Chapter 11

[Translator - Hestia][Proofreader - Kaya]

Chapter 11

"...If we knew the reason, we wouldn't be foolish enough to cling to a sliver of hope."

"You're saying you don't know."

"..."

"You don't know? You stab someone in the back and kill them, and when asked why, you say it's because your future self has fallen, but you don't know why you fell?"

Baekya's tone lightened.

At the same time, it became sharp as a razor.

"Cut the bullshit. What kind of explanation is this? Do you even want me to believe you?"

If the person in front of him wasn't Na Jeongwon but some nameless Awakened, he would have already gone berserk.

He wasn't an Awakened who had lived a leisurely enough life to listen to this kind of nonsense.

"Hong Baekya."

"Just because you have some fancy symbol on your chest and say something, it doesn't mean it's all true..."

"I'll show you."

With that, Na Jeongwon lifted his staff and pressed the lush green leaves against his own temple.

【Mist of Memories】

It was a Spirit Summoner's mental technique.

Saaaaa.

A white, mist-like energy flowed from his temple, gathering into the shape of an orb.

The misty orb floated in front of Baekya, swaying gently.

"See for yourself. What I remember."

Baekya's eyes wavered along with the orb.

'There's no trickery in the technique. The possibility of this being Mihonhyang instead of water... is zero. The constellations wouldn't have missed it either.'

He then inhaled the mist through his nose with a light gesture.

Saaaaa.

Na Jeongwon's memories smelled dry, like ashes left behind after a fire.

In an instant, Baekya's pupils contracted sharply.

'...! '

A sky burning like a sunset.

The Statue of Liberty, half-melted.

'Nooooooooo!'

Beijing, Paris, Washington, Tokyo, and Seoul groaning under the heat.

People running away.

Himself, riding a sun chariot across the sky.

'It's Baekya!'

'Run!'

'Prepare to intercept!'

A crimson halo shining above his head.

Indifferent eyes shedding that light.

'Insects.'

Faaaaa!

The light of Law of Light erupting from Na Jeongwon's perspective.

It was definitely him.

"Cough!"

Saaaaa.

The white mist flowed back out of his nose with a rough cough.

Na Jeongwon swung his staff, gathering the mist and absorbing it back into his temple.

"Do you understand now?"

He asked in a sunken voice.

His words pierced Baekya's ears like needles as he lowered his head, panting.

"Even after experiencing all of this, I decided to give you a second chance. Not as a courtesy for what you've done so far, but as an opportunity that any human deserves."

His firm tone hid an underlying strength.

But Baekya, with a deep sigh, collected himself.

"No. Give me the courtesy I deserve."

"..."

He had dealt with his fair share of illusion-type monsters.

'Stay calm.'

He was used to managing memories and emotions that weren't his own.

"I deserve that kind of treatment. Don't forget. I'm the one who made you the Fairy King."

He raised his head proudly and looked at Na Jeongwon.

"Alright."

Na Jeongwon wore a complex expression.

He seemed both angry and relieved.

But he definitely seemed to have expected Baekya to respond that way.

Swish.

Na Jeongwon took off the silver ring he was wearing on his index finger and handed it to him.

"Be careful of Cheong Siyeol and Joo Suhyeok. Almost every Ranker knows the location of this warehouse. If anyone starts coming and going here, they'll all get suspicious."

As he placed it on his palm and gazed at it intently, information about the artifact appeared.

【Silver Ring of the Gap (Common)】

【A mass-produced inventory artifact with a 300L capacity.】

【*Weight Limit: None】

【*Caution: No living creatures allowed.】

【*Special Note: The blessing of the lower wind spirit, Sylph, grants +15 to Agility stat.】

It had a decent capacity for a common item.

Furthermore, +15 Agility was a pretty good bonus, especially since it was attached to an inventory item, not combat gear.

But Baekya scoffed as if it were insignificant.

"There's a limit to even playing games."

Na Jeongwon looked as if he'd been pricked with a needle.

"Wh- why?"

Baekya immediately used Law of Light.

Faaa!

【Special Note: The blessing of the lower wind spirit, Sylph, will be permanently removed.】

A white light emanated from the ring.

The option disappeared, and a small amount of magical power was absorbed by Baekya.

He put on the Silver Ring of the Gap and said.

"So you can figure out where I am and who I'm meeting? Hey, just assign someone to follow me instead."

"..."

Na Jeongwon couldn't meet his eyes.

He turned his head away, his earlobes red with shame.

"You were always terrible at lying. Even after I taught you so diligently."

Only then was Baekya certain of Na Jeongwon's purpose in seeking him out.

'It'll be hard to come back to this warehouse. It seems he really did come to find me to give me a chance.'

Na Jeongwon had always been like that.

That's why he taught him that being so soft in this day and age would get him killed.

He tried to persuade and coax him, and when that didn't work, he even scolded him.

He scolded, saying that someone with power like him needed to be firm.

'Do you not understand what I'm saying?'

'No.'

'Then please, just!'

'But still.'

'…….'

'You haven't given up either, have you? Can't you trust that person just one more time?'

That's how he was, always giving second chances even after being scolded and lectured.

He must be trying to do the same for him.

He let out a quiet sigh.

"...Still, I'll put this to good use. I'll take your advice to heart. I won't come back here."

Na Jeongwon spoke again, his tone firm.

"This is your second chance. Make the right choice this time."

Baekya shook his head as he walked towards the stacks of cash.

"I always made the right choices. It was you guys who made the wrong ones. You didn't say anything and just stabbed me in the heart."

The red, flamboyant halo flickered and returned to its white ring form.

* * *

I filled my inventory to the brim with gold bars, mana stones, and cash.

As Na Jeongwon said, it would be difficult to return to that warehouse, but I had no intention of engaging in any normal economic activities.

Ultimately, I needed to secure enough living expenses until I could climb the Tower again.

On the way back to Hong Ilha's house in a taxi.

Vrooooom.

I stared blankly out the window.

The past 3 hours felt like 3 days— no, 3 months had passed.

‘In the previous timeline, you rode the Sun Chariot across the sky, burning everything, and summoned the great demons of the Flame Realm from your sanctuary, leading them into war! After countless sacrifices, Cheong Siyeol reached the 99th floor and turned back time.’

‘...If we knew the reason, we wouldn't be foolish enough to cling to a sliver of hope.’

'Noooooooo!'

Did that really happen?

They weren't cursed?

They weren't black hole contractors who hated seeing others happy or brainwashed by the great demons inside the gates?

Cheong Siyeol really stabbed me in the back?

I couldn't believe anything.

No.

I didn't want to believe it.

I didn't even want to think about the story of my future self or whatever.

What's important to me now is that guy.

Cheong Siyeol, whom I raised like my own brother.

He killed me of his own free will.

My mouth tasted bitter.

I wanted to curse, but the words lodged in my throat, refusing to come out.

High-ranking Korean Rankers collectively getting cursed VS my future self falling and the Rankers reaching the 99th floor to regress.

Which one is more likely?

A thrilling stabbing event story unfolding in Seoul~.

"..."

Thinking such silly thoughts.

【"Are you alright?"】

【"I know you need some time alone, but you looked like you were about to jump out of the car, so I couldn't just leave you be."】

【"I'm sorry there's nothing more I can do for you."】

【Your constellation, 'Sunny', pats your shoulder.】

My constellation personally comforted this foolish me, who couldn't even raise a disciple properly.

Swoosh.

I felt a warm breeze settle on my shoulder.

I wiped my face.

The sun was still shining.

I muttered softly.

"Yes. I'm fine. I'm perfectly fine. No. If I'm not fine, then I'll have to make myself fine."

【"Is that right?"】

【Your constellation, 'Sunny', breaks out in a cold sweat.】

"Isn't that what I've been doing all this time? The country wasn't fine, and people's lives weren't fine, so I made them fine. I'll interpret this as a sign that I've done enough and it's time to take care of my own life."

【"How do you plan to take care of it?"】

"Nothing will change. First, I'll recover my strength and climb the Tower again. I've always lived my life climbing the Tower. I climbed for the sake of the country and to find out what lies at the end. Now I have one more reason to climb the Tower."

Every time the Tower was climbed, the country where it was located received systemic benefits.

The Tower's profitability increased, producing more elixirs and resources.

Detailed alarms went off whenever a gate opened.

The proportion of high-ranking Awakened also increased.

The Tower, which I already had to climb for the sake of the country.

"I'll reach the 99th floor. The sword was called Chronos' Hand, so that must be there."

【"Are you thinking of finding that thing and turning back time again?"】

"No. Why would I turn back time for someone else's benefit? I'll incinerate it with Law of Light. Then, the regression will become 'something that never happened'."

Now I'll climb for myself and my disciples too.

"Didn't you like that kind of story? The story of a dreamer who never gives up."

【"I really... don't know who's contractor you are to be this smart. How do you understand my heart so well?"】

【Your constellation, 'Sunny', is amazed by your groundbreaking idea.】

"My constellation, I lost my disciples to the future."

Thinking about it again, those kids were indeed cursed.

Cursed by the future.

Cursed by knowledge.

It's my job to break that curse.

The future?

A future where I burned the world, those kids turned back time at the cost of countless sacrifices, and as a result, they stabbed me in the heart?

I sincerely refuse such a future.

It needs to be incinerated with Law of Light.

"I will get them back."

Eunwoo, Jungwon, Siyeol.

I don't know what happened, and I don't particularly want to know.

I'll make it all as if it never happened.

Just wait a little longer.

* * *

Dinner time.

"Brother, did something happen today?" Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ N0ᴠᴇFɪre.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Wolha sensed something was off from Ilha's unusually heavy expression.

If Ilha in the morning was serious and reliable, the current Ilha seemed to be carrying all the worries and anxieties of the world.

Ilha shook his head.

"It's nothing."

"It's not nothing. Come on, tell me."

"It's just... like you said, I was thinking about what we should do in the future. Earning 100 million won isn't hard, but spending it is."

"That's true."

"So I thought about this and that... how about becoming a civil servant?"

"A civil servant?"

Wolha couldn't believe his ears.

This was the brother who used to say how boring it would be to be a civil servant.

"Yeah, the Gate Management Department. Not the administrative position, but the field position. It's a bit tough, but it's nothing compared to being a porter. The competition is much lower than for administrative positions too. And later, we can study more and transfer to an administrative position."

This brother of his had finally opened his eyes to reality.

He was beyond words with emotion.

"That sounds good. Since we're both Awakened, we'll get extra points, right?"

A bright smile naturally bloomed on his face.

Ilha, no, Baekya smiled back at Wolha.

'It'll take longer than I thought to regain my strength, fight the regressors, and climb the Tower. It would be nice to have some internal help from the Gate Management Department then. Even just getting access to Ranker monitoring information would give me a lot more flexibility.'

Wolha spoke up.

"Then I'll look into textbooks tomorrow. No, let's go to an academy. We've both been working with our bodies for too long."

Baekya shook his head.

"No. You, not me."

"What?"

Wolha asked back, as if he had misheard.

"Then what about you?"

Baekya quickly continued his thoughts.

'I can't use the warehouse anymore, but since I ate the Fallen Dragon's heart, I've basically taken everything I could from there. Now I need to go to the Tower or dungeons. There's a gate open that has good synergy with me...'

But there was no way Wolha would accept him going there.

'How do I explain this?'

After deep thought, the answer he came up with was:

"Um... travel?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Wolha's face crumpled, as if he'd just told him the world was ending.

"Brother."

"Yeah?"

"Don't say such ridiculous things."

[Translator - Hestia

[Proofreader - Kaya]