The first thing I saw looked like a tree trunk.
No, that’s not right.
It was a colossal support beam soaring endlessly into the sky.
Like the trunk of an ancient tree that had weathered countless centuries without a care.
No matter how far I tilted my head back, I couldn’t see the top of its vast height. My mouth fell open in awe.
And its width was no joke either.
Even if hundreds of grown men stretched out their arms, they couldn’t possibly wrap around it.
But what shocked me most wasn’t its height or size.
It was the profound energy radiating from that tree-like structure.
I couldn’t even begin to describe how it felt—there was no way to put it into words.
If I had to try…
It was a sense of kinship.
I know it sounds absurd, but it truly felt like it was looking right back at me.
“You don’t need to force a definition.”
As if reading my thoughts, the voice of Zero Code echoed inside my head.
“Origin, self, essence, life… any word you attach wouldn’t be wrong.”
So what I felt wasn’t mistaken?
“It’s not about right or wrong. It means there’s no need to define it. Instead, how about you take a look down below?”
At those words, I glanced downward.
Before I knew it, I stepped back.
“W-what the—?”
Damn it, I almost stumbled in surprise.
But what are those cracks?
No…
Are they even cracks?
Thick ropes, as wide as an adult torso, twisted and tangled like the stem of a giant plant.
At first, I thought they were crevices because of their massive size.
As I looked closer, a scene flashed before my eyes.
Inside a deep, wide fissure, I saw Gehenna and Hwajeong.
The footage showed the very landscape where I had just been standing.
“What is this…?”
I reflexively turned around in disbelief.
Rumble, rumble!
Suddenly, a deafening roar struck my ears, and my body began shaking violently from side to side.
The shock was so fierce it threw off my balance instantly.
“Ugh!”
I hastily used the Transcendent Shift to move through the air, but it was useless.
Even spreading my dragon wings, the overwhelming force gripped my entire body, making flight impossible.
It felt as if the entire space was trembling and resonating.
If the vibrations hadn’t weakened even slightly at some point, I would have surely crashed somewhere.
“Be careful. It seems the restoration is starting now. This won’t end with just one shock.”
As I barely regained my balance, a low voice resonated.
“Restoration? What’s going on?”
“Did you really think two gods of the Nine Heavens clashing would leave no trace?”
The voice sounded slightly reproachful.
Couldn’t you have given me a heads-up?
Anyway, I’d somehow ended up floating in midair.
After calming my pounding heart, I flapped my wings and flew a little higher.
Then, with a sinking feeling, I looked down.
Moments later, I was once again at a loss for words.
“Hah…”
How to even describe it?
In this vast, universe-like space, countless root-like structures stretched out in every direction.
All converging at the junction where the ancient tree met the ground.
If what I first saw was a tree trunk, then what I was seeing now felt like an ocean of roots flowing outward.
Even if you shattered an eggshell down to the nano level, you wouldn’t get cracks this massive.
It was a breathtaking spectacle.
What fascinated me most was that, despite the complexity, the roots spread out following a certain pattern.
Though their thickness varied, it was like watching ripples on water.
…Wait, then what about the scene I just saw inside the root?
“Humans live their entire lives making choices.”
Just as my mind began to spiral, my body wobbled.
Slowly but forcibly, I started descending.
Not long after, I felt something solid beneath my feet.
The earthquake-like tremors had stopped.
Folding my wings, I carefully avoided stepping on the cracks and looked around for where I sensed Zero Code.
“Choices?”
“Don’t overthink it. For example, if food is placed before you, what would you choose?”
“To eat it, or not to eat it.”
“Or maybe throw the whole plate away, or hesitate whether to eat or not.”
I almost snapped back, “Are you kidding me?” but held back.
Zero Code’s tone was serious.
“Before a choice, the entity is one. But depending on the choice, the future changes. The moment you choose, the single world splits into many. All depending on your choice.”
Zero Code’s explanation emphasized the word ‘choice’ at length.
I thought I understood, but it was still somewhat elusive.
“Even if your mind changes midway, at any given moment, you can only make one choice. Each world’s reality perceives and accepts only the situation it chose. Of course, there are exceptions.”
“Exceptions?”
“Interference, reversal, dimensional travel, regression, and so on. Come to think of it, you’re quite the exception yourself. Heh heh.”
“What the….”
I muttered meaninglessly, feeling teased.
I looked around, bewildered.
So each of these infinite, sprawling roots represents a separate world?
“So, centered on me, the worlds split according to my choices.”
“Exactly… hmm?”
Zero Code’s voice, which had been agreeing calmly, suddenly rose in pitch.
“Hah. I think you’re misunderstanding something. Except for your fundamental self, the split worlds have no original source.”
“?”
“Anyway, quite an amusing arrogance.”
“Arrogance?”
Just then, a strong wind brushed past my ear.
Darkness rushed swiftly through my vision.
Before I knew it, I was standing somewhere else.
I only knew I was far from where I had first stood.
“Look down.”
Below, I saw another root.
Much thicker and deeper than the one I had come from.
Carefully peering inside, a film-like image slowly began to form.
A scene and landscape I’d never seen before.
Bright sunlight shone on a castle-like place.
“This place…”
Ah, I found it.
In this world, I was seated on a high throne in the center, surrounded by several people.
My face looked very bright.
And around me were Goyeonju, Nam Daeun, Han Soyoung, and…
“Yoo Hyun-ah?”
The unexpected sight made my breath catch sharply.
No matter how many times I blinked, it was definitely Yoo Hyun-ah.
She looked incredibly happy, embracing me.
Wait, that can’t be.
I was the one who killed Yoo Hyun-ah with my own hands.
“The Kim Soohyun of that world made a different choice than you.”
The deep voice shook my puzzled mind.
“You chose to label Yoo Hyun-ah as an enemy and eliminate her. But after meeting Goyeonju, your feelings shifted slightly… Do you really need to kill her? She’s just a sprout—maybe she’s worth using. Something like that.”
Now that I think about it…
Did I ever think that way?
“Anyway, you chose to reject Yoo Hyun-ah. Conversely, the Kim Soohyun of that world chose to accept her, regardless of intent.”
“Accept her…”
“After gaining strength, they allied with the Istantel Row and Hamill Clan, and within two years, successfully conquered Atlanta independently. Then, six months later, they took Terra and reached the top.”
“……”
“That world you’re seeing is the fastest to clear this cycle in the multiverse. The demons never had a chance to intervene—it was lightning fast.”
“That’s impossible.”
It can’t be.
Conquering Terra in two years and six months?
That’s not possible.
“But I have Mar…”
“Ah, of course, the Fairy Queen replaced the Holy Queen. Thanks to that, they easily gained the fairies’ cooperation in the final war. But…”
Zero Code paused, chuckling.
“The Kim Soohyun of that world secured not only Mar’s future but also Yoo Hyun-ah’s original future cooperation.”
“Yoo Hyun-ah’s original future?”
“Heh heh. What future do you remember for her?”
“……”
The future I remember for her.
Yoo Hyun-ah.
A user with no special abilities.
But a woman who attracted outstanding users, almost unbelievably so.
And based on that power, she built a formidable force that stood toe-to-toe with the Iron-Blooded Queen Han Soyoung—the Holy Queen.
“Right. Imagine a future where the four queens don’t oppose each other, but fully cooperate with you, surpassing even the Warring States period.”
“So you’re saying I made the wrong choice?”
Suddenly, a pang struck my chest, and I raised my voice without realizing it.
Zero Code responded with a dry tone.
“No. At least from my perspective, there’s no such thing as a wrong choice. But considering your goals, there might have been a more efficient choice aligned with your purpose.”
“……”
“That’s just a hypothesis. The important thing is to know you’re only one branch among countless roots.”
“……”
I see.
So that’s why you called it an amusing arrogance.
“Don’t look so deflated. In terms of power, you’re definitely ahead of any other world. Not unique, but exceptional.”
“I’m not deflated.”
I shot back immediately, though my voice sounded weak even to myself.
Not because I realized I wasn’t special, but because a woman I’d completely forgotten about came to mind.
No regrets.
Just a slight change in my feelings.
The me back then and the me now are clearly different.
There’s room to reevaluate my past actions.
Yeah.
That’s all…
…Enough.
I shook my head and straightened my bent back.
He glanced around before speaking up.
“So, how long do we have to stay here?”
— Until the restoration is complete.
A clear answer.
— Though it seems the shock wasn’t as severe as I expected, maybe because you lost strength at the end. You should be able to return in three or four hours.
“How do I get back?”
— Just enter the world you came from.
“…Through the branch?”
That’s surprisingly simple.
Muttering to himself, he started walking slowly.
It felt like quite some time had passed since he regained consciousness, yet the sense of wonder remained just as strong.
A vast number of branches, each splitting off into worlds shaped by choice.
Curious, he scanned his surroundings and suddenly his eyes caught on one particular branch.
As he’d seen earlier, worlds sprouted and branched out from the core according to certain rules.
But this one stood out sharply in the complex cosmos.
Unlike the others, it twisted and warped on its own, enough to draw anyone’s gaze.
— Hmm… that one…
As he stared and approached, the Zero Code emitted a faint, uneasy hum.
Was it something he shouldn’t be looking at?
— I wouldn’t exactly recommend it… but I guess it doesn’t really matter.
What could it be to cause that?
Though told it didn’t matter, a strange unease crept in.
Torn by conflicting feelings, he finally reached his destination and stopped.
Curiosity stirred within him.
But this multiverse was a place where his powers didn’t work.
Like the saying goes, it’s better to be cautious and test the ground before crossing.
He turned and asked,
“Is there any harm in looking?”
— Not really. It’s your choice. But that world… hmm…
The response wavered, as if reluctant to explain.
“What is it?”
Having gotten some confirmation, he cautiously peered into the warped branch as he had before.
But the gap was deeper than it looked.
“Huh?”
Just as he bent slightly forward—
Rumble, rumble!
Without warning, a deafening roar blasted his ears.
At the same time, a violent shock slammed into his entire body, as if someone had shoved him hard from behind.
It all happened in an instant.
“Ah…!”
The next moment, a sudden sensation of his stomach dropping overwhelmed him.
He reflexively reached out, but it was useless.
His body was already being sucked endlessly into a black hole-like abyss.
As a tidal wave of darkness engulfed his vision, he squeezed his eyes shut tight.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Safe again today!
Though I stayed up all night, I actually feel pretty good.
Maybe it’s because I’m writing exactly what I want to say.
I’ve always been fascinated by the universe.
Of course, since the story is a bit far-fetched, I worry about how readers will take it… :)
By the way, I’m not sure it’s entirely right to say saving Yoo Hyun is the best choice.
Since she and Kim Soo-hyun have completely opposite personalities, they’d probably clash at every turn.
Even if the outcome is good, who knows what the process will be like…
The Zero Code shows the best future for a given goal, but I think there could be other futures as well.
That’s partly why I included the inner monologue about having no regrets.
Ah, it’s already seven o’clock.
I should start getting ready for school.
Wishing all my readers a bright and energetic day!