First Ki-Young had to have noticed that I was turning back time.
‘Damn.’
When I thought about it, it wasn't really strange. After all, the pigeons had realized that they had regressed.
‘This stupid system.’
I had no idea if this could be considered a normal regression or if this could even be classified as a normal round. However, it was undeniable that they were feeling odd.
Even if they weren’t feeling that way, it wouldn't be difficult for them to guess that something strange was happening. After all, Belial was working with First Ki-Young.
If it had happened only once, they probably wouldn't have noticed something amiss, but I had turned back time numerous times in a bid to save Jung Ha-Yan.
Unless one was an idiot, one would definitely notice it. Even Dummy Ki-Young noticed the repeated resets, so there was no reason why the original one wouldn’t notice it.
I couldn't say that there was no complacency on my part, but it was the fault of this stupid system for messing things up.
‘Shouldn’t it be correcting things like this automatically?’
Or could it be that this was also necessary to complete the puzzle?
If First Ki-Young discovered the truth about the regressions and decided to start moving because of what I had done...
If Young Death was the one who told him that another path existed...
It was only for a moment, but countless assumptions ran through my head. Many pieces of information flooded in at once, making me feel dizzy.
Had the Four Angels really noticed the regression?
‘No, Seraphim just said that it's just a variable.’
I really wanted to know what First Ki-Young thought about the existence of Young Death.
Had he realized that I was his future self from the second life? Had he grasped the purpose behind these repeated regressions?
'Just how much does he know?' Countless worries and thoughts flashed through my head. I was so confused that I couldn’t even take care of Jung Ha-Yan, who had just come to her senses and was looking at me.
I knew I was in danger right now, but I couldn’t help but feel that the distant threats were more dangerous than the immediate one before me.
Of course, unlike my thoughts, my entire body was sending me warning signs. I was trying to reassure myself to stay rational and observe, but I couldn't really do that with the enemy standing right in front of me.
‘Damn.’
Seraphim, the most annoying pigeon of the four pigeons, was standing in front of me.
I felt like it was going to be difficult to get out of this predicament.
I looked up at Seraphim.
The one who copied the masked scum from the first life was nowhere to be seen. Instead, what stood before me looked like a grown-up version of the young Sera.
Seraphim seemed to be lacking confidence; he was curled up tightly, and he gave off the impression of an observer as if he was worried about something.
To put it bluntly, he kind of looked like an idiot, but I knew exactly how dangerous he could be. There was no trace of malice on his dispirited face. He truly believed that what he was doing was for humanity and the continent's sake.
From experience, people like him were usually stupid.
“I’m sorry,” Seraphim said.
“...”
“U-um... dying without resisting is... a bit... hard, right?” Seraphim asked.
‘He’s really nothing like the second life version.’
There was hesitation on his face as if this was an unavoidable choice, but I wasn’t ready to fight yet. Whether she knew what was happening or not, Jung Ha-Yan grabbed me tightly with tears streaming down her face.
“O-oppa.”
‘Damn it, I’m not your oppa.’
“Miss Jung Ha-Yan,” I said.
“O-oppa came... O-oppa... heuk... kgh... Oppa came. H-He came....”
She was so happy that I decided to visit her, and it was to the extent that she couldn't care less about Seraphim. Tears streamed down her face, but there was no time to explain anything.
“O-oppa... heuk... thank you. I’m sorry. From now on....” Jung Ha-Yan paused.
“...”
“Heuk....” Jung Ha-Yan sniffled.
Unable to hold it back any longer, Jung Ha-Yan hugged me tightly once more. It was a hug so tight that it was crushing, but more than that, Seraphim had to come first.
Contrary to the thought that he was going to attack us, he was waiting patiently for the end of our reunion.
‘So considerate...’
“...”
“...”
He looked hesitant. Eventually, Seraphim cautiously asked, “U-um... can you see me?”
“...”
“Excuse me....” Seraphim muttered.
“...”
“I-I’m... I’m Seraphim.”
‘I know, you idiot.’
Normally, the rule was not to give people like him an opening, but unfortunately, I couldn’t do that right now.
Meanwhile, Jung Ha-Yan was starting to grasp the gravity of the situation.
“Y-You’re beautiful,” I said.
“...”
“So... you’re done now, right?” Seraphim asked.
“...”
“Miss Jung Ha-Yan, first of all—”
“Ah...” Jung Ha-Yan interrupted me.
“I- I’ll definitely remember. I wanted to watch you both a little longer, but... I have business to take care of... I’m sorry,” Seraphim said.
“...”
“T-to repeat what I said... I need both of you to die,” Seraphim said.
“...”
“Y-You can hear my voice, right?” Seraphim asked.
“...”
“M-Maybe it doesn’t matter... Please die now,” Seraphim said.
A pure white light poured out of Seraphim’s body. It was a beautiful light, but that light was going to annihilate both Jung Ha-Yan and me.
Startled, Jung Ha-Yan immediately raised her hands, and a massive magic circle appeared. The bright light collided with the magic circle with a deafening boom, and the explosion shattered every single object around us.
In an instant, it felt as if a typhoon had blown through Jung Ha-Yan’s room.
Even while maintaining a barrier, she channeled spells.
“H-huh? This is bad. Please don’t resist. I beg you,” Seraphim begged.
‘Damn it’
“O-oppa... oppa?” Jung Ha-Yan called out.
“I’ll explain later!” I told her.
“I-I’ll save you! Dodge!” Jung Ha-Yan shouted.
‘I’m not your oppa. Damn it, your oppa sent that monster here.’
Kabooooom! Craaaaaaaaaack!
The Magic Tower was already losing its form.
Another explosion occurred, and everything around us was swept away.
Jung Ha-Yan cast a spell, and attacks from a variety of elements manifested in midair before flying toward Seraphim.
Seraphim began fending them off.
An exchange of attacks and defenses unfolded in an instant. It was the kind of battle only transcendent beings could produce.
‘What do I do?’
The future had already changed.
I had no mental capacity to think beyond this moment.
I tried to switch forms, but...
‘Damn it, a restraint?’
“This damned system!” I shouted.
The system governing the dimensions had just refused to allow another god to descend in the first life. Any attempt to summon the Monarch of Lust and Eternal Sleep while paying a massive price was immediately rendered void.
I realized that I had no choice but to rely on Jung Ha-Yan and the other mages in the Magic Tower. Of course, whether those mages could actually help us was still uncertain.
Light poured down once more, and through gritted teeth, Jung Ha-Yan stretched her hand toward the sky while holding me with the other.
With a deafening boom, an explosion rattled the Magic Tower once again.
‘Is Cha-Hee here? What is Kim Hyun-Sung doing right now? Is he somewhere else?’
“Please... don’t resist. This is to... to save the continent,” Seraphim said.
‘Please stop with the bullshit.’
“Eek!”
“Ah, this isn’t good... These... meaningless sacrifices...” Seraphim muttered.
Boooooooooom!
“D-Don’t leave my side, oppa!” Jung Ha-Yan shouted.
‘Do you think you can leave? Damn it. You’re the one holding on.’
“Ugh... uuugh!”
“Run for now, Miss Jung Ha-Yan!” I shouted.
“N-no. The others...” Jung Ha-Yan muttered.
‘Damn it.’
“Altanus! Altanus! Damn it! What are you doing!” I yelled out.
“Huh?”
“Altanus!” I shouted again.
‘Is this not going to work either?’
'No. Reinforcements will come.'
Naturally, I immediately looked at Hyun-Sung’s side through the Telescope. When Jung Ha-Yan attempted suicide, Kim Hyun-Sung was still in the city. He heard the news that Jung Ha-Yan had hanged herself, after all. But...
"Whoo..."
What appeared through the telescope was Kim Hyun-Sung facing off against Thronus.
‘He's already busy?’
What about Cha Hee-Ra? I saw her smiling as she looked down at the Cherubim, who was holding a scythe. She looked as if she had no interest in anything except the enemy in front of her.
‘He brought them all.’
Just as I had changed my plan, First Ki-Young had also discovered the existence of Young Death and altered all of his plans. He deployed three Outer Gods to Lindel. With Lindel’s current defenses, it was impossible to stop them.
I immediately zoomed in with the Telescope to observe the battlefield.
Angels were descending from the sky, and the war had essentially already begun. The people of the continent believed that Lindel was safe, but they were being proven incorrect at the moment. They began screaming as if the world was ending, while the adventurers grabbed their equipment and ran outside.
Well-trained adventurers from the major guilds could stand against the angels, but the small to mid-sized pests couldn’t do anything like that.
‘It’s complete chaos. Damn it. Should I even send a quest?’
In any case, pushing back these pigeon bastards was the priority. Despite the difference in strength, the adventurers accustomed to fighting these creatures were far from powerless.
I saw the startled expressions of the people at the sudden voice in their heads.
‘These bastards sure listen well.’
When it came to quests, they obeyed like clockwork.
Humanity began reorganizing its lines.
‘We can do this.’
Getting through this crisis was the most important thing right now.
"What? A quest? All of a sudden?"
"Push them back! Damn pigeon bastards! Cast those anti-air spells!"
"Move! Fast! Damn it! Head to the Magic Tower for now."
‘Even if Lindel gets secured, this place is the real problem.’
I wasn’t doubting Jung Ha-Yan, but First Jung Ha-Yan was inexperienced in battle. Unlike Second Ha-Yan, who believed that combat power equaled winning love, First Ha-Yan was closer to a pure mage.
A mage at her level would normally not need a protective vanguard, but that only applied to an experienced mage. She needed backup. Fortunately...
“Damn pigeon bastards! Unni!”
I saw Kim Ah-Young sprinting toward us in a panic. And then...
“F-Father Lee Ki-Young?”
I saw familiar faces behind her.
‘What the hell... why are they here?’
The first ones to disappear in the dimensional rift were staring at me in disbelief.
“I-it’s really... Father Lee Ki-Young...”
‘Miracle Priest Marien?’
“This... is unexpected...”
‘Hunting Dog Lee Joo-Hyuk?’
Even the remaining stragglers were all here. The Rafael-less Rafael party somehow got here at the perfect time.