The moment I stepped over the threshold—
Thunk!
A sudden clang echoed, and a sharp, blue flame burst forth inside. I instinctively stopped and stared ahead. Looking closely, I saw a brazier perched at the end of a long rod, its fire burning with an eerie blue glow.
Thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk!
Then, another blue flame ignited straight ahead. I watched in a daze as the flames alternated left and right, lighting up one brazier after another. Soon, the zigzagging path between the braziers was illuminated, and the darkness inside the hall began to lift.
Revealed at the center was a smaller, round space than I had expected.
The overall atmosphere reminded me of a summoning chamber. The diameter seemed less than forty meters, but the ceiling soared over twenty meters high, curving gently upward to a single point. That arched roof I’d seen from outside must be this very place.
The blue flames flickering along the path cast a soft, mysterious glow throughout the room, giving it an oddly enchanting and otherworldly feel.
“When are you going to stop staring like a fool?”
That voice came again, not booming through the space, but close—almost as if whispered right beside me.
I glanced around and spotted a modest altar at the far end of the path opposite me. It was plain, without any decoration or ornamentation, holding only a single cup about the size of a grown man’s palm.
“Could it be… the voice came from there?”
“Have you already forgotten? Humans are creatures of forgetfulness, but I must say, you’re truly foolish.”
The tone was matter-of-fact, but I couldn’t shake the awkward feeling. At first, the voice had sounded like a prim young girl’s, then like an old woman’s just moments ago, and now it even seemed like a deep, clear male voice. Invisible as it was, the voice was utterly unpredictable.
As I crossed between the braziers, the voice fell silent.
But when I stepped up to the altar and stood before the large cup, a strange sensation suddenly washed over me.
Then—
“Hmm. You’ve changed a bit, haven’t you?”
“?”
“Why the clueless look? You were so fierce when you were desperate to turn back time, but now—huh?”
“W-wait a minute.”
Startled by the sudden revelation, I instinctively covered the cup with my hand.
“Hey, hey, you!”
But the voice—now clearly surprised—shouted.
“How rude, you brat.”
The cup itself seemed to speak with a slightly annoyed tone, prompting me to quickly remove my hand.
“Don’t worry about what’s behind you. Our conversation won’t be heard.”
Ah, so it was because of that strange feeling I’d sensed earlier. That was a relief, but I was still confused. Trying to calm myself, I carefully examined the cup on the altar.
At first glance, it was just a plain, somewhat flat cup. Of course, I had obtained the Zero Code from this altar during the first cycle—more precisely, it had been inside this very cup.
But now, for some reason, the Zero Code was nowhere to be seen. And no matter how much I thought about it, I don’t recall hearing any voice back then. I had just grabbed the Zero Code and fled as if chased…
“You certainly did. You ran off so quickly before I could even speak. That was the first time I’d been treated so rudely.”
Huh? Did it read my thoughts?
“That’s nothing. Anyway, how does it feel to be back at the summit? You who reached the top not long ago.”
Startled, I was hit again with the same question. At the same time, an overwhelming silence seemed to choke me.
How does it feel? Well…
I didn’t even understand the question’s intent, so I didn’t know how to answer.
“Honestly… it feels good. A little surprising, too.”
Rather than pretending, I spoke honestly. I never imagined I’d come this far to the place where the Zero Code was.
“I wasn’t asking about your feelings. Answer again.”
But it seemed I’d misunderstood the focus.
‘Uh, okay.’
‘…Alright, I get it.’
I didn’t know what “suspicious” meant here, but at least one thing was clear: judging by how this voice spoke, it wasn’t someone to be taken lightly. Maybe it was a god connected to the Zero Code. Or perhaps the Zero Code itself was a god.
Taking the voice’s advice, I fell into thought again. After organizing my thoughts, I quietly spoke.
“I’ve changed… but I haven’t.”
“Cut the vague talk.”
Though I’d tried to express what I felt, the cup’s reply was still firm. I felt a bit annoyed at the tone, but quickly reconsidered.
Come to think of it, the area inside the Temple of the Covenant wasn’t over yet. The Trial Zone remained. So maybe I was still being tested.
“I’m not just saying this casually. I’m telling it as it is.”
“I never said you spoke casually. I only said don’t be vague. Speak clearly and precisely.”
…That was fair. I couldn’t argue logically.
“To put it simply, this cycle was definitely different from the first. The process changed, and so did the outcome.”
“That’s change, then. But still, you say you haven’t changed?”
“Yes.”
“Why? Even just comparing what you experienced here, many things were different.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“Hmm?”
“But how should I put it… The branches have changed, but the tree itself remains the same. Well, not exactly the same, but the major events I faced in the first cycle seem to happen again in some form or another. No matter how much I struggle, it’s like everything resets to the starting point… That’s what I meant.”
“……”
My explanation had gone on longer than expected. The cup fell silent for a moment, as if mulling over my words.
But then—
“Do you regret it?”
“…What?”
“I asked if you regret it. I sense regret in your words.”
“……”
This time, I was the one who fell silent. At first, the question seemed out of nowhere, but on reflection, it did connect to the previous one.
Regret.
“Regret…”
It was a question I couldn’t answer easily. I slowly tilted my chin upward and sighed long and deep, without meaning to. My mind grew tangled. The rough ceiling above seemed to spin suddenly.
“Well…”
Strictly speaking, I didn’t regret it. After all, I had achieved my goal of not letting my brother and Han So-Young die.
But still, just…
“I’m lost. I don’t know what to do.”
I closed my eyes gently. For some reason, the cup’s words pierced deep into my heart.
“Let me tell you. Five years ago, you wanted only one thing, and you wanted it desperately. Back then, you probably wouldn’t have even considered saying no.”
“……”
“But the branches you mentioned affected you and your goals. From being a constant burden, you became the most user-like user. The world around you, once filled with betrayal and pain, was now filled with trustworthy comrades. And with all these changes, you must have started to waver. At some point, you must have thought…”
“……”
“I don’t want to go back.”
“……”
“But deep down, you probably didn’t want to accept it. Because the moment you admit it, your choice to regress becomes pointless. It would have been better to listen to Seraph’s advice. Your one and only will, your faith, your purpose, your goal—all would crumble.”
“What are you trying to say?”
Unable to hold back the emotions boiling inside, I shouted. The voice paused briefly, but the silence didn’t last.
“Once more, I ask you, User Kim Soo-Hyun.”
Wait. It knew my name?
“After all these changes, standing here now—how do you feel?”
At that moment, a sigh escaped me without thought.
…So that’s what the earlier question meant. I’d completely misunderstood the context.
Still, I couldn’t find the words to answer.
No, there were plenty of things I wanted to say. If this were the first cycle, I wouldn’t have had comrades around me now, nor met Gehenna or Suna. All sorts of thoughts swirled, rising to my throat.
“Th-then—!”
But in the end, I couldn’t bring myself to speak.
Because the moment I spoke, the one wish I’d made to the Zero Code would be broken.
And I didn’t want to admit that.
“…I see.”
In the end, the cup was right. The answer had come long ago. As it said, I was still lost, stuck between two choices.
Just as I thought that—
“I don’t know…”
I lowered my head.
“…I see.”
The cup’s tone remained calm, almost like a quiet murmur to itself.
“Uncertainty is the result of avoidance. To fear the choices that lie ahead is truly unfortunate.”
“……?”
“After fifteen years of striving toward your goal, now that moment is finally near… But if the poison that kept you going has been removed, what remains is mental wear. In that case, you are already beautifully breaking apart…”
“What?”
Those words snapped me back to full alert.
“Alright. Let’s end the test here. You can take your hand off now.”
I wanted to ask what he meant by that.
“Not sure whether I should congratulate you or offer my condolences. Either way, I’m genuinely curious to see how this ends for you.”
But before I could even open my mouth, an invisible force yanked my hand, slamming the cup shut.
“Go. Face it. Clash with it. And…”
And then, at that very moment—
Buzzzzzzzzz!
“Show me your end.”
As the words left his mouth, a sudden surge of immense magical energy filled the arena.
“Effective immediately, user Kim Suhyun is designated as the first successor. Initiating Code Name Zero.”
Creak, grind!
From somewhere came the sound of rusted machinery stirring to life, and from beneath my hand covering the cup, a blue sacred flame erupted. It burned so fiercely that streams of light leaked through the gaps between my fingers, flooding the entire hall with its glow.
Gradually, my vision blurred under the blue and white light. A strong wind blew from somewhere, whipping my hair wildly. The rusty mechanical noises still echoed in my ears, and an indescribably strange energy seeped through every fiber of my body.
A sensation not entirely unfamiliar.
Instinctively, I clenched my hand tighter around the cup.
The next moment—
“!”
A round, hard object pressed against my palm.
At the same time—
Ding!
Multiple messages flooded my vision in an instant.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
I guess yesterday’s cliffhanger upset some readers…
From yesterday afternoon until early this morning, nothing seemed to go right. ^^;
I think I nearly lost my mind a few times.
Phew.
And to MonguHunter—
Q: “Author, will the demons actually succeed in killing Ansol, wreak havoc on the Northern Continent, and then Kim Suhyun, seeing all that, use the Zero Code to rewind time for Ansol again?”
My answer to that is: “No matter who dies or what happens, there will absolutely be no third run.” :)