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Golden light pours down.

To be precise, a sandglass with a golden hue was erupting with sand, as if it had finally been set free from the pressure of long time.

While I was briefly enjoying the spectacle akin to a grand performance…

– Thud…

A strange sound echoed, and just like that, the sandglass seemed to disintegrate in mid-air.

Did something change?

“…Hey, what is this?”

And as I observed, Song Ah Rin murmured with a trembling voice while looking at me.

“You just shot at the air, and there was that weird sound.”

“Weird sound?”

“Yeah. It was like something… was breaking?”

Yu Da On chimed in, echoing Ah Rin’s words.

“And what’s that bizarre thing you’re doing right now!”

She pointed frantically at Kim Wan Woo.

“What the—”

– Fssss…

As she opened her mouth while pointing, the sandglass disappeared with a strange noise, and at the same time, the taxidermy seemed to have fulfilled its role and loosened.

The man who had been stiffened glared at us with a bewildered expression.

“You, what just— cough!”

– Thud!

Just as he opened his mouth, Jang Chae Yeon immediately reached out and slammed him to the ground.

“Ah Rin.”

As Jang Chae Yeon unfurled her fingers, his arms and legs were pinned to the floor like they were nailed down. When Ah Rin glared at him, he instinctively opened his mouth and spat something out.

– Thud…

A small capsule tumbled from his mouth.

“I knew this would happen.”

Seeing the capsule, Ah Rin murmured coldly and picked it up.

“What is that supposed to be?”

“An emergency capsule given only to the Response Team or Isolation Team.”

“Oh, no way…”

“Exactly. For the sake of immediate transportation without pain, it’s essential for field agents to carry one. I actually wanted to make him spit it out while we were fighting earlier, but he refused to until the end.”

So this was the reason he could reincarnate at will.

If he dies, everything becomes ‘as if it never happened.’

He shifts his body this way and that, staring at me with a puzzled expression.

“…You.”

Has he realized he can’t go back?

“What did you do?”

“…”

A translucent window appeared above his head.

[Name: Kim Wan Woo]

[Age: 28 years]

[Specialty: X]

[Talent: X]

[Background: 0 Reincarnations]

[Weakness: Ordinary human. If attacked in the vital area, he dies.]

“What have you done?”

“…”

“Answer me! What spell did you cast, why…!”

He cries out while tightly stuck to the ground.

“What kind of absurd thing have you done?!”

“Should we make him quiet?”

Yu Da On said coldly as she looked at him.

“That’s fine.”

Now he was merely an ordinary man with zero advantage in information.

At my words, a look of confusion washed over his face.

“Don’t tell me…”

Soon, his confusion turned into denial,

“No, no way!”

Denial morphed into despair.

“Don’t lie!”

He twisted his body grotesquely and shouted.

“…I don’t get it.”

“I haven’t fully reverted yet!”

And as he spoke, Yu Da On observed him and murmured.

“Being freed from eternal life, isn’t that a rare blessing?”

“I’ve heard it would take a few times!”

“…”

Against the backdrop of his despairing scream, Yu Da On merely gazed at the man with a complicated expression.

I heard it.

And I was remembering his words without leaving anything behind.

*

“…You had a rough time.”

The Branch Chief’s return was unexpectedly swift.

Though she bore bruises on her hands and her clothes were torn like last time, she greeted us without a scratch.

“Branch Chief, are you okay?”

“I have enough time to handle this. Using one more twig really hurts, but…”

Her gaze turned toward Jang Chae Yeon.

“Thank you. As expected from someone recognized in the Gangdong Branch, you know exactly what you need to do.”

“…”

Jang Chae Yeon merely nodded and averted her gaze while looking at her.

Both Ah Rin and Jang Chae Yeon seemed uncomfortable with the Branch Chief, or is it just my imagination?

“We’ll talk later. First…”

The Branch Chief slowly walked over to the man.

“…Branch Chief…”

He murmured, and the Branch Chief looked at him.

The smile that usually graced her face was nowhere to be found.

“They say chaotic times bring forth chaotic people.”

The Branch Chief murmured as she looked down at him.

“…”

“Why did you do that?”

“…”

The man, still in shock, remained silent.

Could it be that not becoming a Reincarnator shocked him that much?

The Branch Chief slightly opened her eyes.

“Do you not intend to speak properly?”

“…”

“Although there have been constant accidents lately, manifesting from who knows where…”

For a moment, it felt as if her red eyes were directed at me.

“The Management Agency is indeed quite strict about due processes.”

“…”

“It’s not that I have to… but honestly, I was thinking of doing this from the start.”

The Branch Chief smiled and clapped her hands.

“Betrayal within the Management Agency and betrayal against humanity.”

Looking wide-eyed, she murmured coldly as she stared at the man.

“I will initiate your involuntary resignation.”

The reaction was immediate.

“Resignation…”

“I expected this… but you’re really going through with it…”

Jang Chae Yeon’s eyes widened, and Song Ah Rin also turned with a face as if this was what she expected.

“Resignation…?”

And there we were, oblivious, blinking like idiots, Yu Da On and I.

And then,

“…Resignation?”

The man’s reaction was even more dramatic.

“Oh my, you really are naïve, aren’t you?”

“Wait, Branch Chief.”

Cold sweat trickled down the man’s forehead.

“Branch Chief, listen! I have information about the future.”

He hurriedly opened his mouth.

“Yes, I suppose so?”

“If I use that information…”

“I could prevent what will happen in the future.”

“Exactly. However, involuntary resignation is a costly and meticulously crafted act, not appreciated within the Management Agency…”

Gone was the man who had been flaunting his authority; now he stood there, seemingly composed as he attempted to defend himself.

“That’s right. You’re absolutely correct.”

The Branch Chief nodded, interrupting his defense.

“Involuntary resignation is the heaviest punishment we can impose.”

“Punishment? It’s better to die a hundred times than this.”

“Yeah.”

Ah Rin murmured in a small voice, and for the first time, Jang Chae Yeon nodded in agreement, signaling her support for Ah Rin’s remark, and then the Branch Chief shot a glance at Ah Rin before turning back to the man.

“Information? You don’t have to mention it.”

“Branch Chief—”

“Feel free to oppose if you’d like.”

“Branch—”

“Do whatever you want.”

“Branch Chief! My words—”

– Grab!

The Branch Chief seized the man’s face with one hand.

“Quiet.”

“Ugh, ack…”

– Squish…

The man’s face squished into the shape of the Branch Chief’s fingers.

“…”

“…Wow…”

Fear straightened my spine instinctively, as Yu Da On grimaced at the scene before her.

“I won’t be listening to your words.”

“-”

With that calm voice, the Branch Chief released her grip, and before long, he lay facedown, his face squished like he was passed out, and the Branch Chief turned to look at me.

“Kim Jae Heon.”

“Y-Yes?”

At her words, I involuntarily straightened my pose, replying in attention, and the Branch Chief laughed and waved her hand dismissively.

“Hey, don’t be too scared.”

How can I not be scared given that?

She just crushed a person’s face with sheer strength and tells me not to be afraid?

“You’ve had it tough. I have a mountain of things I want to say…”

The Branch Chief sighed deeply.

“As you can see, I have far too many things to handle right now.”

She sighed as if merely thinking about it gave her a headache.

“I’ll call you soon. With some useful information.”

“…Understood.”

“Kim Jae Heon, you must have caught on to some things, right?”

She smiled and looked at me.

I recalled several things I needed to remember and what weighed on my mind:

The future of the three people, the manual, and…

“Alright! Enough thinking for now!”

Suddenly, the Branch Chief was beside me, smiling and patting my shoulder.

“Overthinking can be a burden!”

“…”

“I’ll grant you a vacation.”

“…Vacation?”

“Let me repeat that?”

The Branch Chief looked at me.

“I really hope nothing happens… If another incident occurs, I hear I’ll have to go to a mental education camp, not just write a statement.”

For the first time, an emotion of fear appeared on her face.

“Anyway, for now, just rest.”

She left the man behind and climbed the stairs.

“Wait, that person is…”

“Someone is waiting outside. I’ll take him with me.”

As I pointed at the man, the Branch Chief shook her head and started to push us along.

“No, wait…”

“This is aftercare now.”

She laughed as she opened the door,

“Long time no see.”

A man wearing sunglasses greeted us and locked eyes with Ah Rin, who was standing behind me.

“…What.”

“…Just checking in on how you’ve been.”

“What, um, not bad.”

“Seems like you’re doing very well.”

“No, I’m not!”

As I passed by, Yu Da On and Jang Chae Yeon continued up the stairs.

Before I knew it, the sun had set, and the dim moon hung in the night.

“Well then!”

The Branch Chief clapped her hands.

“Time to get off work!”

*

“…”

“…”

I walked along the road with Yu Da On.

Song Ah Rin stayed back, claiming she had to help with the questioning, while Jang Chae Yeon disappeared, murmuring something with a serious expression, saying she would figure something out.

Though the work was finished, there was still much to contemplate.

The Holy See may be one thing, but the Observer and the Theater Company Chief…

“Jae Heon.”

“Yes.”

Yu Da On turned to look at me.

A faint smile adorned her face.

“When the world ends…”

“…Yes.”

“Did I do well?”

For a moment, I was at a loss for words at Yu Da On’s question.

“I don’t know how the situation was.”

As she walked past me to stand at the crosswalk, Yu Da On continued,

“If it were me, I would have definitely chosen for your sake.”

“…”

She did.

Yu Da On turned to look back at me.

“Isn’t that right?”

“…That’s right.”

It may have been her stubbornness, but it was true she sacrificed herself for me.

Yu Da On smiled.

“That’s good.”

“…”

“…”

After a brief silence, Yu Da On opened her mouth.

“Um.”

“Yes.”

“…I, um.”

“Yes.”

“Um…”

Yu Da On fumbled over her words, then finally spoke.

“…Would you like to stay at my house?”

Don’t I have no furniture?

“…Is there a bed? No, don’t you have no air conditioning? What about television?”

“…”

Yu Da On kept opening and closing her mouth.

What am I supposed to do there?

“Rather, how about some karaoke—”

“Jae Heon! You’re really mean!”

“N-No, I’m sorry…”

Yu Da On stomped her foot and shouted at me.

But it’s true, isn’t it?

“…Ahem.”

Yu Da On cleared her throat.

“Today, since work is over… let’s just talk…”

She looked up at me stealthily.

“Yes?”

“…”

At the very least, Yu Da On was the sort of person who knew how to make use of the debts owed to her.

*

In the same room as always.

Dressed in pajamas Yu Da On might have bought some time ago, I sat blankly on the sofa.

I felt exhausted.

Both physically and mentally.

What is in the manual, what past did I have, and what does it mean that I’ve heard about the Reincarnator…

“…”

“…Jae Heon?”

“…”

“Jae Heon?”

“Oh, sorry.”

Yu Da On sat beside me softly as she smiled.

“It’s okay. You’re tired, right?”

She leaned my head against her shoulder.

“You’ve worked hard. Truly.”

“…”

Sleepiness washed over me.

“And…”

Yu Da On whispered something in my ear.

“-is…”

“…”

Her words were so faint, and when I turned my head, I only saw her gently shaking her head in a soft smile.

*

“…”

Sunlight streams in.

“…Ugh.”

I lift my body.

Before I knew it, I was lying in bed.

…I clearly didn’t fall asleep in bed.

“…Umm…”

I heard someone stirring beside me.

When I slowly turned my head…

“Oh, Jae Heon.”

Yu Da On rubbed her sleepy eyes and gave me a messy smile.

“Did you sleep well?”

A bed, me, Yu Da On.

…Wait, really?

My heart dropped.

“Jae Heon?”

Yu Da On tilted her head innocently.

Cold sweat trickled down my spine.