I Entered an Academy in a Ruined Game

Chapter 310 : There Is No Next Time (1)

The negotiation with Belred concluded successfully.

I received from him the method to sever the connection between Nastrond and Earth in the future.

And Belred gained a very precious experience of directly feeling a Transcendent's power through sparring with me and surviving.

Thus, finally.

"You can use this communication crystal for detailed scheduling."

I obtained Belred's promise to participate.

"Hmm."

I took the dark blue crystal that Belred held out and examined it from various angles.

"It's set up to exchange messages through special waves that cannot be intercepted from the outside."

"You should know well that there are no absolutes for a Transcendent."

"Yes. But Belphegor wouldn't be interested in this kind of petty scheme."

I chuckled.

"That's true."

After parting from Belred and returning to the Human Fortress, I reported my return to Heo Sung-gyeom and Gong I-an, then received news that most of the captains who hadn't yet returned were obtaining positive responses.

"That's fortunate."

"It's all thanks to your reputation. There's no human who wouldn't feel hope from the story of someone who single-handedly slaughtered six Great Overlords whom no one else could defeat."

And one more thing.

"The hope that they can rebuild to the previous civilization is just as powerful as the fear of death."

That afternoon.

I headed to the personal training room and sat cross-legged in the center, holding a Sain Sword.

Belphegor, and the powerful enemy Eligoss who would be waiting before him.

'Even for me, Belphegor is a completely unknown enemy.'

He knows my fighting style, but I know nothing about his.

The same was true for Eligoss.

'Almost always, information was my weapon.'

But the upcoming battle would have to be fought within an imbalance of information.

It would be unfamiliar to me and very disadvantageous.

'How will it turn out?'

In addition to the information imbalance, I am like a newborn as a Transcendent.

And Eligoss, the most trusted confidant of Belphegor who achieved transcendence long ago, who has reached the highest realm as a quasi-transcendent.

'Eligoss was truly strong.'

I never managed to defeat him.

Crosell, Furcas, and even Belred.

In the past and now, even for me who had experience defeating all the high-ranking Great Overlords, Eligoss's strength remained difficult to measure.

'What's certain is... that Eligoss is the most powerful martial artist among the Great Overlords.'

From his origin, he was a warrior and knight.

Before I achieved transcendence, I couldn't surpass even the martial realm that Crosell had reached, let alone Eligoss, no matter what methods I used.

Even if I used Liberation, Over Clock, Chukji, Tachypsychia Mode, the realm of cutting through the grain of objects, and the realm of non-self, all together.

'Before transcendence, I couldn't even defeat Malek.'

Of course, now it's different.

All those realms have been integrated within me, so I don't even need to consciously activate them.

Moreover, the fighting that once drew out extreme reactions through reflexes, dynamic vision, and experience has now reached a realm where I can read all possible moves that might happen in the future and counterattack even before the opponent's attack begins.

That's why I could achieve an overwhelming victory even against Crosell, who had honed demonic martial arts to the extreme.

'Nevertheless.'

The reason I had previously evaluated Crosell's martial realm as second among the Great Overlords was because it was too obvious who was number one.

Eligoss.

'At that time, as someone who had barely reached quasi-transcendence, I simply couldn't defeat him.'

But what about now?

In terms of skill, it's natural that I surpass Eligoss.

But I know better than anyone how many variables the advantage of information, the imbalance of information, can create.

'I'll just do my best. The result that follows, one can't know without trying it directly.'

Uncertainty breeds anxiety.

Clack.

I drew the Sain Sword that I had placed on the floor from its scabbard.

Swoosh.

A cold yet beautiful sound was heard.

'Listening to the sword's breath.'

This was a realm that Lee Un-hak had taught.

Flowing mana into the sword, understanding the feel of the hilt in my hand, the weight of the sword, and the exquisitely distributed center of gravity.

When the sword depicted in my mind became no different from the real sword.

Wooong.

The Sain Sword howled and released sword energy.

Thump.

Then it pulsated.

'This is truly a good sword.'

A sword made by refining Andromalius's horn.

Its completeness and class had undoubtedly reached the realm of a masterpiece.

Moreover, the intention felt from its pulsation was 'comfort and encouragement'.

It was a gentle sword, hard to believe it was made from a demon's body.

'...Well. Now I'm being worried about even by my sword.'

It means that the fear and concern I'm feeling are that great.

Perhaps it was natural.

'This time it's truly the end.'

Whether I die or Belphegor dies.

There is no next time.

'That's the problem.'

For someone who is going to make his last attempt at something he has failed hundreds of times without succeeding even once.

Is it easy to have hope that this time will be successful?

'No.'

It's much easier to be intimidated and discouraged by repeated failures.

That, at least.

Was an emotion that even I, who had acquired an iron will and a Transcendent's perspective, couldn't avoid.

"Sigh."

The worries deepened with the night.

That night.

News came that Hwang Ji-su and Lee Yu-jin were the first to return.

"Su-hyeon!"

"Su-hyeon!"

The two rushed over, trying to outdo each other.

"Welcome back."

"I heard your mission went well?"

"Of course. I heard the same about you two."

"Yes."

Yu-jin smiled brightly.

"After hearing about Su-hyeon, they were already half convinced."

"Everyone needed hope, it seems."

Yu-jin and Ji-su spoke alternately.

"That's good."

Ji-su, who had been carefully observing me nodding, asked.

"Are you worried about something?"

"Hmm?"

I unconsciously touched the corner of my mouth.

"Why? Does my expression look strange?"

"It's not your expression."

Ji-su pointed to her own brow with her finger.

"Your eyes don't look like usual."

"..."

"Are you planning to suffer alone again?"

Feeling the concern and consideration in Ji-su's eyes as she asked, I let out a soft sigh.

'Come to think of it.'

I've spent the most time with you two.

Jun-seong, A-yun, In-hyeon, Hae-na, Tae-hoon, Seung-yeon...

There were many friends, but looking back, the comrades who stayed with me until the very end were almost always you two.

'And almost always, you sacrificed your lives for me.'

Among those countless deaths.

Not once did either of you look at me with resentment.

What the reason was.

The fact that the emotion underlying the behavior these two had been expressing toward me was love—no matter how dense I was in that regard, I couldn't help but know it now.

Thinking that way, I felt my heart grow sorrowful.

'If I fail in this battle, it will be the end with these two as well.'

Because there was no next time.

'This won't do.'

Only then did I form the thought that I should tell them the whole truth, and find the courage to speak.

"Actually."

I looked into Yu-jin's and Ji-su's eyes in turn and said.

"I have a secret I haven't told you until now."

After telling everything, time had already passed midnight.

I confessed the detailed truth, even more than what I had told Belred.

The two of them held back the desire to interject with questions many times and quietly listened to my story.

"...I'm sorry for hiding and lying all this time. I wasn't particularly a Prophet of the End or anything. I just 'knew well' because I'd experienced it countless times."

"It would have been hard to believe even if you had told us."

Ji-su looked at me with an unreadable expression.

"And you must have had the obsession that this fact should never reach the enemy's ears."

"That's right. But on top of that, I always had the thought that I didn't want to tell you."

"Why?"

"Because I was afraid. How you would think of me after learning this truth, whether you'd feel a distance since I came from a different world? Or whether you'd resent me for still not telling you the whole truth..."

"Idiot."

Yu-jin suddenly said.

"!"

"How much do you distrust us to think that way?"

"I agree with that."

Ji-su's eyes were cold.

"What rises in my heart after hearing all this is only gratitude, pity, and a little resentment."

Yu-jin's white hand covered the back of my hand.

"Despite everything, Su-hyeon truly loved our world, right? You never gave up even after failing hundreds of times to save us."

Then Ji-su's hand covered my remaining hand.

"And now you've truly become a resident of this world, overcoming all real trials and threats, and finally reaching the realm of transcendence?"

"The times you've trained, sacrificing even sleep and rest, those efforts—we remember them clearly."

The words of Ji-su and Yu-jin gave me a feeling of something warm melting somewhere in my chest.

"Looking back now, you always seemed lonely. Like a lone wolf. Even while leading everyone, you were ultimately an entity that existed in solitude."

But that gap ends today, Ji-su said.

"Because now we've become your understanding ones."

You are no longer alone, Ji-su said.

"Ji-su is right."

Yu-jin's eyes became slightly moist.

"Don't suffer alone anymore."

"..."

I closed my eyes and, after hesitation, finally said.

"Thank you."

"Su-hyeon, you said you're afraid because this is truly the last time, right?"

"That's right."

"But regardless of how many hundreds of lives you've repeated, for me, this is just one life."

I felt strength in Yu-jin's hand.

"Because that one and only life is precious, we struggle so desperately."

"..."

"And now you're feeling fear about the one-time nature of life? That's a foolish thought."

"Yes... that's right."

As I nodded in deep understanding, Ji-su pouted.

"By the way, thinking about it now is annoying."

"What is?"

"This is why no matter how hard I tried, I could never beat you."

"That's..."

I scratched my cheek, at a loss for a response.

"I'm sorry."

"Idiot, who said you should be sorry?"

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

Several days passed after that.

All the captain-level personnel who had been dispatched for alliances returned.

Awakened who had been guarding shelters as humanity's last bastions across continents gathered at the [Human Fortress] for the alliance.

They were the powerful ones who had protected people from the oppression of Great Overlords and demons, or who had created their own kingdoms.

Since only the elite among them had been carefully selected, the remnants of the Great Overlords, who had already lost their focal point and collapsed, couldn't dare obstruct their movement.

Whether they were heroes who protected people or warlords who created their own kingdoms and ruled.

There was only a difference in degree; none of them failed to feel hope from the name Su-hyeon or to consider the practical benefits after reconstruction.

"My goodness."

"This is truly..."

Those who saw the [Human Fortress] for the first time couldn't hide their astonishment.

Incomparably majestic walls.

That solidity and grandeur.

Moreover, the walls were layered in multiple tiers, and beyond the walls in the inner fortress stood all kinds of modern buildings, laboratories, residential facilities, and industrial facilities.

This was truly a human city.

"Ah..."

As if by agreement.

None of the Awakened in shabby appearance, powerful warriors ranging from at least A-rank to maximum S-rank, could hold back their tears.

"Humanity, humans... are still alive."

"And so splendidly, so brilliantly at that."

Looking at their emotion.

Chief of Staff Heo Sung-gyeom, who fully understood their feelings, smiled broadly.

"Welcome."