Somehow, she’d seen through his fake report. Cold sweat beaded on Dong-wook’s forehead.
But he couldn’t admit Celberion had killed their guildmates. He had no intention of risking the God of Destruction’s wrath.
So he doubled down on denial. Whatever she thought she knew, with him as the sole witness, she could only suspect—not prove.
"...Lie? I don’t know what you’re talking about. What I reported is all I know."
"Tch, stubborn, huh?"
Unfazed by his brazen denial, the woman smirked, her eyes gleaming. With a sigh, she pressed again.
"...Holy Shield Knight, I’m not the patient type. I hate liars. So answer straight this time."
"..."
"Who killed Woo-jin and Jin-ho?"
"!!"
Dong-wook’s body tensed.
Wait—how did she know they were dead? Their bodies had vanished, turned to ice dust by Celberion, with no witnesses or CCTV. Was she guessing? Or baiting him into a confession?
"D-Dead? I really don’t know what you’re talking about. Last I saw, they were fleeing toward the lower neighborhood."
Her probing unnerved him, but betraying Celberion was suicidal. She’d spared him, and he couldn’t turn on her by saying, "Actually, Celberion killed your guildmates."
He felt duty-bound to keep her secret—and had no desire to face her fury.
Sigh...
Frustrated by his continued denial, the woman let out a deep sigh. Her next words were cold and merciless.
"...Holy Shield Knight, do you know what my class is?"
"C-Class?"
"Yeah."
Out of nowhere, she asked if he knew her class. Having only guessed Fighter or Druid, he shook his head.
She extended a hand to the Ironclad, who passed her something, and continued, "I’m a Beast."
"B-Beast?!!"
"Yup, the ultra-rare class, Beast."
Beast.
Alongside Pirate, Meteorologist, and Alchemist, it was one of Season Off Fantasy’s four rare classes.
Beasts could transform into werewolves periodically, gaining massive stat boosts and devastating power. Many Berserkers coveted it, but its rarity made it elusive.
Revealing her class, the woman spoke with a dark expression.
"So when I turn into a werewolf, all my stats—especially my sense of smell—get insanely sharp."
"Sense of smell..."
"You’ve heard wolves have a sense of smell hundreds of times better than humans? Mine’s so keen I can pick up scents from two or three days ago."
"..."
"As soon as I entered this neighborhood, the stench of blood hit me hard. Mixed in were familiar scents—Woo-jin and Jin-ho’s."
"Blood..."
A sinking feeling crept in, and Dong-wook swallowed hard. Her eyes, now brimming with killing intent, bore into him.
"...I followed the scent trail and dug where it was strongest. Guess what I found?"
"!!!"
Dong-wook paled as she held up the Assassin’s severed legs—sliced off by Celberion.
Oh no.
Though the bodies had turned to ice dust, the legs remained, overlooked. He’d buried them deep in the back mountain, but she’d tracked the blood and dug them up.
It was beyond comprehension.
Damn it, I should’ve burned them.
He cursed himself for choosing burial over cremation. How could he have predicted a rare Beast with such a freakishly keen nose? It was a natural disaster.
The woman grinned menacingly.
"Surely you won’t still claim they just ran off after seeing this?"
"..."
"A level 800 like you couldn’t have cut Woo-jin’s legs like this. You clearly had help."
"..."
"Spit it out. Who dared touch our guildmates?"
She growled like a true beast. Dong-wook could only sigh deeply.
It’s over.
With undeniable proof of their deaths, he couldn’t deny it anymore. Now he was a suspicious figure who’d tried to hide their fate, making further scrutiny inevitable.
But since it had come to this, Dong-wook resolved to face it boldly.
"...Those guys deserved to die. They killed an innocent person and tried to rape a college student for their own selfish desires."
"Oh...?"
"They got what they had coming. Why are you so upset? Was Ace some trash guild that shelters scum like that?"
His disdain for Ace, who’d tried to pillage his neighborhood, was palpable. He didn’t hold back his criticism.
"...Interesting, Holy Shield Knight."
Her face darkened at his words. Barely containing her fury, she snapped, "But how can I trust you when you hid their deaths? Maybe this is your setup. You killed someone and framed Woo-jin and Jin-ho to smear Ace."
"S-Setup...?"
"Yeah. No CCTV, and you’re the only witness so far. Why should I believe you?"
"Well, if you talk to the rape victim—"
"Shut it. I’m done with you."
She cut him off, her focus shifting.
"Just bring your boss. The one who killed Woo-jin and Jin-ho."
"Uh..."
She demanded he summon Celberion—the one who’d killed them. Did she grasp the gravity of her words? Still growling, Dong-wook scratched his chin.
"That’s not possible. You’ll regret it, though I won’t bring them anyway."
"...What? Regret?"
Her lip curled at his response. Clenching her furry fists, she shouted, "You don’t think I’m on the same level as Woo-jin and Jin-ho, do you?"
"..."
"I’m in Korea’s top 20. I can solo S-grade monsters, you idiot."
"..."
"Stop talking and bring your boss. I’ll kill you all and mount your heads at our office."
Furious at his perceived disrespect, she vowed to kill him and the one who’d taken out Woo-jin and Jin-ho.
But that "boss" was beyond his reach—a being no mere player could summon.
So, with a bitter smile, Dong-wook gripped his shield tightly.
"Sorry, but I can’t. They’re not someone I can call at will. Just go back quietly, and we can settle this peacefully later."
"Oh? Too bad—I don’t do peaceful."
Despite his final warning and offer of a solution, she scoffed, brushing it off. Her black eyes narrowed menacingly.
"Doesn’t matter. I’ll make them come out."
"Make them...?"
"Yeah."
Her eyes gleamed like a predator’s.
A chilling voice echoed through the alley.
"By killing you, they’ll show up."
Then, she vanished from sight.
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