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It hurts.

It was a thought in Yu Da On’s mind.

Despite having endured pain to a frustrating degree, the human body never seemed to get accustomed to suffering.

Of course, she had always acted as if she wasn’t in pain in front of that man.

-Bam!

Blood splattered from her shoulder, and the agony of flesh being ripped apart engulfed her.

“Ugh…!”

Yet here, even if she screamed in pain, there would be no one to feel disgusted with her.

Gritting her teeth, she thrust the awl deep.

As expected, the man effortlessly dodged.

A sharp pain surged in her abdomen.

Was it a knife lodged in her?

But that didn’t matter much.

-Whoosh!

The very fact that a weapon was embedded in her body meant she could take it away if she turned her body.

Gritting her teeth, she spun around—

“Ah, ugh…!”

With that, the man cleanly pulled something out of her abdomen, and she screamed in agony.

Such a clean response.

Conversely, that meant,

“Once more.”

At Yu Da On’s words, the man scowled, seeming displeased, and kicked her.

“Cough…!”

While spitting out the blood rising from her insides, she glared at him.

Her vision was unsettling.

It wasn’t that her eyes were injured, but she had bled so much that it obscured her sight.

It wasn’t just that.

The floor was drenched in her blood, while the man stood looking at her without a single drop of blood on him.

…

However, Yu Da On was confident.

She was certain she would never lose.

As long as she could just hold him off until everything was over.

The moment she kicked her body into motion, the man pulled something from his cloak.

It resembled a wooden stake, sharpened at the bottom.

“A stake?”

As soon as she muttered,

-Crack!

“Ah!”

With incredible speed, something was plunged into her solar plexus, causing her to collapse onto the floor.

Hastily glancing at her solar plexus, she saw a wooden stake sticking out from it.

Yu Da On grabbed the stake with both hands, starting to pull with all her strength.

“Cough, cough!”

Naturally, blood flowed back involuntarily from her mouth, but unperturbed, she strained to yank the stake out.

“It won’t budge.”

The man responded emotionlessly, standing beside her.

“…Keh, ugh…”

Spitting blood, she looked up at the man.

“…When I first met you, I didn’t even know what kind of person you were since I couldn’t even speak.”

The man shook his head as if he was fed up.

“It seems you had the talent to bring about the end of the world after all. I didn’t want to use this stake on you.”

“…What do you…”

The talent to bring about the end of the world?

A scene suddenly flashed in her mind.

Her monstrous self, and a world where no one existed.

And a hypothesis emerged in her mind.

But that wasn’t what mattered.

Stopping this man.

That was the request he had made of Yu Da On, and it was the task she had to fulfill.

While Yu Da On continued to pull with all her might, the stake seemed to be stuck to the ground, refusing to budge.

“Ugh…!”

Ignoring her struggles, the man walked towards the secret passage hidden under the desk.

Clunk.

The door shut behind him, and silence settled in.

Fear began to swirl in her heart.

What if something happened to him?

Did I stop him properly?

If only I had done a little better…

“Ugh…! Ugh! Just…!”

Each time she attempted to pull the stake out, fierce pain struck her body, causing her to scream, but she continued to pull with determination.

How long had it been like this?

“…Ugh, sniff…”

Tears streamed from Yu Da On’s eyes at her pitiful state.

Once again, she had failed.

She should have reached out beforehand, at least to grab his ankle.

No, she should have just done better from the start.

“If only I had done… a little better…!”

“What do you mean by ‘better’?”

Suddenly, a brusque voice interrupted her sobs.

“…Huh?”

Raising her head, she looked towards where the voice came from.

Beyond the dimming sunset, a woman with purple hair and a gruff expression looked down at her.

“A-Rin?”

“Yep. It’s me.”

Song Ah Rin replied bluntly, and behind her, a woman with white hair entered and gazed at Yu Da On.

“Are you… alive?”

And there was even a blonde woman looking at her with a curious expression.

“Chae Yeon…”

“Stay still.”

Upon Yu Da On’s words, Jang Chae Yeon emotionlessly grabbed the stake.

“This will hurt. Bite down.”

-Thunk!

“Ahh-”

Before Yu Da On even had the chance to clench her teeth, Jang Chae Yeon yanked the stake out, and without even a scream, she writhed in pain.

“Did you pull it out too harshly?”

“Does it look like just a stake to you?”

As Yu Da On writhed in agony, Song Ah Rin asked, and Chae Yeon averted her gaze as she replied, while Aileen watched the three of them.

“Then I’ll go in.”

“…Aren’t you going with us?”

At Aileen’s words, Song Ah Rin looked at her, but Aileen shook her head.

“I have another task to attend to.”

“What, what’s that?”

“Locking the door.”

“…What’s that about?”

“I don’t know either.”

“That’s not—”

As Song Ah Rin was about to quiz her, Yu Da On had no choice but to raise her voice and cut their conversation short.

“No, it’s just that over there, the Reincarnator and Kim Jae Heon…!”

“Hey! Why are you only saying that now?!”

Upon Yu Da On’s words, Song Ah Rin’s eyes widened, and Jang Chae Yeon quickly dove under the desk with a serious expression.

Yu Da On followed after them with concern.

Hopefully, nothing happens. Please, let what she did be of help to him.

On the steel staircase, only a hollow sound echoed.

*

It’s over.

The loud noises from above stopped, and a shadow of a person emerged from the desk.

And I was ready too.

…

I don’t have overwhelming force like Jang Chae Yeon, nor can I manipulate people like Song Ah Rin, and I can’t keep up endless fights like Yu Da On.

I have to fight in my own way.

-Thud, thud, thud…

Measured yet rapid footsteps approach,

-Whoosh!

I pulled the string I had prepared.

The butane gas cap I had set up opened, and flames burst forth, while at the same time, a figure wrapped in something like a blanket rolled down the stairs.

Surely, that fire wouldn’t extinguish easily.

But it wasn’t the only thing I prepared.

Quickly, I rolled back to hide inside the wall I had found.

I should have had at least one proper fight with a human being.

I had spent all this time fighting non-humans; now being thrown into a fight with a person is only making it hard for me.

I check the gun in my hand.

Now it’s time to fight.

After all, right now, I had no chance of winning.

I stepped out from the corner and locked eyes with the man.

A familiar face.

An expression I couldn’t decipher, and a faint impression.

Soon, a translucent window appeared above his head.

[Name: Kim Wan Woo]

[Age: 28]

[Specialty: Reincarnation]

[Talent: -]

[Background: 2208th Cycle]

[Vulnerability: Think of Gordius’s Knot.]

“Seems like Da On put in some effort.”

“…”

The man gazed at me, not saying a word.

Now’s my chance.

-Bam!

I pulled out my gun and fired.

As expected, he merely tilted his head slightly, dodging the bullet effortlessly.

[2209th Cycle]

He too drew his gun, and just as I tried to retreat—

-Bam!

“Ugh…!”

A bullet struck my arm, sapping my strength.

Before long, the man rushed at me.

-Bam! Bam!

Again and again, I fired, but he effortlessly dodged.

[2210th Cycle] [2211th Cycle]

The numbers above his head kept rising.

As expected, he came back to prepare for the fights each time.

I kicked over a desk and shot again.

[2212th Cycle]

The man merely ducked again, evading my bullet.

How on earth am I supposed to win this?

This is truly a hopeless fight—

As I urgently pulled back and drew my gun again—

-Bam!

“Ugh…!”

He quickly drew his gun and shot me.

The pain surged through me as if my stomach had been pierced, and my strength drained away.

“…Hah…”

I naturally fell to my knees and pressed my hand to my belly, blood oozing profusely.

“Just as I thought.”

He gazed at me and muttered nonchalantly.

“Reincarnation seems to be a one-time deal. Seeing that you couldn’t avoid this.”

“Cough…”

“There was no harm in being cautious, after all. A lot of things went awry.”

His voice echoed in my ears like a tinnitus.

“Cough, ha…”

“…I didn’t used to fall for this so easily.”

Kneeling down and looking at him, he muttered in a bored tone as he gazed back at me.

“Ultimately, without me here, you can’t even utilize the containment object properly; you’re no different than an ordinary person who can merely use a manual with a keen eye.”

“…”

“I warned you long ago about what would happen if you couldn’t be with someone who knows the future.”

“…”

He looked at me.

“Have you ever longed for the past?”

“…”

Swallowing the blood that rose in my throat, I thought to myself.

What person wouldn’t long for the past? Even I sometimes miss my student years, a life that, while tough, was also joyful, and I long for the carefree days of my childhood without a single worry.

“If you wanted to go back to that past so badly, what would you do?”

“…Cough, people can’t go back to the past…”

“If there was a method?”

His voice was filled with confidence.

“They say if everyone in the world dies and I’m the last one left, I can return to the past I desire.”

“…”

“And if I had a chance to rectify all those mistakes?”

I gazed at the man while spitting blood.

“I don’t know how you came to intersect with me across timelines and prepared for this, but—”

His tone was filled with pride.

“I will return to the past and correct my mistakes.”

“Cough, hack…”

“And I’ll live for myself.”

“…For just that?”

“Just that?”

He looked at me as if astonished.

“Isn’t the most crucial thing in the world myself?”

His voice began to resonate in my ears as if I was holding a microphone.

My vision was becoming blurry.

“If that’s the case, then first, let’s remove the variables, start over… and take care of the objects in the basement…”

Muttering to himself, he passed me by.

-Grasp.

I reached out and grabbed his leg.

“…”

He looked at me as if I were something trivial, then brushed me off.

“Get off.”

“…”

He looked at me, then stepped on my hand.

With a heavy pain, he freed his leg and moved on.

…

I felt death approaching.

So cold, and behind the pain came an endless darkness.

Exactly what I had been waiting for.

-Clink.

With a small sound, the doll in my possession shattered.

*

I fumbled through the darkness.

A voice echoed in my memory.

‘That gaze. The look that desperately seeks the answer, refusing to lose hope, knowing they can’t even preserve their pitiful life. I like that kind of gaze.’

“See, didn’t I tell you?”

Just as I recalled that voice, a laugh accompanied someone whispering in my ear.

“Ugh…”

I regained consciousness along with the searing pain in my chest.

I lifted my gaze to look ahead.

Far away, the Reincarnator was moving.

He surveyed his surroundings, eyes softly closing.

At the same time, I stood up and pulled my gun from my cloak—

-Bam!

[2213th Cycle]

He dodged the bullet, returning my astonished look.

“You, how…”

“…You’ve refreshed it.”

As with all games, saving is done when you’re at your safest.

While Song Ah Rin had the ability to provide that sense of security, I lacked such capabilities.

Yet bringing her here would undoubtedly mean she could get hurt or put in danger. Moreover, she had her tasks to fulfill.

Ultimately, I had to offer my life as a sense of relief to him.

For a fleeting moment, surprise washed over his face before he drew his gun and looked at me.

“Even so, if I kill you and get out of here—”

-Thud!

Before he could finish his sentence, the door above opened, and footsteps echoed.

“Jae Heon!”

Yu Da On’s voice rang out, followed by the sounds of the other two.

-Bam!

He hastily fired a shot at me, the bullet grazing me without any harm.

“Be careful.”

Jang Chae Yeon stood beside me.

“That crazy guy shot before even looking at me.”

Song Ah Rin clicked her tongue as she looked at me.

“What about your injuries?”

Yu Da On examined my body, her eyes widening as she saw my abdomen.

“Jae Heon, please don’t tell me…”

“I’m okay.”

-Clunk!

The sound of a lock engaging echoed from above.

…

He looked at me.

“Either way, if we just waste time, it’s a fight I can win.”

“I know.”

Typically, that would be the case.

Before he arrived, I had told Aileen to only lock the door once the three of them were inside. This worked out well.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled out the manual from my cloak.

“From now on, I’ll start recording information about containment object ‘Kim Wan Woo.'”

-Shrrr!

The manual spread open.

What is a person?

So weak, yet struggling desperately to live.

Always lacking trust in others, wishing to live for themselves.

A coward, regretting the past and fearing the future.

And yet,

‘Isn’t that our job?’

The sight of the branch chief laughing in the rain came to mind.

[Manual for Office Staff]

[PRV – Containment Object ‘Kim Wan Woo’ – Record of Human Resources Team Kim Jae Heon]

“This object is a reincarnating entity, thoroughly equipped with countermeasures for the future.”

[This object is a reincarnating entity, thoroughly equipped with countermeasures for the future.]

The image of Song Ah Rin saving people and finding relief in the theater floated into my mind.

The sight of Jang Chae Yeon rescuing people with psychokinesis also flashed before me.

And,

“I’m so happy right now.”

A bright smile surfaced in my thoughts.

“Reincarnation is a process of returning to a specific point, which can be fulfilled by one’s own will.”

[Reincarnation is a process of returning to a specific point, which can be fulfilled by one’s own will.]

Surmounting all those weaknesses and selfishness to worry about and care for others.

Even in such a cramped space, giving a part of oneself for others.

“You are.”

[Your understanding of Containment Object, Kim Wan Woo, is increasing.]

He shot at me, launching something.

But Jang Chae Yeon whisked her hand, Yu Da On reached out, and Song Ah Rin twisted their sense of direction strangely.

The bullets flew past us, embedding themselves in the wall as if by magic.

[Critical: 0 -> 2]

“Disqualified as a human.”