00940 If You Change, One.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sound of chains?

As I struggled to lift my gaze and turned around, my eyes suddenly sharpened. My blurry vision gradually cleared, and though only slightly, I began to grasp the situation.

Both my arms were stretched high above me, and thick chains were tightly wrapped around each wrist. No wonder I felt like I was being forced upright earlier.

So, does that mean I’m restrained right now?

“You’re awake.”

As I stared blankly upward, a low voice suddenly echoed through the stillness. Startled, I turned my eyes and saw a shadowy figure about five meters away, barely visible in the dim light.

“Ugh!”

I instinctively tried to sharpen my vision, but strangely, my magic wouldn’t respond. No matter how hard I tried, it was as if my circuits had frozen—completely immobile.

“It’s useless. Not only are your limbs bound, but there’s also a magic restraint device in place.”

The voice continued, as if warning me not to waste my strength.

Wait a minute.

That voice just now…?

“Istantel Low Lord?”

My voice trembled, disbelief creeping in.

“…Yes.”

The reply came a bit slower, as if sensing my emotions.

What’s going on? Why is Han So-young here? Could it be she failed to escape and was captured?

I twisted my body without thinking, and the clinking of chains rang sharply.

“Don’t worry. Hamil Lord and the Mercenary Clan probably got out safely. Most likely.”

As my doubts swirled uncontrollably, her calm voice helped soothe my rising anxiety—though a trace of unease still lingered.

I need to stay calm. No matter how much I thrash around now, it won’t help. They say even if a tiger bites you, you survive if you keep your wits about you.

Suppressing the surge of suspicion, I took a deep breath. As I steadied my breathing, perhaps thanks to my third eye, my pounding heart began to settle quickly.

Judging by the situation, I’m alive but being held captive somewhere. Beyond that, I know nothing.

My mind is a mess, so the best thing is to unravel my questions one by one.

First…

“Istantel Low Lord, why are you here?”

From what I remember, Han So-young was definitely with me. So why was she captured alone? I couldn’t understand.

“I missed the chance to escape because I was holding off the pursuers.”

As if reading my thoughts, her calm voice continued.

I glanced sideways. My eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and I could faintly make out Han So-young’s figure. Unlike me, only her arms were tightly chained, and she was sitting on her knees. She looked exhausted, so instead of fussing, I waited quietly for her to speak.

After a moment.

“Ah…”

Hearing her explanation, a wave of despair washed over me. If it weren’t for the chains binding my legs so tightly, I might have just collapsed from the overwhelming emptiness.

Honestly, when I first heard she had sneaked back onto the battlefield, I was almost furious—more like incredulous.

But thinking it over, I wasn’t in a position to be angry. Just as I had returned to the battlefield to save the Mercenary Clan, she had done the same. Who could blame a clan lord for trying to rescue her comrades?

More importantly, it seemed Han So-young had succeeded in rallying quite a few allies on the battlefield. If that group hadn’t crossed through the warp gate to launch a surprise attack on the rear of the continental encirclement, who knows if my brother would have been captured?

In the end, thanks to Han So-young, my brother and the Mercenary Clan barely escaped. I couldn’t bring myself to raise my head in reproach.

“I’m sorry.”

Still, Han So-young apologized. I didn’t understand why. I was the one who should be asking for forgiveness.

“Don’t blame yourself. We definitely could have escaped, but that was a chance the Mercenary Lord created. And I made the choice. I don’t regret that decision.”

Her voice was incredibly gentle, as if comforting me.

Bolstered by her words, I finally spoke.

“How long have I been unconscious…?”

“Four days.”

Han So-young answered simply. The starkness of her reply caught me off guard—not because it was long, but because it was so short.

Short. Far too short.

Before, it used to take at least a week to wake up. But only four days? That’s absurd.

That means something happened right after I collapsed.

And it doesn’t look good.

That’s not all.

Even though I’m restrained, something feels off. Ever since I came to, there’s been this strange sensation—as if my body isn’t really mine.

Damn it. It’s disorienting. I need to sort out what I know for sure.

The war is over, and four days have passed. I was captured by demons, but my brother and comrades seem to have escaped safely.

Okay, that much I understand.

But the biggest question remains.

“Istantel Low Lord.”

“Yes.”

“Do you know how I survived?”

“…”

This time, she fell silent, unlike before.

No matter how long I waited, she showed no sign of speaking.

That means one of two things.

Either she doesn’t know, or there’s something she can’t say.

“Please, even a little. How did I survive?”

I asked again, and a soft sigh followed.

“That… I don’t really know. I saw it with my own eyes, but… how to explain…”

Her tone was reluctant, but I kept listening.

“Anyway, from what I saw…”

Bang!

At that moment, a heavy noise and the sound of many footsteps shook the space. Turning toward the source, I finally got a clear look at where I was.

The faint glow I’d seen earlier was a blue flame burning in a brazier. Farther off, I spotted a wide altar with a flat dish resting on it.

Just from those two details, I couldn’t help but feel amazed. I’d thought this was some kind of summoning chamber—and it was. This was the place where the Zero Code was obtained. In other words, I was trapped deep within the Temple of Promise.

Three or four shadowy figures zigzagged quickly across the brazier. I worried they might be heading toward Han So-young, but thankfully, they all approached me instead.

The figure at the front stepped forward, and as the darkness lifted slightly, golden hair with a blue tint was revealed. It wasn’t beautiful—more like severely bleached, dull blonde.

(So you really have come to your senses. Just as she said.)

The voice was a solemn soprano tone. Thanks to translation magic, it rang clearly in my ears.

By the way, she said “really” and “just as she said.” That implied someone had noticed I’d woken up.

“!”

Suddenly, a cold breeze brushed my neck.

A massive greatsword was pressed lightly against the back of my neck. Any sudden movement would drive it deep in—an incredibly precarious situation.

(I have many matters to discuss with you, so I won’t waste time. Answer my questions precisely, user Kim Soo-hyun of the Northern Continent.)

She didn’t look demonic, but she knew me. When I glanced up, her face gradually came into view—youthful yet composed features, and jet-black eyes so dark they were unsettling.

She looked quite similar to Eldora, but I sensed she was a different user. The atmosphere was very different from the Eldora I remembered.

“…?”

Wait a second.

That sword—Excalibur.

So this girl is Eldora?

(What have you done to Excalibur?)

I wanted to observe more closely, but suddenly my chin was jerked upward by the flat of the blade, cutting off my breath.

“What… did you say?”

I barely managed to ask, and Eldora slowly lowered the sword.

(I’m asking what you did after you took Excalibur from me.)

I could breathe again, but Eldora still glared at me like she wanted to devour me. The blade at my neck radiated a sharp, deadly aura that made my hair stand on end. For some reason, I could strongly feel the presence of Thanatos emanating from her entire body.

(Speak.)

Eldora repeated the command, gripping the hilt tightly. Then she spoke.

(Why am I no longer recognized as the master?)

Huh?

(If I’m still the master… why does Excalibur reject me?)

…What is she talking about?

About four days later, Kim Yoo-hyun and the Mercenary Clan arrived at the rendezvous point and finally reunited with their allies.

The first thing Kim Yoo-hyun did was return to Atlanta. He asked the Origin who had survived to activate the warp gate and immediately passed through the portal.

It was a somewhat irresponsible move, but Ko Yeon-ju didn’t mind much. She knew Kim Yoo-hyun wasn’t just trying to rest.

When she showed the necklace as proof that Kim Soo-hyun was alive, the nearly dying Kim Yoo-hyun regained some vitality. They didn’t exchange many details afterward, but it was clear he had some plan in mind.

Thinking this over, Ko Yeon-ju decided to leave Kim Yoo-hyun be for now and focus on her own tasks. She deployed some troops at the rendezvous point to keep gathering surviving allies and simultaneously searched for the missing Ansol.

In the end, Ansol was alive.

To be more precise, the first contact came from Jegal Haesol’s side.

Back then, Jegal Haesol, who had shielded Ansol and managed to get him out, was horrified at Ansol’s condition. To put it bluntly, there wasn’t a single part of his body—from shoulder to toe—that wasn’t seriously injured.

The only small mercy was that his head and vital spots had been spared.

They rushed to provide emergency treatment, but without proper medical supplies or a priest, it was obviously far from enough.

In the end, Jegal Haesol’s only hope was for Ansol to hold on and for the warp ability to come through.

As soon as the waiting time was up, they activated the warp power, moving to the Ironblood Forest, then through the warp gate at the supply fortress, and finally to Atlanta, where Ansol could receive proper medical care.

It was a series of razor-thin moments. Without Gehenna’s improvements to the warp ability, it would have taken at least a few more days—and no one could guarantee what might have happened to Ansol in that time.

Anyway, Ansol survived. Though he remained in a coma, teetering on the edge of death, the fact that he was still alive was enough to ease Goyeonju’s heart.

Meanwhile, around that time—

Kim Yuhyun, having arrived in Atlanta, burst out of the portal and immediately started running at full speed.

Though he had returned to the cozy city he’d longed for, and the once-bustling streets now lay eerily empty, he didn’t hesitate or falter. He ran with single-minded determination.

Finally, his sprint came to a halt before a grand temple built of white marble.

Without pause, Kim Yuhyun climbed the steps in a single bound, brushing off the temple attendant’s guidance, and dashed straight into the portal leading to the summoning chamber.

Clutching the Zero Code tightly in one hand.

---------------------------= Author’s Afterword =---------------------------

Oh… really?

As far as I know, NTR refers to a spouse or lover being sexually taken away by someone else.

So, if Kim Suhyun were to involuntarily have a sexual encounter with someone else—say, Erwin, Eldora, Olivia, Thanatos, or the like—in front of Han Soyoung, then from Han Soyoung’s perspective, that would count as NTR. Of course, they’re not officially a couple, but their relationship is close enough to be considered as such.

Hmm. Thinking about it this way, I have a question for the readers.

If a scene like that were to appear, would it make you uncomfortable to read?