MTLNOVEL Chapter 21: Chapter 20 – The System’s Wrath
Chapter 20 – The System's Wrath
The air was thick with tension.
Jihwan stood amidst the dissolving fragments of the enforcers. The battlefield, once dominated by the system's oppressive presence, now belonged to him.
But victory was fleeting.
A system notification flashed before his eyes.
> [Warning: Unauthorized Interference Detected.]
[System Stability Compromised.]
[Deploying Countermeasure: EXECUTIONER.]
Jihwan's eyes narrowed.
The ground trembled.
The air distorted.
And then—it arrived.
A figure descended from the void.
Clad in obsidian armor, its face hidden behind a smooth, reflective mask, the Executioner landed with enough force to send cracks through the ground.
Unlike the enforcers, this one didn't glitch.
It was perfect.
Unshaken.
Unstoppable.
The Variable's grin faltered.
> "Oh. That's new."
Jihwan's muscles tensed. His instincts screamed at him—this was different.
The Executioner didn't move right away.
It simply… observed.
And then, in a voice that wasn't human, it spoke.
> "You are an anomaly."
Jihwan didn't respond.
> "Anomalies are to be erased."
—BOOM!—
It vanished.
Not moved—vanished.
Jihwan barely had time to react before a fist slammed into his gut.
Pain exploded through his ribs.
—CRACK!—
His body hurled backward, crashing through a wall.
Dust filled his vision. His breath hitched.
The Executioner stood where he had been a second ago.
Motionless.
Unrushed.
It had hit him once.
And that was enough to remind him—
This wasn't like the enforcers.
> "Heh. Still breathing?" The Variable's voice cut through the chaos.
Jihwan gritted his teeth. He pushed himself up, shaking off the pain.
He couldn't afford to hesitate.
The Executioner moved again.
This time, Jihwan saw it—barely.
The instant it reappeared, he twisted his body—just enough to avoid another devastating hit.
Instead of taking the full force, he redirected it.
The shockwave tore through the air behind him, ripping through the already broken walls.
Jihwan countered.
His fist lashed out, enhanced by the new power surging through him.
—BOOM!—
His attack landed.
A direct hit to the Executioner's chest.
The force sent a shockwave rippling through the surroundings.
For the first time—
The Executioner staggered.
Jihwan exhaled. It could be hurt.
But the moment was short-lived.
The Executioner tilted its head, unfazed.
And then—
It struck back.
Jihwan had only a fraction of a second to block.
He raised his arm—
But it wasn't enough.
—CRACK!—
His vision blurred as he was sent flying again.
His back slammed against the ground, debris crashing around him.
Pain shot through his body, but he forced himself up.
The Executioner didn't taunt.
Didn't hesitate.
Didn't stop.
It appeared above him.
One arm raised, its hand forming a blade.
It was going for the kill.
Jihwan's mind raced.
His body screamed in protest, but he moved.
This wasn't like before.
If he took this hit—he wouldn't get back up.
The Variable clicked their tongue.
> "Tch. Guess I have to step in."
Time froze.
No—
The Variable made it freeze.
Jihwan, struggling to breathe, watched as reality twisted.
The Executioner's blade halted inches from his chest.
The Variable stepped forward.
> "You're not ready for this one, kid."
Jihwan clenched his fists. His body was battered, but his mind was still sharp.
> "Then tell me—how do I win?"
The Variable chuckled.
> "You don't."
Jihwan's eyes narrowed.
> "…Then what?"
The Variable knelt beside him, looking at the frozen Executioner.
> "We cheat."
Jihwan stared.
The Variable grinned.
> "Let me show you what happens when you break the rules."
To be continued…