Ch.229Sacrifice and Return

# 229. Sacrifice and Return

“Rada, Niya.”

[…Suhyeok!]

My insides burn. Like drinking whiskey on an empty stomach, my entire body burns from the chest outward.

Something I had forgotten.

Though I still don’t fully understand, the moment the white dot called Radaniya appeared in the pitch-black void that had covered everything, that void ceased to be empty.

Something I had forgotten.

Through the white dot called Radaniya, I could feel forgotten things flooding into my mind like a tidal wave.

It was closer to a jumbled, randomly mixed mass of memories.

But that alone was enough, and something to be grateful for.

“Ah.”

[Suhyeok! You idiot, you fool!]

“Ah…”

[Snap out of it!]

While it was certainly a blessing that what I’d forgotten had returned, the unfiltered, chaotic flood was overwhelming.

As I struggled to maintain consciousness while preventing my memories from evaporating, the burning sensation in my chest intensified.

“Rada, Niya…”

[Please, this kind of ending is…!]

“Radaniya, you say?”

“Radaniya?”

Perhaps they heard my mumbling. The women carrying the other woman repeated the name Radaniya.

“What is Radaniya anyway!”

“Not what, but who, don’t you think?”

“That’s not the point! The point is that it’s the first word oppa uttered after waking up!”

“Could it be a g■■■friend?”

Radaniya was clearly someone precious. Otherwise, it wouldn’t hurt this much.

But for these women who had been with me to speak as if they didn’t know Radaniya…

[Focus! That’s not important right now!]

Right. First priority is recovering my condition.

Though I have no idea how to resolve this situation once I recover, Radaniya urged me on as if everything would be solved if I just recovered.

Rumble-rumble-rumble—

“Ah, unni!”

“I can’t run any faster than this.”

The collapse of the stairs, which I had only guessed at from the chilling sounds, was now within visible range. Looking down on either side of the stairs, I couldn’t see the bottom—getting caught in that collapse would mean the end.

[Yes, that’s right. That’s it.]

[Don’t try to hold onto everything. Just save what’s important.]

[If you have the important things, you can rebuild the f■■■mentary parts later…]

[So m■■e forward.]

The burning sensation that threatened to incinerate my insides had somehow transformed into warmth. I recovered the essence of Radaniya—whom I had vaguely known only as a name and someone close to me—along with my memories and relationship with her.

The woman carrying me was Song Subin, my same-aged gaming friend, vice-leader of our raid team, etiquette wiki, dignified and intellectual yet warm-hearted; the muscular, blood-covered woman who cursed while carefully holding our unconscious teammates was our mood-maker and youngest member, Ayuri; and the firm yet beautiful woman with a golden ponytail silently guarding the rear was Seon Seyeon, the first companion I had summoned.

In gaming terms, we had barely survived the trial—or rather, the torment—inflicted by the final boss of the final chapter, but in the end, we couldn’t even scratch the boss.

The final boss’s name was the abominable demon Putri.

How could I have forgotten this?

Putri was the one who had mangled my memories. Putri was also the one who had driven us into this tower with its endless, eventually collapsing staircase, using the safety of my companions as leverage.

Putri had also said that when leaving the tower, we would have to leave behind what we had gained here.

Demons, at least when it comes to contracts, do not lie.

In exchange for tampering with my memories, the safety of the raid team is guaranteed.

This is fulfilled when the team leaves the tower on their own.

When leaving the tower, one must leave behind what was gained in the tower.

The staircase leading down from the tower has no visible end so far and is collapsing moment by moment.

In the middle of all this, Radaniya, whom I had forgotten in a different sense, had awakened, and each time her words to me became unclear, the proportion of my returning memories increased.

“Ah.”

[Suhyeok. My ■■■.]

“No… way.”

[It’s not ■ over ■■. ■■cus until ■ end.]

I realized it.

The way to leave this tower. And Radaniya’s attitude, suggesting that somehow everything would be resolved if I recovered.

And Putri’s wickedness—who didn’t lie but concealed the truth and inserted poisonous clauses.

“You, you too. Together.”

[Don’t ■ s■■ ■■■■ things. ■ already ■■■■.]

The moment I fully understood, Radaniya’s words became even more broken.

At the same time, Ayuri—Yuri—who was running at the front, shouted.

“Huh? Look there! Look!”

“…A door?”

“It’s a door! A fucking door! Aaaah!”

It wasn’t far off.

The end of this situation.

The farewell to Radaniya, who was the only “insider” among our group and simultaneously an “outsider.”

“Ugh…”

“Huh?”

“Ow, my head…”

Whether they had recovered, or because of the intensified vibrations, or perhaps because the exit was near, the four who had been carried woke up almost simultaneously.

Radaniya had been using her soul as firewood to keep the healing flames burning large and intense until the very end.

The door, presumed to be the exit, rapidly approached. The women, who had been running desperately even when the end wasn’t in sight, now exceeded their limits when they saw the end.

[Hu■■. You’re ■■ strong. ■■■ worry.]

“…”

[Con■■■.]

“…”

[■hyeok.]

“Radaniya.”

[Alm■■ ■. The e■■ is ■■■ in fr■■■.]

My physical condition was still terrible, but I couldn’t end it like this, in this position. I tapped Subin’s shoulder, and when she asked what was wrong, I asked her to set me down.

“But.”

“We’re right in front. Just for a moment.”

“Alright.”

We arrived at the door. Having run down the stairs for so long, the three who had been carrying teammates collapsed on the floor as soon as they arrived, their legs convulsing uncontrollably.

Then the companions who had been carried now carried them in return. They noticed me standing alone, fully awake, and tried to approach me happily, but Subin, carried on Soyu noona’s back, sensed something and shook her head, restraining them.

‘Thank you.’

After briefly nodding to express my gratitude, I approached the door. The door had no decorations or patterns. It was just a white door.

I pulled the ordinary handle, though there was a possibility that nothing would be there…

But it didn’t matter since there were no more stairs.

“Suhyeok! We’re almost there!”

“What’s the matter?”

“We need to hurry…”

“Do you have something to retrieve?”

“At a time like this?”

I had hoped, but until the very end, my companions seemed unaware of Radaniya’s absence and sacrifice. It was too bitter and regrettable. But as they said, there seemed to be no time to waste, so I opened the door forcefully.

Beyond the door was so filled with light that I couldn’t see anything.

“You all go ahead. I’ll follow soon.”

“Huh?”

“Hurry.”

The shining door surely signified a happy ending.

Even if not everyone could pass through it.

“I don’t know why you’re doing this, but come quickly!”

My companions disappeared one by one as they passed through the door. It was exactly like stepping into a warp portal.

In less than 10 seconds, I was alone.

It wasn’t quiet… The sound of the collapsing stairs was as loud as a construction site.

‘Even our final farewell has to be like this.’

[Don’t ■ ■■.]

The warmth that had filled my body was almost gone. The voice of her soul had also become so faint that it was barely audible without concentration.

Since Radaniya and I were connected by a soul contract, a third party wouldn’t have understood anything even if they could hear.

[■■■ ■.]

“Radaniya.”

[■■.]

Roughly 10 seconds until collapse.

Radaniya’s words had now become almost like white noise.

She had dedicated her entire life to her clan,

And after retirement, remained bound to her village as Ayord’s invisible guardian,

And even after coincidentally forming a contract with me, she became a precious comrade who shared life and death with us, with me.

Though we differed in race, origin, and generation.

Though her long and winding life was about to end here.

I will never forget. From now on. No matter what happens, forever.

“I won’t forget. Ever.”

[■.]

“Goodbye.”

And so I passed through the door just before the collapsing space completely devoured everything…

[I loved you.]

Her dying flash, that final fragment, was engraved on my soul.

**

– Next news. The victims of this year’s largest consecutive disappearance case have been found sequentially starting from midnight today. The locations where they were found include their homes…

It still doesn’t feel real.

TV, computer, phone, internet, concrete and skyscrapers, Korean language.

Korea without monsters.

At the same time, an ordinary body without a status window.

Not much time had passed. It wasn’t as long as the time spent in the tower, nor had no time passed at all. The average period of disappearance was about two months.

Still, my body was in shambles, so I had to stay in the hospital for a while, and today marked exactly one month since admission. Thanks to Radaniya’s sacrifice, I had improved from a walking corpse to a critical patient.

*Slide*

“Oppa! I’m here!”

“Oppa. I’m here too.”

“Oh, you came?”

The youngest duo, Seyeon and Yuri, came to visit me again today. Despite their terrible physical condition, they were discharged two weeks earlier than me. Maybe because they were younger, or perhaps the effects of their once-strong bodies remained…

Anyway, unlike the rest who were still groaning in hospital rooms like me, they quickly readapted to Korea and never failed to visit after their university lectures.

“So oppa, what happened with your company?”

“Did you get any results?”

“Well. I was missing, but two months of unauthorized absence is tough? Three months including hospitalization.”

“That’s so unfair! It’s not like you skipped work on purpose! We just missed one semester!”

“Schools and companies are different… but it’s still unfair for oppa.”

Yuri was still the same, and Seyeon was still the same. That was fortunate. They could have developed PTSD or other adjustment issues… but they were strong kids.

‘Maybe I’m the one with the biggest problem.’

My body had almost recovered. But I felt somehow listless. Even if the company was kind enough not to fire me, I didn’t particularly want to return after discharge.

‘I haven’t worked there long enough for a decent severance package. How will I make a living?’

As I zoned out with the maknaes’ conversation as background music, I noticed it had suddenly gone quiet. Feeling their gaze, I rolled my eyes to find them both staring at me.

“Oppa. You’ve been acting really strange lately, you know?”

“That’s right. Do you have something worrying you?”

“Just tell us! We’ll solve it for you!”

“There’s nothing we can’t do if we work together, right?”

Well.

Truly.

These girls are also incredible women.

“I’m just wondering how to live from now on.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m thinking that our relationship in the tower was extraordinary in many ways.”

“What’s wrong with our relationship… Oh.”

“Ah.”

The two cleared their throats and blushed.

“W-well, wouldn’t Subin unni figure something out?”

“Right. Isn’t Subin unni like a third or fourth generation chaebol?”

Even a third-generation chaebol wouldn’t openly maintain five or six relationships, little Yuri.

I couldn’t help but laugh. When I laughed, they laughed too, not knowing why.

“Everyone’s getting discharged soon.”

“Right?”

That’s right.

It’s a blessing that we all returned safely.

“Let’s have a meetup when we all get discharged. Find a place.”

“A meetup?”

“Yeah. Let’s make it feel like a proper offline meeting. Our first meetup.”

As Seyeon said, there’s nothing we can’t solve if we’re together.

“Ooh, that sounds good. At oppa’s place then?”

“How can seven people gather in a bachelor pad?”

“Then at Subin unni’s house?”

“We should ask Subin unni in advance.”

Somehow.

We’ll tackle it step by step.

Just as we’ve always done, together with these lovely raid members.