Perhaps because the night had deepened, the room was utterly silent. Unable to fall asleep, I tossed and turned for a while until my foot accidentally brushed against Gehenna, who lay quietly on her side facing me, eyes closed. I stared at her for a moment, then crept closer, burying my nose in her embrace and slowly inhaling.
Instead of the sharp chill of the early morning air, a warm, comforting scent of flesh filled my nostrils.
My stiff body began to relax little by little, and my mood naturally softened. I slipped my face between her soft breasts and rubbed gently, and suddenly I felt her tender arms wrap around me.
Gehenna still had her eyes closed, but unlike before, a lazy smile played at the corners of her mouth. One hand cradled my head gently, while the other endlessly stroked my back, as if soothing a crying child—unceasingly, endlessly…
In this dizzying peace, I instinctively longed for the moment to last forever.
Suddenly, a faint, amused snort broke the silence.
“You’re quite fussy tonight, aren’t you?”
“Hm?”
“Suna never acted like this. What’s got you so unsettled? Afraid to fall asleep, maybe?”
“…”
Her teasing tone caught me off guard. Well, it was true that I’d been having nightmares more frequently lately. Sometimes familiar faces appeared, but mostly grotesque strangers haunted my dreams.
But if she asked whether I was afraid, I’d say no. The nightmares had lessened since this cycle began. It wasn’t the first time, either—I’d experienced them often before. After all, they were just dreams.
“Anyway, stop squirming and get some sleep. Quit acting out of character.”
“What does ‘acting like myself’ even mean?”
I asked without much thought. At that, the hand stroking my back suddenly stopped. Silence fell briefly before a soft laugh followed.
“Now that you mention it, I’m not sure either. I have nothing to say.”
“Yeah…”
“Silent again? Do you have something you want to say? I’m willing to listen.”
“Why did you sneak away that time?”
“Huh? What? I already apologized.”
“Well, you did.”
I only brought it up to change the subject, not to blame her.
“…”
Truth be told, I did have something I wanted to say. It was about time to reveal it—not just to Gehenna, but to everyone.
Of course, I could have let it slide, but I didn’t want to. As Yujeong said, even if I’m gone for a year or two, those left behind deserve to understand why I’m leaving. Even if it means revealing the secret of my regression. Hiding it now would be pointless.
Still, despite my resolve, the words wouldn’t come out.
Probably because some hesitation still lingers.
Ah, it’s useless. Time slips by meaninglessly, and I’m still stuck, unable to decide. Come to think of it, even talking about it is a problem. Maybe if I asked my brother, he’d say it for me. Should I try?
I laughed quietly to myself, knowing how ridiculous that was. I don’t know. Maybe someday, if I just keep living like this, my thoughts will clear and I’ll make up my mind. I just hope that day comes soon. For now, I just want to feel at peace.
Am I falling asleep…?
With Gehenna’s voice like a lullaby, I slowly closed my eyes.
I think I’m finally drifting off.
How much time had passed?
As Kim Suhyun’s breathing evened out after restless tossing, Gehenna slowly sat up. She gazed softly at the man who had fallen into a deep sleep, then carefully moved away from the bed so as not to wake him. Silently opening the door, she found a shadowy figure waiting in the hallway. Gehenna smiled gently.
“Let’s go. Lead the way.”
A moment later, the two slipped quietly out of the Mercenary Castle under cover of darkness. They warped through a gate and arrived in Monica, a small city in the northern continent. More precisely, it was the old clan house once used as a base by the Mercenary Clan.
“It looks like you’ve just arrived.”
At the sound of the door opening, Im Hanna, holding a drowsy Suna, turned her head. The fourth-floor conference room, lit by a light stone, was already filled with about fifty people. Mercenary clan members, as well as those close to Kim Suhyun, had all gathered.
“Why are you so late?”
When Gehenna finally entered, Hwajeong’s sharp voice cut through the room. Ignoring her, Gehenna crossed the room and plopped down in an empty seat. Hwajeong, flushed with anger, shouted again.
“I’m asking why you’re so late! Do you know how long we waited because of you?”
“Quiet. Stop yelling.”
Gehenna frowned, tilted her head, and brushed her hair back.
“Why do you have to pry into every little thing? It’s annoying. If a man and woman are in the same room this late at night, it’s only natural to assume something happened.”
At that, dozens of eyes turned sharply toward Gehenna. She blinked wide-eyed, then burst out laughing.
“Just kidding, just kidding. He was unusually fussy tonight. It took some effort to get him to sleep. Please understand.”
“Of course, it’s fine. We have a long night ahead anyway.”
A calm voice cut through the heated atmosphere, cooling the room instantly. All eyes naturally shifted to Kim Yuhyun, who sat at the head of the table, eyes shining. One hand rested on the table, the other slowly clenched, faint rays of light beginning to escape between his fingers.
As Gehenna noticed the light, Kim Yuhyun spoke quietly.
“First, thank you all sincerely for cooperating with my sudden request at this late hour.”
“I don’t like this.”
Hwajeong was quick to complain again.
“Time doesn’t matter, but why do we have to meet in secret from Kim Suhyun? Are you hiding something?”
Many nodded in agreement, but Kim Yuhyun remained composed.
“I don’t claim this is the perfect way. But there are three reasons I called this meeting.”
He raised his left hand from the armrest, folding his thumb and pinky finger.
“First, what I’m about to say isn’t solely my own idea. It originated from Seraph, the angel assigned to assist Suhyun. After much thought, I agreed with her. There’s no other way.”
In other words, this meeting reflected not only Kim Yuhyun’s will but Seraph’s as well.
“Second, Suhyun’s wandering shows no sign of ending. Whatever he’s thinking, he’s still hesitating. At first, I planned to wait patiently, but I judged that prolonging this situation would do no good, so I called you all here.”
Several women’s faces grew serious. Everyone here agreed that Suhyun’s recent behavior was strange. He seemed weaker somehow. The proactive, decisive man they knew was gone, replaced by someone barely present—like a candle flickering on the verge of extinction.
“And lastly… as his older brother, for the sake of my younger brother Suhyun.”
For Suhyun’s sake. Short, but the most convincing reason. Even if Kim Yuhyun said, “Let’s kill Suhyun,” it would be taken as a joke because everyone here knew how much he cared for his brother.
They understood there must be a good reason for keeping this from Suhyun.
That’s why no one was missing from this meeting.
“So, what exactly do you hope to achieve here?”
Gehenna rested her chin on the back of her hand, curious.
“There are many things, but the most important is for you all to understand Suhyun.”
Her words hung heavy in the room. Kim Yuhyun’s serious tone made it impossible to guess what would come next. Trying to break the tension, Jin Suhyun stretched widely and said,
“So what is it? Why the big fuss? …Oh, wait, are you a guy from the future or something?”
“Hey, man.”
An Hyun nudged him with an elbow, signaling to read the room. Jin Suhyun chuckled.
“Come on, it happens a lot in comics.”
Then—
“Right, that’s it.”
The sudden voice silenced Jin Suhyun’s laughter. Hwajeong’s eyes narrowed, and Hansoyoung squeezed her eyes shut.
“Suhyun has been to the future… or rather, he’s turned back time once. The entire world’s time, called the Whole Plane. In other words, we’re living through this world for the second time.”
Kim Yuhyun spoke calmly. It took a moment for everyone in the room to grasp the meaning—everyone except the two women.
“What… what does that mean?”
Not long after, Jin Suhyun stammered, struggling to find words. At the same time, Kim Yuhyun smiled wryly and spread his hand flat on the table.
“Saying it like that makes it sound so real… doesn’t it?”
His voice rose suddenly at the end.
“Mu…!”
“…Huh?”
Gasps echoed around the room.
Beneath the palm of his hand lay a small, squat crystal glowing with a blue flame.
It was the Crystal of Truth.
---------------------------= Author’s Afterword =---------------------------
…I think I once mentioned that there wouldn’t be a third playthrough, yet it seems some readers are still worried about an endless loop.
Honestly, you readers…
…………………….
You really are something else.
Yes, that’s right. The truth is, I’ve committed a grave sin against you all! I dared to lie and say the story was nearing its end! Ending? No, this is just the prologue.
Here’s what’s coming next: Kim Soo-hyun chooses to return home and uses the Zero Code to open a portal back to Earth. But something goes wrong during the process, and dimensional gates start appearing all over the planet. From these gates pour countless monsters. At first, Earth descends into chaos, but soon it’s discovered that these dimensional monsters carry materials incredibly valuable for the world. Thus begins the era of massive raids. Kim Soo-hyun and his comrades use their abilities to amass tremendous wealth. That’s Part One.
But it doesn’t end there. Suddenly, nuclear war breaks out. As a result, zombies run rampant across the globe. In this unexpected post-apocalyptic world, Kim Soo-hyun undergoes extreme survival trials and destroys the zombie hosts. That’s Part Two.
Just as Earth stabilizes, aliens invade. Kim Soo-hyun rallies all of Earth’s forces to fight back, earning great honor by defending the planet. He rises to rule Earth. That’s Part Three.
Finally, he returns to the Whole Plane—but the world he comes back to is destroyed. Reuniting with surviving comrades, Kim Soo-hyun battles the enemy who brought about this ruin. He kills the gods and becomes a god himself. That’s Part Four.
Is that the end? Of course not. Now a god, Kim Soo-hyun grows bored beyond measure. So he decides to venture into space. He fights countless alien races, conquers other galaxies, and even visits places called the Celestial Realm and the Great Realm. Ultimately, he battles and defeats the God of the Universe, conquering all existence. Then he lives happily ever after with the women he loves. That’s Part Five—the true final ending.
So, if I had to guess, the story might wrap up around chapter 9,123,478,917,329,081. Assuming daily updates and an average lifespan of about 100 years, that means I’d need to be reincarnated as a human approximately 249,958,326,502 times to finish it. Until then, I humbly ask for your continued support. (__)
…………………….
…Surely no one actually believes that, right? ^^;
Anyway, what I really want to say is: don’t worry too much about the ending. ^_ㅠ