It didn’t have a name. It didn’t have a figure. It could’ve been called a shadow. The day it was raining, it could’ve been called a shadow, and when it opened its eyes, it saw the first form of life.
-Ribbet.
It thought of what it was. There were a lot of things it didn’t know. Just sounds…the sound of rain. He continued to hear the sounds of frogs ribbiting.
There was a delicious scent from the rain.
Like a snake, although it didn’t know what a snake was, it slithered towards the living thing in front of it. The living thing didn’t know that something was approaching it.
There was a delicious scent from the living thing as well.
It was over in an instant. The adorably ribbiting thing was swallowed in the blink of an eye. Ribbet! The thing didn’t have any teeth, so the living thing’s body wasn’t shredded apart. It just melted. It fell in the thing’s stomach and slowly melted.
The rain poured.
When the life in his stomach was almost gone, it realized it had front legs. It also had back legs. Its legs stepped on the ground, but it wasn’t able to step on the sky. Rain connected the sky and the ground. The world became a bit brighter.
Ah.
Feeling the touch of the rain through its skin. The feeling of life.
-Ribbet.
It opened its mouth to let out sounds of joy.
-Ribbet.
The rain poured.
It wanted to live a bit more.
4.
At first, it was an attack.
My eyes couldn’t even follow the attack, even though I drank the elixir. I extended the second, but the Devil King’s attack was faster than my second.
[You have died.]
[You are regressing to 24 hours ago.]
A day.
I drew a 1 on my hand with a permanent black marker. So I wouldn’t forget about this later in the future. It was like a number that inmates in jail used to check off how much time had passed since they were in there.
-Zombie.
Yes.
-The sword technique of the guy isn’t that amazing in itself.
This was like a jail. A jail of time.
-It’s more like he’s just ridiculously strong. That itself is pretty scary. Since he can just break apart whatever it has with his strength. But…
“But, if I know the direction of the attack, I can avoid it.”
-Right.
What would have happened if the quest continued like usual at this time?
How many warriors would have died in this war?
Every time a warrior died, they would die with at least 20 years more left to live their life. People who could live 20 more years would die futilely. If 10 died, that was 200 years. If 100 people died, that was 2000 years.
Thinking of that time, I didn’t choose any role.
I just stood in front of the Devil King with my sword.
Then, this body.
[You have died.]
[You have regressed to 24 hours ago.]
Would have to get ready to fight forever.
-But the problem is that even if you know, it’ll be hard for you to avoid it. You weak-ass! You zombie-like corpse bastard!
“Ugh, quiet please.”
-Kekekeke.
[You have died.]
[You have regressed to 24 hours ago.]
When I returned to a day ago, the day repeated.
It didn’t just repeat, but the fight of the past repeated.
I reviewed it.
-You’re still not used to using Aura. That’s a big problem. You can just focus Aura on your feet and that would be enough.
“If I move while I’m focusing on my feet, my stance becomes messy.”
-So you have to make the Aura flow up to your thighs and shoulders. With balance.
“Easy for you to say…”
[You have died.]
[You have regressed to 24 hours ago.]
-You can just die if you can’t do it.
“Fuck.”
A day.
Another day passed.
-You dare.
How many times had I heard the Devil King’s furious voice by now?
-Take the right steps, warrior of the goddess. Coming here without choosing anything is rude. Only those who…
“Alright. One-shot!”
-What?
I was getting sick of talking to him now, so I just drank the elixir. In the period where time had slowed down, I ran at the Devil King. Regretfully, my attack was blocked by the Devil King.
-You…
“The warrior cuts the Devil King.”
[You have died.]
“The Devil King has cut the warrior.”
[You have died.]
“What else do you need to say?”
-…
“Come. Devil King.”
[You have died.]
“I am the sword of the empire.”
-Fine!
[You have died.]
-Then prove it in front of me!
[You have died.]
-Prove it to me!
“Sure.”
[You have died.]
“I’ll show you.”
[You have regressed to 24 hours ago.]
The world stopped, and the only thing providing me with an indication of time in this paused time period, was my sword.
My sword was the only moving object.
For a time to flow in this world, a second of my sword had to flow.
It was only a second from my sword, but this world breathed again with a second.
I could only live for a second even though I wanted to live forever.
I lived my life.
“Good job, Kim Gong-ja!”
A day.
“Gosh! It hasn’t even been an hour and it looks like you’ll clear the stage!”
Another day.
“Less than 40 hunters probably died!”
And, from some time ago.
“It might’ve been less than that…ah! It can’t get any better than this!”
The Witch’s words started to change little by little.
The 11th floor stage.
It was the quest where I teleported to the boss monster grabbing the hand of the Black Dragon Master. It was something I had to do to repeat my day. Living day by day, the 11th floor’s circumstances started to change little by little.
Slowly.
“Good job, Kim Gong-ja! Goodness! We’re about to clear the stage in less than 50 seconds! Less than 30 hunters probably died!”
But surely.
“Less than 40 minutes! Less than 20 hunters have probably died!”
A little bit faster.
More efficiently.
Every time a day repeated, the Witch’s face became a bit more excited. Her voice was brighter. She looked happier when she said only 20 people died than the time she was saying 50 people died.
“Ah…”
I died day by day.
“Unbelievable…good job Kim Gong-ja! Like you said, we confronted the golem after healing the knight called Joshua, but wow, less than 10 people probably died…To think this was possible. In this battlefield, mm. It was…”
I lived a day.
-You dare.
One day, the Devil King asked.
-Why are you doing that?
“What.”
-I’m asking why you’re grinning.
I smiled.
“Because I’m happy.”
My heart was beating fast.
“I’m laughing because I’m happy.”
The Devil King lifted his sword.
-You’re happy even though you’re going to die?
“You won’t understand. You can’t.”
-How arrogant, warrior of the goddess.
“I’m just simple.”
I swung my sword.
-Poor thing.
The sword cut me.
[You have died.]
[You are regressing to 24 hours ago.]
But I didn’t give up.
There wasn’t a reason to.
My sword was faster than yesterday.
Tomorrow, it would be even faster.
Because I was living.
Because I was alive.
“······.”
The day came to me without a sound.
The Witch grabbed my hand. She didn’t know, but there were 100 black marks on my palm. They were like wrinkles to me. Wrinkles that told me how much time had flowed.
“Just now…”
The Witch’s voice trembled.
“I just checked. Kim Gong-ja. Not one…”
The Witch’s hand was trembling in mine.
“Not one died.”
Her trembling turned into crying.
“Even the Ten Thousand Temple was checked and there’s none…there were some stupid fools who were hitwith arrows, but…but. No one died.”
Black Dragon.
A guild that had been at the top ever since the beginning of the Tower.
Black Dragon was ruled by the Rank 2 hunter. The Black Witch challenged the 10th floor tens of times. Every time she did, she failed. She failed, but she always brought back the hunters safely.
She was such a person.
“Thank you…”
That kind of person leaned her head on me.
“Really, thank you…”
The Witch was crying.
She was also laughing.
I wanted to live a bit more.
And so.
Time flowed.
It flowed in my heart.
-You dare!
The moment my heart thumped, I swung my sword.
-You dare to stop me yourself! Without any help from the empire!
“Yes.”
It was a large field.
In the world where time was stopped.
I pointed my sword at my enemy with a thumping heart.
“I said a warrior fights alone.”
-You fool!
The Devil King roared in anger.
It didn’t have a name. It didn’t have a form. It could’ve been called a shadow. The shadow lifted a red sword as vibrant as blood. The air shook unstably and I was in the range of the sword.
It was blood.
-You…!
The next attack.
And the one after that.
-My shadow is the evil of all you humans!
That was when it changed.
The Devil King swung his red sword. At the fourth attack, the sound of a mirror breaking could also be heard. The light on the sword glinted.
“-Sorry, King Gong-ja.”
Someone lightly landed next to me.
The black hair waved in the wind.
“I wanted to stay in the reception like you said. But I couldn’t take it anymore.”
The Master of Black Dragon.
The Witch lifted a corner of her mouth.
“I felt like I was going to die if I stayed in there any longer. So I came here wondering what you were saying…humph. You were playing fun games all by yourself?”
“They were warrior games.”
“Was it fun?”
I smiled.
“Fucking great.”
“I guess. It’s a beast that seems worth hunting.”
5 mirrors came flying.
“I can’t let you have all the fun to yourself. Let me join.”
“Wow. I had it all. You’re stealing it now?”
“You didn’t know? Taking someone else’s prey is the tastiest.”
“I agree with that.”
-You…
The Devil King growled.
The being who couldn’t be laughing right now was probably the Devil King.
“Sorry. Hey-”
I lifted my sword.
“I wanted to take care of you myself. But I think it’s right for warriors to get the Devil King together. It’s to brag about history and tradition, right?”
-How rude you are!
The wastewater on the Devil King’s body boiled.
-I won’t use this sword against you anymore!
Wastewater fell to the ground.
Like the source was limitless, the wastewater kept on pouring onto the ground, and turned the field black.
It was like a large shadow had covered the earth.
-Monsters, respond to my voice.
Brrr. Boil.
The shadow boiled and coughed up bubbles.
-Kirrrrk!
-Keeek, Kiiii!
In each of the bubbles’ shadows were monsters. Black water turned into forms.
Some bubbles became goblins, and some became orcs.
An orc stirred his head. When the bubbles flowed, thousands of monsters were surrounding us.
-Kwwwooooo!
The beasts cried out fiercely.
“This…”
The Witch frowned after looking around her.
“This isn’t something we can do ourselves. Sword Saint! What are you doing there staring blankly? Not even helping us.”
“I wanted to watch a bit more. It hasn’t even been 30 seconds since that youngster began fighting. Who knew that wastewater would call for monsters.”
Sword Saint, who had been watching me for about 30 seconds, spoke.
“That’s correct. I was wondering whether I should ask for help after a minute.”
I smiled, looking at his face that had been watching me for over 30 weeks.
“Men…anyway. Kim Gong-ja, hold my hand. We have to get out of here. Sword Saint! Come here too. Can’t you see this?”