Chapter 40: My Time (1)

Chapter 40: My Time (1)

She never aged. Her youth was timeless.

Estelle.

She grew more beautiful every day. Her fingertips carried the scent of fresh apples, and her feet gave off the smell of ripe grapes. Everywhere she walked, people were entranced as if they had drunk too much wine. Her fluttering hair resembled a field of golden wheat and exuded the scent of autumn, captivating the entire village whenever she passed.

Estelle, the Saintess of the Outskirts.

That was what people began to call her.

One day, an impoverished woman came to Estelle with a sick baby in her arms. She said that she had followed a long trail of rumors before she arrived here.

“My saintess, I beg of you. My baby is sick. Please bless my pitiful baby...” she pleaded.

“Are you aware of the rules?”

“Yes, yes. I am aware...!”

Estelle nodded. “Leave the baby here. You can come back tomorrow at daybreak.”

The woman bowed as deeply as she could and left behind her small baby. The baby was wrapped in an old yet soft quilt, made from the woman’s softest rags to keep her baby warm. Humans were very desperate to protect their loved ones.

Estelle buried her nose in the old quilt. It carried the typical lively scent of a baby... It was fragrant. The baby cooed and felt Estelle’s hair. It made Estelle smile. The baby’s quilt may be made from rags, but his life was vibrant. Estelle found happiness in witnessing such a wonderful miracle in this world.

“It’s okay. It won’t hurt anymore.”

Estelle’s shadow moved and opened its mouth in front of the cooing baby.

“You pitiful thing.”

Estelle quietly swallowed the baby.

The baby’s death was peaceful. Instead of fighting back, he helplessly drowned in the shadow. The moment the baby’s flesh and bone melted, his memory flowed into Estelle’s mind.

The pain of the birth, the sensation of a sore throat, his mother’s smile... The memories were short like his life had been. After embracing his brief life, Estelle gestured at her shadow, which boiled in response.

“Yes, live a little longer.”

Some of the shadow boiled down to the form of a baby. Its dark shade gained a peach tone, and its lips slowly formed into an innocent smile.

Estelle smiled. “You pitiful thing.”

The woman came back as soon as the dawn arrived. She looked haggard—perhaps she hadn’t slept at all last night.

Estelle, who had also been waiting by the door for dawn to arrive, handed the woman her baby wrapped in a quilt. “He should be healthy now.”

“Ah...”

“He won’t get sick easily. Please continue to treasure him like you’ve always done.”

A smile broke out on the woman’s face. “Thank you...”

The stories spread from the distant provinces.

“My saintess...”

The stories reached small, remote countries first; they swept through them like a wildfire.

“Thank you, my saintess...”

“Estelle.”

Next were big countries made from the joining of those small countries.

“Saintess Estelle.”

Those bigger countries were the anchors of yet other small countries, so these lesser states were swept along as well.

The continent was vast, so unfortunate people were everywhere. For some, horrible illnesses made their flesh rot from their bones. Others could only lament as they limped through the streets. Some were born deprived of their abilities, such as vision.

“Saintess of Salvation!”

Estelle slowly gathered all the blind eyes, limp limbs, and rotten flesh in the world; her shadow grew larger by the day.

“You are our salvation!”

The bigger Estelle’s shadow grew, the smaller the land of humans became. Officials couldn’t tend to villages that the residents had abandoned. The kings and their cities were no better off.

“You are the salvation of all the sick!”

Rulers realized that Estelle was the name of the new plague they were dealing with—and they knew exactly how to end the plague.

“Burn it!”

It was fire.

“Burn the witch’s nest!”

Estelle’s people screamed as the fire consumed them before her eyes.

“Show no mercy. All of them are cursed monsters! Don’t miss a single one!”

No, humans were burning humans.

***

—You don’t see humans as human beings.

In one way, it was a moan, but in another way, it was closer to a scream. Moans amassed into shadows, and screams into blades.

—Let your malice swallow you! The Demon King’s sword quivered like a tormented moan as it sliced through the air.

“Mr. Kim!” the Black Witch shouted.

“It’s okay!”

I faced the Demon King.

A blast of wind rushed over me. It looked like the Demon King was about to fire her laser with her sword.

Is it right? I focused my aura on the bottom of my feet. Or is it left?

It was a fifty-fifty chance.

The Demon King’s scream shook the sky.

“Hahahaha! Nice shot, ma’am![2]” I laughed as I swung my sword.

“Who are you calling ma’am! I’m not even married yet!”

“Why are you still not married?!”

“I’m. Still. Young!”

“Come on. I know it’s all your eternal youth elixir! “

“...Let’s talk in private after we take down the Demon King.”

We overcame death countless times. The Black Witch was sometimes caught in the red beams. From time to time, it was the Sword Star. We fought tooth and nail. Every single one of the Demon King’s attacks was deadly, so letting down our guard for one second was instantly fatal. After one second, it was another second.

[You have died.]

[Rewinding twenty-four hours.]

But it didn’t matter. My determination was stronger than the Demon King’s lethality.

—You... How dare you people... My grudges and resentment aren’t...!

Only after the Black Witch’s aura had pierced the Demon King twelve times did she become a little slower. Her dark, viscous body boiled in the areas that had been struck.

Huh?

I could be mistaken, but I felt like I saw a glimpse of rosy skin before the wastewater boiled over again. It was really just a glimpse, so by the time I tried to find it again, the Demon King was already covered in wastewater.

—Urgh! The Demon King hefted her sword.

Although she didn’t have a face, I could feel that the Demon King was glaring at us.

[The Demon King of Autumn Rain has decided to retreat.]

What?

[The Demon King of Autumn Rain has retreated to the thirteenth floor!]

That was so unfair! Blood instantly rushed to my head.

“Hold on! What kind of a boss monster runs away right before the end!”

—Don’t fool yourself! I’m going to return!

“Look at this bastard.” I swung my sword, but the Demon King disintegrated before I could hit her.

It was like there was an invisible sewage tunnel under the ground because the Demon King’s wastewater disappeared very quickly.

“Hey! You sesame milkshake!” I cursed at the Demon King.

It wasn’t just the Demon King. The monsters born from her shadow collapsed into bubbles like someone had flushed the toilet. The whirlpool of dark bubbles disappeared into the ground.

“Wow. What the heck...”

Out of nowhere, only I, the Black Witch, the Sword Star, and a few thousand skeletons were left behind. I was stunned—were my countless deaths going to become meaningless just like that?

Just then, I heard the voice.

[The Tower has accepted your decision.]

[Creating a hidden quest.]

[The twelfth-floor quest has been revised!]

“...Huh?”

The notifications kept coming for a long time.

[The thirteenth-floor quest has been revised!]

[The fourteenth-floor quest has been revised!]

[The fifteenth-floor quest has been revised!]

[The sixteenth-floor quest has been revised!]

[The seventeenth-floor quest has been revised!]

[The eighteenth-floor quest has been revised!]

[The nineteenth-floor quest has been revised!]

It was my first time dealing with something like this, so I didn’t know how to react. Could quests really be revised?

While I stood there slack-jawed, a system window showed up in front of me.

The Hero of the Paused World

Difficulty level: Unknown

Goal: You have decided that you won’t accept a single victim. It’s said that justice is about not asking for the price of salvation, and devotion is about not seeking recognition from those you save. A person who devotes themself to justice is called a hero.

Hero! The world will never know your justice or your devotion. However, it will not change the nature of your justice and devotion.

The wounded Demon King fled but couldn’t get far. If you wish, you’re free to chase after her. What remains now is your choice: will you continue to be a hero in the paused world?

After introducing a quest only meant for me, the voice delivered a question.

[Will you accept the quest?]

My heart pounded. I didn’t have to think twice.

“Yes, I will.”

[The Hidden Quest “The Hero of the Paused World” is active!]

[May luck be with you.]

White light enveloped me.

1. This is a parody of an old Korean poem called ???. It was made when the writer was asked to commit treason. It’s about his unwavering loyalty. ☜

2. The raw is ??? ??? ?. This is a joke that started from how Korean bosses used to line up their employees and the employees would clap at their bosses’ excellent golf swings. It’s now purely used to describe a good swing/hit/strikes. ☜