Chapter 355 - Ryu Min's Desire
After dealing with Gaia and Chaos, Ryu Min returned to Paradise.
[You have arrived.]
[Were you watching?]
[Of course, I saw everything from start to finish. Wow, you really destroyed them, didn't you?]
Ryu Min had discovered Cronos' betrayal by setting a trap in the ghost prison and killed him. Then, after obtaining 10 billion Terra, he lured the Primordial Gods into the void of space-time and killed them too.
Min Do-jun, who had witnessed all these events, did not look at Ryu Min with disdain. On the contrary, he smiled with satisfaction, like a master pleased with his disciple.
[How do you feel after completing your revenge?]
[I don't know, maybe now I can sleep peacefully?]
[For someone with the powers of time, creation, and destruction, that sounds quite modest.]
[That modesty is what brought me here.]
[I see. That's enough. But...]
Min Do-jun's gaze fell on Ryu Min's hand.
[You haven't completely destroyed them, have you?]
[Can you see it?]
[Yes, I can see all the souls trapped in that glove.]
Apparently, Min Do-jun could see the Soul Gauntlet, an eternal item.
[Inside there are Chaos, Gaia, Cronos, and all kinds of Gods.]
[That's right.]
[Why didn't you destroy them?]
[If I destroy them, I won't be able to use their powers. Creation, destruction, time... everything would disappear.]
[So you're going to keep them?]
[No, I will let them go. You can't call it true revenge just by keeping them prisoners.]
[What are you going to do?]
Ryu Min smiled as he manipulated the system interface.
[Elsis has a very interesting function.]
[Ah... do you mean that?]
[Yes.]
[Seriously...]
Reading his thoughts, Min Do-jun looked at him with a mix of disbelief and admiration.
[I will use this to give the Gods the same suffering that humans experienced. That is...]
Ryu Min smiled from ear to ear.
[...true revenge.]
“Mmm...”
The people who had lost consciousness began to get up.
“Where are we?”
“Wait, what is this appearance? We're human!”
“Gaia, is that really you?”
A middle-aged woman, recognizing a man's voice, was surprised and asked.
“Who are you?”
“It's me!”
“It can't be... Rubuahi?”
“Yes, it's me!”
“Wait, are you Gaia?”
“Is that voice... Chaos?”
Gaia, Chaos, and Rubuahi looked at each other, astonished.
Suddenly, upon opening their eyes, they found themselves in a vast meadow, reincarnated as humans.
“What is happening, Gaia? Didn't Black Scythe destroy you?”
“That is the question I want to ask you, Chaos.”
“Wait, are you Chaos?”
“Chaos? Then she is Gaia?”
Looking around, they saw more people.
“I am Moros! Don't you recognize me?”
“What? You are Moros, the God of Destruction?”
“I am Nemesis, the Goddess of Vengeance! Do you remember me?”
“Chaos? I am Nyx, your faithful servant.”
“What is going on? Why are they in human form?”
“It's not just an appearance. We have really become humans.”
“How?”
“I have no idea, at all.”
Plunictos, Moros, Nemesis, Nyx, Erebus, Aether, and more.
All the gods they knew had turned into humans and were together in one place.
Even the Gods of Olympus were not absent.
“Now that I think about it, all of you participated in the bet, didn't you?”
“What is happening?”
“I can't believe I have become a filthy human.”
“This can't be happening...!”
It was a truly bewildering meeting.
“We don't know what is happening, but one thing is certain. All this is Black Scythe's doing.”
“Are you saying Black Scythe turned us into humans?”
“Seems so. Black Scythe absorbed all the powers of the Primordial God and rose to an absolute position.”
“But, even if that is true, how could Black Scythe degrade superior beings like us to mere humans?”
“He might have used the power of creation to form human bodies, but he shouldn't be able to insert incompatible souls…”
Just as the bodies of humans and Gods are different, so are their souls.
Even if you possess the power of creation, you can't place an inappropriate soul in an unsuitable body.
Suddenly, Chaos grabbed Rubuahi by the neck.
“This is your fault! For introducing Min Do-jun to Gaia...!”
“Let me go!”
Rubuahi freed himself, and Chaos was pushed back without strength.
But Chaos wasn't the only one angry.
“Rubuahi!”
Slap!
Gaia's hand turned Rubuahi's head to the side.
“Gaia… Goddess?”
Rubuahi, struck by his own master, had an expression of deep shock.
“You are a useless mass of thoughts! Because of you, all this is happening! Why did I have to reincarnate into an inferior human body?”
Gaia shook Rubuahi by the neck when something happened.
[Well, well, this is total chaos.]
A figure appeared in the sky, flapping its large wings.
“You… Artaros?”
[Long time no see, Chaos.]
“Is this your doing?”
[How could it be? What power do I have? All this is the work of Black Scythe, the transcendent and Absolute God.]
“What? Black Scythe?”
“Damn that human toy...!”
Although they suspected it, hearing it for real twisted their stomachs.
“Seeing that you speak to him with respect, Artaros, have you joined him?”
[I had no choice. I have always allied with those who can fulfill my desires.]
“Desires?”
[Have you forgotten? My only wish is to be freed from the curse of immortality. Although Chaos granted me that wish… now it no longer holds.]
It seems that Artaros, who had died after being stabbed with the spear of death, had been resurrected by the power of time.
“And for that, you joined a mere human?”
[I had no choice. If I don't follow his orders, I can't even die. I have lost all my former powers. Just like you.]
“...”
Chaos and the other gods could only look with contained fury.
They felt it too.
They didn't have a shred of Terra or divine power in their bodies.
They had become mere humans, nothing more, nothing less.
“Join our side, Artaros. If we join forces, we can face Black Scythe.”
[How are we supposed to do that?]
“We don't have an immediate plan, but if we put our heads together...”
[It's not the time for this. We don't have time.]
“Time?”
[I only appeared as your guide.]
“What?”
Artaros flapped his wings.
Then, a message window appeared in front of the gods.
“What is this...?”
“First round... kill 100 goblins per person?”
Before they could say anything else, goblins started appearing in the meadow in the distance.
[From now on, each of you must kill 100 goblins. Once you kill them, you will move on to the next round. If you don't survive, a severe punishment awaits you in Tartarus, so don't take this lightly and don't die.]
“What? This is a complete...”
“They're coming!”
“Ahhh!”
Soon, the painful screams of Chaos, Gaia, and the other gods echoed in the meadow.
------------
[They are fighting better than I expected.]
[Yes. Enduring up to the third round with normal bodies. It's surprising, isn't it?]
[Now, in the fourth round, they will start fighting among themselves.]
Min Do-jun, who was observing the struggle of the Gods degraded to humans, looked at Ryu Min with admiring eyes.
[Using Elsis's function to adjust the levels and degrade all the Gods to humans. Also, putting them in the same survival game you were in. Isn't it amazing?]
[I had to give them back what they did to me. Of course, even if they survive up to round 20, they will return to the first round as if they were in a hamster wheel.]
[They have fallen into an eternal cycle of hell.]
Min Do-jun laughed a little, but soon showed a serious look.
[What will you do now? You have finished your revenge and have lost almost all your powers.]
Because he had turned the Gods into humans, Ryu Min could no longer use his powers.
Neither the power of creation nor the power of destruction.
But he had one skill left.
[I still have the power of time.]
Ryu Min had not released Cronos' soul.
He had carefully kept it in the gauntlet, ready to use it when necessary.
If he released Cronos, he would lose the power of time.
[What do you plan to do with that?]
[I will go back.]
[Again?]
Ryu Min smiled unintentionally at the look that seemed to ask if he wasn't tired after doing it 101 times.
[This time will be different. I will live a normal life, without survival games.]
[Do you want to go back in time before the survival games started?]
[Yes.]
[But won't the other Gods also be resurrected?]
[No, they won't be resurrected. In fact, they will become beings that never existed. If I cut and paste only the timeline I want.]
[A timeline?]
Ryu Min smiled as he explained to Min Do-jun.
Just as Cronos had explained to him.
[And what about the other timelines? What will happen to your companions in those lines?]
[I will not touch the existing timelines. I will let my companions live their desired lives in their own worlds. Each world has its own life.]
It was a natural decision.
Destroying the timelines of his companions who lived happily with their fulfilled desires was something he couldn't do.
[I will create my own timeline. An ideal world without celestials, demons, or gods.]
More than going back in time, it meant adding a new timeline.
[In that place, I will live a normal life with my family. That is my true desire I want to ask the Wish Stone.]
[So you plan to go back to December 2021?]
Ryu Min shook his head.
[No, a little further back... I will go back four years from now.]
[Four years back?]
[Yes, that way...]
A smile appeared on Ryu Min's face.
[I can reunite with my family.]
That was Ryu Min's desire and longing.
------------------
The year 2019 was unforgettable for Ryu Min.
It was the year his parents died in a car accident.
‘But that's a thing of the past now.’
With the player's power intact, Ryu Min was able to easily prevent his parents' accident.
In fact, even without power, it was easy to avoid.
On the day of the accident, all he had to do was make sure his parents didn't take the car.
‘If going back in time were always that simple...’
Ryu Min realized again how incredible Cronos' power was.
Tok tok tok -
The sound of the knife on the cutting board brought him out of his thoughts.
He smiled at the sight of his mother preparing food in the kitchen.
At that moment, his younger sister, who had just woken up, caught him watching.
“Mom, my brother is looking at you in a strange way.”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“I don't know. He did it before and now he's doing it again.”
“Really? What time is it for you to just wake up?”
“It's vacation, what does it matter?”
Even though his sister was complaining, Ryu Min didn't mind.
“Oh! You laughed again.”
“What? You don't like me laughing?”
“It's not that, it's just uncomfortable. Why are you laughing like that, brother?”
“Simply because I'm happy.”
“Ugh. Mom, I think my brother ate something weird.”
“It's fine with me. Ha ha ha.”
Ryu Min clicked his tongue as he watched his sister cling to his mother.
Would his sister know that he was the only one who looked for her when they lost their parents?
Even though she didn't remember it anymore, Ryu Min didn't care and smiled once more.
---------------
“Excuse me for a moment. Sorry. This is fine.”
The place Min Juri had brought him to, through the crowd, had a good view of Bosingak.
Here they could definitely see the bell-ringing event.
“There are a lot of people, right?”
“Yes.”
Ryu Min calmly observed his surroundings.
It was full of people waiting for the New Year 2022.
“You said it was your first time at the bell-ringing event, right?”
“Yes, it's true. With you.”
It was a familiar scene he had seen 101 times, but it was the first time he had come with Min Juri.
-Receiving the New Year with my first love. It seems like a dream.
The rune in his heart revealed Min Juri's thoughts, but Ryu Min shook his head.
‘I have decided to live a normal life. A normal life.’
Even though he had the player system, Elsis, and the power of time, Ryu Min had not caused problems during his three years of high school.
Even when someone provoked him, he ignored it as if a dragon encountered a fly.
He could kill them if he made a mistake.
‘Of course, I didn't let Hwang Yong-min go.’
When Hwang Yong-min provoked him just because he was nearby, Ryu Min told him to follow him quietly to the back hill and showed him something.
-In this world, there are beings you shouldn't interfere with.
‘Since then, he hasn't made a sound...’
Min Juri, thinking he was being dragged by Hwang Yong-min, showed interest for the first time.
Concern? Compassion?
At first, that's how it was.
But, as always, Min Juri began to take an interest in him.
And now, they had become close friends.
‘I can't say for sure if we will go further...’
Anyway, it doesn't matter.
Seeing a close companion alive is enough.
“Look. There are a lot of celebrities.”
Following the direction Min Juri's finger pointed, you could see celebrities waiting behind the stage.
Among them, there was a familiar face.
‘Seo Arin.’
There in the distance, she was as beautiful as ever.
In the past, he wouldn't have paid attention, but now, having shared life and death with her, he couldn't take his eyes off her.
‘In another timeline, she will be living her fulfilled desire.’
He looked away, determined not to get involved.
It's better to leave memories as memories.
“It looks like it's about to start.”
At that moment, the host's voice resonated.
“Finally, the time has come! Let's count together!”
“20! 19! 18!”
As the 20-second countdown began, Ryu Min felt nervous without realizing it.
Because of that memory that always came back.
‘It can't be. Not this time.’
For others, it was the countdown to a new beginning, but for Ryu Min, it was like a countdown to death.
“...3, 2, 1!”
Dong! Dong! Dong!
“The new year 2022 has arrived! Happy New Year everyone!”
“Wooooo!”
With the sound of the bells, Ryu Min lifted his head.
As always, there were no angels in sight.
“Phew…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, it's nothing.”
Ryu Min, relieved, lowered his head again and looked around.
People smiling with hope in the new year.
It was a sight he hadn't appreciated before.
‘It really is over.’
A smile of satisfaction appeared on his face.
Finally, he felt everything was back in place.
At that moment, he remembered the words he said to Min Do-jun.
[I will live there. The true life I lost.]
The true life he had never experienced was starting right now.
The end.