“Hello.”
At that greeting, I frowned. It wasn’t hello at all. No, it’s not me who isn’t hello, but her, isn’t it?
“I don’t think it’s time for such greetings.”
“Is that so? Sorry, meeting peers isn’t a frequent occurrence for me.”
The woman laughed, ‘Pahaha.’ It was a hearty smile that didn’t suit the current situation.
“Haah.”
A sigh escaped me without realizing. I rubbed the back of my neck and rolled my eyes. I really don’t know what this situation is. I don’t even know what to say to that woman.
“I know. That I’m dead. That you pity me. That you think this whole situation is nonsense.”
At those words, I looked at her.
“Am I reading your thoughts? Yes, at least in this space. But I won’t do it anymore. We can’t have a conversation if I read your thoughts, right?”
The woman who mimicked even my tone of speech and recited my words smiled prettily. Haah, I rubbed my face.
“Why on earth did you bring me here?”
“You wanted to have a conversation with me. I did too.”
At the woman’s words, I closed my mouth. Ah, that’s right. It certainly was like that. I examined the woman’s face. Strictly speaking, she died because I figured out the ‘conquest method’.
Is there no resentment towards me?
“If you keep staring at me without saying anything, I might want to read your mind again?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know where to start or what to say.”
“Then start with what you wanted to tell me. What did you want to say after waking me up?”
At those words, I moved my lips. What I wanted to say. There was a lot. But…
“Don’t feel guilty. Even if it wasn’t you, many people have killed me. No, it wasn’t you who killed me in the first place. It was your friend. Ah, even so, I’m fine.”
“That guy is not my friend.”
“Hmm, it looks that way.”
I slowly looked at her and opened my mouth.
“The reason I wanted to talk to you was to see if there might be another way. No, I just couldn’t erase you just like that, I guess.”
The claim that I would find another conquest method was actually a lie. Although the system added as if my thoughts weren’t wrong, at that time I was just planning to be hypocritical.
After learning the fate of this woman in front of me, I couldn’t just pass it by. So, my heart went out unnecessarily.
“There is another way.”
“Was there?”
“Yes.”
At those words, I clenched my fist. Maybe there’s still a chance left… As if reading my thoughts, the woman said:
“But it’s too late now. Because I’m dead.”
Yoo Seon-je, that bastard. If it wasn’t for him, maybe we could have conquered this Gate in a different way.
“It’s okay. Anyway, as your friend, ah, this time I mean your real friend! The friend speaking in your head. As that friend said, this world is all fake. It’s just repeating. Even if you had saved me, the me in the next world would have died anyway, and it would have repeated and repeated like that.”
The woman who comforted me rolled her eyes and said:
“But thanks to you, I learned a truth I didn’t know.”
At those words, my body flinched. It couldn’t help but. Whatever truth the woman learned, it would only be bad news for her.
What’s good about learning that the stepmother she thought was the only one who cared for her and looked after her was actually worse than her real father?
“I actually half knew, but it’s the first time I’ve learned such detailed contents.”
“Are you okay? Learning such facts.”
She might look fine on the outside, but who knows how she feels inside. At my question, the woman laughed brightly.
“You really are worried about me. It’s strange.”
“Um…”
“I’m fine. I’m a monster anyway.”
“No, you’re a person.”
Compared to the humans I’ve seen who are worse than not human, humans I don’t even want to call human, the woman in front of me was more ‘human-like’ than anyone.
She just didn’t get a chance.
She just didn’t get even one chance to live like a human.
“It’s okay. Despite everything, I didn’t hate Dad and Serena.”
“You didn’t hate them?”
“They’re pitiful people. If only I hadn’t killed Mom in the first place, Dad wouldn’t have done such things. So I understand.”
It’s a thought I absolutely can’t agree with. If it were me, I would have smashed the count’s head, telling him to stop blaming me and asking how it was my fault.
How could she not hate those two people?
Ah, could it be.
Until I discovered the basement, I thought Count Hermann had done something there to block this ice.
But now I could realize. The commonality between the two intact places in this castle.
“Did you want to save them? Those two people?”
“They’re still my dad and mom.”
I, who grew up without parents, couldn’t understand this woman’s feelings. Are people who abused you and tried to kill you also parents? Is it okay to treat such things as parents too?
Those two people were exceptionally trashy even among the numerous trash I’ve seen. Even though it’s not my business, I can’t forgive them, how can that woman speak like that?
“You know what? It’s tiring to keep hating someone.”
“What?”
“I’ve experienced this world many times. When I first learned the truth, yes. I might have hated a little. I regretted trying to save the two of them without knowing anything, and cried a little.”
Although it’s the first time she’s learned the full details of the incident perfectly, this woman in front of me already knew that Serena was the true culprit who made her like this.
She watched herself destroying this world over and over again.
“You don’t need to care about me. I’m already dead, this world will just repeat, and the hardened fate can’t be changed.”
Then why on earth did I come here?
Why do I have to meet this woman here and hear such regretful stories?
“But your world is different.”
At the woman’s words, I raised my head.
“As your friend said, our world will become a bridge invading your world. But how the bridge extending from this world will be placed in your world hasn’t been decided. Whether this door closes properly, or breaks while open. Or…”
“Find another way?”
“Yes, all three will leave different results.”
I opened my eyes wide. According to this woman’s words, it meant that the impact left by the Gate differs depending on the method of conquering the Gate.
Ray said that the Gate breaking is the worst. He said the mana that made up the world spreads to our world, rapidly increasing mana concentration.
So I thought conquering the Gate was the only best option. But is there another way?
“Of course, such worlds won’t be common. Usually, it’s right to just beat them. But some special worlds, hmm, will definitely help your world.”
If you find the information scattered like a puzzle and reach the truth of what happened inside the Gate, then another type of conquest might be possible.
Looking at me lost in thought, Serena asked:
“You gained a talent during the process of solving this puzzle, right?”
“How did you…”
“That’s our gift. To be precise, it’s a gift left by the people of the captured world. In this way, various things are hidden in Gates all over the world.”
Talent is fixed to one. It was the moment that common sense was breaking. I thought I was able to gain talent here because I was already implanted with all sorts of mana circuits.
That wasn’t it? Anyone can gain a second, third talent? It’s tremendous information.
But there’s one problem.
“I’m not a hunter.”
I was just planning to kick some bad guys’ butts, rescue some people, and then step back and reap the benefits.
I had no intention of going around Gates and coming up with new conquest methods.
At my words, the woman smiled.
“I know. This isn’t your share. You don’t have to do anything. Anyway, there’s 10 years, no, 9 years left until your world is destroyed, and you can do your best in other ways during that time. But if you really want to change that result…”
The woman tilted her head and said:
“It would be better to try something.”
Ugh. I was at a loss for words at that. If it’s to prevent the destruction of this world. No, but isn’t this getting bigger and bigger?
“I’m glad that the person who came here is kind enough to care even for someone like me.”
“I’m a criminal, and not kind at all…”
“Thank you.”
“Wait.”
“Goodbye.”
With the same greeting as before, but with the opposite meaning, my vision turned black again.
* * *
When I opened my eyes again, Yoo Seon-je was standing in front of me. My hand was reaching out as if to grab his collar right away.
The stopped time began to continue again.
“Ha…”
That woman really. I rubbed my face with the hand that was about to grab Yoo Seon-je’s collar. The anger that had risen to the top of my head seemed to have disappeared without a trace, but seeing Yoo Seon-je, an unpleasant emotion rose again.
If I were to name this emotion, well, probably…
Contempt.
“Don’t you have anything to say to me?”
I asked Yoo Seon-je.
“A monster came out and caught a monster. Is there a problem?”
Yoo Seon-je still had confident eyes.
“You know. That we had to catch that monster to escape from here.”
“You knew the hostility had disappeared. Don’t say you didn’t know. Someone like you would be better than anyone at reading mana.”
“Does that mean a monster stops being a monster?”
She wasn’t a monster. I glared at Yoo Seon-je and said:
“If hostility disappears from the boss monster, and if dialogue becomes possible with it, didn’t you agree to give me time, Team Leader?”
I shifted my gaze to the Sirius conquest team standing behind Yoo Seon-je. Han Seo-hyeon was just looking at me, not knowing what to do in the serious situation.
“Ha.”
If he had told me in advance, if he had said let’s just take down that witch because it might be dangerous, I might have understood a little. But Yoo Seon-je didn’t say anything.
I turned my gaze away from Lee Hye-won who was frozen without saying anything. Because the main culprit who committed this act was someone else.
“Well, it’s not strange. You were always this kind of person.”
Yoo Seon-je is arrogant. And dogmatic. I knew his personality very well since the old academy days.
Always terrible scores in cooperative play.
Nevertheless, no one could say anything carelessly to Yoo Seon-je.
Why?
Because the results were perfect.
“The only thing important to you is you. You don’t care about others at all. Why? Because you think they’re just inferior compared to you! Because you think others’ opinions, suggestions have no value at all.”
I didn’t want to recall old times, but his arrogant words came to mind involuntarily. He said things like how could someone like you be of help to me, do I need to give you a chance.
“But do you know? The fact that you could stand here and take down the witch in the first place was all thanks to me. After getting a chance thanks to me, you…”
I exhaled. The emotion I had just calmed down felt like it would burst again. Hoo, I exhaled and said:
“Do you know? There was another way to close this Gate. There was a hidden piece that no one else could find out.”
“You expect me to believe that…”
“Yes, yes. The great Yoo Seon-je won’t believe my words at all. I know, I know.”
I looked at his face and smiled bitterly.
“But it would have been nice if you had believed me just a little, just for a moment.”
This time too, Yoo Seon-je didn’t believe my words and I tasted another failure in this world.
No, can it be called a failure?
Anyway, the Gate was cleared.
“Well, it’s fine now. Do as you please. It’s none of my business now.”
I didn’t want to exchange words with such an arrogant guy ever again. I gave up on Yoo Seon-je. Let’s just say do well on your own from now on since I saved your life.
As expected, Yoo Seon-je and I don’t match.
“Agent John, let’s quickly find the exit and get out of here.”
I didn’t want to be with this guy even for a single hour. I turned my gaze to Han Seo-hyeon who was next to Team Leader Lee Hye-won.
And I saw.
Lee Hye-won’s pupils, standing next to Han Seo-hyeon, turning yellow.
I’ve seen that scene so many times it’s sickening.
“Ha.”
For a moment, time slowed down. Team Leader Lee Hye-won is an A-rank ‘Sword Talent’. The sword coming out of her scabbard was like an instant.
Yeah, my life couldn’t flow this easily.
I reached out my hand and pulled Yoo Seon-je towards me.
At the same time, Lee Hye-won’s sword pierced through me.