Chapter 12
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: I Remembered the Death of an Academy Cadet!
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I stared at Han Ye-seo's head lying on the ground.
Blood. A pool of it.
She was definitely dead.
The trigger for my regression was my own death.
To save Han Ye-seo, I had to die.
[2 / 400]
[Remembered the Death of an Academy Cadet!]
[Remembered 'Han Ye-seo''s Death!]
[Next reward issued at '10 / 400'!]
The Status Window confirmed Han Ye-seo's death.
[Reward Selection Right x1]
[Available Rewards]
[All Information on Ivy Lane x1]
[Syringe x1]
[Clue to Your Death a Little Later x1]
[Note with the Number of Your Regressions x1]
[Status One Grade Increase x1]
I gritted my teeth.
I put off claiming it.
She wasn't dead yet.
'And I don't even know how the rewards are issued. It might just be written on a piece of paper.'
Exhale.
I took a deep breath.
Stay calm.
Ja-an had a sword in his hand.
This guy was planning to fight. Right here, right now.
"Ja-an."
"Ivy, it's dangerous... Run away first. Tell the Academy."
"I'll fight with you."
"No, fighting alone is more efficient."
I had to die for Han Ye-seo to live.
Lives have different values depending on the person.
My life was worthless.
I'd return to the past even if I died, but Han Ye-seo wouldn't. Neither would Ja-an. I had to die.
I looked down.
My composure crumbled.
They say shock hits you late when something too traumatic happens. That was exactly my situation.
Han Ye-seo's head on the ground was staring at me.
The face that had been smiling brightly just moments ago.
The lips that had been chattering away happily.
Now severed, rolling on the ground.
Her white hair soaked up the red blood, turning dark and crimson.
Blood spurted from the severed neck, forming a sticky puddle on the asphalt.
It didn't feel real.
"...Ah."
The realization hit me late.
I was used to violence directed at me.
Pain was familiar too.
Because of my parents who never saw me as human.
But violence toward someone else? Not at all.
I'd never had anyone precious to me.
Someone else's death was completely alien.
"Urk..."
I needed to breathe, but the air caught in my throat and wouldn't go down.
It felt awful.
There was a lump of meat.
"Hrrgh..."
My vision narrowed, the world spun, my chest ached like it was crushed, my heart pounded wildly, but no oxygen reached my brain.
Hyperventilation...
My fingertips went numb, sensation faded, my legs shook.
I was ordinary.
Apart from not being loved by my parents, I'd lived an utterly normal life.
I wasn't the kind of person who could numbly, calmly accept someone else's death.
"Ugh, urk..."
Dry heaves came.
Shing.
The sound of metal scraping came from beside me. Ja-an drew his sword.
"Go."
"...Me too."
"Not in that state. Run."
Even in this situation, he responded calmly.
His back blocked my view.
Ja-an shouted.
"You're baggage! Hurry up and run!"
Baggage...
I see. I'm baggage, huh.
But if I ran? Survived? What about Han Ye-seo?
I had to die.
But my feet wouldn't move.
The woman in the black hood might slice my throat the same way, and just imagining it terrified me too much.
I collapsed to the ground, panting pathetically.
Ivy collapsed.
Her shoulders heaved violently.
She'd never experienced the front lines.
That thought crossed my mind unbidden.
'Maybe that's for the best?'
If she'd joined the fight, the difficulty would've spiked several times over.
Her opponent was that strong.
Ye-seo hadn't even reacted properly before dying.
The ability to turn parts of her body liquid gave resistance to most slashes.
'For her to die in one hit means it's closer to carving out space itself than a mere slash.'
I glanced at the ground.
The head.
The remains of the friend I'd been joking with moments ago.
Anger surged, but I suppressed it.
Can't let emotions take over.
I gripped the sword hilt tightly.
A cheap iron sword bought from the black market moments ago.
Right now, it was my lifeline.
"Hoo..."
I exhaled and activated my ability.
Ability: The Road Not Taken.
The Road Not Taken
Future possibilities branching out...
The world's colors drained to black and white, time's flow slowing slightly.
Future possibilities. Branch points.
A complex web of spider threads unfolded.
I aimed my sword.
[Thrust straight ahead.] [Success Rate: 0%]
[Dive left and slash.] [Success Rate: 2%]
[Throw sword and run.] [Success Rate: 100%]
[Cost: Cadet 'Ivy Lane' dies.]
[Swing sword diagonally right while closing distance.] [Success Rate: 15%]
No matter what I chose, death.
Highest was 15%.
The opponent stood motionless under the black hood.
No weapon visible.
'Bare hands?'
Stay calm.
Consider each option.
Discard the two with low success rates. Discard Ivy's death too.
I couldn't abandon a friend and run.
Even if we'd only known each other two days, I didn't want to survive at the cost of someone's life.
And in the next instant, her shoulder muscles twitched faintly.
She's coming.
Option 4.
Selection triggered the correction. My body moved on its own.
Whoosh!
I kicked off the ground, muscles contracting a beat faster.
My right hand blurred out of sight.
Faint, but I saw it.
An extremely thin thread.
One hair's thickness... There was a discrepancy in the distance.
Space had been erased.
Clang!
Sparks flew with the metallic clash.
The sword collided with something in midair, pain shooting to my wrist.
"Huh...?"
The hooded assailant opened her mouth, looking at me with interest.
A woman's voice.
Choices again.
No time to relax or think.
[Retreat.] [Success Rate: 0%]
[Kick with foot.] [Success Rate: 100%]
[Cost: Leg severed.]
[Duck and spin using sword's recoil.] [Success Rate: 12%]
Option 3!
Using the sword's rebound, I lowered my body close to the ground.
Slice.
A few strands of hair were cut.
Chilling.
Just a bit slower, and my neck would've been severed.
I rolled on the ground, diving into her blind spot. I caught my breath and reset my stance.
My hands were slick with sweat.
The sensation of possible death, something I'd never felt even on the front lines.
The cheap blade was already chipped and ragged.
After just one exchange.
She overwhelmingly outclassed me.
Again.
Choices.
8%, 5%, 0%.
Grit.
No way to win.
Her ability carved out space. Invisible threads or blades everywhere.
'Range about 2 meters.'
If I couldn't read her next move, death.
If my reaction lagged, death.
Bad luck, death.
Every action led to death. No path ahead. No answer.
But I couldn't give up.
Someone was at my back.
I had to buy Ivy time to escape.
I hadn't come to the Academy for grand reasons like saving people.
By chance, giving my all, good luck, being better than others—I'd ended up here.
Yeah. Looking back, I'd just gone with the flow.
But even a half-assed guy like me knew one thing clearly.
Save people.
No grand purpose, mission, or resolve needed.
Hand a starving kid a piece of bread, give briquettes to an old man shivering without fire... That's it.
Just that could save a person.
And right here, by not running, I could definitely save one person: 'Ivy Lane.'
That was why I wouldn't flee.
It was enough.
I glared fiercely.
I resolved myself.
Hoo.
Deep breath.
As death loomed, my mind cleared instead.
That was when it happened.
Crackle. Crackle.
The sound of burning firewood—or footsteps.
Something like that reached my ears.
Reaction too slow.
Body and mind exhausted, all focus on choices and her movements.
A single moment's mistake.
Someone burst forward from behind me.
"...Ivy?"
A dumbfounded voice slipped out unbidden.
The girl who'd been collapsed and panting moments ago was now charging at an enemy I couldn't beat.
No weapon.
No armor.
Bare-handed.
"No—!"
I screamed.
Ivy didn't hesitate.
The woman's hand slashed the air.
Lightly.
"Tch..."
Slice.
A tearing sound.
Ivy's head fell off with a thud.
Momentum from her charge made the headless body stumble a few more steps before collapsing limply.
Roll.
The severed head rolled across the asphalt.
And stopped at my feet.
Ivy's eyes looked up at me.
Her pale green pupils, unfocused even in death, held me.
My reason snapped.
I could do nothing.
Just watched.
I charged at the woman, gripping my sword with all my strength.
No choices visible. No calculations. No probabilities.
Only killing intent filled my head.
The woman sneered at me.
The wind tore off her black hood.
Dazzling blonde hair, blue eyes.
A strangely familiar face.
"You're...!"
"This is all just a process."
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
The sound of clock hands moving.
The world went black.
Time began running backward.