Chapter 153

I look at Ian.

Ian’s heartless gaze shot toward me, no, toward Gor.

The old heart pounded.

Just looking at him was enough to be crushed by his presence.

If the single word ‘die’ were to come out of that mouth, Gor would disappear.

That fact made even the heart of my true self pound.

Damn it, it seems the Synchronization has gone too far.

Ian, who had been staring at me intently, turned his head.

As if he had been waiting, Saint Ajadun asked.

“What are you going to do about that thing?”

“Let’s just leave it be.”

“It’s such a waste. If we leave that thing as it is and it grows stronger…”

“I just confirmed it. That thing’s growth ends here.”

“…Is that so? What a relief.”

I don’t know exactly what happened between them.

Nevertheless, it seems certain that Saint Ajadun has powerful faith in Ian.

“In any case, I’m going to leave that thing.”

“That thing is also… bait, you mean?”

“Yes. That thing is the last of the bait.”

Gor tilted his head.

From the context of the conversation, he realized he was being ignored.

Gor scowled and asked.

“Ian.”

“Silence.”

The moment Ian spoke.

My mouth was instantly forced shut. I couldn’t even discern what kind of magic it was, or how it was constructed.

A single word had sealed my lips. Terror washed over me in the face of such overwhelming power.

“My business in the Demon Realm is finished. Let’s be on our way.”

“Is the work completely finished?”

“Yes.”

“In that case.”

The next moment.

The two of them disappeared.

Fwoosh-!

And the scene ended. I was ejected as if flung out into space. When I blinked, I was in the Mental World.

“……”

What? This is the end?

I didn’t even have time to deconstruct the magic’s structure? No, I couldn’t even understand it.

This won’t do.

I entered again.

The same dream repeated.

“What are you going to do about that thing?”

“Let’s just leave it be.”

“Ian.”

“Silence.”

Fwoosh!

“What are you going to do about that thing?”

“Let’s just leave it be.”

“Ian.”

“Silence.”

Fwoosh!

“What are you going to do about that thing?”

“Let’s just leave it be.”

“Ian.”

“Silence.”

Fwoosh!

No matter how many times I repeated it, it was the same. That was the end of the scene.

“God damn it.”

What a ridiculous situation.

“……”

My thoughts deepened.

My body drifted aimlessly. I decided to watch all the scenes where Gor saw Ian.

This is the very first scene.

“Kuaargh! Requesting support!”

“Retreat! Retreat!”

It’s the middle of a battlefield. Gor was watching Ian from the highest point.

The sight of just two people—no, to be precise, Ian alone—wiping out the Monsters.

“Hah. Just what in the world is that one.”

A sound that was either admiration or shock escaped Gor’s lips.

I felt something similar.

I thought I had seen Ian a lot, that I knew a lot about him, but this was on a different level.

Just what kind of being was that guy.

“We can’t even get close. Lord Gor. Your orders!”

“Orders? What damn orders are you talking about? It’s a retreat.”

“…Pardon?”

“Did you not hear me? We can’t even approach that monster, so what options do we have?”

“……”

“All we can do is pray for the Demon God’s return before that thing smashes our entire dimension to pieces.”

Gor shot to his feet.

“Pull the front line back.”

Fwoosh!

The second scene.

“We can’t fall back any further!”

“Less than 20% of our remaining forces are left!”

“Lord Gor!”

Lord Gor, Lord Gor! Your orders!

Voices stabbed at him from all directions. Among them were even Demon Kings. A low-ranking Demon King, who had already died by my hand, was trembling with fear.

“Entesto has been sealed. Lord Gor. Please save me.”

“You must be next.”

“…Pardon?”

“That thing has no intention of killing us in the first place.”

Gor’s voice lowered.

“I don’t know what gives him such confidence, but he only intends to make us his playthings.”

“Then what should we…”

“Did I not say? Let yourself be sealed quietly.”

“What does that—”

“The Demon God is returning. Your sacrifice will be for the good of us all.”

“……”

“Or would you rather die by my hand?”

“I-I will go.”

The third scene.

“Cu-currently, over 700 million of our comrades have died.”

Silence hung over the conference room.

“Where is Verno?”

“He is said to be holed up in the castle. The only word is that he has entered seclusion…”

“That damn bastard. Tell him he won’t be able to escape severe punishment after the war is over.”

“I have relayed the message clearly, but no reply has come.”

“He must be scared of a single human he’s never even seen.”

“Lord Gor. The front line has been pushed back to the very rear. It is now time for you to choose.”

“I will go.”

Gor rose from his seat.

Fwoosh!

And so, all the scenes ended.

I returned once more to the first one.

To the moment Ian told me to shut my mouth.

It was futile.

Did this mean I couldn’t figure anything out?

Nothing would change even if I returned to reality.

Even if I killed that guy and raised my Level to the limit.

I would only slightly exceed Level 900. Where was I supposed to get the remaining 100 Levels?

Moreover, my relationship with the System had already soured as much as it could.

If I leave here without gaining anything?

It was as clear as day that the System bastard would shove me into the Demon God’s maw.

Damn it.

I had failed the gamble.

“What are you going to do about that thing?”

“Let’s just leave it be.”

I hear Ian’s voice. What happens next is also as clear as day.

Right. Let’s just leave for now. Let’s go out and figure out a plan.

I’ll have to renegotiate with the System.

Of course, this time I’ll have to bow down to the bastard as much as possible.

How much?

“Haa.”

I sighed and clutched my head.

“How strange. That thing, it’s clutching its head?”

“You’re right. Did it think it was going to die?”

“?”

I lifted my head.

I see Ian. And Saint Ajadun, too.

The two of them were staring intently at me.

The pattern… had changed.

No, that’s not it. I am moving.

“Huh.”

Words even came out.

It’s not like this had never happened before.

Back when I used Past Life Lucid Dream.

I had a similar experience. But that time, it was thanks to the special Skill called Past Life Lucid Dream.

Isn’t this a completely different situation?

Why in the world… am I moving?

Ah, this is crazy.

Never mind thinking. I had to speak, and fast.

“Ian.”

“Silence.”

My mouth clamped shut.

“Let’s be on our way now.”

“Let’s.”

Fwoosh!

I was flung out of the memory.

My heart raced. I hurriedly re-entered the same scene.

The lines were the same.

“What are you going to do about that thing?”

“Let’s just leave it be.”

In that interval, I confirmed that my body could move.

It worked.

It wasn’t a one-time thing.

After confirming, I hurriedly spat out the words.

“I’m the Reincarnator. No, I am the Reincarnator. Ian.”

“……”

“……”

The two who had been conversing turned their heads.

The two of them stared intently at me.

I swallowed hard.

Damn it, I just blurted it out, but was it too much of a long shot?

“What?”

Ian asked me back.

Does this mean he’ll at least listen?

I hurriedly changed my appearance first.

From the old and shabby Gor, to Choi Gi-woong.

“I said I’m the Reincarnator.”

This is the first time I’m talking to my past life.

No, to be precise, it’s not a conversation.

He’ll just respond according to a set program. What’s important is how much realism that holds.

But if it’s Ian.

Still, if it’s Ian.

Couldn’t he pass something on to me even in this state?

I looked at Ian, holding on to a small hope.

“Hmm. A Reincarnator, you say. And where did you hear that information?”

“I think I’ll have to cast some Mental Magic on you. You, come over here.”

Saint Ajadun smiled faintly and beckoned to me.

I shook my head and said.

“This space right now is a part of a memory. Meaning, it’s not reality.”

“……?”

“I came from the distant future. Ian. If it’s you, you’ll know what this means.”

Though it was closer to a wish.

“I’ll give you any answer you want, so speak.”

“I don’t need an answer. I just need to confirm.”

Ian waved his hand. It felt like the inside of my head was being jumbled up.

Even so, I couldn’t resist.

His Level was far higher than mine.

What came after was important.

Ian would tilt his head, then let out an exclamation of wonder. Sometimes, he would even let out a sigh.

After that short time passed.

“It’s true.”

“It’s true?! It’s true?”

“Yes. I find it strange, too. To think something like this could happen.”

Ian let out a small laugh.

“And it’s also true that this current situation is like a computer program.”

“Com…?”

“Ah, it’s a word from that world. In any case, that friend. He is indeed my Reincarnator.”

“Hah.”

Saint Ajadun’s face became crestfallen.

Ian, his expression still emotionless, looked at me.

“Right. I see in what sense you came all this way here. It’s because of the magic I created, isn’t it?”

I nodded.

“There’s something I want to say before that.”

Something to say?

I’m in a hurry, what could he have to say.

Suddenly, Ian grinned.

It was an expression I had never seen before. An expression I couldn’t see even after having countless of Ian’s Dreams.

“You’ve worked hard to come this far. Choi Gi-woong.”

Ah.

“I never imagined you’d make it this far outside the System’s watch. Truly.”

“……”

“You think of yourself as just a dud at magic, that you were just lucky, but.”

Ian shook his head.

“That’s a misconception. If it wasn’t you, no one else could have succeeded. Naturally, that includes me.”

“……”

“I’m the one who laid the groundwork, but if it wasn’t you, it could never have been completed. Do you understand?”

Ian asked gently.

I couldn’t help but nod, flustered.

“So don’t think you were lucky. Because you’re more capable than I am. I mean it.”

Uh, um.

What should I say?

I searched for the words, then gave up.

In this moment, I wanted to be true to my emotions.

I had never felt this way, even when I was acknowledged by anyone else.

It was the moment a small worry that had been festering in my heart for a long time was resolved.

That feeling was, truly.

Awesome.

“Are you ready?”

Ian was asking. It was an infinitely gentle side of him that he never showed to others.

I slowly nodded my head.

“Yes. I’m ready. What do I need to do?”

“You don’t need to do anything. I’m just going to put what I know into your head.”

Is that really all?

I’m just peeking at a fragment of a memory. Is that really enough?

It’s true I was a little worried.

But still, this was Ian.

If it’s him, he’ll know the answer to something.

“Once I pass on the completed magic, you yourself will be able to break free from those two beings.”

In other words, it meant I would become their equal.

“I can break free?”

“Yes. You can break free. I used a little trick.”

“?”

“Lu is mistaken. He thinks you can’t become their equal with just the completed magic. No, I made him think that way.”

“?”

“That’s right. Choi Gi-woong. Just with the magic I completed, you can become whole.”

Ian grinned as he looked at my expression.

“But it doesn’t end there. Rather, it’s the beginning.”

“?”

“Lu and Chaos will relentlessly try to kill you. And you will have to endure it.”

That was the end of it.

“I think our time is up. Let’s begin now.”

Was he telling me to just experience it, whatever it was?

“Oh, right. This is what I wanted to say.”

“?”

“If it’s you, you’ll know the answer to something.”

There was no time to reply.

Fwoooosh-!

Light flared. My vision turned completely white.

My head feels like it’s going to explode.

It was then that a dizzying pain assaulted me.

And I was able to understand the meaning of what Ian had said.

It was finally time to break free from them.