114 – 50. The Last Memory
The last thing he saw was the sight of something turning inside out from Lucifer’s wound.
At the same time, the magic spewing into the air caused an explosion, and Glendia, heading towards the unfolded Valhalla, was helplessly thrown off course.
“Well then. Am I supposed to die in this explosion?”
Ian, reflecting on the recent situation, sharpened his gaze.
Whether he was alive or dead, the exact truth was still unknown. But Ian thought he had lost his life engulfed in magic.
Why? Wouldn’t it be simple?
“If I’m not dead, there’s no way I’d open my eyes in such an empty place.”
In the tense situation of the ongoing battle, he closed his eyes, and when he opened them, it was in the darkness where not even a step ahead could be seen.
In such a situation, anyone would probably think, ‘I must be dead.’
Ian was no different, being human.
Leaving the battle behind, he envisioned his future ahead.
“So, what happens to me now? I created this mess to capture the mage, but I died halfway through. The happy ending that was probably supposed to be a reward can’t be dreamt of.”
Listening to Velfegor’s words, it seemed like Eris had put considerable effort into finding an assistant to perfect the hero. How annoying it would be to die without fulfilling one’s role.
Of course, Ian had grievances.
He had suffered a lot in the beginning, having been possessed without proper compensation, as confirmed in his memoirs. Velfegor, apart from revealing the truth, didn’t provide much help either.
“Yeah. It’s a mistake on both sides. If Eris, the goddess of peace and mercy, is the embodiment of benevolence, wouldn’t she show some leniency? Honestly, it seemed like I pushed Lucifer to the last phase, but whether Arielle defeated me in my stead is also unknown.”
Partial credit. It was embarrassing to use such words, considering it’s not a school exam.
Given his level of contribution, it should be enough to receive due credit. At least, that’s what Ian thought.
“Ah, whatever. I don’t know. I’ll just graciously accept whatever punishment comes my way. It’s not like there are people listening to my words like gods.”
It was at that moment, sitting slump-shouldered and looking at the seemingly pitch-black ceiling, that he repeatedly sighed.
“Just a moment… But why isn’t the quest notification showing up? Whether it’s a failure or success, it should at least occur first, right?”
The moment I became aware of the silent persistence of the status window that had shamelessly echoed without a clue.
I understand why the quest didn’t trigger. It makes sense since it was about the potion, and I received it at the very beginning.
[Hidden Story ‘Ian’s Secret’]
[A quest has been activated.]
[Defeat the mage and uncover Ian’s hidden secret!]
[Success: Happy Ending / Failure: Eternal Death]
“Yeah! I’ve already received it. But why isn’t it concluding?”
The quest that was firmly embedded at the bottom of the status window.
It was the notification Ian, who initially thought he was possessed, had received.
If it’s certain that it’s already over, this quest should be marked as a failure and disappear.
However, for some reason, the quest window did not vanish but continued to persist.
What on earth is going on?
In a situation where English couldn’t be understood, Ian checked the status window here and there.
And he could see.
[Confirming Ian’s truth.]
‘Confirming the truth? Then this space too…’
Was this space created to uncover the truth he had yet to realize?
It was a moment of feeling feathers standing on end at the surprising revelation.
‘In front of my eyes…’
The whizzing head and the rapidly narrowing field of view.
Familiar phenomena involuntarily made Ian squint his eyes.
In that moment, Ian was certain.
“Damn. I’m going to faint again.”
With these brief words, Ian closed his eyes.
***
[After enduring a difficult past life and possessing another, what awaited me was another kind of hell.]
Lee Hyun-woo.
His life was nothing short of a tragedy.
[It might sound ironic, but when I possessed someone, I didn’t desire the life of a wealthy person. What I wanted was to live an ordinary life in an ordinary household. It was something I had never experienced before.]
His mother, who lost her life in an accident during his childhood, and his father, who worked tirelessly day and night to take care of him.
Until high school, despite the hardships, he felt the simple joy of living.
The problem arose afterward.
On the day he was assigned to the front-line unit and visited for the first time, he received the news that his father, who was driving a long way to see him, had passed away in a traffic accident. It was the first time he felt like the world was collapsing.
A life with nowhere to turn is truly miserable.
After being discharged from military service with no family left, all that remained was his own body.
That meant he had to face the harsh world alone.
[There was no room for being picky about warm or cold meals. I needed money.]
Back in his childhood, waiting for the signal at the crosswalk to go to school, he once pointed at a person picking up trash next to him.
The mother of the child, who asked what that person was doing, replied like this.
That person is doing such things because they can’t afford to study and don’t have money. Study hard to succeed and avoid becoming someone who lives day by day.
To the young Lee Hyunwoo, the words that came across as if passing by hit him like a shock. He firmly believed that he must succeed and live without resorting to such things.
Of course, reality didn’t flow as desired.
[To earn money, he had to do various things without hesitation. Even if he was pointed at and laughed at by others, what could he do? Surviving meant he could do anything.]
In his naive childhood, Lee Hyunwoo thought he should never become someone who does such things.
Unfortunately, the first thing he ever did was exactly that.
[It was embarrassing, but unavoidable. It was the only thing I could do. Walking pathetically because the bus fare to the house an hour away was a waste became my life.]
How long has he lived such a life? He could earn a considerable amount of money, albeit somewhat insufficient. A not-so-bad life began to find its way.
They say when you have leisure, you start looking for other things.
Regardless of who said it, Lee Hyunwoo thought those words were quite accurate.
[It had been a long time since I cut ties with friends. Living like that while working, the thought that there was nothing left hit me suddenly, and in that moment, I began to seek refuge.]
To alleviate the rapidly rising loneliness, Lee Hyunwoo chose games and sports.
In a hurry, he bought a used computer and registered at a gym near his house.
The bank account started thinning due to sudden expenses, but he didn’t care. He already had a certain intuition that the end of this life was tragic.
[Even if I filled three meals with just ramen, a life enjoying leisure was undeniably happy.]
In the early morning, he exercised, went to work, and upon returning, turned on the computer to start gaming.
However, games that seemed never to run out gradually diminished.
Eventually, Lee Hyunwoo took it upon himself to find a game to play.
That moment was when he discovered a game one day.
[And that game, the perpetrator of all these events, was none other than Heroic Academy.]
Feeling good after completing the clear and playing the DLC, a new world unfolded before my eyes.
No clumsy metaphors here. A truly new world had unfolded.
[Noble life, having to uncover Ian’s secret—such nonsense made my mind dizzy. Initially, I thought my mental state had deteriorated from not taking care of myself properly.]
But this wasn’t a dream-like, fortunate story. Soon, Hyunwoo had to face reality.
[Comprehending all the information in the room, I realized. Ian Volkano… he might be an existence that should never have been born.]
There was no special advantage in attributes.
Certainly, being a body created by a god, I thought there would be hidden benefits. However, for Ian, who faced countless challenges, there was only the shackles of infinite regression.
[Failures, one after another. Childhood friend Celia, Erzabeth who supported me, Hailey who taught me swordsmanship… and finally, my younger brother Ariel. In a life of repeating separations and reunions, I wanted to tear my hair out.]
Even receiving attributes through Celia’s sacrifice didn’t improve the situation.
Taking one more step forward, dying, and rewinding time was the same.
Eventually, sensing that my sanity might slip away, I even tried to end my own life.
[I thought about suicide. I tried hanging myself and even jumped into the ruthless sea. I contemplated falling off cliffs.]
Anyone who could rescue me from this pain, I wished for. Simultaneously, I hoped no one would approach me.
If I failed again, I would lament the fact that my connection with them would reset.
In the face of continued failures, Ian had no choice but to make a decision.
[Using Hailey, his swordsmanship mentor, he began to create something called ‘Seal Stone,’ mentioned in ancient documents. As an item that could engrave imprints on the soul, he believed it could withstand regression and, more importantly, alleviate the fear of relationships with precious people resetting.]
Handing everything over to Ariel, he aimed to end this regression as quickly as possible.
Even if using the Seal Stone would worsen the already bad relationships with family and invite hatred from those around.
But if he didn’t do that, wouldn’t the quest never succeed?
Ian’s thoughts were simple.
First, using the stamp stone to eliminate the burden of regression. Then, by directly hitting his head, he figured out a way. And when the effectiveness of the stamp stone disappeared due to continuous regression. He wanted to restore the broken connections.
[It doesn’t matter if there’s no one left by my side. As long as I can end this regression…]
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Though it was heart-wrenching, if the connection was going to be severed anyway, he tried not to hold onto any lingering attachment.
Even if it meant isolating himself on a deserted island.
[There was no dramatic change after using the stamp stone. However, at least the pain began to fade away even if he regressed. Perhaps it was not the help of the stamp stone, but rather me becoming numb to regression.]
He was afraid of becoming increasingly apathetic, but he forced himself to say that he was okay.
He repeated the thought of undoing everything as long as this regression ended.
He couldn’t remember how many times he had tried.
Until it worked… At least until there was a clue, Ian kept challenging himself.
Was his effort reaching the gods?
Finally, Ian was able to discover the solution he had longed for.
[I still remember Lucifer’s face, looking at me like I was insane. Even though I only had one last strike left, my sword was aimed at my own abdomen, not his neck. The astonished party members and the perplexed Ariella who couldn’t understand… But I have precious people left, so it couldn’t be helped.]
The situation where he could finally defeat Lucifer and put an end to the shackles of regression.
With this memory, if Ian were to regress one last time, he would finally be able to conclude this nightmare.
With that thought, Ian plunged the sword into his abdomen.
Unfortunately, this damn world didn’t flow in the direction Ian desired.
The effect of the stamp stone disappeared. Finally, the moment when everything could be corrected arrived.
But what crumbled first was Ian’s sanity.
Excessive regression gradually ate away at his mind.
In the end, even before Ian could start his actual plan after the regression, he possessed someone and lost everything he had built up so far.
It was that moment.
The moment when all memories of the 1083 regressions disappeared.
The moment when facing the Grand Master, known as the legend, and meeting a futile end.
Gradually, the field of vision began to blur. At the same time, Ian opened his eyes, confirming all the hidden secrets he had kept and could see.
– Ian! Wake up… wake up….
“Are you awake? Just hold on a bit. Ian!”
“I-Ian! Are you coming to your senses?”
“Ian! Are you okay? It’s me, Ria! Do you recognize me?”
…”
Against the backdrop of the magenta sky stained with magic, the familiar figures of women appeared before his eyes.
From Glenidia, who was dedicated to healing, to Ria and Erika, and beyond, there were Bianca praying with folded hands and Reyna silently shedding tears by her side.
A perilous situation where a wrong move could cost lives.
It was only natural to urge him to go back immediately, but Ian couldn’t bring himself to do so.
There was only one reason.
[I have confirmed all the hidden truths. Defeat Lucifer, whom you last drank, and end the regression!]
[I have recalled all the states you achieved, Ian Volkano! The experience points accumulated in the previous rounds will be reset.]
[Reached the level of Grand Master!]
[Will you undertake the final quest?]
In response to the successive questions in the status window, Ian answered without a moment’s hesitation.
‘Undertake.’
The moment he sensed that the damn regression was about to come to an end, there wasn’t much time left.
Dame 1083 regressions, I would have gone insane after the 5th