"Cough..… ."
Looking at the man who was tearing up and bleeding, Choi Hyun-Woo had to constantly try to regain his spirit, which seemed to be on the verge of breaking.
"How…… ."
How the hell?He, who had been raising questions that he would probably never know in the future, choked up and vomited blood once more.And he thought they must have felt like this.
All those who died to him died from bleeding, cold, and suffocation like this.He'd never thought that not being able to breathe any more would be so terrifying.
Master, Soo-Young, Ji-Hyuk...… .How on earth did they worry about me even in this fear, instead of wanting to live?He was just curious about that fact, even in his fading consciousness.
"Ty, rfing…… ."
After swallowing his breath, he tried to somehow scrape the air remaining in his lungs and spit it out in understandable words.
"Take it…… tha, t...… ."
Choi Hyun-Woo said as he looked at his other self from the past, who was catching his breath without saying a word.
"At least once, it'll give you a lot of strength… … And let it crush...… you, like me...… ."
"…… ."
After hearing those words, Choi Hyeon-Woo looked at Tyrfing, which had lost its strength and was stuck on the ground.The sword aura, which had been strangely stained with blood, had long since faded away.Choi Hyun-Woo, who was looking at it with a firm expression, suddenly gathered up all the remaining mana and pulled out the sword aura.
And then, he swung it in one breath and cut the magic sword in two.
"I don't need it."
"…… ."
Choi Hyun-Woo said, looking straight at him lying on the floor.
"Because I have this."
It's the sword my friends trusted me with, the sword my family gave me their blessing over.Choi Hyun-Woo took a deep breath and exhaled.
Yoo Ji-Hyuk gave this sword to him without showing any regrets.Han Soo-Young stayed up all night for a few days to instill magic into the sword.Both were people Choi Hyun-Woo wanted to protect.
"I don't need anything more."
"… I see."
He muttered blankly as if he finally understood now.Then he looked up at the space blankly, as if envious, and exhaled a long breath.
"I, like you…… ."
That was the last of it.Soon he turned into dust and disappeared, scattering by the wind.
"Hook. Koheuk...… ."
As soon as he saw it, Choi Hyun-Woo collapsed to his knees.
He couldn't fall down here yet.That tenacity alone somehow kept him sane.Then, someone approached Choi Hyun-Woo, who was exhausted, and held out something in front of him.It was a potion.
"Drink it."
"You are… ?"
"Choi Hyun-Woo, right? Yoo Ji-Hyuk sent me."
"…… ."
It was the first time he had seen the woman.For a moment, Choi Hyun-Woo hesitated, but he decided to put aside the suspicion after realizing that he would have been easily overpowered without any special tricks if it was in his current state anyway.
"Hoo…… ."
After he swallowed the potion, he could feel the pain ease to some extent.The woman, who watched as he adjusted his posture, introduced herself as she gently lowered her hand that had been placed on the handle of the pistol.
"I'm Lydia. And I'm in...… a temporary alliance with Yoo Ji-Hyuk. And I was walking around as he asked and looking for you, Han Soo-Young, and Jin Ye-Seul."
"That means…… ."
"You're the first one. I also met Yoo Ji-Hyuk, but until I met, he couldn't defeat his opponents."
Lydia continued her words with a concise and simple attitude.
"He said that in order to get from one place to another, you must defeat the other self. And at his request, I was walking around to support you first."
"Others… ?"
At the words of Choi Hyun-Woo, who asked her blankly, Lydia meekly nodded.
"Yes. So, I think it would be better to move as quickly as possible. … I don't have many potions, so I can't give you any more."
"No, it's okay. This is enough."
With a nod, Choi Hyun-Woo somehow managed to stand up on trembling legs.And he started walking after her.Because, as she had said, it was more important than anything else to meet up with Yoo Ji-Hyuk and his friends who were now scattered.
Soon after, they were able to find another person.Choi Hyun-Woo could immediately recognize that that person was Jin Ye-Seul.
And she was rolling wildly on the floor, tangled with someone else, like a lover.
"Kkeueuk, this is… !"
"Aha! I finally got you!"
Choi Hyun-Woo, who was about to rush in, was able to relax when he realized that the person who got on top and overpowered was the Jin Ye Seul he knew.
Even though she's overpowered her, she can't do anything in that state.It was when Choi Hyun-Woo put his hand on the scabbard thinking that.
"What is this?"
Jin Ye-Seul shook her body as she held her down.And as a result of the movement, the necklace hanging on her neck flew exactly around her mouth.
She grinned as she bit it with her teeth as if snatching it, and with a click, the necklace turned into a dagger.Another Jin Ye-Seul's face, who clearly looked at the scene, turned ghastly pale.
"You, you crazy b*tch… ! Get off me, you f*cking b*tch!"
"Wrong! The answer isn't a f*cking b*tch, but a gift from Ji-Hyuk!"
And here's another problem.What am I going to do with this?
She spoke skillfully even with a dagger in her mouth.Then she bit it firmly and stuck it down in a flash.
With an eerie sound, a dagger pierced her neck and she trembled.But Jin Ye-Seul did not stop there.
After shaking her head violently and digging her wounds in a mess like a raging beast, Jin Ye-Seul finally got off of her as if she was satisfied.
"Ah…… Aeuk...…Keuk."
Looking down at her other self, whose neck was colored with hot blood and had a dagger stuck in the middle of it, Jin Ye-Seul smiled with sincere satisfaction.
"Yeah, you're me after all! The necklace Ji-Hyuk gave me really looks good on you."
But it looks better on me.Jin Ye-Seul said so and slowly rose to her feet.Then she carefully placed her toes on the handle of the dagger and slowly applied force on it.
A stabbing sound slowly rang out.
With that, the dagger dug deeper and deeper into her body.She was shaking and shivering, but eventually even that slightest movement disappeared.
Jin Ye-Seul who soon saw her turn into dust and disappear, didn't seem too surprised.She casually retrieved the dagger, returned it to the necklace, and carefully hung it around her neck.
Lydia, who had been watching the scene from the beginning, murmured in a small voice.
"As he said. This girl is a little...… scary."
Hearing those words, Choi Hyun-Woo nodded without realizing it.
"Huh? Choi Hyun-Woo? And next to...… ."
As Jin Ye-Seul approached, Lydia flinched and took a step back without realizing it.Choi Hyun-Woo stepped forward instead and began to explain to her what happened.
"Actually…… ."
Immediately, the party grew from two to three.Lydia, who took the lead naturally, said, hastening her steps a little.
"Now there is only one left."
"Soo-Young will be fine."
Choi Hyun-Woo said, catching his breath.
"Because she's stronger and smarter than me. So I'm sure she'll be fine."
"…… ."
Hearing those words, Jin Ye-Seul stopped herself from saying, 'Then the copy would be even stronger, so wouldn't it be more dangerous?'No matter how much she was, she didn't like to scratch the other person's insides meaninglessly, and more importantly, she could read the least amount of atmosphere.
To be honest, she didn't like the idea of Han Soo-Young dying like this either.
"It's here."
They could tell without Lydia saying it.It was because they could feel an enormous mana even if they didn't try.
The three of them immediately tried to approach the center of the mana, but they immediately stopped.This was because numerous skeletons and ghouls were crawling out of the ground.
Choi Hyun-Woo, who saw them filled his field of vision in the blink of an eye, just sighed, and Jin Ye-Seul murmured as if it were absurd.
"… The future Han Soo-Young did this, right?"
What kind of life did she live... ?Jin Ye-Seul muttered as if she was sorry, which was rare.Because she had roughly predicted what was going to happen.
"I'm sorry, can you give me one more?"
At Choi Hyun-Woo's words, Lydia handed him a potion without saying anything.Choi Hyun-Woo, who swallowed it at once, pulled out his sword.
He knew better that his sword, which had sucked the blood-red sword aura, had become sharper than before.
"… Let's break through in a straight line at once. I'll take the lead."
With those words, Choi Hyun-Woo flew towards the undead corps without hesitation.
* * *
It's really a checkmate.I thought so as I hugged Han Soo-Young in my arms.
It's been a long time since I've consumed most of my mana to deal with the three of my other selves.It was the price I paid not thinking about the future, because I knew I had to go as soon as possible.
Still, thanks to that, I was able to save Han Soo-Young without being late.As I was thinking this, I noticed that Han Soo-Young's body was shaking in my arms.
A symptom I saw a few days ago.It was exhaustion due to mana exhaustion.Her pale and tired face was beaten and in a mess with the tears she shed.
I gently reached out and grabbed her cold, hard fingertips, pretending not to see her.Then, using the branches of the World Tree, I began to give her the little mana left.
Even Jin Ye-Seul had a hard time enduring the mana exhaustion.Han Soo-young was no different.
"St, stop…… it…… ."
Perhaps because of the chills, Han Soo-Young stuttered her words as she constantly clashed her teeth.As if to say, stop doing it, she began to twist her body weakly in my arms as if in defiance.
"Do, don't give it to me…… Save a little...… ru, run away...… ."
"What are you talking about now?"
"Im, impossible…… there, no, way, can win...… ."
Han Soo-young said so and pushed me away with force.It was a force that was extremely weak.
"N o…… Yo, you just run away, please...… ."
"…… ."
I just stared at Han Soo-Young, who was telling me to run away in a teary voice.I looked straight at her, whose eyes were quickly filled with tears as she stared at me, and said.
"It's okay."
Everything will be alright.Saying so, I took off my jacket and covered her, who was still trembling.Then I stared at the opponent, ignoring her words that still told me to run away.
Han Soo-Young of the other future.She looked at least ten years older.
"Thank you for waiting."
"…… ."
She didn't say anything.She was just looking at me with an indescribable expression.She opened her mouth as if she were going to say something, then quickly closed it again.
Instead, she waved her hand, and the two undead that had been scattered on the floor came back to stand in front of her, as if time had gone backward.
It was mine and Choi Hyun-Woo's undead.No matter how different the future was, it didn't feel good to see me dead.
"Just in case, I'll tell you. … You're not going to just stop here, are you?"
I had to drag the time as much as possible.Aside from the support coming, it was for the third ability that had been awakened by killing the me of the parallel world who had the branch of the World Tree.
Branch of the World Tree (Bonded / Parasitic / Legendary)
[Effect][Active]
― Part of the World Tree can be extracted from the body. Currently, it's quite proficient.―You can absorb the energy of a target that comes into contact with a branch of the World Tree. However, if the opponent's overall stats are significantly higher, the energy may be taken away. For targets with an absolute advantage, energy can be absorbed unconditionally. You can share energy with the connected person.― You can change some of the branches of the World Tree into seeds that can be rooted. The seed of the rooted world tree can absorb the energy of the place where it took root and deliver it to the body, and has a weak autonomous will. You can control the growth rate by injecting mana. After a certain period of time, it dries up and dies, losing all strength.— ???
I had already planted the seeds of the World Tree here and there, by shooting her arrows at her.Perhaps because of that, I could feel my mana recovering little by little, though it was only a little.
Even if I fought in a perfect state, my chances of winning were slim, so I had to improve my chances somehow.
"No."
The other Han Soo-Young shook her head with difficulty.
"Here, in Margo's dungeon, we have to fight, right? Until there's only one left...… And there's no way you'll let…… me die."
"… Did you know that this is Margo's dungeon?"
She smiled a little.
"You told me. To be precise, you in my world."
Then she quietly closed her eyes and muttered.
"Do you know how hard I tried to be next to you?"
And yet, you didn't tell me everything until the very end.She added with a sad smile.
"…… ."
I couldn't say anything to her.Even if it was in another future, a world at the point of symmetry with ours, there was no way I could say anything to her who looked like that.And it was the same with Han Soo-Young behind me.
"… Okay."
how much time has passed?Then, suddenly, she nodded.
"I'll stop here."
"What?"
"I can stop here if you want me to."
The other Han Soo-Young said that.It was when I looked at her in surprise at her tacit willingness to give her own life.
"Instead, there are conditions."
"Conditions?"
"Yes. Make one promise to me."
She spoke quietly, but in a firm voice.
"From now on, you will not touch the Seven Evils, and you will stop here. Swear it right here and now."
At that, I hesitated.It wasn't just because the Wizard's Oath was powerful on its own.
It was because I could tell from her words that I, who was in her world, really trusted and relied on her a lot.And seeing me like that, she smiled as if she already knew.
"You can't do it, can you?"
Saying so, she just smiled.
"Then I'll force you to stop."
With those words, she gently touched the two undead and whispered.
"Go, guys."
She murmured quietly, but in a voice full of strange aspiration.
"It doesn't matter what happens as long as his life is attached. It doesn't matter if you cut off the limbs and crush them. It doesn't matter if he has to live like that for the rest of his life, or if he becomes blind, deaf, and mute. He just, he just needs to be alive."
She murmured like that and looked at me.No, it wasn't me.She was looking at Han Soo-Young behind me.
"Even if that happens, there are many people who will take care of him. … Even if it's not me, the me of this world. At the very least, Jin Ye-Seul, and maybe Lee Ye-Eun will take care of him."
As she said this, she slowly turned her gaze away and looked at me.Her eyes were full of regret and self-blame.
"I'm not asking you to forgive me. It's just that ...... one future like that is enough."
Saying that, she turned her head as if she couldn't bear to see it and gestured slowly.At that gesture, two undead rushed towards me.
