Chapter 6
Chapter 6 - Man in the Mirror
"Oh? The gate opened while I was away? Has everyone already left?"
Cessna looked around puzzled. I scratched my head and laughed helplessly. This girl seemed completely unaware of the situation, too focused on eating.
"Yes. Everyone's gone, and only one more person can pass through the gate."
"Oh my. Then... one of us has to stay here?"
"That's right."
Cessna nodded, quickly understanding. She may lack social awareness, but she's quite perceptive. She'll probably understand the awkwardness of our current situation too.
Cessna slightly furrowed her brow and gave a bitter smile.
"It's been fun, Mr. Jeong-yong. I hope you'll remember me in that world."
"Yeah, I enjoyed not being bored thanks to... huh?"
"Let's meet again. Promise. Take care now."
Cessna bowed her head saying this. Seeing her standing there with that gentle smile, I was momentarily speechless.
Finally gathering my thoughts, I asked her:
"You mean... you're staying?"
"Yes."
"You'll be alone here... and have to take the test alone on the other side?"
"Yes. My supervisor told me about it."
Cessna nodded without any hesitation. As if it was natural that I should be the one to go.
I tilted my head, not understanding.
"You knew that, so why?"
"Because you're the only one who's shown me kindness here."
"..."
"I still haven't forgotten. When you first shared your food with me."
At those words, I recalled my first meeting with Cessna. I unconsciously swallowed.
"Um, about that, Cessna..."
Even in this competitive, survival-of-the-fittest world, the fact that I was the only one who showed her kindness was probably her own fault.
Think about it. When a stranger suddenly approaches like that, of course you'd think they were crazy. It's weird enough to realize she was asking for food in that situation.
I happened to give her food willingly. Not so much because I was kind, but more because I was in a state of resignation at the time.
"Tch."
That must be why I'm feeling guilty about Cessna's actions now.
"...I'm not usually this much of a pushover."
"Huh?"
By now we had reached right in front of the gate. I suddenly pushed Cessna, who was tilting her head at my unexpected comment.
She was sucked into the gate with a bewildered expression.
"Learn to cook."
Cessna reached out to me with a confused face. But the hand reaching toward me gradually broke apart like particles and disappeared before my eyes. Her questioning face slowly faded away.
I grinned and bid farewell to Cessna.
"Next time we meet, cook me a meal. Make it as generous as what you received here."
"Ah...!"
With that short exclamation, Cessna vanished. Now I was the only one left in this dark, damp plaza. With the surroundings quiet, the sound of the bonfire seemed particularly loud.
Bang! When the gate reached its capacity, it emitted an intense light before dimming again. The gate was now blocked by a glass-like transparent wall.
My face reflected in the wall showed a strained smile, trying hard to maintain composure.
"...I should have just gone myself..."
I muttered bitterly after a while.
It's characteristic of pushovers to regret later after creating problems not just once or twice, but over and over again. They say pride rules the brain. That was me just now.
"Well, still. It's natural to repay kindness with kindness. Yeah, let's go with that."
But the second characteristic of pushovers is that they easily rationalize and don't regret things for long. That's why they often don't improve even after failing or being betrayed. That's also me.
'But well. I was the same.'
It was the first time I'd received such dedicated kindness since waking up in this world.
So I definitely don't regret much. At least I don't think I did wrong.
Though being a pushover is a fact.
"Now then... what to do?"
I returned to the bonfire and sat down. I wondered how to kill time until the next random gate generation. It feels particularly lonely.
They say you don't know what you have till it's gone - without the two old non-humans chattering beside me, it felt quite lonely.
"Maybe I'll just sleep..."
I just lay down. Stared blankly at the sky. As always, the sky was unnaturally pitch black like a curtain had been drawn.
But how can objects and people be seen so clearly that it feels unnatural? Did my eyes improve or is this place special? As I pondered such trivial thoughts, my eyes gradually closed.
"I hope... everyone... is safe..."
Since there's no day or night here, sleep rhythms become awkward. Because of this, I'd long since reached a state where I could sleep anywhere as long as I could rest my head.
As my mind grows hazy, those irritating but brief relationships flash by.
"Excuse me, candidate."
"Huh?"
A voice woke me from my light sleep. I quickly raised my upper body and turned my head toward where the voice came from.
The one who moved with heavy footsteps and stood by my bedside was the Gate's guardian golem. Moreover, it was the same one who always handled food distribution.
I somehow shook off my drowsiness and waved my hand with a welcoming expression.
"What's the matter? Meal time is already over?"
"Yes. The reason for my visit is nothing other than..."
The golem trailed off and immediately stretched its hand into the air. Following the trajectory of the golem's waving hand, a magic circle appeared, and with brilliant green light, the Gate rose with a rumble as usual.
The golem's emotionless gem eyes flashed as it spoke.
"You must come with us. Final hero candidate."
"...Huh?"
I unconsciously let out an exclamation at the unexpected proposal.
That's right. Less than 10 minutes had passed since the previous Gate closed. Yet suddenly the golem came looking for me, opened a Gate directly, and was so politely escorting the last remaining dropout hero candidate like this?
"What's in there if I go through?"
"......"
The golem kept its mouth shut. It was executing 'Won't tell you.'
Naturally, the suspicion level skyrocketed. A jindo dog had already been dispatched in my mind. [1]
'This is dangerous... this is really dangerous?'
The sucker sensor (?) trained through years of being a sucker was vigorously sounding its siren by my bedside.
Something was up. Moreover, something extremely suspicious was happening.
Simply put, the smell of hardship was vibrating through the air.
"Come now. Let's go."
"......"
But there was an undeniable firmness in the golem's eyes, and I could sense an unyielding attitude that suggested it would do anything if I refused.
From the beginning, I too was in such a mindset that I would even make a deal with the devil if it meant getting out of here quickly.
I never had any choice from the start.
'Whatever happens, happens. I don't care anymore.'
Finally, I started to move my feet while smiling precariously. And after swallowing dry saliva once, I stepped one foot into the Gate following the golem's gesture.
At that moment, a shiver ran up from my toes. Shortly after, an alien sensation I had never felt before in my life swept through my body.
"Ugh...!"
Before I could say anything, my vision turned completely white.
The last thing I saw beyond my vision was the golem's gaze as it gave me a polite bow.
Maybe it was just my feeling, but I sensed a very sympathetic look.
* * *
When I opened my eyes again, what I saw was a familiar woman's face.
To be more specific, it was a face so familiar that I was sick of seeing it.
"Your expression is quite something. We meet after so long and you can't even show basic courtesy."
"Put yourself in my shoes, Shit-hair. Like you wouldn't make this expression."
That's right.
Standing proudly before me was a woman of indeterminate age with dark golden hair wearing a pure white dress. Shit-hair... no, it was Minerva.
When I called her by that nickname, she frowned her elegant brow with an unpleasant expression.
"Where is this?"
I asked while looking around.
Unlike the Veil Trial where I had lived for 3 months, this place was dyed completely white. A pure white space where no boundaries could be felt in any direction - up, down, left, or right. It was quite an eerie place where I could barely realize the existence of a floor only because I was standing on it.
"This space is similar in nature to where you were before. The Veil Trial is between the 3rd and 4th planes. This place is between the 4th and 1st planes."
"4th plane? 1st plane?"
I tilted my head at the parade of unfamiliar terms. Minerva sighed softly while looking at me. Then she took one step closer to me.
"I'll explain slowly. You need to know everything now. This time there's no option for brief and simple explanations."
Then before I could answer, she waved her hand in the air.
Swish swish swish swish. The white space that had been empty began to transform as if being flipped inside out. The scenery that filled the surroundings, wavering like an illusion before gaining clear reality, gave me a shock.
Because it was too familiar a space.
"Why don't you sit? It looks strange for the owner to be standing."
Minerva, who had already walked over and sat on the bed, gestured toward a chair. I walked unsteadily in my dazed state, pulled out the chair, and sat facing her.
"......"
I looked around blankly while sitting. A one-room apartment about 33 square meters. A space that felt shabby and dirty with signs of living. On the ceiling, there was a dried and twisted insect corpse stuck in a familiar composition. No doubt about it.
This was the exact one-room apartment I had lived in in South Korea before I died.
"I reconstructed it based on your memories. How is it, a bit more comfortable?"
"......It's better than before."
I managed to smile and answer. I gently ran my fingers across the desk. Accumulated dust came off. Even such details were identical to my house.
To think she could do such an incredible thing with just a wave of her hand. Though I mock her by calling her Shit-hair and whatnot, I suddenly realized that this woman was a being beyond my imagination.
Footnotes:
1] The phrase ‘a jindo dog had already been dispatched in my head’ Jeong-Yong’s mental preparedness and instinctive vigilance as he faced the unknown.