Chapter 105

I wanted to live kindly and I grew up kindly, and that alone is more than admirable. Isn’t it?

What snapped me out of remembering the past was Kwon Taehan finally answering.

“...Why did you tell me all that?”

“Who knows.”

Why did I tell him this?

“I just felt like it.”

I’d been curious why he dumped his story on me. If he thought I wouldn’t understand him, why spill every last detail anyway? Because just letting it out meant something?

'As if.'

Having done it, I didn’t feel a thing. Just like I couldn’t understand him, he wouldn’t understand me either. There was no catharsis in dragging out something I hadn’t bothered to say anywhere else.

He mulled over my answer and asked:

“Do you stay in touch with your family?”

“No. I moved out once I entered high school. Back when they adopted me, they packaged it like some grand act of charity, and now they’re careful to keep even a single line out of the news.”

“Oh, so that’s....”

As if my words let something click, he nodded. I could guess what he was thinking. I’d avoided media exposure even after clearing the Gate.

'Not that it’s just because of them.'

It’s not that I’m scared of the family throwing a fit. We cut contact to begin with—how far could they even take it? I just hate the hassle.

'Think whatever you want.'

He stared at me for a beat, then asked:

“So you’ve been living alone the whole time?”

“Yeah.”

“And you don’t see your family anymore?”

“Probably not.”

Honestly, there’s no reason to. It’s not like they’d ever let me in on family affairs. Why bother? It’s just a pain.

'Should I try reaching out to the younger ones? I think they made some pretty funny memories when I was a kid.'

He kept muttering to himself.

“So until then you were living in that house....”

I don’t know what he was imagining, but I didn’t live some tragic life. Obviously not. How could it be tragic when I lived comfortably in a nice house?

'Anyway. That’s not the point.'

I wrapped up and stood. His gaze floated after my movement, vacant. I met that hazy look and smiled.

“Okay, I’ve said my piece, so I’m going.”

“...What?”

“Bye. Go home early.”

“Seo Jehyun.”

If you’re going to talk, do it at home. What the hell are we doing slinking around outside like this—like a couple of beggars.

“Seo Jehyun! W- wait.”

It’s sad that he’s sad, but there are going to be a million more times like this, and he’ll have to get through them himself. The world’s full of shitty people. What, am I supposed to throw them all into a Gate and crush them?

I bent to pick up the soundproofing item I’d set up earlier and shot him a crooked look as he rose.

“Oh, right.”

For a guy who holes up at home doomscrolling the internet, I could at least offer this much advice.

“Stop looking at your phone.”

Soon enough, when an S-rank Gate pops again, they’ll crawl back begging for their national hunter. The fact he was sitting there bearing it was what I found funny.

Ignoring him babbling uselessly behind me, I got into the car.

The drive home was as long as ever. While I drove, I replayed the crap he’d said to me.

He said he sees messages telling him to save the world from destruction? He was out of his mind.

'Depression, anxiety, delusional disorder... whatever it is, he needs psych treatment. Or is it religion? Cheonmyeonggyo... I think there was a cult like that.'

Funny, really. Whether it was depression or anxiety or delusions, what he «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» wanted was to make the world safe again. I didn’t get it, but I did find it interesting. Enough that I wanted to keep him close and watch for a long time.

'If he fails to save the world, would he kill himself?'

At least until that question’s answered.

Then the empty pre-dawn road ahead began to split.

Jjjjeojeok—

“Fuck.”

Screeeech—!

I slammed the brakes and yanked the wheel.

'Dungeon Break?'

Without hesitating, I threw it into reverse and backed up. The sound of tires grinding shrieked in my ears.

The crack ripping up the middle of the asphalt swelled in an instant. If I could turn the car, that’d be best; for now, reversing was all I had. But no matter how I tried to get clear of the fissure, I hit a limit fast.

“Ah, shit....”

Right as the warning light flashed for a blown tire, my body pitched forward. The roadbed under me had completely collapsed.

Fuck. Was this how I was going to die? People never know when they’re going to die, but still.

The situation was urgent, but my mind moved slowly. There was no pulling the car out anymore. Getting out and trying to run for it was even dumber.

Should’ve used a skill or item earlier. Now... wasn’t it a bit late?

“We’re fucked.”

With that, the road dropped out from under me.

KWA-BOOM—!

With a massive crash, my body crumpled with the car.

And then, the next moment—

I was face-to-face with a translucent window.

‘Seo Jehyun,’ we welcome you fervently!

What the fuck. Pain smashed through my skull; blood trickled from my forehead down my chin. My arms and legs wouldn’t move—probably busted clean through.

Even so, my mind was weirdly clear.

No—could you even call this clear?

The translucent window in front of me was an obvious mark of unreality. I blinked to shake the blood from my eyes. Not that it cleared much.

When I stared quietly for a while, the text on the window changed.

'Prepare for the coming Destruction!'

Prepare for Destruction? My life was about to end—prepare for what?

But no matter how I moved my lips, no sound came. I could feel my life draining fast.

The text kept changing on the window fixed where I couldn’t look away. In the pitch-black on all sides, it was the only thing glowing; I couldn’t help but focus on it.

Destruction is approaching.

Find a solid rationale for Destruction!

Rationale for Destruction...... 0%

Any other time, I’d have questioned my sanity for staring at this crap. Right now, I didn’t have the luxury.

'What the hell is a “rationale... for Destruction”?'

If you think about it, maybe this world really was entering the stage of destruction. Isn’t it? Gates open nearly every day and monsters pour out. How much time could a world like that have left?

And aside from that, just look at people—no way we last long. The whole country piling on to tear at an S-rank hunter over one mistake....

If my body worked, I’d punch this window or argue with it, but I couldn’t. ...Does it even matter? I’m dying anyway.

Right about when that thought hit, the flashing window spewed text fast.

Benefits Provided

1. Tailored Reality Manipulation

2. Provision of Necessary Skills

3. ____

Granting authority.

Immediately, my consciousness cut out completely and the world went black.

Just like that, I died.

***

¡Error occurred!

Recalibrating....

.....

Complete!

Partial viewing of deleted round complete. Further viewing is not authorized.

The status window flickered rapidly. Staring at the letters, I realized I was lying down. I pushed away the cold, inanimate thing propping my cheek and barely sat up.

It was the same dark space I’d entered before meeting Kwon Taehan.

What I’d just seen didn’t feel real. Not that it felt like a dream or hallucination, either—more like I’d peeked at something far back in the past.

'So that’s why it hadn’t felt real?'

A dull headache took over my head.

A deleted round. Kwon Taehan. And... that vivid status window.

And at the end, it felt like I’d actually died.

'This is driving me nuts.'

At this point, anyone with half a brain would have figured it out. That I had something to do with the original “Seo Jehyun.” That there’d been a previous life.

Once I realized it, a hollow laugh slipped out. If so—who erased my memories? And what the hell was “access authority”?

I learned one thing and my questions doubled.

'And if further viewing isn’t authorized... they’re not going to show me any more.'

This wasn’t the place to organize anything anyway. My head was a mess, and the guy I’d been with right before coming here was Im Haekyung—I had no idea what he’d do with my collapsed body.

One thing seemed clear, though: I could use Im Haekyung’s Mental Domination like a kind of key?

'Feels like I got a free pass to browse the mental world.'

In that case, I needed to get out of here first....

Just then, the window flashed again.

'Penalty settlement!'

“What?”

'According to the settlement for viewing a deleted round, ‘Seo Jehyun’ will receive penalties: pain, internal injury, and hemoptysis.'

“What kind of bullshit is that?”

But the window wasn’t in a talking mood. Before I could argue, a strange sensation like my mind was being uprooted hit, and the whole space seemed to reject me.

A moment later, I finally opened my eyes in “reality.”

'You’ve got to be fucking kidding me....'

“Mr. Jehyun, are you okay?”

“—Kuhk....”

Along with some absolutely shitty penalties.