Chapter 122
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: Revisiting (2)
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"...Who the hell told you that?"
"...I heard it from Sung-hyun."
Kim Sung-hyun. A real friend from Earth, not one of the connections I exploited.
"And I've seen it myself too. You... hanging out with those rough-mouthed kids who smoke sometimes. I spotted you a few times."
I was at a loss for words.
Back then, even if I'd tried to speak, there was nothing I could say.
'Because I knew I wasn't in the right.'
No matter how tough life was or how I only targeted trash like them, that was just my excuse.
Self-justification, nothing more. I knew what I'd done wasn't normal. Even seeing this scene now, I knew it.
My sister grabbed my hand with a desperate look on her face and continued.
"Yun-seong, I don't know exactly where you're going or what you're doing, but isn't it dangerous? If you can't even tell your sister properly... it means it's something shady."
"....."
"Please... okay? If it's about money... I know it's not much, but I'm earning a little... so just stop. Please?"
Maybe because she was my only family, I ended up quitting that crap at her persuasion.
'The scene changes.'
The scene shifted soon after, and thankfully, what appeared wasn't from Earth.
But...
'...What? A slave?'
The sight before me was me buying a slave somewhere.
"Heh heh, handing over such a huge sum for this! Thank you! Even for defective goods like this..."
The slave trader, flashing gold teeth with a grinning face, bowed deeply to me.
'What the hell is this? The timeline... after Yoon Yeon died?'
It didn't seem to be from my time in the Myth Clan, at least.
"But why would you pay so much for defective merchandise like this..."
The slave trader seemed puzzled by me shelling out big money for one slave.
"...I like handling bitches like this."
"Ah, I see. Well, there is a certain thrill to dealing with these kinds of goods."
"Then I'll be off."
"Thank you, sir! Please come again!"
I couldn't help but question the scene.
The slave was pretty enough, but she looked a bit off, like a few screws loose, covered in wounds.
After arriving at what looked like an inn with the slave in tow from my first-round self, I tossed something at her and spoke.
"Take off that shitty collar and put this on."
"......"
The slave followed my words with indifferent eyes.
"Good. Now, let's get real. Why is someone like you in a slave market?"
At my words, the slave who'd shown no reaction until now finally spoke.
"What do you mean..."
"I mean, why is an elf— no, a dark elf that's supposed to be extinct—in a slave market?"
'What?'
The slave's eyes flashed the moment she heard my first-round words, and she reached out for me. But...
Pzzt—!
"Hngh...!"
Suddenly, electricity surged through her body, and she collapsed in pain.
I looked at her impassively and spoke.
"Don't do pointless things. From the moment you put on the restraints I gave you, you can't defy me."
"What... Who are you... How did you..."
"That doesn't matter. What does is that you could've escaped but pretended to be a slave. You're strong."
"What... do you mean?"
"How about showing your true form first? That look isn't doing you any favors. You're not even actually injured."
"......"
Whether it was magic or whatever, the woman soon reverted to her original appearance.
'...That woman I met.'
"What... what do you want from me? If it's my body..."
"Nothing like that. You're just a tool from now on. Do what I tell you. Kill when I say kill, terrorize when I say terrorize."
"What...? What is your goal in this..."
"Shut up. Don't question my orders. Just do them."
'What the hell is this?'
If this was my relationship with that woman in the first round, I couldn't just brush it off comfortably.
'Fuck, what is this shit.'
I was starting to suspect that her saying she'd come for me in a week wasn't a death sentence after all.
The scene changed again. What appeared before my eyes now was...
"Guh... You... you...!"
"...Long time no see, Shin Ju-tae."
My first-round self was stepping on and pressing down the head of Shin Ju-tae, who was vomiting blood. And behind me stood Ruska.
Seeing the blood on Ruska's sword, it looked like she'd subdued him.
"You're... definitely..."
"......"
"It was you, wasn't it? You... you killed Kim Jong-won a while back?"
"Oh, that punk. You mean your lackey?"
"......"
"I fed him to the dogs. He begged to be spared right up to the end. Wonder how you'll hold up."
"You damn bastard...! Why are you doing this..."
At Shin Ju-tae's words, my first-round face hardened.
"...You don't get it?"
"Is it because... I'm a spy?"
"Kuh... Fucking hell. You're no good."
"What..."
"Ruska, get the syringe."
At my order to fetch the syringe, the woman hesitated silently.
"Master, do we really have to go that far..."
"Shut up and get it. Or should I force you?"
".....Here."
My first-round self took the syringe from her and jammed it straight into Shin Ju-tae's thigh.
Of course, no one could feel anything but terror at unknown drugs being injected into their own body.
"W-What?! What did you inject me with! Fuck, what the hell...!"
I smirked at Shin Ju-tae's shout and replied.
"You'll end up begging me to kill you soon enough. FYI, suicide attempts won't work. I've got plenty of potions to heal you."
"What?"
"I put real effort into this, you know? Do you have any idea how long I chased you down to catch and torture you? And you don't even know why... Haha, you piece of shit...!"
"What... No way, is this because of Yoon Yeon, that bitch..."
"Too late to figure it out now. Even if you did, nothing changes."
As soon as I finished speaking, flames ignited in my palm.
"What, what are you... what are you gonna do..."
As the flames drew closer, the bastard started showing real fear.
"Look forward to it. Thanks to the drug I just shot into you, the pain will be doubled. Special stuff from the Eastern Alliance."
Sizzle—
"Gaaaaahhh—!"
"How's that? Pretty thrilling, huh?"
"Aaaaaaahhh!"
Burning Shin Ju-tae with fire while he stared with insane eyes— even I could barely stomach watching myself.
'...Was I that broken?'
I hadn't thought my first round was all sunshine like the second, but that went beyond the pale.
Even Ruska behind me watched with a stiff expression.
"Can't even answer? Guess you're enjoying it. Right?"
"Gaaaaahhh! St-Stop... pleeeease!"
I paused the burning at his screams.
"Huuuh.... Stop... F-Fucking hell, please..."
"...Alright. Short break."
As I poured a potion on his thigh, the guy shuddered and opened his mouth.
"I-I was wrong... Please..."
"Shut up and answer my question. Why did you betray Yoon Yeon?"
"It was... because Yoon... Yoon Yeon wouldn't take me back..."
"...What?"
"So..."
"What the hell are you saying...? Take you back? You mean romantically?"
At my incredulous question, Shin Ju-tae nodded faintly.
"All this... because of that pathetic bullshit reason...? You killed Yoon Yeon over that?"
"I-I didn't mean to kill her! Just capture her! Really..."
"Shut the fuck up... You psycho... You fucking dog...!"
Sizzle—
"Aaaaaaahhh! Kill me! Just fucking kill meee!"
Amid Shin Ju-tae's screams, one question burned in my mind.
'What happened to Yu-hyeon and Yu-rim?'
It was definitely after Yoon Yeon died. But where were Yu-rim and Yu-hyeon? That was the mystery.
From the look of my first-round self, I wasn't still in the Myth Clan.
No reason to stay after Yoon Yeon died, after all.
'Did the two stay in the Myth Clan?'
The scene began to change. Probably moving to the next record.
"Well done, Ruska."
"Hah... haah... This opponent was... really tough."
"Well, he was the leader of the Execution Saints, so that's expected. Even I took a while to track him down."
'What...'
A corpse lay before Ruska, and she was covered in wounds herself.
From her state, I could tell the dead man had been a top-tier powerhouse.
"Master. What now?"
"...Simple. From here on, you act as the leader of the Execution Saints."
"What? Why would I..."
"I need to stay hidden. On the surface, you'll play the leader. But since you obey me, I'm basically the leader anyway."
"...What exactly are you planning?"
"On the surface, we'll flip Eras upside down with terror attacks and assassinations."
"......"
"Meanwhile, I'll actually control the outlaws, keep them from crossing certain lines."
'What the hell... Was I the leader of the Execution Saints?'
The situation was so bizarre, I couldn't wrap my head around it.
"Why? If you're controlling the outlaws to keep them in line, why bother with terror and assassinations?"
"So the people of Eras realize there's no hope."
"......"
"The deal's already in place. Time to start over."
"Start over...? You really think that's possible?"
"You don't need to know the details. If it's impossible, I'll make it possible. Just follow my orders. We'll start by crushing the beastkin."
"......"
"Beastkin have dozens of times the sense of smell humans do. I was planning to wipe out those vermin anyway. This'll do it."
The item in my first-round hand was a vial.
"That's..."
"I'll disperse it like gas. Inhaling it impairs normal judgment. The beastkin will get addicted and obey me."
"...Because of those siblings? The beastkin involved in their deaths..."
"Shut up."
"...I spoke out of turn. Sorry."
'What...'
I couldn't comprehend it. No, I didn't want to.
'Yu-rim and Yu-hyeon... died?'
After Yoon Yeon died, I'd assumed the siblings were alive, even if not with me.
The outlaws' betrayal happened without them there, after all.
"...Anyway, we'll use the beastkin to abandon and crush those guys. From now on, you and I act separately."
"...Separately?"
"I'm joining the Incarnation Clan. Got important work there."
"How will you relay orders?"
"Via communication orb and letters. Just do as I say. In the end, I'll grant you freedom. For a long-lived species that lives centuries, this is just a blink, right?"
"...Freedom?"
"...Yeah. You must want to kill me. Since I'm suppressing and using you."
"What..."
"...I promise. At the end, I'll let you kill me."