Chapter 74

# 74

User Manual for the Reincarnated 074

Flashback

In the past, or rather, to be precise, in a future that had yet to unfold, the exact reasons for the war were unknown.

At that time, I was far from the center of the continent, so it was natural that I wouldn't know.

Of course, it's not as if there were no predictable events.

There were issues related to the interests of the tutorial, and ideological differences were also involved.

In such cases, what's important is the result rather than the cause.

The conflict, which began as a small battle, soon grew into a massive conflagration that engulfed the entire continent.

Some groups hated each other without reason, and as time passed, they no longer even proclaimed their ideologies and beliefs.

They focused more on venting their hatred towards each other rather than upholding their own beliefs.

Hatred bred more hatred, anger bred more anger, and revenge bred more revenge.

I thought it would end someday, but the war did not.

The war between Earthlings and natives.

The war between natives and natives.

The war between Earthlings and Earthlings.

They changed and expanded their targets of hatred, immersing themselves in the war and treating each other like slaves, massacring one another.

The scenes of brutality were so horrific that they could be found easily everywhere, and everyone tacitly agreed to pretend they didn't see them.

Mutual distrust grew, and even in subsequent battles, alliances could not form.

In the process,

The great mage, who was admired by all, left behind cryptic words and hanged himself.

The Japanese miko was assassinated.

The mercenary queen's fate became uncertain.

The people I called family and all the clan members lost their lives.

Many heroes died or were destroyed.

The holy sword of the chosen hero lost its light.

As time passed, the alliance disintegrated, and the first act of this meaningless war ended with countless casualties.

It was as if a boomerang thrown far away had returned.

It was all humanity's fault.

"Battle and war are different."

"What...?"

"To be honest, I acknowledge that you are strong. I can't defeat you. Of course, not just me, but those under me can't defeat you either. That's a fact I can't deny no matter how many times I think about it. Yes, I can't deny it at all."

"You... are human..."

"Yes, I am human. I thought the mask would prevent you from recognizing me... but the genius swordsman, praised by all, is indeed different. I heard you are protected by magic, but your quality is really poor."

"It's just a feeling. You look different from them even at a glance."

"It's hard to tell if that's a compliment or an insult."

"Why did you side with them?"

"I just bet on the side with the higher win rate. It's a very natural and reasonable reason."

"Many humans died."

"I know. But humans were already killing each other. No matter how many humans died, it wasn't as many as in the past. On the contrary, the higher-ups want to maintain the human population in a very peaceful and standardized place. That would be more helpful."

"Betraying humanity..."

"You're saying something obvious. You know that I'm not the only one who betrayed. Don't you?"

"Do you not feel any guilt?"

"Well, I do feel some guilt. It hurt a little when I had to kill civilians and when I had to betray the cute mage who loved me. Thinking about that innocent lady, who I met by fate, made me laugh. Puha. I never thought she would take her own life. Why did she? I wanted to use her a bit more. She couldn't overcome her guilt, I guess."

"You..."

"When I saw the queen of the empire, who loved her people, watch them kill each other, it hurt. But it had to be done. It was necessary. When I saw the hero who had to watch his loved one die, it tore my heart. He seemed to think he had been betrayed by you. Pu. You should have avoided such misunderstandings."

"You... who are you? Who are you!"

"That's none of your business. Actually, it's a bit strange. I didn't expect you to react so emotionally. Is it different when someone you love dies compared to when someone unrelated dies?"

"..."

"You can't really be called a good person, Kim Hyun-sung."

"You..."

"Filthy hypocrite."

"Who are you...?"

"I said you don't need to know. Even if I told you, you wouldn't remember. What's important now is what actions you need to take to survive."

"Kill him."

"Don't act so high and mighty, trash. You don't have a choice. Of course, I know it will be difficult. So, let's do this, Kim Hyun-sung. I'm not a bad person, so I'll give you a hole to cling to with your minimal conscience. Kill the bastard gasping beside you. If you don't, your beloved lover will die. Ah, can't call them a lover? I don't know how to describe it. Did you two...?"

"You bastard..."

"There's no choice. If you refuse, this woman will be handed over to some inhuman perverts and spend a fulfilling day. It's best to choose quickly before my patience runs out... Of course, I keep my promises. I'm different from others; I keep my promises very well..."

"..."

"Puha!"

"..."

"See, sis. I told you I would. Ah, of course. I will keep my promise. I'll save the guy and release the woman. It would be a waste to kill them here. Of course, they can't die here. I'll speak well of you to the higher-ups. I'll make sure you return soon. Don't worry, my buddy."

"..."

"..."

"Good job, Kim Hyun-sung. I don't know what to say... Hmm. This is good. See you next time."

Crack!

"Ah."

His eyes snapped open instantly.

His back was drenched in cold sweat.

The damp feeling made him feel dirty for a moment, but as he raised his head, the familiar ceiling came into view.

'Am I back? Am I really back?'

It was a question he asked himself several times a day.

He was definitely back.

This place was not the previous location but undoubtedly the Blue Guild House.

A sword hanging on one side of the room.

Another sword lying on the bed.

The sparsely decorated room with almost no interior was undoubtedly his own.

There was no smell of blood that had always permeated his body.

Instead of screams and cries for help, the chirping of birds welcoming the morning could be heard.

Instead of the dark and ominous magic, bright light flooded the room.

It had been quite a while since he had experienced the previous events as a dream.

Especially, it had been even longer since he felt such a sense of reality.

The unpleasant sensation of plunging a knife into a dying comrade's chest was still felt in his hands.

The conversation and atmosphere of that place were vividly remembered.

Naturally, he felt dirty. His body tensed up without him realizing it.

His breathing became more rapid, and his head spun.

He felt a sudden urge to vomit, and various thoughts invaded his mind.

As the memories of the past resurfaced, he couldn't hold back his nausea and vomited on the floor.

"Ha... Ha..."

Naturally, he gripped his trembling arms tightly.

'Things are different now.'

Of course, things were different now.

There was no accident in the tutorial, and he had saved many people.

'Things are different now.'

He had corrected the previous mistakes as much as possible. He had corrected all the mistakes that had occurred so far. There was nothing that weighed on his conscience.

"Things are different. They are different from before. They are definitely different..."

He had found Jung Hyeon-jeong from the beginning, and Kim Ye-ri had also started with him.

Being able to kill Jung Jin-ho in the tutorial dungeon was a significant achievement.

Of course, there were still many people to find and much to do, but he had laid a solid foundation.

He could say that he was at a very good starting line.

That was the right way to express it.

Compared to before, things were unimaginably different.

It wasn't just that the situation had improved.

The world had completely turned upside down.

The person at the center of it was obvious.

'Lee Gi-young.'

They were a type of talent that he hadn't found in the first cycle. Park Deok-gu, who was following the training well, and Lee Gi-young, who handled all aspects of the party, both externally and internally, were even more so.

While it was still difficult to expect much from him as a mage or alchemist, Lee Gi-young's value went beyond that.

'An excellent person.'

He was an outstanding talent, far beyond just being competent.

Even from his perspective, watching from the side, it felt like he was casting magic.

He had facilitated Blue's rise with good conditions and formed a friendship with the Mercenary Queen.

Similarly, he successfully recruited Seon Hee-young, a talent he hadn't found before.

He felt that he had contributed more to the party than himself.

It didn't stop there.

The alliance between the Black Swan and the Red Mercenary, which had a poor relationship before, was something he couldn't have imagined in the first cycle.

'The future has changed.'

And in a very positive direction.

The relentless wars had killed or changed many talents.

Many non-combatants were dragged into the power struggles of the authorities, regardless of their will.

It was natural to think that he needed to lay the groundwork for such people to grow from the beginning.

He had thought that positive changes would come, but the situation was even better than he had expected.

There is a term called the butterfly effect.

A small flap of a wing can create a typhoon.

Seeing this scene in real life was almost overwhelming.

A small connection he hadn't thought about was changing the current Lindel in a very positive direction.

Of course, it wasn't good to change the future too much, but at least at this point, it wasn't a bad trend.

'I need to stock up.'

Now was the time to build as much strength as possible.

While he was lost in thought, a voice came from outside.

"Hey, bro."

"Yes, Deok-gu."

"It's time for breakfast. Sir, ma'am, and the kid and the apprentice lady are waiting."

"Yes, I'll come out soon. Sorry, I overslept..."

"You, who used to wake up early every day, overslept? Did you have a restless night?"

"Something like that."

"Did you have a naughty dream or something?"

"..."

"Hey, just kidding. Everyone is waiting, so come down quickly."

"Yes, thank you for coming."

Things can change.

There was an indescribable sense of unease in his heart, but he was certain that he could change things.

This second cycle was to make changes and avoid regrets.

In a way, it was atonement for everyone.

'Things can change.'

He would change the future.

That was the reason he had returned to this place.

"Sorry for being late."

"No, it's fine, Hyun-sung."

"Let me explain the direction the party should take from now on."

"Yes."

"I'd like everyone to listen while we eat in a relaxed atmosphere."

"Yes."

"It's about leveling up, increasing abilities, and changing classes."

"New classes?"

"Yes, that's right."