CH 285

The entrance to the gate opened, revealing the inside with a lot of sand.

I looked around and recalled the old memories of participating in the SS-grade gate clear team.

‘It’s been a long time since I’ve been here.’

After completing the first clear, the strategy would come out, so there was no need for me to come back because a separate clear team was gathered within the Requiem Guild to deal with it.

「My name is Park Geon-ho, who has been assigned to lead the gate clear team this time. Before we start, let me explain the final overview of the overall process.」

In front of the clear team members, Park Geon-ho climbed up on the rock and started the briefing. It was just like what I was going through.

I wasn’t acquainted with Park Geon-ho back then. Woo Seo-hyuk was in Japan, so he didn’t even participate in the clear team.

Now, instead of Woo Seo-hyuk, Kim Woo-jin was missing. Before the re-awakening, Kim Woo-jin was a C-rank, so it would be natural. Min Ah-rin was looking around with a nervous expression among the healer team.

When she came with me, she liked it because it was like Mars. Kim Woo-jin followed me with his ability to blur his presence and then got caught by me.

‘I miss them.’

Once again, I realized that this place was just one of the pasts that the book showed and that I had no place in this world.

I didn’t know how much time had passed in the outside world, but the more I watched Cheon Sa-yeon’s past, the more I missed my people in the real world.

* * *

The team consisted of 100 people and the monsters that appeared for four days were B-grade, so it wasn’t a bad situation in the beginning. Although the number of monsters rushing in at a tight pace made them feel a little tired, no one died.

But this gate didn’t end there. As I expected, the clear team was greatly shaken by the monster horde that appeared as soon as the rest section passed.

「It’s an S-grade monster!」

「Wa, wait… too fast, kkuaak!」

「Get ready! Close team and long-distance team each take your position!」

While moving quickly between the sand, the team members were unable to find their positions and started to be helpless by monsters that popped up from all directions.

No matter how much Park Geon-ho ordered to form a line, they didn’t easily move as the order because there were too many people. Cheon Sa-yeon also worked tirelessly to save the employees in front of him. That was then.

Sasasasak…

Sand spurted out in the centre. Soon after, a large scythe appeared from it.

Ttuduk, kkirik, kkik.

The sound of bones hitting bones. Hands with bones exposed. Recalling the identity of that being, I frowned.

An S+-grade mid-boss monster. Even below the S-grade monsters, they couldn’t get close because of fear. In the future I came from, Cheon Sa-yeon handled it very easily, but here…

Kkiiiiik!

The monster that came out of the sand made a bizarre cry and swung a huge scythe from side to side.

Dozens of clear team members, who sat down in fear and couldn’t escape, were cut off in one attack.

「Uh, ah, aaagh!」

「Sa, save me…! Save me!」

「Don’t push me! Shit, ugh!」

Seeing so many people dying without any time to do anything, the entire clear team fell into a panic.

People who ran away recklessly in strong fear, people who couldn’t stop monsters in the collapsed ranks and were eaten, and people shouting to fight back were mixed up.

「Park Geon-ho!」

Cheon Sa-yeon, who found Park Geon-ho, who had lost his right arm due to an attack from the mid-boss, hurriedly ran to him.

Cheon Sa-yeon grabbed his left arm and supported him before handing him over to Woo Seo-hyuk, who was beside him.

「Stay as far away as possible with the healer team.」

「But Master!」

「Go!」

With a resolute cry, Woo Seo-hyuk carried Park Geon-ho and headed for the rest section, avoiding monsters’ attacks. The surviving clear team followed Woo Seo-hyuk.

Kkigik, kkik!

Cheon Sa-yeon stood alone in front of the middle boss. All of the surviving team members escaped from there, leaving only corpses, mid-boss monsters, and Cheon Sa-yeon.

Fire flew from Cheon Sa-yeon’s S-class sword that cut off his palm. The mid-boss monster who saw it opened its mouth wide and swung its scythe with a ripping sound.

Cheon Sa-yeon, who faced the mid-boss monster for the first time, was far more immature than I remembered. Perhaps it was due to excessive pressure, his frequent mistakes increased the wounds and he struggled several times because he didn’t know the monster’s pattern.

Still, he was an SS-rank and he wasn’t weak because it was Cheon Sa-yeon’s 18th life. After a fierce battle that took nearly an hour, the monster fell to the sand. Cheon Sa-yeon, who put a sword into the monster’s forehead and finished a confirmed kill, returned to his teammates with a bloody body.

「Master, are you all right?」

「Yeah. What about the damage?」

At that question, Woo Seo-hyuk lowered his gaze. Park Geon-ho had a bandage wrapped around his severed right arm, but his complexion was too pale and he was sweating in a cold sweat.

It was a serious injury that wouldn’t be surprising even if he died due to the effect of his arm being cut off. Cheon Sa-yeon, who bit his lip, raised his eyes and looked at the other team members. Those who barely survived were also in poor condition. Among them, there were several team members who suffered more severe injuries than Park Geon-ho and were on the verge of death.

Cheon Sa-yeon, who had been looking around for a while, slowly opened his mouth.

「Where is Healer Min Ah-rin?」

「…Healer Min Ah-rin didn’t survive.」

「……」

「Maybe she couldn’t escape during the first attack… It seems she was buried in the sand after she died.」

Cheon Sa-yeon blinked blankly as he listened to Woo Seo-hyuk’s explanation.

「How many team members survived?」

「There are 32 people in total, but the number of people who can actually move is… about 17 people.」

It was a disastrous result. 70% of the team died in one raid of S-grade and S+-grade. Cheon Sa-yeon took a deep breath and made a cold judgment inwardly.

「Failed again this time.」

In this situation, even if we luckily cleared the gate and went out, the outside was hell as well. We lost important Park Geon-ho and Min Ah-rin… This time had no meaning anymore.

Cheon Sa-yeon, who had organized his thoughts, turned his body while holding the sword.

「You wait here.」

「Pardon?」

「I’ll find the exit and come back. In the meantime, take care of the wounded.」

「Are you going alone? No, Master. At least I also…」

「We can’t relax even if it’s a rest section. Secretary Woo Seo-hyuk, protect the wounded until I return.」

Woo Seo-hyuk, who had been silently looking at Cheon Sa-yeon commanding with a harsh voice, finally nodded his head. Leaving the team behind, Cheon Sa-yeon struggled.

In fact, he had no intention of finding an exit and going back. Everything he said to Woo Seo-hyuk was a lie. If his life was cut off, it would all be non-existent, so he was planning to get as much information about the gate as possible until just before he died.

Cheon Sa-yeon’s plan came true without error. Cheon Sa-yeon, who travelled to the place where I and Park Geon-ho flew in the sky and scattered iron balls everywhere, was bitten and killed by one of the dozens of insect monsters that came rushing in.

Kwajik, a very brief rest came with the terrible sound of flesh and bones being crushed. And Cheon Sa-yeon went back to October and woke up on the sofa in the representative office.

Since then, Cheon Sa-yeon had continued to challenge to clear the SS-grade gate. He tried changing clear team members, adjusting the number of people, and receiving support from other guilds.

When the number of challenges exceeded 10 and Cheon Sa-yeon returned for the 28th time, he ignored the surrounding opposition and entered the gate alone.

No matter how much time passed and the others lost their memories, seeing the guild members who believed in him and followed him to the gate die dozens of times was mentally very exhausting. So he decided that it would be better to do it alone, even if it was difficult.

So another four more times passed. As it was an SS-grade gate, the number of monsters appeared more than anywhere else, and Cheon Sa-yeon, who entered there alone, grew one step further at an incredible speed.

As I watched the monsters melt before they even approached because of Cheon Sa-yeon’s strong ability, I was able to understand what Elohim was saying.

“Cheon Sa-yeon, who has been living the same time over and over for a long time, has more power than the usual SS-rank. The child’s original ability itself is also dangerous, but he has been fighting non-stop for a long time… The amount of accumulated power is beyond imagination.”

No matter the same SS-rank they were, Ha Tae-heon wouldn’t survive this gate. After trying over and over again using the repetition of time, Cheon Sa-yeon, who reached the gate exit, became a stronger person than Ha Tae-heon.

However, even such Cheon Sa-yeon was once again tied to the ankle by a trap hidden in the SS-grade gate.

「Why I can’t see the entrance?」

The old castle on the northernmost side of the gate. But nowhere in the castle was the door to enter. After looking at the castle next to Cheon Sa-yeon, I realized it too late.

‘No way… does the underground door open only when someone is taken hostage by Lilith?’

I still vividly remember Min Ah-rin and Kim Woo-jin being sucked into the sand. After that, Cheon Sa-yeon and I alone went down to the bottom of the castle through the open underground door.

Cheon Sa-yeon, who was SS-rank, was alone now, so there was no hostage to be dragged into the sand. That’s why the door didn’t even open.

The clearing was so easy when I came with Cheon Sa-yeon, who had a lot of experience… Looking back now, it was indeed an SS-grade gate. It would be like this until the end.

「Ha…」

Cheon Sa-yeon, who realized that he needed more people besides himself just like me, shed an empty laugh.

「Haha, ha… haha…」

Cheon Sa-yeon, who laughed like crazy for a while with his back bowed, soon raised his head.

「I have to do it just one more time, just one more time…」

“Cheon…”

When I saw Cheon Sa-yeon with a more empty expression than ever before, I was unintentionally calling him, but I was frozen.

Chwaak, Cheon Sa-yeon inserted the sword himself in his neck. The bright red blood splattered and obscured the view. I tightened my trembling hands.

“Cheon Sa-yeon…”

Cheon Sa-yeon fell to the floor and died. The unfocused black eyes showed the nakedness that his life had been cut off.

This was the first time Cheon Sa-yeon committed suicide while repeated time for 32 times. At that fact, I…

“Gasp…!”

A throbbing pain spread through my chest. Chilling energy rose from the depths of my heart to the point of giving me chills.

‘I can’t if it’s like this…’

As I held my chest and exhaled harshly, the scenery around me changed rapidly. Cheon Sa-yeon, who started the 33rd time, formed a clear team of 50 and entered the gate.

Kill monsters, kill a mid-boss, kill another monster, kill, kill… When all the clear teams were alive and moved closer to the castle, the sand sucked people in as I expected.

「Crazy, what the heck!? Hey, take me out!」

「Wha, what the hell suddenly… help me!」

「Aaah!」

One by one they were dragged into the sand. Cheon Sa-yeon tried to save even Park Geon-ho, who was next to him with a look of bewilderment… In the end, everyone but himself disappeared into the sand.

「Ah…」

Cheon Sa-yeon sat down and stretched out his hand where Park Geon-ho was. However, the only thing caught was the gently scattered sand and there were no traces of people anywhere.

「Aaaaargh…!」

Cheon Sa-yeon, who had only swept and touched the sand over and over again, couldn’t stand it and collapsed desperately. The thoughts that came to Cheon Sa-yeon in tears came to mind too loudly.

「I would rather die.」

“Hu, ugh…”

When I opened my mouth, cold energy leaked out. My hand on my chest grew bigger and scarred. My body changed with the force of cold energy.

「I want to die…」

Wait for me, Cheon Sa-yeon.

I was engulfed in energy and unconsciously moved my mouth.

I…

“I’ll be there.”

The moment I uttered my words, the sound of paper tearing echoed across the sky.

Something transparent that had blocked the connection between me and Cheon Sa-yeon was torn and a gap opened. Falling in between, I was stuck in something soft.

“Kuuk!”

My eyes were dizzy with a stinging headache. Raising my upper body while touching my forehead, I found myself lying on the sand.