Chapter 412: Timeline of Chapter 0 |
Well, what is that bastard going to do to me again...?
Fear was reflected in Hwang Yong-min’s eyes.
Unpleasant memories of Black Scythe intermingled in his mind.
He recalled when he and his friends, while pursuing Seo Arin, had their limbs cut off.
He also remembered when, during the third round, they were provoked into attacking relics, leading to penalties.
And then, when Black Scythe revealed his identity and, considering them no longer useful, mercilessly beheaded them.
Ryu Min, reading all these memories with the Rune of True Feelings, obtained valuable information.
‘This guy. He has more implanted memories than last time.’
On a previous occasion, when he didn’t have the Rune of True Feelings, Hwang Yong-min kneeled and begged for his life.
Ryu Min, deceived by his cunning words, was betrayed and killed by Hwang Yong-min.
‘Thinking about it now, it was foolish. I don’t know what I was thinking leaving him alive....’
Since then, Ryu Min decided never to trust Hwang Yong-min again.
‘Even so, the memories from that time are still in Hwang Yong-min’s mind.’
This meant that the memories of the timeline where he failed had also reached him.
‘There will be more timeline collapses in the future. The world will become even more chaotic.’
Aware of the situation, Ryu Min looked at Hwang Yong-min.
He was glad he kept him alive.
Although his trashy personality didn’t seem to have improved.
“Are you still planning to rob a jewelry store even now, Hwang Yong-min?”
“...What? I didn’t do anything! Isn’t that enough?”
“Yes. People don’t change easily. That’s typical of you.”
-Damn it, have you come to bother me again? What’s wrong with you?
Even though he read Hwang Yong-min’s thoughts, Ryu Min decided to overlook it this time.
What can one do with a thought?
The fact that this thug didn’t say it out loud was a significant improvement.
‘Although the situation has changed, he still fears me.’
Even though he knew Ryu Min was just a shuttle, Hwang Yong-min neither ignored nor underestimated him.
The trauma of being attacked by Black Scythe was deeply rooted in him, preventing him from speaking carelessly.
He no longer saw Ryu Min the same way as before.
“...What, what is it? What do you want with me? You’ve been staring at me in silence for a while...”
“I was just curious about what you were up to. But....”
When Ryu Min approached, Hwang Yong-min stepped back in fear.
“You still have bad habits and continue doing bad things. Should I cut off your wrist so you’ll learn?”
“.......”
Ryu Min placed a hand on the frozen Hwang Yong-min’s shoulder.
“You know it, right? When I say I’ll do something, I do it.”
“.......”
“Behave. You don’t want your neck sliced by a scythe again, do you?”
“.......”
“Answer.”
“Yes, yes... I got it.”
Ryu Min patted his shoulder and disappeared like smoke.
Hwang Yong-min blinked several times, unable to believe what he had just seen.
He thought he was seeing things, but soon shook his head.
The touch on his shoulder couldn’t be dismissed as a hallucination.
“Ha... damn it. I’m completely trapped.”
Hwang Yong-min looked at the jewelry store longingly before turning away.
—————-
Ryu Min, observing Hwang Yong-min from above as he walked away, smiled slightly and flapped his wings.
Now, their roles were completely reversed.
‘Judging by his thoughts, I know he won’t cause any trouble in my absence.’
The real problem lay elsewhere.
‘The collapse of timelines is happening faster than expected.’
The main reason he had visited this timeline was to check the progress of the current situation.
However, the memories of multiple timelines were intertwined, plunging the world into chaos.
‘I must stop Deorant immediately. For that, I need overwhelming power.’
He thought of trapping him using the illusion prison function of Elsis, as he did with Cronos.
‘It won’t work. He’s a descendant of the creator god who made Elsis.’
In that case, the only option was to confront him with brute force.
But.
‘Deorant’s terra is superior to mine. Right now, I stand no chance of winning in a direct confrontation.’
Therefore, there was only one option.
‘I need to obtain more terra.’
Ryu Min used the power of time to move to another timeline.
Not to the timeline of the 100th or 101st cycle he had already visited, but to the 0th cycle.
—————
The existing timelines were as follows:
From the first timeline created by the repetitive cycle to the 100th cycle’s timeline.
After the 101st cycle, upon completing the strategy, 97 timelines emerged, each with its own desire.
And finally, the 102nd cycle timeline, which eliminated all flaws.
But there was a timeline that had been overlooked.
The timeline of the 0th cycle.
Among them all, Ryu Min had never visited the cycle where he failed.
There was no particular reason.
‘Perhaps I unconsciously excluded it because it was a failed timeline.’
But this time, he moved.
To the timeline of the 0th cycle, where he failed for the first time.
‘For a failed timeline, it’s in better shape than I expected.’
He didn’t expect a huge apocalypse like the extinction of humanity, but he also didn’t expect it to be a normal society.
However, upon arriving and observing, it didn’t seem different from the other timelines.
Although 1.8 billion people had disappeared, the world was still functioning somehow.
‘Maybe I overestimated myself. I’m just one of 1.8 billion humans.’
The world didn’t crumble just because he didn’t protect it.
Of course, he couldn’t protect his companions.
Neither Seo Arin, nor Min Juri, nor Christine.
In this place, they were dead.
In a world where they failed in the survival game, there were no living companions left.
Not even Ryu Min from the 0th cycle.
Why come to such a place?
‘I came to confirm a possibility.’
Ryu Min activated the function of Elsis.
[Function – Timeline Rewind]
-Description: Allows one to rewind time in a timeline. You cannot intervene in the already passed history.
-Cost: 100,000 divine power per year
Instead of examining the past of a single individual, it allowed one to see the history of the timeline.
With this function, Ryu Min planned to find out.
The exact moment when he had died.
And.
‘If I know the exact coordinates of that moment, I can use the power of time to move there.’
In other words, Ryu Min’s plan was to move to the moment he died in the 0th cycle and absorb his power.
He had already confirmed that being in the same timeline when another self died allowed him to gain power.
‘I would love to travel back to the past when Chaos and Gaia were alive, kill them, and absorb hundreds of thousands of terra. But that’s impossible.’
The trick of accumulating terra through cycles didn’t work.
The primordial gods weren’t affected by cycles.
Going back in time would only create new timelines.
And the terra couldn’t be absorbed that way.
‘In the end, I can only use my own soul. The copy of myself that already died in the past.’
He thought of the way to absorb power by being present when his copy died.
Ryu Min immediately used the timeline rewind function to go back in history.
And then.
‘I found it.’
He moved to the exact coordinates of his death.
Using the power of time.
——————
December 31, 11:55 PM.
In front of the Bosingak bell, where the New Year’s ceremony was being held, a crowd had gathered.
Everyone was there to welcome the New Year, despite the cold.
Ryu Min was among them.
‘Only 5 minutes left until the New Year. Will the wishes made when the New Year arrives come true?’
With that expectation, Ryu Min had gone out.
He had a fervent wish.
“Please, from five seconds before, let’s count down together. 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...!”
Dong-!
“Happy New Year!”
“Woohoo!!”
As the New Year arrived.
Ryu Min closed his eyes and made a wish.
‘This year, please, let my family, Ryu Won, and I live healthy and happy lives.’
He didn’t want to keep being bullied by Hwang Yong-min’s gang.
He didn’t want to continue living in poverty.
Ryu Min promised himself to work harder after graduating.
He promised to live happily with Ryu Won.
However.
[Hehehe. Humans are funny. They celebrate the New Year without knowing the situation they’re in.]
The promise didn’t last long.
With the appearance of an angel, he found himself being taken to another world.
‘What, what’s going on? What’s supposed to happen on the first day of the month?’
Even though the angel had explained it before, he still didn’t understand the situation.
That’s why he couldn’t even think of a nickname when it came to personalizing himself.
‘Wait, is this a meadow? What’s going on...?’
It was too real to be a dream.
[Lastly, say “inventory” and check inside. We’ve prepared a gift for you.]
Focused on the angel’s instructions, Ryu Min complied.
‘A random rune fragment?’
Holding the rune fragment and thinking of “use,” a message appeared.
[You have used the random rune fragment.]
[Congratulations! You have obtained the Rune of Last Time Reverser.]
[The obtained rune will automatically be engraved on the player’s body.]
[Rune of Last Time Reverser]
-Effect: Allows you to revert to the previous cycle upon death. Up to 100 chances are granted. The rune is automatically destroyed once all chances are exhausted.
‘What is this? Can I go back in time if I die?’
He wanted to know if it was true, but there was no one to ask.
Amid the chaos, the first round began.
Kyaaaak!
Five thousand goblins charged like a horde.
“Aaaah!”
“How am I supposed to defeat those?!”
“You have a sword in your hand!”
“Aaaah! Help!”
“No, I don’t want to die!”
“Please, tell me this is a dream, please!”
Only a few fought.
Most were busy running away in terror from the goblins.
Ryu Min also tried to escape, but....
Thud!
“Aaaah!”
Someone bumped his shoulder, making him lose the chance to flee.
Kyaaaak!
Kiiiiiit!
A green wave surged towards Ryu Min.
‘Aah.......’
In a state of panic, Ryu Min couldn’t get up.
He could only think that this was a dream, that he would soon wake up from this vivid dream.
That’s what he hoped.
But.
Stab! Stab! Stab!
Surrounded and stabbed by numerous goblins, Ryu Min realized the reality.
This wasn’t a dream; it was real.
[You have died.]
[The Rune of Last Time Reverser has been activated.]
[You revert to the previous cycle.]
[Chances used: 1/100]
[You begin the first regression.]