Ch.6868. Time to Return

“…I’m here again.”

Kang Yerin had returned once more.

She’d lost count of how many times it had been.

Hundreds?

Thousands?

But this time, her body wouldn’t move.

His words echoed in her mind.

Jung Ui-seok had told her to save herself.

A hero is someone who saves others.

He meant she should save herself too.

That would have been his natural way of thinking.

He must have always pushed himself forward with that mindset.

But she simply couldn’t find the strength to do it.

She wanted to let everything go.

“…I need to move first. Kill Ji Se-hwa, Shin Yukyong, Choi Minseo… and then… what was next?”

She moved her body mechanically.

Turned her head.

“…Huh?”

Kang Yerin noticed something strange.

She’d been delayed by thinking about Ui-seok’s words. By now, Ji Se-hwa should have already drawn her sword.

But it was quiet.

Shin Yukyong and Choi Minseo were exchanging glances.

This was a scene she’d never witnessed before.

Ji Se-hwa turned to look at Kang Yerin.

Her arm was trembling.

“…Kang Yerin?”

Kang Yerin lifted her helmet’s visor. She approached Ji Se-hwa and raised her visor too, meeting her eyes.

Her pupils were trembling.

“Se-hwa? Do you recognize me?”

“Kang Yerin, is that really you, the one I know?”

Kang Yerin understood the situation and was a little surprised.

“So Se-hwa was also within the range of my ability.”

“Ability? Don’t tell me—”

“Hey, Se-hwa!”

At Shin Yukyong’s sharp voice, Ji Se-hwa immediately drew her sword.

The tip of her blade instantly pierced through Shin Yukyong’s heart and then slashed across Choi Minseo’s neck.

“Ui-seok— oppa—”

With a face drenched in ecstasy, Ji Se-hwa ran to Jung Ui-seok who had collapsed.

In her retreating figure, Kang Yerin could see herself.

***

“You turned back time? That’s amazing! Does that mean everything’s undone? Our betrayal, oppa becoming Gerogius!”

After getting the situation under control and finding themselves alone, Ji Se-hwa asked excitedly. Kang Yerin shook her head.

“There are limitations. This time has an end. Eventually, I’ll have to release the ability and return to the original timeline…”

“Don’t be ridiculous!!”

Ji Se-hwa grabbed Kang Yerin’s shoulders in agitation. Those desperate eyes. They were the same eyes Kang Yerin saw in the mirror every morning.

“You’ve already repeated this countless times, right? You’ve spent good times with oppa too? Then let me enjoy it too! Go back? I’m never going back to that horrible place! Got it?!”

“Se-hwa…”

“Ah, Ui-seok oppa!”

Ji Se-hwa scurried over to Jung Ui-seok who had come looking for them and linked arms with him.

Kang Yerin stared blankly at the scene.

***

“Hehe, look at this. I got matching couple rings with oppa. I even secretly booked a hotel for Christmas. Hmm, I’m a bit nervous.”

As Kang Yerin wiped away sweat at the training ground, she responded flatly.

“You remember Pegasus attacks on Christmas, right?”

“Ah… right. I forgot… What should I do? I’ve already prepared everything.”

“Se-hwa, you know we’ll die if we lose, right?”

“Yeah, I know. But Ui-seok oppa will just beat him anyway.”

“For some reason, Ui-seok is much weaker than the Gerogius we know.”

“Really? Why are you only telling me this now! But, but if it gets dangerous, you’ll turn back time again, right?”

Kang Yerin looked at Ji Se-hwa with exhausted eyes.

None of that mattered anymore.

“Ah, Yerin. You’re here. Se-hwa, I need to talk with Yerin for a moment. Could you give us some space?”

Jung Ui-seok had arrived. Kang Yerin didn’t particularly want to see his face, so she focused back on her training.

“Yerin. You’ve been training hard lately.”

“Because of Galaxy Empire.”

“That’s not the only reason, is it? I feel like you’ve been avoiding me. I know Shin Yukyong and Choi Minseo’s betrayal was shocking. Are you suspicious of me and Se-hwa too?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Hmm. Your skills have definitely improved a lot. It feels like you’ve gained a ton of practical experience. Your movements are sharper.”

“Just a coincidence, I guess.”

Tap. Jung Ui-seok grabbed Kang Yerin’s arm.

“Yerin.”

Kang Yerin couldn’t look at his face. Her expression twisted without her realizing it.

“Is something bothering you?”

“…Let go of me.”

“I’m not good at this sort of thing. You need to tell me exactly what’s going on so I can help.”

Kang Yerin hung her head low.

“…I want something so, so desperately. But no matter what I do, I can’t have it. I want to give up, but if I do, I’ll never know if the remaining chances could have succeeded.”

“You should get stronger and try again.”

“I can’t get stronger. Here, here my body resets, so everything starts from the beginning…”

“This is where you need to be strong.”

Jung Ui-seok placed his index finger near Kang Yerin’s solar plexus.

From that point, an indescribable energy spread throughout her body like a wave.

It was a mysterious warmth she had never felt before, despite having been close to him so many times.

Kang Yerin slowly raised her head.

There was Jung Ui-seok’s kind face.

“Are you strong there, Ui-seok?”

“Of course.”

“Have you never broken down?”

“Never.”

“And you never will?”

“Absolutely not.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I promised Somi.”

“…Ah.”

She felt like she had finally glimpsed a fragment of the human called Jung Ui-seok.

Kang Yerin slowly raised her right hand with only the pinky extended.

“…Can you make a promise with me too?”

Jung Ui-seok gave her a fatherly smile and linked his pinky with hers.

“Let’s promise not to let our hearts break. For me, until the world is at peace. And for you?”

“…For me.”

Kang Yerin hesitated, opening and closing her mouth several times.

Finally, she made up her mind.

She spoke those words.

“…Until Gerogius loves me.”

***

Kang Yerin continued her training.

She strengthened her abilities, disciplined her mind, and hammered combat techniques into her brain and spine.

Even if her body couldn’t grow, she made sure her mind remembered how to fight.

Pegasus, Cancer, Eridanus, Ursula, even Emperor Recter.

Of course, without a Dillitter suit or ranking system, she could never defeat them alone.

Still, she built up experience by challenging them again and again until she was on the brink of death.

“Damn it! Fuck! You fucking bitch! If only you hadn’t killed Somi unni! You fucking bitch!!”

As soon as Ji Se-hwa returned, she killed Shin Yukyong and then lunged at Choi Minseo, beating her to a pulp.

After countless repetitions, she too realized.

That she could never win Jung Ui-seok’s true heart, and there was no hope in the original timeline they would eventually return to.

Kang Yerin simply repeated what needed to be done.

When her heart felt like it would break, she remembered their promise.

That helped her endure a little longer.

And the end came without warning.

***

“Hey, Ui-seok oppa. Where should we go today? I still have so many things I want to do. I wish it was summer. I want to go to the beach. I want to show you how I look in a swimsuit, and then…”

Ji Se-hwa, with heavy dark circles under her eyes, kept talking to Jung Ui-seok.

BOOM!

While the three were having a meal, an explosion occurred without warning.

Kang Yerin and Jung Ui-seok recognized the anomaly and immediately began to transform. But Ji Se-hwa was too late. When Kang Yerin looked down, Ji Se-hwa’s lower body had been blown away, her mouth gaping.

There was no time to worry about her. The restaurant was in ruins. Gunfire was directed at them.

These weren’t ordinary bullets. Each one contained tremendous power as a skill.

“Ugh…!”

Kang Yerin and Jung Ui-seok moved between buildings for cover, trying to get the enemy in their sights.

A woman walking toward them like the grim reaper.

Three-meter-long orange hair floating in the air. A black mask covering up to her nose with shark teeth drawn on it. Her entire body was heavily armed in what looked like a special military uniform, topped with a glossy red leather jacket.

Those large eyes were blood-red. Looking closely, they had identification codes like camera lenses. They mechanically zoomed in on Kang Yerin and Jung Ui-seok.

Above her head were animal ears that didn’t match the rest of her appearance.

“What is that…?! A villain?!”

Kang Yerin was shocked by this irregular she’d never seen before. Tremendous firepower. She instinctively knew it was above SSS-rank, but she didn’t know of any ability user like this.

But Jung Ui-seok recognized her.

“Impossible. Why is she here now…! Don’t tell me!”

The woman firing the gun ran out of ammunition. She seemed unconcerned as she dropped the automatic rifles in both hands to the ground.

Simultaneously, a black hole opened in the air, and two machine guns appeared in her hands.

Ratatatatat—!!

Countless bullets fired toward Jung Ui-seok and Kang Yerin. Everything in the line of fire turned to dust.

Jung Ui-seok threw himself at Kang Yerin, breaking through the road to escape underground. He straddled Kang Yerin and grabbed her shoulders.

“U-Ui-seok.”

“Kang Yerin!! What have you done?!”

“W-what?”

“Did you turn back time?! How much?!”

“H-how did you…”

“Go back right now. And tell me! Tell me ‘The GM Account has awakened’!!”

“Th-that’s impossible! I’m not in a position to talk to you!”

“What? If that thing goes on a rampage, it’s over! Forget Galaxy Empire, it’s the end of the world! We need to buy time at least…!”

Ratatatatat—!

The woman’s bullets ground everything around them to dust. Including Jung Ui-seok.

“Ui-seok!!”

Thud!

The woman stood before Kang Yerin.

Because of the backlight, only her black silhouette was visible.

But those red eyes shone brilliantly.

With precise movements, the woman quickly loaded a pistol and aimed it at Kang Yerin.

“Cause identified. Proceeding with elimination process.”

In that moment, Kang Yerin felt a fear stronger than ever before taking over her body.

The woman asked.

“Hey, what’s my name?”

***

“Haa, haa, haa!”

Barely making it back, Kang Yerin gasped for breath. The sensation of a hole being drilled through her forehead and brain was vivid.

If she had been even a little later, she would have died without returning.

“What was that, what was that thing?!”

Ji Se-hwa also trembled, clutching her shoulders.

“I, I died. Sca-scary. Dying is scary. Yerin, I…”

“We need to go back.”

“…Go back? Where?”

“This must be a problem caused by repeating time. Ui-seok knew what it was. We need to go back and tell Gerogius…”

“Don’t be ridiculous! Don’t say that name! It’s Ui-seok oppa, Ui-seok oppa!! Not Gerogius!!”

Ji Se-hwa lashed out. Shin Yukyong stepped between them.

“Hey, what are you two suddenly talking about?”

“Shut up!! You!! Choi Minseo!! It’s all because of you!! If it weren’t for you two!!”

Ji Se-hwa reached for her sword handle. Kang Yerin stopped her.

She embraced Ji Se-hwa.

“It’s our fault.”

“…Hic, hic, no, no…”

“Let’s go back, Se-hwa.”

“…Hic, hic. Huaaaa—!!”

Ji Se-hwa wept in Kang Yerin’s arms.