Chapter 1
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Story
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I was repeating a story that had already ended.
I couldn’t remember when this had started. All I knew on instinct was that I had walked an endless road for a countless amount of time, with no idea where it led.
‘…How many times was it?’
The city burned and collapsed over and over. The flames were so red they dyed the sky crimson, black ashes drifting lazily through it.
“Ah…….”
Even though I’d stopped counting the repetitions, the fact that I kept unconsciously trying to recall the number made me let out a groan.
‘…What the hell was the problem?’
I’d barely managed to fend off the signs of doom. But the real destruction, the important one? I couldn’t stop that.
Gates multiplying exponentially. Monsters bursting out from within. Something on an entirely different level from the monsters. Even if I evacuated everyone, gates appeared in the shelters. Even if I focused solely on the monsters, I got utterly crushed by those overwhelming things that weren’t monsters.
No matter what I did, the result was the same. Even if I did nothing at all. Whatever I tried, the outcome always mocked my efforts, unchanging.
‘What’s the point of any of this?’
I rubbed my dry face with one moving hand, feeling the sticky fatigue on my cheek. Blood was streaming from one eye, but it wasn’t important. Everything would reset anyway.
Regression.
Or maybe it was a curse. No matter what I did, the result stayed the same—what else could it be if not a curse?
The world’s end. People dying.
I’d seen that scenery so many times it was more than enough to drive anyone insane. Maybe my story had already ended the day I first saw it. Long, long ago.
“…….”
I turned my head to look at the person lying amid the rubble. Fatal wounds from blocking powerful attacks multiple times, minor cuts, lingering scars from before. All on one person.
“…Damn.”
It was impressive she was still alive in that state. At the same time, seeing her mangled by wounds drew a sigh from me.
“Cut it out already. Enough.”
Why was she always like this?
Thud. I plopped down right there, gazing at the person expelling ragged breaths. This person, soon to be a corpse, was none other than my brother, Han Ji-un.
“Whew…….”
I stroked my wounded stomach and waited for him to die. Why wait for his death? Simple. Because we’d go back once he died.
What a fucked-up life. I couldn’t even laugh.
To go back, he had to die. To go back, I had to kill him. It was just the familiar routine now, nothing more, nothing less.
‘Kill him or not?’
I wasn’t unscathed either. My stomach was torn open, left arm useless, right eye long since tossed as bait. Pain didn’t matter, though. I just hated the ruined scenery, so if I was going back, better do it quick—that suited me.
“…….”
Nah. No need to waste energy, no need to dirty my hands.
“At least close your eyes.”
Staring blankly into space like that, his wide-open eyes looked pitiful. I placed my hand on his eyelids. Just as I was about to close them, his lips moved.
“Wow, shit.”
My hand jerked up into the air in surprise.
“…….”
Had my brother ever spoken before dying?
I carefully lowered my awkwardly raised hand and leaned my head closer. His lips twitched as if trying to say something, but only a raspy metallic sound came out. Probably his throat was wrecked.
‘No potions left.’
Unfortunately, I was flat broke right now. So all I could do was wait for him to speak. It was a new scene—waiting was no big deal. Of course, if he croaked without a word, that’d be that.
“Ji-eon…….”
It didn’t take long for him to squeeze out a voice. It was cracked and hard to make out, but it gradually took shape as time passed.
My name. Even cracked, I recognized it instantly—I’d heard it countless times.
“Ji, eon.”
The way his mouth moved wasn’t pretty. Like a corpse’s lips flapping open.
After that, he kept calling me in that broken voice. It sounded like he was searching for me, so I parted my silent lips just a little to reply.
“What.”
“…….”
His ears must’ve been fine—he stopped immediately.
What was he trying to say? Probably something like ‘sorry’ or ‘bye,’ but it didn’t matter. This new situation was enough. A small anomaly. That’d do.
“…Ji-eon. This place…….”
Was he mumbling like that because he was conscious, or unconsciously? Seeing him unable to continue, I spoke first this time.
“Hyung.”
“…….”
“What.”
But the words didn’t follow.
Of course. What anomaly?
‘…What next time?’
I’d done everything I could. What I did was endless repetition. Well, different actions each time, but that was it. The result was always the same.
I rolled my eyes to look at him. His lips still twitching faintly entered my view.
“Hyung, I don’t know what you’re trying to say, but don’t push it—just—”
“Ji-eon. This place… is inside a novel.”
My heart sank with a thud. Had I misheard? Was it a hallucination? I asked again.
“…What?”
But he seemed unable to speak anymore. I urgently opened my mouth.
“What did you just say?”
I grabbed his collar and demanded again.
“What did you just say?”
“…….”
“Hyung.”
“…….”
“Han Ji-un. Hey.”
He didn’t stir. Well, his chest was moving, but only faint ups and downs from his nearly spent breaths.
“What do you mean, a novel?”
“…….”
“If you’re gonna talk, finish it……!”
Stab.
In that instant, my stomach grew warm. No—scalding hot.
I let go of his collar as my body was hoisted into the air. I glanced down at myself and saw, at the worst possible timing, a mechanical insect monster’s leg piercing my gut.
“Gah.”
Blood I’d had inside surged up and burst from my mouth. My feet, fine moments ago, were soon soaked in it, my mouth filled with the metallic tang.
But even with my stomach impaled.
‘…A novel.’
My mind was elsewhere.
‘A novel?’
Maybe because of the hole in my gut—my head cleared a bit. Strength barely returned to my body; a long pole formed in my grip, a scythe blade at its end. My body was too wrecked for a clear shape, but it was enough to deal with the monster right now.
Whoosh. I swung the scythe back lightly, and a monster’s screech rang out. At the same time, whatever was leg or arm got yanked free.
“Ah.”
Thud. All strength left my legs. Another screech followed, something hurtling toward my head fast.
“Damn.”
Whoosh. With only one arm moving, my attacks were limited, but no big deal. How many times had I fought one-armed?
—Keeeek!
The monster’s black blood sprayed, and thud—it stopped moving.
“…….”
I panted lightly.
“Novel…….”
The word kept replaying in my head since earlier.
Novel.
I repeated the single word over and over.
A novel was a story with a fixed ending.
‘Which means.’
Everything I’d gone through—the ends of all those destructions—was predetermined. The natural order.
“…Hah.”
Hahaha. Laughter bubbled out nonstop. No reason. Any reason would do anyway—did I even need one?
“Hah, hah…….”
The reason I’d seen this kind of world over and over through regressions was simply because.
“Because it’s a novel?”
I wasn’t despairing. It was just… absurd.
“That’s the only reason?”
The reason was so plain it was ridiculous. A lot ridiculous. I’d run so hard toward the goal, only to find there was no goal.
Once, I’d wondered if it was all a dream. Or like a novel, a fabricated world. But the more regressions, the more it felt like denial, so I stopped thinking it.
“Hah.”
Who’d have thought those delusions were real.
I’d only laughed at this point when I’d gone mad, but for the first time, a cheerful laugh burst out now.
—Keeeek!
“I was such an idiot.”
I forced my trembling legs to stand. Then I swung my weapon at the other monsters charging in. Again and again, endlessly at the endless horde.
And as my mind grew clearer, the absurdity faded, leaving just one emotion inside me.
“Haha.”
Joy.
Joy seized my mind and took command.
“Not even giving me a chance to give up…”
Whoosh! I swung my barely moving arm with all I had, but it missed—regrettably, the monster bit it. Teeth pierced skin, burrowing in, flesh bursting, blood flowing. At the same time—boom! White bursts formed from my outstretched palm toward the monster and detonated.
“Hah…….”
There’s a saying. The first time is the hardest.
‘Then.’
This wouldn’t be the first and last anomaly.
Because just tossing bait and leaving would be no fun.
I staggered, surveying the encirclement. Then, as I feebly swung my arm to fend off an attack.
“Ah.”
Crunch. It bit my shoulder; I lost balance and wobbled. Seizing the moment, other monsters lunged, slashing and biting.
Crunch crunch. The vivid sensation of being chewed hit as I collapsed limply to the ground. In my vision, my brother appeared—precisely, him right before the monsters fully snuffed out his life.
It was a rare anomaly. No, a first in my life. Maybe that’s why that dying face felt so grateful—a smile spread across my lips.
‘…Thanks.’
No strength left to voice it, so thanks circled only in my mouth, but I was grateful anyway. He’d shown the path to a lost soul.
‘Next time.’
Next time, I definitely wouldn’t see that godawful red sky, or the city burned beyond recognition, or precious people dying. This shitty ending—I’d rip it apart with my own hands.
Sorry to the author who wrote this trash, but no, honestly not sorry. I wasn’t the type to play along with crap like this from the start.
‘…Next time, definitely.’
Thud. As I hit the ground, I was trampled and devoured. The moment my body touched down, a monster’s leg plunged into my brother’s gut, making him convulse.
Consciousness faded. Probably regressing in a few dozen seconds.
“…….”
If I regressed, I’d be unfit for this trash novel, and definitely.
“I’ll save everyone, you bastards.”
Even at the moment of death, the smile didn’t fade from my lips—then snap, the world went black, and everything reset.
Back to the beginning.