Ch.133How can I help you?

# 1.

Even if I fail,

“Kill them all.”

Na-han’s calm declaration.

He quietly approached Heuk-rang and grabbed the hand holding the sword.

“I’ll grant your wish.”

A tone devoid of any emotion.

“Lend me your body.”

Having shed all emotions in this world, he had regained his initial mindset from when he first possessed the body.

“…Didn’t you say it became precious to you?”

Heuk-rang asked in confusion, but Na-han answered without any hesitation.

“You said this world is doomed anyway. Might as well grant a dying man’s wish.”

“But—!!”

“Why? Killing the Black Wolf members, returning to the original world. Weren’t these all your requests?”

He was right.

It was Heuk-rang himself who had asked to kill the Black Wolf members, and who until just now had told him to return to his original world.

These were requests Heuk-rang had made to every possession savior he met, for three reasons.

First, to prevent the members from becoming <censored text>; second, because he thought it would fail anyway and had given up.

And lastly—

“Because you’re an outsider.”

The possession saviors.

They were beings who crossed over from other worlds, who only knew this world—<Babylonia>—in story form.

For them, this world was,

“Just a story, not reality.”

There were always three chosen saviors.

Among them, the reincarnation savior was Abyss, and the regression savior was Hallorand, so the only savior Heuk-rang could recruit was the <Possession Savior>.

“I’ve met countless saviors until now.”

Some of them claimed they knew the ending of this world.

Using their knowledge, they seized opportunities and achieved explosive growth, becoming famous powerhouses in a short time.

Some became the world’s strongest,

Some became kings of other countries,

Some reached the pinnacle of knighthood…

Though their tendencies differed, most styled themselves as heroes, befitting their title as saviors.

Of course, the result was—

“All failures.”

Not a single savior managed to save the world, and they all left this world with regret.

“Wait. What do you mean they left? I thought you couldn’t return without completing the quest?”

“That’s just a condition. If pushed, one can be sent back to their original world. Though it weakened Aria considerably.”

After answering, Heuk-rang lifted his head toward the crimson sky.

“They all returned regardless of success or failure. Leaving behind comments like ‘what a shame,’ ‘what a waste,’ ‘how unfair’… as if they had lost a game. Yes, a game.”

Heuk-rang sneered.

“What was a matter of existence for the people of this world was merely a game to them.”

It wasn’t hard to understand.

Until the previous cycle, Aria had promised a return regardless of success or failure.

Therefore, for the possession saviors, this world was just a story they had read, with only a sense of regret if they failed.

“In fact, about 3 out of 10 chose the Abyss’s side. Claiming they had more to gain there than here.”

Using information provided by our side, they massacred our allies and, far from helping salvation, actively hastened destruction.

“So I started hiding information.”

He no longer sought out possession saviors, and even if he found them, he gave minimal information to keep them under control.

“Just as this world is fake to outsiders, I considered them fake and merely used them for salvation.”

As soon as Heuk-rang finished speaking.

Na-han, having processed all the information, spoke with an indifferent attitude.

“So what?”

“…What did you say?”

As Heuk-rang asked with a fierce expression, Na-han stood his ground and added:

“Regardless of what other saviors were like, aren’t you just giving up on your own terms again?”

Listening to Heuk-rang, Na-han realized.

That even now, approaching the end, even at this final chance, Heuk-rang was still hiding crucial information from him.

Because all the “possession saviors” he had seen acted like third parties, because revealing information had only brought him losses,

Because he thought the world would perish as it always had,

“You’ve been acting on your own all this time while declaring it will happen again.”

“Shut up!! What do you know…!! What right do you have to speak so carelessly?!”

Wham.

Heuk-rang grabbed Na-han by the collar.

“You were different, true. You genuinely cared for the members, and didn’t abandon them even in extreme situations. But…!!”

Finally meeting Heuk-rang’s eyes properly.

“That too… might be an act.”

His clouded eyes trembled.

“If even you join the Abyss… the members will become ■■■■ ■■ ■■. Rather than that…!! It would be better if they died…!!”

A wall of distrust built from countless betrayals.

A heart festering in solitude, unable to speak due to being the inheritor of memories.

These complex, tangled emotions were transmitted to Na-han through the trembling hand gripping his collar.

Heuk-rang lowered his head, and after watching him for a while, Na-han calmly asked:

“So you still can’t trust me?”

“……”

“No need to pretend. I understand everything.”

Na-han raised his hand.

“Then let’s make a contract.”

“…What?”

“The Black Wolf’s covenant.”

He carefully removed the hand gripping his collar and placed it on his own heart.

“You actually want to protect the members, don’t you? You want to choose the best option, not the worst or second-worst.”

A steady heartbeat.

“So do I. I also want the people of this world to be happy.”

Realizing his sincerity, Heuk-rang looked up and asked with puzzlement:

“Why…?”

Unlike us for whom this world is everything, you have a world to return to.

“Why… would you go so far for us?”

After a moment’s thought, Na-han smiled faintly and answered gently:

“Because I came here after losing everything.”

“…What?”

“I’m saying this world has become more precious to me than the one I originally lived in.”

As Na-han spoke, his eyes seemed empty and void for a moment, but it was too brief for anyone to notice.

Heuk-rang calmly replied:

“I… still cannot trust you.”

“Yeah. I wouldn’t either.”

“So I will make a contract.”

“Go ahead.”

As if it wasn’t just a test, the <Black Wolf> contract activated immediately.

【<Black Wolf> contract is activating.】

【Target – <Na-han (???)>’s soul is being bound to <Black Wolf>.】

【The lowly shall rise, and the lofty shall bend to join together.】

【Do you accept?】

Na-han knew.

“This will bind your soul and body to this world. A contract that can only be broken by saving the world. Will you still accept it?”

He knew that accepting this proposal would tie his fate to the members, and as Heuk-rang said, it could only be released by saving the world.

But precisely because of that,

‘It will help save everyone.’

Na-han immediately nodded.

“I accept.”

【Target’s will confirmed.】

【Contract established.】

【The otherworldly soul – <Na-han> – is now inscribed with the <Black Wolf> covenant.】

A sensation like gulping down boiling water spread hotly throughout his body.

【<Black Wolf>】

-Title:

-Rank: SSS+

-Members

◆Leader: <Na-han – Heuk-rang (Black Wolf) (Ex+)>

◆Vice Leader: <Lactea – White Sword Ghost (Ex-)>

◆No1. <Pedro – Punisher (Ex-)>

◆No2. <Castler – Cold Heart (Ex+)>

◆No3. <Han-ryang – Mask (SSS+)>

◆No4. <Luna – Persona (SSS+)>

◆No5. <Dalan – Monster Dragon (SSS+)>

◆No6. <Ruby Red – Blood Demon (SSS+)>

◆No7. <Yuria – Mad Saint (SSS+)>

◆No8. <Na-han – Savior (???)> (New!)

As soon as he confirmed the newly appeared system window, the boiling power stabilized.

‘Now that I share life and death with the members, Heuk-rang should fully trust me.’

Na-han shed his act and asked Heuk-rang in his true form:

“So, how can I help?”

# 2.

In frozen time.

When Na-han’s soul alone had moved to the goddess’s <Domain> to converse.

Abyss, who had maintained his sanity by controlling part of the <Territory>, looked at Na-han and thought:

‘…I want him.’

This oddity who not only deceived him but also threatened Aria and Balance to achieve his goals.

For a moment, rage surged and he almost killed him, but on second thought, he found himself intrigued.

‘He would be amusing to have by my side.’

Abyss…

Before being the reincarnation savior, he was an ancient species.

Having lived for an immensely long time, he was accustomed to tedium and boredom, which made him uncontrollably excited when such emotions were rekindled.

‘…And that’s not all.’

【<Balance>’s time is ending.】

【Soul returning.】

Abyss used his deep sight to observe Na-han’s returning soul.

Though bright on the surface, there was darkness like an abyss inherent in his heart.

‘If I were to fail, and nurture the abyss sprouting there…’

Amusing thoughts naturally came to mind.

So as time began to flow again, Abyss looked at the returned Na-han and stretched his hand toward the high ceiling.

“Come to think of it, everyone fled to the surface, didn’t they?”

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【Warning.】

【<Abyss (Ex+) – Fusion in progress> is activating his 1st skill – Annihilation.】

【Annihilation is coming.】

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A black flash drawn down from far above the planet.

As Abyss summoned an immense power that would annihilate the surroundings upon touching the ground, he asked Na-han with a chilling smile:

“Tell me, are you accustomed to loss?”