episode_0008

Solra stared at me, speechless at my heartfelt words.

Later, with a flushed face, she yelled at me, asking what that meant, but I had no answer.

How will you explain that you sacrificed yourself for humanity?

I just chuckled and shrugged my shoulders.

Solra, who couldn’t understand my reaction, hesitated for a moment before displaying various expressions.

Confusion, anxiety, puzzlement, suspicion, shock, understanding, conviction.

Starting with confusion and ending with conviction, she proposed a deal to me.

“…What do you think?”

Solra presented her proposal to me with an attitude that wouldn’t take no for an answer.

With her fiery gaze fixed on me, she made the offer.

In the past hours, filled with concern as if many users loved and pitied you, I couldn’t help but laugh and reply.

“Will you do it?”

Seeing my response, she confidently presented the offer again, to which I replied.

“No?”

“Alright then, if that’s how you feel… What?”

“I decline.”

As Solra stood there like a statue, unmoving and unblinking, I thought to myself.

What kind of deal is this?

And is that even a deal?

What’s different from the original work?

Oh well, the hardcore fans will figure it out, so the Goddess of No Mercy can go do her usual chest expansion exercises with her friend.

“I’m not the Goddess of No Mercy!!!!”

“Oh.”

Did I just say that out loud?

“Die!!!!!”

Damn it.

– Kwaaaah!!!!!!

…

This time, due to her increased strength, Solra looked at the man who couldn’t regain his composure after taking her attack.

He managed to dodge one blow, but not the fists.

Surprisingly, he dodged her punches three times, but succumbed on the fourth.

Looking at the fallen man, she thought.

He was truly a remarkable man.

How did he arrive, ascend to heaven alive?

As if knowing me, he called me by name, not the Goddess of No Mercy.

And when he looked at me, what were those intense emotions?

Affection, respect, worry, sadness, anticipation, joy, longing, pity, sympathy, unease, certainty…

How did he look at me with all those emotions on our first meeting?

How does one contain all those emotions when looking at a single entity?

Solra was amazed, confused, and sympathetic at his demeanor.

There was some inkling.

Some time ago, the axis of time had twisted.

The clock in my room, supposed to be ticking normally, was frozen at one point, and Selena was nowhere to be seen.

Anxious, I searched both the divine and human realms and came across him.

Facing him,

Looking into his eyes,

Conversing with him,

Observing his emotions,

Solra realized.

It’s you.

The one who turned back time.

Then everything made sense.

Ascending to heaven alive.

Holding all those emotions when looking at me.

Evading my attacks with a frail body.

Thinking sternly of me.

Predicting the world’s end.

Wearing a smile that seemed ready to shatter, warning me not to do anything.

It all made sense.

Solra sighed.

“How should I deal with this foolish yet foolish human?”

She could roughly guess.

The reason this human turned back time.

Surely, he must have witnessed the world’s end.

But undoubtedly, he must have overcome it.

Otherwise, how would he know everything?

The Great Demon, Seven Evils, Ancient Gods, Foreign Deities—

Humans have undoubtedly triumphed over them all.

But looking at this human’s expression, maybe I wasn’t there at that time.

In a world where everything was conquered, a human who had overcome everything came chasing after the past.

For my future.

How audacious.

One of the children I loved had overcome everything, yet she longed for me and came searching for the past.

However, she couldn’t smile.

If I don’t do it, how many will perish.

She was truly a great being.

The only true deity of this era.

No one could do what she did.

So, to send the boy to the surface, she reached out her finger to his forehead.

Because she loved the beings on the surface so much, she couldn’t ignore the boy’s words.

I appreciate that you came for me from the future, but she will do what she needs to do.

-Chin

Startled, Solra almost wavered in self-reproach.

For some reason, the boy, who had already regained his senses, was holding her finger.

Ah, those eyes.

Every time Solra looked into those eyes, she felt infinitely softened.

Eyes of humans who dream of a bright future, who overcome pain and adversity.

Eyes of a hero known by various names such as prophet, warrior, leader, and star.

As someone who always admired their sparkle, Solra found these eyes not easy to deal with.

However, what made Solra’s finger stop now was something else.

Eyes mixed with concern, worry, reverence, and affection towards her.

Eyes filled with the conviction that they must exist in that shining future.

Solra couldn’t bring herself to move in front of the eyes filled with profound liking for her.

Her face reddened with unreserved warm emotions, her fingers loosening their grip, when the boy’s mouth opened.

“Solra, let’s make a contract.”

-Shwirl

With the boy’s words, parchment unfurled from his arms with a rustling sound.

Characters of light emerged from the dusty parchment.

The characters of light circled around them and soon enveloped Solra and the boy.

It was the time of the contract.

“You…this.”

Solra was genuinely surprised.

That this still exists.

A contract that forces three agreements within the limits of not taking each other’s lives.

This rare item created in ancient times by ■.

This was something that resonated with her.

Therefore, this contract can also

force three agreements upon herself.

Realizing that meaning once again, Solra sighed softly.

Knowing he wasn’t that kind of person, but what if I misjudged him…?

Contrary to the misconceptions of many, God is neither all-powerful nor powerless.

Just an immensely significant being to be worshipped.

Before Solra could imagine what would happen if that child turned malicious, the boy spoke.

“I wish for the first thing from you. You…”

Upon hearing the boy’s first wish, Solra could only chuckle bitterly.

“You, really…”

…

After some time, the characters of light faded and shattered, absorbed into their bodies.

The boy looked satisfied, while Solra looked uneasy.

Inflating her cheeks, Solra said to the boy,

“Really, this is bad.”

“If you’re annoyed…you know?”

“Don’t use weird language!”

“Wha..t?”

-Kwaaang!!

And thus, the boy returned to the surface once again, unconscious.

“This is a gift.”

Along with the goddess’s gift to the hero of the future.

…

Hmm.

“It’s an unfamiliar ceiling.”

As I woke up, I uttered one of the top 5 lines that must be said when undergoing a possession reincarnation trip somewhere.

Seeing the ceiling instead of the blue sky, I realized I was indoors.

Perhaps the last time I saw my father and servants, they moved me here.

Stretching my stiff body, I reviewed the situation.

‘Killing Rodein is clearly beneficial.’

The stagnant atmosphere that started with that bastard has worsened over time.

Although not as powerful as bosses in other stages, that guy was just more annoying than tough.

Now that the game has become reality, he’s even more dangerous.

Thinking about the numerous benefits that will come from killing him made me feel good.

At least I can hear Uncle Jam’s side story.

[Great Achievement! You are…

[Ridiculous Achievement! You have…]

[Transcendent Achievement! You have…]

…

There is also an achievement message popping up next to me.

I chuckled and displayed the achievement message.

To obtain top achievements like this even before entering the academy.

I was lucky.

First of all, starting with a remarkable achievement:

[Remarkable Achievement! You have defeated Rodein, the honey-tongued black mage who taunts hearts and kills with his tongue!]

This is an achievement I know.

It’s an achievement you get in the game by defeating Rodein.

Surely there will be a reward…

[For eliminating him, who committed numerous evil deeds, you are granted the ‘Affection Level Assessment’!]

…They gave me an affection level gauge.

…What?

Didn’t I say this was a romance novel?

…

Briefly taken aback by the unexpected romantic reward, I moved on to the next achievement.

The Affection Level Assessment… well, it might come in handy. That’s what I thought.

[Ridiculous Achievement! You have triumphed alone against overwhelmingly powerful opponents!]

Oh, this is an achievement obtained when you capture not just one but dozens of flies or arrogant people.

Seems like it’s repeating.

[Despite a vast difference in power, you did not surrender and emerged victorious, granting you ‘Indomitable Will’!]

As mentioned before, this is quite a good achievement.

When facing opponents weaker than ordinary people due to their frail bodies, it’s essential for me to fight better against overwhelmingly strong foes.

Moreover,

This achievement already has ‘Indomitable Will’!

[…..]

“Will becomes stronger when shared! ‘Indomitable Will’ evolves!”

Every time you achieve this by fighting overwhelming enemies, it gets even better.

[Congratulations! ‘Indomitable Will’ has evolved into ‘Indomitable Will II’!]

Hmm.

Delightful.

Just as I happily confirmed my achievement rewards, someone opened the door and walked in.

“Bihan!”

“Father…?”

Before I could finish speaking, Aaron rushed towards me and embraced me tightly.

Though surprised by his actions, feeling his trembling body as he held me close, I gently patted his back.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” he said in a voice tinged with hurt.

About what?

Before I could ponder deeply on what I hadn’t said and engage in a profound discussion, Aaron continued to embrace me and speak.

“You seem different today. Your serious expression, your words about not sending a protest letter to the academy, the screams heard from your room… everything, including you and the black mage.”

Um, why?

Before I could ask, Aaron spoke in a solemn tone.

“Were you being threatened or controlled by the black mage?”

“..What?”

Trying not to interrupt, but finding his words so unbelievable, I ended up answering.

What is this man talking about?

How did he interpret my reaction?

Aaron, nodding his head, continued.

“I thought there must have been a reason behind kind and thoughtful you causing trouble.”

“….”

“I thought there must have been a reason when you were smashing pottery with a whip.”

What possible reason could there be for that?

“When kind you lay sprawled on the street saying you couldn’t stand the sight of your fiancé and wanted to break off the engagement.”

I did that too?!

“Although it’s something you shouldn’t do again, I thought there must have been a reason when you hit your brother with a hand sword.”

Wait… really?

Did I slap someone across the face??

Was it because I touched one cheek when talking about Bihan in the story?

Is that why?

“If you connect all of that to the black mage, it starts to make sense.”

Listening to him, it seemed like he was writing a novel. This man.

Curious about how far his nonsense would go, I stayed quiet, almost as if urging him to continue speaking.

“Manipulated or threatened by the dark sorcerer, you must have been forced to take actions against your will. It must have escalated to the point where you received commands that were simply unbearable. You struggled helplessly, resisting and fighting back, ultimately managing to defeat the dark sorcerer.”

And…

I was in awe as I listened to Aaron’s story.

A boy who, despite being very kind and good-hearted, was controlled by a dark sorcerer from a young age, forced into unwanted actions, risking his life to break free and bring down the sorcerer?

Who could that be?

“You’ve been through so much. You really have…”

But in Aaron’s heart, it seems like that person is me.

“I’m sorry, Vihan… I should have realized sooner…”

I couldn’t bring myself to tell Aaron, while tears streamed down my face, that ‘Oh, that’s not me.’

Is this the sorrow of Hong Gildong, unable to call his father ‘father’..?

I could only pat Aaron’s back in bewilderment.

What is this all about..?