episode_0120

At that time, I was spending a terribly lonely season.

Several months had passed since I was suddenly drawn into this world. The fate of ‘possession’, thrust upon me without a moment’s preparation, was nothing short of bewildering.

Perhaps it was what people commonly called a trick of fate, or the execution of destiny, I couldn’t say for sure, but what was certain was that there was no way back.

Ultimately, to survive, I had to keep struggling in my own way.

“What role… could they want from me?”

A world on the brink of destruction.

If so.

The ending that needed to be changed was crystal clear.

It might have been an interpretation born purely from my own desires, but I resolved to live by that uncertain calling.

It was for that reason that I stepped into the uncertain thorn-bush.

The choice marked the beginning of a fierce life.

The Usurpation War.

It was the event closest to the time I was possessed, and an event I absolutely had to intervene in, considering the original story’s future.

A power struggle among criminal organizations vying to swallow the underworld.

However, to simply label it a mere struggle would be inaccurate, as it was a massive affair capable of shaking even the empire’s political landscape.

Countless names clashed purely out of greed, influencing even the original story’s narrative.

Starting with the [Monarch] who had dominated the empire’s hidden side until now, there were also magnates from the underworld challenging that ruler’s throne, as well as countless criminal organizations staining the dark corners with violence.

A world teeming with scum needed a cleanup.

Originally.

This war was not supposed to end for another five years. The sweetness of ambition bordered on madness.

Violence and plunder transform frail humans into devils, pushing them towards a seemingly endless hell. People fasten the leash of sin around their necks, solely for the sake of a better life.

It’s profoundly adult-like.

“…I have to stop it.”

A world blazing red with blood and fire. Relentless, gruesome slaughter.

Those who became corpses, crushed beneath the barrage of arrows, and the barbarians who stood on rotten flesh yet grinned vilely.

It was a tragedy, or perhaps a comedy, that starkly encapsulated the meaning of rock bottom.

Yet, even in such a situation, the ones who cried the most sorrowfully… were those who harbored no sin whatsoever.

My very first step had to be towards their salvation.

Of course.

The primary objective was to prevent destruction.

Because in the original story, it was the root of tragedy. The prolonged war progressively festered the empire’s hidden side, eventually becoming so chaotic that even the imperial family couldn’t control it.

To make matters worse, even dark mages joined hands with the underworld.

In this world, the Usurpation War was…

An event tantamount to the source of all evil.

“Moreover… I also had to find it before it awakened.”

It.

The first trigger that would plunge this world into ruin. Dealing with the future calamity in advance.

With those thoughts, I left my comfortable mansion and stepped out into the dirtiest depths.

Back then, I couldn’t think of any better way.

Because there was nowhere to rely on.

Suddenly.

Abandoned in a lonely world, I…

Was bewildered by the life given to me once more, hesitated to live, then was struck by regret, and finally chose to move forward.

With the resolve that this was truly the last game.

Forgetting you.

“I’m leaving now.”

The mansion where no reply came.

The hardships of a possessed person living as someone else—such things didn’t apply to me.

Nor did I need to deceive the relationships this body had accumulated.

After all, the family didn’t care about me.

No.

To be precise, it was closer to treating me as if I didn’t exist.

The few months spent in the mansion felt like a cold season. Aside from minimal interactions like meals and washing, no one showed any interest or affection towards this body.

Even if I disappeared for over a week, there was no attempt to find me.

It felt like a dollhouse, where everything was made of lies.

“What kind of life… did Yuda live, I wonder?”

The hidden side of the traitor that I hadn’t known until then.

At the time, I did question it, but it was a question I soon erased from my mind.

Because the storm approaching before my eyes was overwhelming enough.

And so.

I walked into the storm.

“Pant, pant!”

A war I plunged into blindly.

From that day on, it was a continuous stretch of pain and intensity. Because I was engulfed in a terrible stench of blood.

I was alone.

Wielding a power I was not yet accustomed to, I killed the scum strewn across the streets, hid to evade pursuit at night, liberated suffering people, and thus moved forward.

The first time I was covered in someone else’s blood, it was sticky and lukewarm. There were days when I threw up repeatedly.

But.

To survive, I couldn’t hesitate even a little.

At the time, even my lies weren’t as potent as they are now, so when my strength waned, I would hide in places like sewers.

It was a backdrop of terrible stench, but I wasn’t in a position to be picky.

“Ugh… cough!”

That was the principle that held true in the underworld.

The bottom was a place that exterminated the pure and true, where only those who abandoned their dignity and qualifications could survive.

In the world, there’s a name for those who persist so wretchedly.

None other than ‘scum’.

We were junk piled up in a landfill. Killing each other, stealing, chasing, trampling… we repeatedly went underground using all sorts of adult methods.

As if betting on who could drag the other down further.

I was no different.

Under the pretext of rooting out evil, I cloaked myself in evil no different from theirs.

That’s why I didn’t like the memories of that time.

“…Should I just give up everything?”

The anguish I occasionally harbored.

The adult world, which I thought I had grown accustomed to in my previous life, constantly ensnared me, as if proving there was no limit to its ugliness.

To the extent that even the last vestiges of my pure heart were completely devoured.

I merely repeated the cold war.

“The bleeding won’t stop… Do I need to stitch it up again, like last time?”

Sometimes, I was lonely.

Leaning against a corner in the sewer, mending my tattered body by hand, I would suddenly suffer from an unfillable sense of loss.

Yet, in that emptiness, I shed no tears.

Was it because my emotions had dried up?

Life only continued to grow colder.

Nevertheless.

Time passed.

I single-handedly cleaned up the criminal organizations rooted in the underworld, erasing one by one the seeds that could cause harm in the future from the story.

The situation died down into a faint flicker, without a chance to be gripped by madness.

Though in the original story, the war had dragged on for a staggering five years.

I was able to conclude the [Usurpation War] in less than three months.

It was the reward for my ferocity.

“Pant, pant…”

Heavy breaths.

Only after dealing with all the parasitic forces in the underworld was I finally able to dismantle the last remaining [Kingdom].

That ‘Kingdom’ referred to the territory ruled by the Monarch.

The white-haired old man spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Cough…!”

The person who had given me the most trouble during the war. Possessing not only a vast influence spanning continents, but also overwhelming individual power, and cunning schemes that repeatedly brought opponents down.

He was indeed a person worthy of being called the unofficial strongest.

Although he ultimately fell.

“It’s over now.”

Around us, the aftermath of the fierce battle remained. The brutally shattered castle and street scenery.

The old man was kneeling, his appearance tattered. His body was thoroughly drenched in blood, his once neat attire had become rags, and his severed right arm lay rolling on the ground.

In particular, his left chest was pierced by a sword.

I stood with my sword impaled in the old man’s heart. A faint pulse was transmitted to my fingertips.

“Don’t struggle needlessly.”

“Yes… So, this is how it ends, after all.”

The old man mumbled. It was a reaction of resignation, sensing the end.

I calmly gazed at him. Though his body was a miserable mess of blood and gore, I, too, was equally battered.

Because even simply breathing was agonizing. Moreover, with my energy already bottoming out, even light first aid was difficult.

I simply clenched my teeth and swallowed the pain.

“The arduous Usurpation War concludes today.”

“How does it feel? The sentiment of a victor left alone at the end of all wars…?”

“…It’s empty.”

I replied quietly.

Blood soaked my hands.

The boundary between life and death that I had drawn was simple. I destroyed the factions that aided the cultists in the original story, and merely suppressed those that didn’t, to the point where recovery would be difficult for them.

The reason I didn’t kill the old man before me now was also the same.

Because he was one of the few figures in the underworld who hadn’t joined hands with the dark mages. Whether he simply found their sinister power annoying, or if it was due to memories from his past, I had no way of knowing, but in any case, I thought he would be a valuable asset if kept alive.

I slowly pulled out the sword embedded in the Monarch’s heart.

*A grating scrape.*

As the sword was pulled out, the hole in his chest instantly closed up. I had restored it to its original state.

However.

“This is not mercy.”

Within his heart, a magic woven from lies remained. A spell implanted to prevent him from acting independently.

It was a magic that would immediately explode if I merely uttered the activation phrase. It was also designed to activate if my own life activities ceased, so the opponent couldn’t preemptively strike either.

The old man seemed to sense the spell constricting his heart. A tired laugh escaped him.

“Heh-heh… So you’re letting me live, after all. You really are interesting, aren’t you?”

The old man, still kneeling, spoke. His aged eyes held a depth so profound it sent shivers down my spine.

I replied.

“From now on, you are a puppet.”

“‘A puppet’ as in…?”

“If you do not follow the commands I issue, I will immediately take your heart.”

“Are you proposing a deal?”

“It means you must pay the price.”

“There’s no right to refuse, is there…? For a loser, it’s the rule to submit to their fate.”

“A wise decision.”

“More than that, it’s a shame. I almost won, you know. Lost by a hair’s breadth.”

“You truly were terrifyingly strong.”

That was true. I, too, had barely escaped death several times and exhausted my power to the limit before I could pierce the old man’s heart.

If I had erred even slightly, defeat would have been mine.

I exhaled a pained breath. The old man looked up at me and asked.

“Victor… In the name of this fitting war, is there anything else you desire?”

“Of course there is.”

I answered without hesitation.

That’s because.

It had been my top priority ever since I plunged into the underworld.

I spoke of the seed of destruction.

“The hidden force you’ve kept until now… the last member of your Royal Guard.”

The Monarch’s Royal Guard, comprised of five.

However.

Only four had revealed themselves in the war. The remaining one must be in the underground prison.

A monster he wanted to keep by his side due to its overwhelming talent for slaughter, but had locked away from the world because of its uncontrollable power.

I spoke of the slaughtering demon the Monarch had kept hidden until now.

“The unruly one. I must take her.”

“…Hmph.”

A laugh that seemed to indicate utter disbelief. The old man mumbled, his eyes blank.

“I kept that a thorough secret… but you always seem to read my mind. As if you know the future.”

“So, your answer?”

“Does it matter?”

The Monarch nodded, as if to say it was settled.

“Do as you please.”

The old man obediently gave the coordinates. It was a prison in a secluded location.

As soon as I confirmed the information, I turned my back. My faltering steps moved away from the ruined throne, leaving behind the scene of the underworld where the war had ended.

Now it was time for the boy to meet the seed of destruction.

Coincidentally.

The season was just beginning to turn to winter.

The coldest winter, at that.

***

Three days and more of wandering.

After roaming through desolate landscapes, what I found was none other than an underground prison hidden within ruins.

I approached, still dragging my legs, which ached with muscle pain. Normally, it wouldn’t have been a distance that took this long, but my movements were sluggish, likely due to my exhausted body.

It seemed I would have to devise a simpler way to travel from now on.

‘Now that I think of it… was it ‘Bul-ui’?’

Wouldn’t it be convenient to have such a space-type ability user? I should try to find one later.

Pushing aside unnecessary thoughts, I headed for the basement. At the end of the long staircase appeared the scene of a prison, with thick iron bars packed tightly together.

Around it, devices that slowed mana were also operating.

I immediately sensed that I had found the right place.

*Clink.*

A faint sign of a human presence could be heard beyond the iron bars. Soon, a faint voice echoed.

“Who…?”

A shadow emerged. Despite the deep darkness, a girl with dazzling silver hair was there. Several layers of chains were wrapped around her arms and legs.

“We finally meet.”

I observed her. Her original appearance was beyond beautiful, but traces of violence remained in various places.

It seemed the Monarch had suppressed her for control. Seeing her face, scratched in places and bruised blue, I would suddenly recall my previous life, which I had forgotten for a while.

Because even as a child, I had to suffer from violent parents.

Perhaps I was just needlessly superimposing the images.

“I’ve come to take you.”

“……?”

I slowly extended my hand through the iron bars. What I received in return was a wary gaze.

Ignoring it, I spoke with a smile. It was a soft, encompassing tone.

“Don’t you need a name?”

A somewhat unexpected question.

That was the beginning of our two paths.