It was a natural thought. A straight conclusion from common sense. This man couldnât have appeared right in front of them if he hadnât known their time of arrival.
ââŠkuak.â Seol-Hwi felt his entire body shudder. The pain was so excruciating he could no longer see the face of Goo Jong-Myung.
âWell, since you already know, Iâll tell you.â Goo Jong-Myung whispered into his ear. âJust think about it. One side is known for putting on appearances and the other side is known for getting rid of rude people. Arenât they a perfect match for each other?â
ââŠuh⊠ehâŠâ
âNow that I look at you, you are a unique one. Someone who protests against his superiors. âUh? Whatâs thisâŠ?â
The sheer pain had ruptured Seol-Hwi cornea, blinding his with dripping blood.
âKuhahaha! A guy who wields demonic energy is acting like this! Haha! No, thank you. Because of you, my worth has gone up.â Goo Jong-Myung raised his sword high. âBut you need to go.â
PleaseâŠÂ Seol-Hwi prayed. He didnât want such a fleeting life. Dying like this was a tragedy.
âGoodbye, Flying Faction squad leader.â
Please, just one more time⊠He prayed even as the sword fell. Once more. If only he had one more chance, he really hoped to live a different life.
Fuck you! Where are you? Please!
And then his agony was gone.
The only thing he could see was the ceiling, painted with the blood of his subordinates, andâ
âthe words.
It was awkward at first.
â¶Â [R1]Â Restart from Beginning.
â· Continue
â· Restart from Save Point.
But not any more â he was asking for this. Seol-Hwi no longer had any doubts.
10⊠9âŠ
Because time was running out.
I canât start over from the beginning. Even if he went back to the past, there was no guarantee that this wouldnât happen again; he couldnât leave the Demonic Sect, nor did he have the strength to repeat it.
So what could he do? How could he survive?
The last option stood out to him.
â¶ Restart from Save Point.
Save point? The moment he looked at âSaveâ, an explanation was presented to him.
Save point: A recorded point in life.
[Empty Save Slot]
[Empty Save Slot]
[Empty Save Slot]
What does that mean?
â¶ Restart from Beginning.
â· Continue
And now the âSave Pointâ option was missing.
Iâm running out of time. The timer isâ!
â· Restart from beginning.
â¶ Continue
Seol-Hwi nervously awaited his fate. In front of him, new words slowly popped up.
âI guess there is quite a good one here.â
Time reversed. The moment Goo Jong-Myung arrived he went stiff as stone and his subordinates were staring at him. Surprisingly, he could see his own figure stopped in front of the window.
Suddenly, his vision went through the roof and into the sky, as if he was flying like a hawk. Hundreds of things could be seen in the vast acreage spread out in front of him; the building they were in was as small as a fingernail. Seol-Hwi felt like a god peering down from heaven.
When did so many people come?
âI guess there is quite a good one here.â
As before, it stopped where Goo Jong-Myung spoke but there was something new this time.
Plum Blossom Sword, 54 million damage
Plum Blossom Extinction Technique, 22 million damage
Yango Sword, 75.7 million damage
Wind Speed Sword Technique, 35 million damage
Demonic Sword of Heaven, 1002 damage
Black Demonâs Seven Swords, 1,524 damage
Seol-Hwi had no idea what was happening, but this time he was willing to accept it without understanding.
â¶ Restart from Beginning.
Only one option left.
Temporary Save Points: Starting from âPrivate meeting with the Lord of the Supreme Pavilionâ.
Seol-Hwi opened his eyes. A faint light filtered into the training hall where he sat.
âHaaahhhâŠâ Seol-Hwi stared at the white stone floor.
Apparently heâd been killed, but he was still alive. No signs of wounds, and his clothes were the same as he remembered.
âMaybe a ghostâŠâ It was possible â this was the second time this happened. He couldnât escape even if he tried.
âI would do anything, if there was a way to surviveâŠâ Seol-Hwi knew he couldnât just constantly repeat this. He saw âOne Chanceâ very clearly.
He sat blankly.
âI canât stay like this.â If he kept sitting around, Jeok-Myung, captain of the Black Moon squad, would come for him.
Seol-Hwi stood and hurried away.
Seol-Hwi was standing in front of the Supreme Pavilion manorâs back gate. Heâd come here for the mirror.
Coin 1Â [Last Chance]
It was clearly different from what he saw reflected in the river.
What do I do nowâŠ? He wanted to run away, but he would inevitably be pursued by his sect. Even if he were lucky enough to get rid of them, he wouldnât be able to live in the central plains anymore.
âI need to find a way.â He grimaced. There were enemies in every corner; he had to fight an opponent he couldnât beat or avoid.
Seol-Hwi started moving.
To the Supreme Pavilion.
âSquad leader Seol-Hwi of the Flying Faction is here.â
âYou may enter.â
As expected. Seol-Hwi moved into the main office.
âYouâre here?â
Inside were Sama Gwi and the other pavilion master, just as heâd expected.
âThe squad leader of the Flying Faction has arrived, by command of the Master of the Supreme Pavilion.â
No one spoke for a second.
âThis is the one I told you about a while ago. Seol-Hwi.â
Just the same as he remembered.
âHe seems polite?â
That was the first time heâd seen this reaction.
âHaha. You think so?â
Things have changed! Seol-Hwiâs expression brightened. He wasnât yelled at. Was it because heâd bowed? It wasnât a big deal, but for Seol-Hwi it was a huge change.
âHmm, anyway. You.â Sama Gwi changed the topic.âHave you thought about taking a position in Cheon-Il?â
Cheon-Il? The same as before. If he took the offer, he would be sent on the scouting mission like last time.
Seol-Hwi pondered for a moment and then slammed his head against the ground.
âNo, Supreme Pavilion Master. How dare I think of stepping into such a precious place? It isnât suitable for me.â
âOh, really?â It seemed like Sama Gwi was surprisedâeven the other man looked subtly shocked.
âWell, itâs fine. Since I was planning on giving you a mission, thisââ
âMy Lord. Actually, I have something to tell you.â
And he waited.
â·Â [Follow the given mission]
â·Â [Receive another mission]
â¶Â [Cut off your right arm]
Seol-Hwi pondered the last option. He knew he would inevitably die if he chose the first two, and he wanted to see what changed.
âWhatâs this? So suddenly?â Sama Gwi was immediately flustered.
âI have been looking back at myself. How dare I say I want to learn martial arts to get stronger, or enter My Lordâs office without fear? I just reminded myself of my true values. I deserve to die many times over for this. I want to show my loyalty to My Lord.â
Silence reigned for a moment. Strange emotions twisted through the air.
âYou are more interesting than I hear,â said the master of the Wu Tian Pavilion. Sama Gwiâs fingers continued to drum against the table.
âThen letâs see it.â Sama Gwi threw a dagger.
Sama Gwi. Dang Cho-InâŠ1
Seol-Hwi brought the well-sharpened blade to his right arm. Goosebumps crawled over his skin. He clenched his teeth. He shut his eyes.
Just once. If he passed this, he could see things change.
âKuak!â Seol-Hwi tightened his grip.
Suddenly, Sama Gwi held the dagger.
ââŠEnough.â Once blood spilled onto the floor, Sama Gwi stopped him. He shook his head as if heâd seen something bad. âTch tch tch. Delusional bastard. What kind of things are you showing to a guest?â
Seol-Hwiâs hand trembled. Fortunately, his arm was still there. The tendon was cut, but he could still move it.
âHahaha! What did I say? Isnât he a funny one?â
âYes.â
âHehehehe!â The two old men laughed. âWhat an interesting guy! This is a first, since the founding of the sect. HeheâŠâ
Seol-Hwi didnât feel humiliation or shame. Rather, he was calm.
âHnng. Hnng.â Seol-Hwi clenched his teeth. The only thing on his mind was not showing any weakness.
âGo try it.â Sama Gwi threw a plaque at him. âDidnât you say you wanted to be in the Cheon-Il? Go.â
Ah! Is this it? It seemed the third option was his chance at life.
âThank you! I will never forget the grace you showed me!â Seol-Hwi bowed his head.
âRight, right. Donât forget, you bastard. Haha.â
âHahahah! Puahahaha!â Both men laughed.
âThen I will depart.â Seol-Hwi slowly stood and turned around. He shut the door with one hand.
âI will never forget this,â Seol-Hwi swore as he walked away. He stared back at the manor and grit his teeth.
âI will never forget.â
He gripped his right arm â cut in half, crippled.