Chapter 3

Huh? That content does seem familiar, as if I’ve heard it somewhere before. It’s like a vague, half-remembered memory that tickles my brain.

“I clearly told you to remember me, didn’t I?”

“Huh?! You!”

That kid. After I was forced into a vegetative state, I lay there, breathing only to maintain the shelter’s protective barrier, and this child stayed by my side for over ten years, from start to finish.

I don’t know his face or his age, but,

“Yuda-yeon?!”

A child whose name and voice I can never forget, a child I must never forget, a grateful child,

“Village Brother. I’m really glad to see you again.”

“…Are you crazy?!”

Most importantly, the mysterious child who stood before me, smiling brightly, had confirmed that I would regress and that he had also returned.

“Eh, eh! Yeah! Come in first!”

Even though I was about to commit suicide, I brought Yuda-yeon into my house and rummaged through the fridge to take out an expensive bottle of coffee from Starbucks, which my ex-girlfriend used to love, despite it not tasting much different from other coffees.

“What’s going on… No, no. First, it’s nice to see you?”

“Me too. I’m so glad to see you again, Brother.”

Struggling to open the coffee lid, he finally succeeded and answered with a bright smile, showing no trace of worry or concern, not even a hint of cynicism.

“Anyway, I’m sorry for bringing this up again. What’s going on?”

“No, Brother.”

“What?”

“No.”

The smile disappeared from the child’s face. Though the subject and object were missing, I understood exactly what he meant. At the same time, I felt a chill run through my veins.

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※ Without the copyright holder's permission, reproducing, transmitting, distributing, or using any part or all of the work in any other manner may result in severe civil and criminal penalties, including compensation claims (up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to 50 million won). ※

Ah, you know about the black sugar latte.

“No.”

It felt like my brain, which was still half-asleep and dreamy, was suddenly doused with cold ice, and I snapped back to reality. Yuda-yeon’s eyes were clear, and the determination in them was evident.

“Phew. Alright. I won’t ask what’s going on here.”

Nod.

His head nodded so happily that his short hair swayed.

“Just in case, did the apocalypse stop? Did the invasion get canceled?”

“No.”

“Then, maybe it’s delayed? Is the apocalypse postponed?”

“No.”

“…But you said no?”

Damn! That’s right! You’re just raising false hopes! I almost cried out of frustration. I feel wronged and angry. Regression? Damn! If this world were a normal one, I’d be happy too! I could bow 108 times in gratitude. But!

“Are you telling me to walk back into that damn hell again? And this time, voluntarily?!!”

“Brother.”

“Why!!”

“I’m sorry.”

Wow. I’m going to lose it. Really. Those words mean I can’t escape no matter what. A sigh escapes me involuntarily,

“But.”

Lifting his head, he said firmly,

“But?”

“It’ll be different this time. No, it is different!”

“Different? What’s different? Is the apocalypse coming a bit weaker?”

“…No.”

“Then what’s different? Before the regression, could I just do nothing and breathe? No, I was just breathing before the regression too. With a knife in my spine, only moving my eyes.”

“……”

Only then did I notice Yuda-yeon, who looked like he had committed a sin, bowing his head and fidgeting with his fingers. But, in the end, it’s not his fault.

“Sigh… It’s all good. But why me? There are so many others! Anyone. That guy in America. The player? The gamer? That guy?”

“He’s just a hardcore otaku. A complete idiot. If he had regressed, he would have thought about playing games before saving people.”

“Yeah, yeah. I admit he’s a hardcore otaku. Damn. A fool. Then… Yeah! That woman? The white woman rumored to be the owner of Excalibur! She’s really strong!”

“Ah. She’s just strong. A typical charge-type warrior. If she had regressed, she would have started cutting people right away, collecting negative karma points?”

“Damn! I’m even more frustrated that I can’t argue back. Alright! This man, you understand too, right? The ‘King’ of France? That man?”

“…Brother. That man died before you. Just giving things away foolishly.”

“I! What’s different about me? I have no talent for physical activities! Am I an intelligence type? No! I’m a complete idiot! And I’m a pushover too!”

“No! Brother, you’re amazing!”

Ah! Really. I can’t even hit him for praising me so sincerely and brightly!

“What’s amazing? If I were amazing, I wouldn’t have lived as a vegetable for ten years!”

“That’s because those people were bad!”

When the world was on the brink of destruction, superhumans or awakened beings were born to survive. They are called Awakened. The reason I decided to die even after regressing is also related to this awakening. My awakening ability is not combat-related. I’m a Shelter-type Awakened.

“Yeah. Those guys are bad, no, bastards. But what? Will they become good after regression?”

“No, but.”

“No, but?”

He hesitated, his lips moving. Is he hesitating to speak?

‘No.’

That’s not it. It’s not like he’s hesitating to reveal a secret. It’s as if he’s having a conversation with someone. And the moment I realized this,

“Hmm~.”

Yuda-yeon’s atmosphere changed. It was as if he had become a different person, or rather, not a person at all. The air around him felt several times heavier, as if it were an illusion.

‘Illusion? Is this an illusion? This is like…’

“Indeed, the traces of awakening remain in your soul, even though you’re not a combat type. Your qi-sense is better than expected~.”

The same voice came from the same person, but something was drastically different. It’s not about the tone or the content of the conversation. The quality of the air around him felt as if heavy weights had been placed on his shoulders instead of air.

“You…?”

“You, you should be careful with your words, shouldn’t you? Follow your instincts.”

Indeed. This person, this woman, this being, is not human. Absolutely not.

“Yeah. Don’t forget to use honorifics. I’m not in a good mood right now. I’ve just realized I’ve been tricked.”

Tricked? What trick? Just by the atmosphere, this being, who seems to be a higher-dimensional existence, has been tricked?

“Try the delivery app? Order that. The one with black sugar, sweet and sweet. Add 7 pumps of syrup. I’m so angry, I crave something sweet.”

Ah, you know about the black sugar latte. I don’t really like it. It’s too sweet and smells of black sugar.

“I know. You’re a cold-blooded person, aren’t you? You wouldn’t look for something like an iced Americano, would you? Especially with extra shots? You have the same taste as a certain weak writer. That’s why your body is weak.”

What? A writer? I’m not a writer.

“Whatever.”

Whatever. What kind of one-sided conversation is this? I haven’t even said a word!

“Don’t you want to know who I am?”

I do. I was going to ask.

“Oh? Your words are getting shorter?”

Getting shorter…, well, strictly speaking, I haven’t even opened my mouth yet.

“Think with respect and admiration.”

Ah, yes. I can’t even control my own thoughts. You’re a great being~. So, who are you?

“You’ll regret it later if you keep this up. Ah, will you realize it this way?”

“Huh?!!”

It’s the voice that pierced my mind just before I died!

After the apocalypse, the driving force that allowed humans to endure in the midst of evil, and at the same time, the beings who brought the apocalypse to Earth!

“Yeah. I am one of the many wills of Earth.”

Yuda-yeon’s face calmly delivered these incredible words. Sipping the incredibly sweet black sugar latte, which made my brain tingle just thinking about it, as if it had arrived in less than five minutes after ordering, with 7 pumps of syrup!

Before the regression, the will of Earth was revered as a god by the survivors. But the fact that such a being had entered the body of a high school girl, and her casual face, as if asking if I had eaten lunch, sent shivers down my spine in multiple ways.

“First, I’m not fully prepared today. I came out suddenly. There’s still a lot of information to gather and things to handle. To put it simply, kid.”

What? Preparation? What preparation? No, more importantly, why is this conversation so one-sided?!

“Just listen. We are not irresponsibly or recklessly asking you to walk back into the time of destruction without any preparation.”

Oh! Indeed! A learned person! So, can I go to die now?

“No!”

Tch.

“First, do what you were supposed to do. Next Monday. We’ll meet again then and talk in detail. But there’s something you need to know, something you must remember.”

What I was supposed to do? Next Monday? Ah. Are you talking about the lottery?

“Yeah. That. Most importantly, you need to remember that this time, it will be different. We, the will of Earth, have clearly defined those bastards as ‘enemies’.”

Her firm voice was like a declaration of war from a ruler, signaling the march of hundreds of thousands of troops.

“What do you think? Isn’t it worth a try?”

“I guess. I’ll prepare… to some extent. After all, whether I die now or start and then die, I can always choose to die.”

“Good. You’ve thought it through. Oh, and one more thing. Take good care of this child. Very well.”

“What?”

Snap.

She stopped there, and Yuda-yeon’s neck bent. His face, red as if he had been caught napping, suddenly looked up in surprise.

“Are you okay?”

“A, B, Brother! I, I mean…! This!”

“Take good care of him, very well? Is there something wrong with you? Did you tell your family?”

“A. I’m from the Silver Orphanage. I told you that when you were unconscious. I saw the newspaper article about you too.”

“…Ah.”

Silver Orphanage.

The driving force that allowed me to awaken as a [Landlord] instead of a combat-type Awakened at the moment the world was falling apart.

The moment I heard that name, forgotten memories bubbled up again.

Unlike the black history that came to mind earlier due to my ex-girlfriend’s rant, these were warm and fulfilling memories.

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※ All works posted on Joara are protected under copyright law. ※

※ Without the copyright holder's permission, reproducing, transmitting, distributing, or using any part or all of the work in any other manner may result in severe civil and criminal penalties, including compensation claims (up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to 50 million won). ※

Hello.

This is Shim Hyoung.

Thank you for visiting today.

There is a next part.

Have a good night 🙂

Why are you giving me so much?

〈 Flashback 〉

“Really, I’m so damn strong!”

A terminal life suddenly hit the lottery. Shouting "YOLO" and spending about two weeks enjoying the thrill of spending money and having fun. One day, I wasn’t just having fun, but dealing with some business.

Bored? No way!

Had fun? Especially after living frugally for eight years since I was almost twenty, and then suddenly having an excess of money from winning the lottery?

There’s no way I could be bored. Especially when I’m feeling the pain getting worse every day and taking painkillers to realize my life is running out, there’s no way I could be bored.

The reason I suddenly stopped having fun wasn’t much. While lying around watching TV, a message came in. It was from a volunteer group chat.