Until We Meet Again

Joker's gun barked, and the agent who'd been cooperating with Dong-hyun crumpled to the floor.

"Anyone who's seen my face doesn't get to live."

Even Dong-hyun, who had long since stopped fearing death, couldn't help but flinch when a gunshot cracked off right behind his head.

"Contestant Ahn Jin-woo. Looks like that startled you."

She'd caught it instantly — the split-second of shock he hadn't quite managed to hide.

"How about you get the hell out of the way? Your precious VIP is getting real pissed off over here."

Dong-hyun's blade sank a little deeper, and a thin line of blood welled along Seonwoo Hyun's throat.

"Hmm... what to do... Fine. We'll clear a path."

Joker's voice was almost cheerful, as if she were enjoying herself.

At her word, the agents blocking the corridor began to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠part. Dong-hyun swapped his blade for a pistol and pressed the muzzle hard against Seonwoo Hyun's temple. A gun was a far more reliable way to kill a man than a knife.

He moved through the gauntlet of agents without letting his guard slip for a second. At any moment, he could squeeze the trigger and put Seonwoo Hyun down.

"Stay back! Don't touch me! ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Just let us through!!"

The cold metal against his temple sent a visible shudder through Seonwoo Hyun, and he started barking at the agents in a rising panic. But they didn't so much as twitch.

Dong-hyun's expression tightened. He'd figured holding Seonwoo Hyun's life hostage would get them off the island without much trouble — but these people didn't seem to care whether the man lived or died. It could have been an act, and that possibility alone was pressure enough.

He dragged Seonwoo Hyun down the stairs toward the exit. The agents followed at a measured distance, never closing, never falling behind.

A helicopter would get them out clean. Whatever Joker was planning, she simply kept her distance and followed until Dong-hyun reached the pad. The chopper sat right in front of him. The cabin door swung open, and Yoon Jin-ju was waiting inside.

Then Joker's hand went up, and dozens of agents dropped to one knee, every rifle trained and ready.

"Contestant Ahn Jin-woo? You stay behind, and I'll let the helicopter and the boat leave in one piece. How about it?"

Dong-hyun swallowed hard. That many guns opening up on the helicopter would tear it apart — no question. He turned and looked back at Jin-ju. She'd heard every word. Tears were already sliding down her face as she shook her head.

"Jin-ju. The time I spent with you was short, but I was happy. Tell the others that for me."

"No... please... hhkk..."

At his words, Jin-ju finally broke down sobbing.

"I'll find a way to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠survive and come back to you. Don't worry too much."

He tried to reassure her. Tears streamed down both Min-ju's and Jin-ju's faces.

"That's an order. Go. Now."

The word order left his mouth. It was something they could never refuse.

"Hhkk... n-no..."

The helicopter began to lift slowly into the sky. Jin-ju sobbed and tried to stop Min-ju — but the moment she saw the tears running down Min-ju's face as well, she couldn't bring herself to fight it anymore. She understood that Min-ju felt exactly the same way she did.

Dong-hyun kept his gun trained on Seonwoo Hyun and watched the helicopter pull away. Its lights receded into the dark night, growing smaller, then vanishing.

"Impressive. Sacrificing yourself to send them off. I didn't think you cared about them that much."

Joker approached with a smile. Dong-hyun's gun snapped toward her. In an instant, an agent stepped between them, raising a transparent shield to protect her.

"There's nothing you can do to me. Now, how about you send Mr. Seonwoo Hyun this way? If you'd like this to go even a little bit smoothly, that is."

At her words, Dong-hyun released his grip. Seonwoo Hyun finally pulled free.

"You son of a bitch! I'm going to tear your ass wide open!"

Only then did Seonwoo Hyun snarl at him.

Bang!

The bullet Dong-hyun fired punched clean through Seonwoo Hyun's skull. The agents, caught off guard, swung their weapons back onto him.

"Well now... our VIP is dead. That's going to get me yelled at."

The tremor in Joker's voice made her fury unmistakable. For the first time, there was a crack in her composure.

"Going out quietly was never really my style."

"Tch... you're going to spend the rest of your life regretting what you just did. I'll play with you until you can neither live nor die, and then I'll drag you around like a dog."

The rage was no longer hidden. Then Dong-hyun turned the gun on his own temple.

"What... are you doing?"

Joker's voice faltered with genuine alarm.

"I'll pass on becoming your little toy."

"Stop him!!!"

Joker screamed, and the agents lunged — but Dong-hyun's finger was faster.

Bang!!!

"Gahhh!!!"

Dong-hyun bolted upright in his own bed, gasping.

"Oh my... look at all that cold sweat. One world just vanished, huh?"

It was Serién who approached and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Seeing her, Dong-hyun realized he was back in the real world.

He'd planned to die from the start. Getting captured didn't scare him. He could just leave the quest and never go back in. He wouldn't even have to feel the pain. But if he did that, the ones who'd just escaped would be trapped forever on that helicopter and that boat. It wouldn't be freedom in any real sense. If he died and severed the connection to the quest, time would start flowing for them again.

"Thank god..."

He was grateful he could die. If he'd been captured without being able to kill himself, something truly horrific would have unfolded.

Then, suddenly, Dong-hyun realized tears were running down his face.

"Are you... crying?"

Serién asked, her expression worried.

"Me? Crying? Why? Why? Hhkk..."

He hadn't even registered that he was crying, but the tears kept coming until they broke into full, wracking sobs.

He would never see them again. That was as good as death, and he knew it. He'd thrown his life away for their happiness — but the thought that he would never see their faces again was what brought the tears.

Dong-hyun cried on his bed for a long time. He'd cried like this the day he'd been separated from his mother and brought to this house as a child. Back then, too, he'd had the feeling he might never see her again, and he'd sobbed until he couldn't anymore.

Gyeo-wool. Min-ju. Jin-ju. Yu-min. Yu-rim... and Won-seon and Ji-yeong, who'd followed him, and so many others. Every face that flickered through his mind brought a fresh burst of tears.

Serién rubbed his back in slow, gentle circles. She didn't look like a demon at all.

What Dong-hyun didn't know was that after three completed quests, Serién's heart was being pulled toward him whether she wanted it or not.

It wasn't until the next day that Dong-hyun managed to pull himself together. The thought of them still made his chest seize up, but at least he could breathe again.

Alright... time to claim the rewards.

He hadn't even looked at them after completing the quest. The reward let him inherit one trait or skill from the person he'd possessed.

Ahn Jin-woo had no skills, so Dong-hyun had to choose from the traits. His choice was obviously Special Semen (S). Danger Sense (A) was tempting, but nothing had proven itself like that S-rank ability. It had been the key to breaking his targets. And even setting that aside, the ability would make him considerably more... appealing in this life as well.

The moment Dong-hyun selected it, a strange light seemed to flow into his body.

He checked the new quest he'd received after completing the last one.

"Huh...? This is...?"

The moment he saw it, Dong-hyun's eyes went wide.

On the quest window, Subjugation Through Broadcast had gone dark — locked, inaccessible. Dong-hyun rubbed his eyes, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"It was a... se...quel quest...? Hahaha... hahahaha... HAHAHAHAHAHA!!"

Dong-hyun laughed like a madman. He'd thought he would never see them again. And now he could.

Ahn Jin-woo's name had a line drawn through it. Lee Su-hyun's name had taken its place. If Ahn Jin-woo hadn't died, there would have been only three subjugation targets. By choosing Lee Su-hyun, he'd have to subjugate eight. They'd already submitted to him once, so it wouldn't be that hard — but he doubted they'd treat him the same way a second time.

"Going right back in?"

Serién hooked her arm through his and asked from beside him.

"No...? It's A-rank. I just barely cleared a C. I need to take this slow. I need to get stronger first. And I've got a real world I need to take care of, too."

"Hmph... I see. After the way you cried yesterday, I figured you'd go running straight back in."

Dong-hyun's face went red at her words. He'd sobbed his heart out yesterday, and now here he was laughing. If he'd just checked the rewards and the next quest first, he wouldn't have had to embarrass himself like ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that.