A Peaceful Routine ------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Su-hyun…”
The cigarette he had discarded still smoldered, sending wisps of gray smoke into the air. She stared blankly at the spot where he had been, then let out a long sigh. A sudden wave of loneliness washed over her, causing her to shiver involuntarily.
<“It’s not that I ‘can’t’ get involved… it’s more like I ‘won’t,’ Seraph. Or maybe I just don’t want to.”>
<“But for so-called angels, their actions are more petty than those ‘others’… tsk, tsk.”>
<“No matter which angel comes to assist me, I have no intention of getting along with them.”>
His words echoed in her mind, each one a sharp dagger piercing deep into Seraph’s heart. Her thoughts were in such disarray that she hadn’t even withdrawn the hand she had reached out with when he left the summoning room.
<“You said you had something to say… but it was all pointless. Don’t call me for something like this again.”>
“Just…”
The summoning room was empty, yet Seraph spoke. Her gaze remained fixed on the spot he had occupied, as if hoping he might somehow hear her.
“I just… wanted to see if you were okay…”
Her voice trembled as she finished speaking, and she slowly withdrew her outstretched hand, her expression forlorn. Yet her eyes lingered on the portal he had disappeared through, unable to look away.
In the first cycle, Seraph was always calm and composed. Though she occasionally showed signs of distress, such moments were rare. Her outbursts and frowns were not common sights.
Now, Seraph had regained her usual composure. Seeing me turn away seemed to ease her mind, and she spoke in a low voice.
“Please, give me a moment. I have something to say. It won’t take long.”
”…”
Her voice was quiet, yet carried a hint of pleading. Looking at her face, I couldn’t help but recall our final farewell in the first cycle.
<“User Kim Su-hyun, are you really going to endure another ten years of suffering?”>
<“Please, be happy…”>
In a way, my current success in the second cycle was partly thanks to her. Although I had spent my GP, without the angelic perks, I wouldn’t have been able to progress so rapidly or make such bold moves, like accepting Vivian as a companion. My initial stats in the first cycle, aside from endurance and agility, weren’t particularly impressive. I was confident, but I wouldn’t have achieved such remarkable growth or taken such daring actions.
My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. After some deliberation, I decided it wouldn’t hurt to hear her out. Despite my dislike for angels, we were, for now, in a cooperative relationship. It seemed prudent to at least listen. With that decision, I sat down and spoke.
”…Alright. What is it you want to say? And who exactly is Sandalphon?”
My voice softened slightly, though my expression remained stern. Seraph, however, seemed relieved as she began to speak.
“I’ll explain everything. Sandalphon is an assistant to another user. Since you graduated from the User Academy, she has been requesting that I be replaced as your assistant.”
Hmm. Her response gave me pause. So, from a user’s perspective, it was about changing their assigned angel. It wasn’t unheard of, though rare. I had heard of users changing angels a few times in the first cycle.
Once in Hall Plain, angels needed to guide their users in a direction that was… not necessarily beneficial, but aligned with their own desires. The emphasis was on their desired direction, not necessarily a helpful one. This implied that angels had their own goals they wanted to achieve through users.
Understanding the situation, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Ha… really? Why does she want to be replaced?”
”…”
Seraph didn’t answer immediately. As I watched her, she bit her lower lip before speaking.
“Since entering Hall Plain, your actions have been astonishing. In just over a month, you’ve explored two ruins and succeeded in both. Defeating the high-ranking demon Belphegor as a zero-year user is considered a triumph by all angels. However…”
Seraph hesitated, uncharacteristically uncertain. Her face showed signs of inner conflict. I waited patiently for her to continue, sensing her caution.
”…It seems there’s a need to improve the relationship between you and me.”
“Hmm.”
Her statement elicited a hum from me. So that’s what it was. Feeling my suspicions confirmed, I pulled out a cigarette. As I lit it, Seraph’s green eyes remained steady. It was somewhat ironic to smoke in front of an angel, but she didn’t stop me. I had smoked in front of her in the first cycle, and she hadn’t commented then either.
As I took a deep drag, I felt a bit calmer. Seraph, observing me, spoke again.
“I won’t go into the role of angels again. But I am curious. Why do you dislike me so much, User Kim Su-hyun?”
“Would you like someone who dragged you into this Hall Plain?”
”…I suppose not. But it seems there’s more to it.”
“What?”
I glanced at Seraph, who shook her head. As I chuckled and questioned her, she continued in a calm voice.
“It feels like there’s another reason you dislike me. It might sound strange, but that’s the impression I get. There must be some other reason…”
Listening to her, I tapped the floor with one hand while holding the cigarette with the other. This time, Seraph waited for my response. After a moment of reflection, I smirked at her.
“Is it really that important?”
“It is. Your actions have garnered the attention of many angels, and they view you positively. Since we can’t directly intervene in Hall Plain, maintaining a good relationship with our users is crucial. They are essentially our representatives. Sandalphon’s issue, and her request for a user change, stems from the poor relationship between you and me. If you could tell me what you dislike about me, I’ll do my best to change.”
“It’s not that you ‘can’t’ intervene… it’s more like you ‘won’t,’ Seraph. Or maybe you just don’t want to.”
My sarcasm left Seraph speechless. Enjoying her bewildered expression, I continued.
“Yes… I dislike you. In fact, I dislike all angels. While that’s the root of it, seeing your true nature makes me feel sick to my stomach.”
“Why… why…”
“Your actions are laughable. Do you find it endearing that I’ve been playing along with your whims? Or are you afraid I might side with ‘them’?”
“User Kim Su-hyun, what are you talking about…”
Watching her stammer in confusion, I sharply retorted.
“Don’t know? You do know. You’re just pretending not to. Stop it. It’s disgusting. Why were we dragged into your mudslinging? What was your intention in bringing humans from Earth? What do you think will happen if users learn the truth, the whole story?”
”…!”
Seraph’s face turned pale at my audacious words. I realized I might have gone too far, but I had my reasons. As long as I remained on this side and didn’t intentionally harm the angels, they couldn’t touch me.
A tense silence followed. I took a final drag from my nearly finished cigarette and flicked it to the ground. A thin wisp of smoke rose from the discarded butt. Seizing the moment, I spoke again.
“What’s the point of having such lofty dimensions if your actions are so pathetic? In some ways, ‘they’ might be better. At least they risked everything to enter Hall Plain directly. But for so-called angels, your actions are more petty than ‘theirs’… tsk, tsk.”
“How… how do you…”
Seraph’s lips trembled as she stared at me in disbelief. She was shocked that I knew about the secrets involving angels, ‘them,’ and Hall Plain. I hadn’t known from the start. It was through surviving ten years in Hall Plain and obtaining the Zero Code that I pieced everything together.
Though I had spoken recklessly, I didn’t regret it. In fact, I felt a sense of relief, as if a weight had been lifted. Watching her frozen expression, I continued in a gentle tone.
“Well… don’t worry too much. Right now, I dislike those guys way more than you. So, for the time being, I’ll play along with your little game. As long as you don’t do anything stupid, nothing unexpected will happen.”
“U-User Kim Soo-hyun.”
“And one more thing.”
I paused, letting the silence stretch. Seraph swallowed nervously, her throat moving in a way that struck me as oddly beautiful. I finished my thought calmly.
“Make sure to tell Sandalphon or whoever that I refuse to be replaced. No matter which angel they send as my assistant, I have no intention of getting along.”
”…”
“You said you had something to say… but it was pointless. Anyway, don’t call me for something like this again.”
Having said my piece, I slowly stood up. I heard Seraph call out, reaching for me, but I turned away without hesitation.
I quickly made my way to the portal ahead.
As I stepped out of the portal, I saw a priest still waiting in place. He was the one I had discussed the exploration report with. He greeted me with a warm smile, and I composed myself internally.
“You’re back quickly. Was your meeting with them enjoyable?”
I wanted to say, “Not at all,” but since he was a devout follower of the angels, there was no need to antagonize him. Plus, I didn’t want to take out my frustration on him. So, I offered a slight smile and nodded.
“Haha. It was a good time. Thank you for delivering the message.”
“Not at all. It’s my duty, after all.”
Seeing the resident’s envious expression, I wanted to leave the temple as soon as possible. The best way to do that was to steer the conversation toward a topic they might find uncomfortable.
“Yes… Oh, about the exploration report, I expect it to be completed as soon as possible.”
“Ah, yes, yes. I’ll organize a team as soon as I can, but it might take some time.”
“Understood. But I hope to have the investigation completed and the certificate issued by mid-next month at the latest.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Good. I’ll visit the temple again next time. I’ll be on my way now.”
He broke into a sweat at my insistence and cleared his throat. Clearly, the topic was uncomfortable for him, and the angel talk quickly subsided. After wrapping up the conversation, he bowed politely. I nodded in response and walked down the long corridor.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ro Yujin.
Finally, it’s the long-awaited Friday. Just one more day until the weekend. Yay. :)
Haha. And no, In-gong is not suffering from a teenage delusion. It hurt when other characters were criticized, but for some reason, I’m indifferent when Soo-hyun gets flak. LOL.
Oh, and I had a call with someone from Joara today about E-Book publishing. It’s quite tempting. (Of course, I won’t take down the story even if it’s published.) I’ve been having a lot of thoughts lately. I suppose they’re happy worries.
They’ve offered to be considerate of my time, so I need to think it over a bit more.
And… it’s a bit early, but I’m thinking of holding a popularity poll for the female characters introduced so far. What do you all think?
PS. I’ve posted the covers you’ve made in the yard. If you’re curious, feel free to take a look!
『 Reader Comments 』
Amish: Congratulations on being first! Haha. It’s quite easy to be the first commenter on my story these days. I’ve been posting late… OTL
Final Dragon: NO. I’ve seen the afterword, but I won’t be joining the serial competition. I’ll just watch from the sidelines. Hahaha.
HumanLife: Oh, I have no idea. I’ll be looking forward to your comment this time. :)
OfficeLove19: Haha. The angels have been up to some nasty tricks. You could call it cowardly. That’s why Kim Soo-hyun dislikes them after finding out.
KaCheom: That was probably the starting point of distrust. And as he learns more secrets surrounding the whole plane, he feels disillusioned. The point is, “Why were humans brought into the whole plane by the angels?”
MTBear: It’s not sweet; it’s intense. In a way, Seraph is quite a pitiful character. ㅜ.ㅠ
PunishmentDrink: I’ve had similar experiences. When I recall childhood memories, I often get lost in nostalgia. :)
KunLai: Correct. In my novel, I distinguish between “demons” and “demon races.” Keeping that in mind will help you understand better.
HoneyBee: Of course. Soo-hyun does have a bit of overconfidence. But as shown in today’s text, it’s because he has something to rely on.
Hohokoya1: When I have more time, I’ll definitely do a serial update. Please wait a little longer. :)
Your recommendations and comments are the driving force behind serial updates. (This is the truth.)
I always read all the comments repeatedly.
Please don’t feel too disappointed if you’re not mentioned in the comments.
If you’re really curious about something, send me a message, and I’ll reply!
I’ll take my leave for today.
I hope you always read my work with a relaxed mind.
Recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.