Chapter 66
Chapter 66 - Flex
"Jeong-yong nim. Are you feeling a bit better now?"
"... Yes. I'm okay. Thank you."
"Not at all. I'm glad you're feeling better."
Upon Seolbaek's suggestion, we were at the central square of Kern.
I was sitting on a fountain with an incredible view, taking a rest.
'What exactly is going on....'
No. Of course, I know. The regression point has been updated.
What I'm curious about is what suddenly happened that made me regress to this point.
There were no special signs at this point. The only anxiety factor, the stalker, has been dealt with.
I can't understand. There's too little information about the previous life, and it's frustrating.
However, one thing I can guess is....
'Something so sudden happened that I could not even respond.'
My fingers had actually been severed.
I needed to update the Box of the Dead somehow, and I cut off my fingers, anticipating that I would die without even having time to take any measures.
Such a desperate situation. It's unimaginable.
No... To be honest, I don't even want to imagine it.
I drank the water Seolbaek handed me refreshingly and slowly wrote a small note with a pen to update the Box of the dead..
After finishing the work, I silently stared at Seolbaek sitting next to me.
"Huh? What is it, Jeong-yong nim?"
"No... Nothing."
Every time I look at Seolbaek, I feel like I've forgotten something important.
I've never felt this uneasy after regression before. What important fact have I forgotten that makes my heart feel so suffocated?
'... Residual sentiment. I must collect it.'
Originally, I was planning to chase the rude redheaded vagrant who had bumped shoulders and left.
But with the situation like this, the immediate goal has been urgently modified to collecting the residual sentiment.
My confused mind seems to have been somewhat organized. As I was about to get up from my seat.
"Hey, Hero. Wait a moment and look at me."
Lucy, who had been quietly sitting beside me, called me.
I approached Lucy, who was wiggling her fingers, and she brought her face close to mine and whispered.
"What's going on? Why did time go back when you woke up?"
"... What do you mean?"
I died. That's why time went back. Do I really need to say that?
When I stared at her with that kind of look, she seemed to understand immediately.
Lucy quickly shook her head.
"I mean, explain to me why you died."
"Why I died...?"
Is this girl trying to mock me now?
I slapped the Demon King's head hard.
"Ouch! Why! Why did you hit me again! You crazy violent hero!"
"Are you fanning the flames of a burning house? I'm standing here dumbfounded because I don't know that either."
"Ah... Right, you lose your memory when you regress."
"That's right. So now I'm going to recover that memory."
Lucy nodded as if she understood.
Looking at her expression of deep realization, it seems she really had forgotten. Well, it's been a month since I last regressed. It's understandable to forget.
'... Since I was also forgetting.'
This unpleasant sensation.
The future I forgot... No.
The future that was 'erased' by my death, which only I know about.
It was a discomfort I hadn't felt in a long time.
"Let's go quickly."
"Yes, I understand."
I walked past Seolbaek, who was waiting blankly, and the Demon King followed me obediently, stroking her head.
I activated Izanami's heart for the first time in a while. With its unique dark mechanical sound, a grayish light guides me forward.
I walked blankly, following that light for a while.
"Um... Jeong-yong nim."
Suddenly, Seolbaek, who had been silent until now, spoke to me.
I looked at her, raising my eyebrow. She had a face full of things to say and was hesitating.
I stared silently and asked,
"...... Do you need to use the bathroom? Should I wait?"
"What?! N-No! What crazy words are you saying, Jeong-yong nim!!"
One might need to use the bathroom, but such crazy words! I've been hearing 'crazy' words quite often lately.
I was terrified by her near-hysterical reaction, and Seolbaek seemed to realize she had overreacted, quickly clearing her throat and composing herself.
"That's not it... Jeong-yong nim. I feel like you've been hiding something from me..."
I was momentarily taken aback.
I exchanged glances with the Demon King. The Demon King was blankly looking at the clouds in the sky.
Right. That girl probably doesn't have any thoughts. I was foolish.
I took a deep breath and decided to start with an excuse.
"Hide what? What could I possibly be hiding?"
"But just now...!"
Seolbaek immediately opened her mouth to argue. She opened her mouth, but.
Soon she returned to her previous expression of having much to say, hesitated, and then closed her mouth.
And she shook her head and smiled bitterly.
"No. No, I was being oversensitive. Let's go."
"....... Okay."
My consciousness pricked at the thought of lying.
Anyway, even if I told her, she wouldn't believe me. I have no evidence, so explaining would be futile.
I'm sick of claiming a truth that the other person won't believe and being treated like a madman. That's what people do most when they're taken for a fool.
'Here it is.'
While thinking various thoughts, I had arrived at the place Izanami's heart was pointing to.
It was the most luxurious and massive inn in Kern.
The name was 'Promised Shelter'. It's quite a middle-school syndrome-like name.
'The security is the tightest.'
After scanning the level of the inn's guards, I could infer the idea of my previous life.
Park Jeong-yong, this bastard, seems to have died while trying to endure in this inn. If he had died fighting, it wouldn't have been so pitiful. What the hell is this?
I let out a sigh and approached the inn's front desk to rent a room.
There, I came up with an interesting thought.
'... Let me guess.'
How many rooms did my past life stay in?
First of all, I'm my past self. Since we're the same person anyway, wouldn't I choose the same room? That was my thought.
Okay. I've decided. I said to the front desk employee.
"One night's stay in room 201."
"... Pardon? We don't have a room 201 in our inn."
"……."
After being completely caught off guard like that, I returned to Lucy and Seolbaek.
Now, it's time to reveal the answer. I immediately asked Lucy.
"Hey, Lucy."
"Hmm?"
"What room did my past life stay in?"
"403."
"... Are you absolutely sure?"
"Can't you remember? It's something that just happened today."
I was caught off guard for the second time and exchanged the key for room 403 at the front desk.
If it was just the room number, I might have understood, but the floor was completely wrong. I suddenly recalled that 'random selection' has absolutely nothing to do with 'fate'.
'Here it is...'
And in front of room 403.
I swallowed a dry gulp and slowly opened the door and entered.
Kiiiii. The door slowly opened. In the middle of the spacious room, a residual sentiment was conspicuously left behind.
And my corpse is…….
"Ugh. Ahhhhhh!!!"
I screamed without realizing it and collapsed on the spot.
As if that wasn't enough, I flailed my arms and legs, moving back as far as possible.
"Jeong-yong nim?! What's wrong this time?! Huh?!"
Seolbaek grabbed my trembling shoulder, unable to sit still. I stared quietly into Seolbaek's eyes.
Yes. It's not visible.
It's not visible to Seolbaek. The scene unfolding in room 403.
... It's a hallucination that only I can see.
'Whew. Damn... C-calm down.'
Thinking that, I calmed down a bit.
I finally caught my breath slowly. With a cooler head, I could look around the room.
An entirely blood-splattered bright red room.
Walls and ceiling covered with big and small chunks of flesh.
Bone fragments completely crushed, leaving only their form.
'This is... crazy...'
Flesh and organs scattered randomly on the floor.
Fortunately or unfortunately, on the skull that still maintains its shape... skin presumed to be my face is hanging loosely.
... If it weren't for that, I might not have recognized this as my own corpse.
"Ugh... Even for me, this is a bit much."
A scene that even Lucy grimaces and turns away. Enough said.
If Lucy is like this, how would I be?
It took quite a long time for me to come to my senses.
* * *
[Item Activation - Izanami's Heart]
[Acquired the remnant consciousness of the previous life]
[No ability stats were recovered from the previous life]
[No skills were recovered from the previous life]
[Recovered all memories from the previous life]
"Grrrrrr!!"
The first thing I did after regaining consciousness was, of course, to stand Seolbaek outside and recover the remnant consciousness.
Fortunately, Seolbaek obediently followed my request. Still with an expression of having many things to say. A sense of resignation was etched on her face.
"Krahak! Heok... heok..."
After the memories of death rushed in like a flood, I breathed heavily as I always do.
Crunch. The first thing I did was grind my teeth.
"Fucking hell, what the fuck!"
The second thing I did was swearing while randomly hitting the floor.
Kwajak! My fist dug into the wooden floor, breaking it.
Oh. I forgot I've gotten stronger. I'll need to hide this later without leaving a trace.
'But... what exactly happened?'
I carefully recalled the moment of my death.
A massive explosion. A pure white light bursting out, and the slowly approaching shockwave I remember.
Something overwhelming, like what might happen if a nuclear bomb detonates.
I know nothing else. In the blink of an eye, I had already time-traveled.
My past life... as you can see, was turned into an egg nuked in a microwave.
'If I know nothing...'
No information at all.
Then, at least, my next step is clear.
I immediately burst open the door and strode out. And stood right in front of the blankly standing Seolbaek.
"Jeong-yong nim...?"
"Seolbaek."
"Oh, yes!"
As I seriously grabbed her shoulder, she tightly closed her eyes.
... I've felt this before, but why does she close her eyes whenever I try to have a serious conversation? The sensibilities of a martial arts novel girl are truly difficult.
Thinking that, I opened my mouth.
"Let's leave this city right now."
Seolbaek's tightly closed eyes suddenly opened wide.
"...... What?"
"Pack your bags. We're leaving right away."
"... What? Whaaaat?!"
"Lucy. Let's go. We're heading straight to the capital, so be prepared."
"Wait a minute! Wait a minute, Jeong-yong nim?!"
Just 15 minutes after booking the inn room, barely catching the scent of the high-end marble floor, I suddenly declare city departure.
Completely surprised, Seolbaek was at a loss for what to do.
"Ah... Ha... seriously... Phew..."
She just stood there with her mouth open, stammering, following behind me.