Chapter 1: Zero Code, Turning Back Time Ten Years |
⚔ PLAYER STATUS ⚔
Name: Kim Su-hyeon (10th Year)
Class: Normal Sword User (Master)
Nation: Terra
Clan: -
True Name · Nationality: One Who Observes the World and Desires Seclusion, The Summit · Republic of Korea
Sex: Male (33)
Height · Weight: 181.5cm · 75.5kg
Alignment: Lawful · Chaos
⚡ Strength: 86
🛡️ Endurance: 92
💨 Agility: 96
💪 Stamina: 78
✨ Magic Power: 48
🍀 Luck: 36
(Remaining Stat Points: 0)
Achievements (21)
Special Abilities (1/1)
Potential Abilities (4/4)
My mind was blank. In a daze, I rolled the small sphere resting in my left hand.
“User Kim Su-hyeon.”
Ten years. I had finally achieved what I had so desperately longed and dreamed for over that long decade. And yet, it wouldn't disappear. The sense of loss that filled me and the chilling ache in my heart still tormented me.
“User Kim Su-hyeon. May I ask you again?”
A low, beautiful, and melodious voice caressed my ear. Drawn by the sound, I slowly raised my head. As I did, the floor of gray bricks came into view. By the time my gaze took in the vast chamber, it finally settled and stopped.
The ‘Room of Summoning,’ where all things begin and all things end. And upon the rectangular altar in the center of the room, wings radiating a white light flickered faintly. A hollow feeling washed over me as I fixed my eyes on the ‘Angel’ seated on the altar.
“I will reconfirm User Kim Su-hyeon’s request. Do you truly wish to turn back the time of Hall Plain?”
“Yes.”
I slowly nodded, staring at the angel before me. Her beauty, which could be called the pinnacle of aesthetics; her flawless, smooth skin; her revealing attire that offered tantalizing glimpses of what lay beneath. All of it was focused solely on me.
But no desire stirred within me. Not the angel’s stunning appearance, nor her tender gaze. Nothing could move my already dead heart. I had lost all my emotions since ‘that day’.
“I simply cannot comprehend it. I, along with all the other angels, cannot understand you.”
“No, you’re wrong. I’m not looking for your understanding, Seraph.”
My own voice sounded so cold in my ears. The angel, Seraph, spoke with a slight tremble, a departure from her usual composure. I had never seen her shaken before today. Did that mean my words were that shocking?
Though she faltered for a moment, Seraph quickly regained her impassive expression. In her usual low voice, she began to calmly reason with me.
“User Kim Su-hyeon, you are the first user to complete all of Hall Plain’s missions and reach the summit.”
“And?”
“This is not a matter of ‘and.’ You have obtained the Zero Code you so desired. You have the ‘qualification.’ Within the bounds of that qualification, you can achieve anything you wish.”
“Seraph. We’re done talking.”
“A return to Earth? Very well. You can return to Earth with your current abilities. Remain in Hall Plain? That is also fine. With the Zero Code, you could become the king who rules all continents, or even a being greater than that.”
Seeing that she had no intention of stopping, I sighed and placed my right hand on my hip. The familiar feel of my sword’s hilt filled my palm.
“Hah, ten years was more than enough time to fall for such sweet talk. I’m tired now. Seraph? I won’t say any more. No matter what words you use to tempt me, I will not reconsider my use of the Zero Code.”
I gripped the hilt until I thought it might shatter, channeling magic through my circuits. Sensing the energy rising from me, Seraph fell silent for a moment. But it was brief. Soon, a look of pity colored her face. It seemed she hadn't given up on persuading me yet.
“The ownership of the Zero Code belongs solely to User Kim Su-hyeon. We have no authority to interfere with it. That is why this is so regrettable. To use an object of such incredible power merely to turn back time is nonsensical.”
“...”
“I will confirm one last time. Does User Kim Su-hyeon truly wish to repeat those ten painful years?”
By the time she finished, Seraph’s tone had become almost pleading. Suddenly, a causeless laugh erupted from within me. It was, quite literally, a laugh for no reason.
I laughed silently for a while.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
This was not Earth. It was another world called ‘Hall Plain,’ where life was starkly different from the daily routines of modern people—a world of the extraordinary.
I closed my eyes gently. I began to retrace my steps, recalling the events I had endured one by one.
I was twenty-three, with a bright future ahead of me, when I first came to Hall Plain ten years ago. My last memory of Earth was of happily heading home after completing my two years of military service.
After reporting my discharge, I fell sound asleep on the train home. When I came to, I had been summoned here, to the ‘Room of Summoning.’ And before my dazed eyes was an angel with shimmering white wings, a creature that had only existed in my imagination.
I knew nothing, and there was no way to know anything. For me, who had been swelling with the dream of finally returning home, it was a bolt from the blue.
It was neither a dream nor a fantasy. By the time I had barely accepted it as reality, I was begging the angel to send me back. But the next place I was sent to was a place called the ‘Rite of Passage,’ where one proved their qualification as a user. There, I was forced to undergo a test, hunted by monsters I had never seen before in my life.
The trial period was set for seven days. That place was a battlefield purely for survival. Amidst countless threats to my life, I barely managed to endure for a week before finally earning the qualification of a ‘User,’ granting me entry into the world of ‘Hall Plain.’
But the Rite of Passage was not the end. Hall Plain was the true beginning. If the Rite of Passage was a seven-day war for survival, Hall Plain was an indefinite hell where death could come at any moment.
And so began my life in Hall Plain.
I just wanted to live. Because I wanted to live, I desperately adapted to the absurd world of Hall Plain. I staked all my hopes on the angel’s single promise that I could return if I reached the end, and I struggled on for a decade. Yes, I simply wanted to live and go back home. With the people I couldn't bear to leave behind.
“User Kim Su-hyeon. What are you thinking so deeply about? Have you perhaps changed your mind...”
The moment I thought of the word ‘people,’ a surge of emotion welled up inside me. I shook my head hard. Getting lost in memories wasn't what was important right now.
“Ah, just thinking about the old days for a moment. By the way, repeating ten painful years... For you to put it like that, you must have at least a sliver of conscience, right?”
“...”
“That’s right. Thanks to you all, I experienced pain I never needed to. For ten whole years.”
“User Kim Su-hyeon.”
Seraph’s gaze scanned me, as if trying to read my thoughts. Just as I was about to tell her to stop, her beautiful lips parted, and a quiet voice flowed out.
“If you are perhaps thinking of User Kim Yu-hyeon and User Han So-young... I believe I know what you desire. User Kim Su-hyeon, I have a very rational idea. The GP you currently possess is more than enough to activate your wish several times over. There is no need to use the Zero Code to return to the past...”
‘I hate to admit it, but that bastard was right.’
I knew she would say that. Before Seraph could even finish her sentence, I drew my sword from its sheath and swung with all my might.
Fwing!
A sharp sound tore through the air. The wave of energy I unleashed struck the altar where Seraph sat, shaking it violently. But that was all. The pure white barrier she erected absorbed the wave without a trace.
“User Kim Su-hyeon... I understand how you feel, but this is a meaningless act. I believe you are aware of this yourself.”
I knew it already. A user cannot harm an angel. The reason I swung my sword was to express my unwavering resolve.
“Just before he died, Astaroth said it. In the end, you’re all the same.”
“Are you saying you believe the words of a demon? You, of all people?”
“It’s the truth, isn’t it? ‘You can’t do this, you can’t do that.’ In the end, the conclusion is hardly different.”
“Wait, please, let’s just talk... I believe I have already provided a sufficient explanation regarding your demands.”
“You said I wasn’t qualified. You said I couldn’t do it because I wasn’t qualified. So I’m going to turn back time to create that qualification myself. What’s your problem with that?”
“Su-hyeon!”
Fwing! Fwing!
“Don’t shout, I’m not deaf. And address me with my title and full name. Just like you always have.”
Again, the waves of energy flew and dissipated. Seraph stared at me with a sorrowful gaze, as if she couldn’t believe this sudden outburst. I didn’t care. I readjusted my grip on the sword pointed at her, its blade radiating a chilling light. When I poured my magic into it, azure flames began to flicker to life along the blade. Seraph bit her lip as she looked at its tip.
“This is my final warning. Sheathe your sword at once. Although you can use your abilities, your origin is human. If you believe you can kill a being of a vastly different dimensional class, I must tell you that you are gravely mistaken.”
“Is that so? Then shall we test that theory? I’ll just forget all this and use the Zero Code to ask for the authority to kill you all.”
“The authority to use it is certainly yours. However, the activation of the Zero Code must go through us. I suggest you abandon such a futile dream.”
“You sound confident. Are you sure there’s no way?”
“Su... User Kim Su-hyeon. Hah... This is a pointless argument. Still...”
Seraph’s lips trembled as if she wanted to say more. But upon sensing the cold fury and genuine intent coalescing in my blade, she pressed them shut.
“...”
“...”
For a moment, a heavy silence hung between me and Seraph. I calmed my boiling agitation and slowly lowered my sword. With a sense of desolation, I lifted my left hand, which held the Zero Code. A small, beautiful sphere emitting a deep blue light. What on earth was this thing...?
“Seraph. I don’t want to fight anymore, and I don’t want to talk anymore. If you understand how I feel, and if you truly care about me, then I’m asking you.”
The moment I uttered the word ‘asking,’ Seraph’s grief-stricken eyes widened. I extended the hand holding the Zero Code toward her. My decision was now firm.
“I’ll ask you one more time. I want to go back ten years. To the time when I first arrived here.”
Perhaps it sensed my earnest will. At that moment, the Zero Code, which had been glowing with a faint light, began to radiate a brilliant aura. I calmly opened my tightly clenched fist. The now-luminous sphere floated up, tracing a gentle arc as it flew toward Seraph’s altar. She caught it with a dazed expression.
Seraph’s vacant gaze met mine, and our eyes locked in a complex tangle in the air.
How long did we just stand there, looking at each other? Soon, her lips parted slowly, very slowly.
“If that is what you truly desire.”
“...”
“I will respect your decision.”
“Seraph.”
Seraph stared at me blankly for a moment before continuing in a weary voice.
“Please listen without misunderstanding. As I mentioned earlier, User Kim Su-hyeon currently holds a significant amount of GP. To simply erase it all is not a rational course of action.”
At Seraph’s words, I shook my head. What use was Gold Point (GP) now when I was going back anyway? But Seraph seemed to think differently. Her hands moved at an imperceptible speed, as if she were manipulating something.
“It is unbelievable, but your will has triggered a response from the Zero Code. Very well. Under my authority as a helper, I will adjust the details as I see fit. Of course, not a single thing will be done to harm User Kim Su-hyeon. I will see you shortly after the process is complete.”
Process is complete? See me shortly? Just as I was about to ask what trick she was pulling, her incomprehensible words cut off. The moment my lips parted, a majestic voice, unlike any I had ever heard before, filled the Room of Summoning.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
User Kim Su-hyeon's request has been received. 27%, 58%, 77%, 100%. Loading... Approval complete. Request granted. Announcing the immediate execution of Code Name: Zero. All personnel, prepare.
Creeak, creeeak.
At that moment, a sound like rusted machinery grinding to life echoed from somewhere. Simultaneously, the Zero Code, which had been in Seraph’s embrace, scattered into the air, showering the room with a clear light.
Fwaaaa!
A brilliant light, bright enough to fill my entire vision, flooded the chamber. The grinding of rusted machinery continued, and strange, indescribable sensations swept over my body. It wasn't unfamiliar. The feeling of space twisting, the sensation of passing through something rapidly. It was similar to the distortion I felt when the Grand Duke of Hell appeared during the Battle to Retake Atlanta.
As time passed, the light grew stronger, obscuring Seraph from view. Finally, I surrendered to the inevitable and squeezed my eyes shut.
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