Episode 40 Hidden stage. (One)
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One.
It hasn’t aged.
I was always young all year round.
-Esther.
It became more beautiful day by day, and the scent of freshly picked apples lingered at my fingertips. The scent of grapes was strong on the top of my feet. Every time it walked, people were ecstatic, as if they were drunk on wine. The hair was a golden, ripe wheat field, and when it blew in the wind, the village was captivated by the autumn scent.
-Esther, a saint of the frontier.
At some point, people started saying that.
-Saint.
A woman suffering from poverty came to visit with her sick newborn baby. She said she had been chasing rumors from afar.
-Please, please. This is a sick child. Please bless this poor thing…
-Do you know the rules?
-Yes, yes. I know···!
Esther nodded.
-Leave this child here. Come visit me tomorrow when dawn breaks.
The woman bowed her head and left.
After the mother left, a small child was left behind. Old but soft swaddle cloth. The woman chose only the softest rags she had, picked them up, and wrapped them around the child. An old swaddle, a fresh swaddle stained with the scent of her milk… Esther buried the tip of her nose for a moment.
Be fragrant.
Humans are also desperate for love.
-Cow?
The child reached out and touched Esther’s hair.
Esther smiled. Even though he was surrounded by rags, his life was brilliant. Esther considered it happiness that this indescribable miracle existed in the world.
-It’s okay.
Esther’s shadow stirred.
-It won’t hurt anymore now.
-Kaa…
The shadow’s mouth widened.
-Poor thing.
Esther quietly swallowed the newborn baby.
The child’s death was gentle. She didn’t even struggle. She just sank helplessly into the shadows.
As the newborn baby’s flesh and bones melted, memories flowed into Esther. She was a memory clinging to the child’s flesh and bones. The pain of birth, the sensation of a swollen uvula, the mother’s smile…
-okay.
A memory as short as a short life. After looking at the fleeting moments of life, Esther gestured toward her shadow. The shadow bubbled up.
-Let me live a little longer.
At that moment, the shadow faded into the shape of a baby. The black shade gained flesh color. The skin color moved slightly. Smiling innocently like a young animal.
-Wow!
Esther smiled.
-Poor thing.
The mother came as soon as dawn the next day. Did you stay up all night? The mother’s complexion was haggard. Esther, who was standing at the door waiting for dawn, handed the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes to its mother.
-You should be healthy now.
-ah···.
-You won’t get any minor illnesses. Just as you have loved me so far, please continue to love me in the future.
The mother’s face was torn apart.
-thank you···.
Rumors began to spread on the outskirts of the continent.
-Saint…
Rumors from the outskirts eroded the small country.
-Thank you, saint…
Small countries on the border were the first to be shaken.
-Esther.
The great power that encompassed the small countries was then shaken.
-Saint Esther.
Other small countries, which had been holding on to the large countries as generals, were shaken noisily. The continent was wide. As wide as it was, unhappy people abounded everywhere.
A person whose flesh is rotting due to a terrible disease.
One who limps and laments.
A person who is disabled from birth.
The one who has gone blind.
-Saint of salvation!
The eyes that had become distant from this world, the crippled arms, the limp legs, and the rotting flesh gradually came together to Esther. Each time, Esther’s shadow grew little by little.
-He who will save us!
As Esther’s shadow widened, human power diminished. An official could not rule in a village that the people had abandoned, and a king could not reign in a city that his subjects had fled.
-Salvation of all the sick!
Esther.
The kings realized that it was a plague with a new name.
And the kings knew it well.
What is the one thing needed to get rid of the disease?
-Burn it!
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fire.
-Burn down the witch’s nest!
Esther heard a scream.
The fire demon was burning people.
no.
That wasn’t it.
-Show no mercy. They are all cursed monsters! Don’t miss a single one!
People were burning people.
2.
-Those who do not see people as people.
It resembles a moan.
In some ways, it was closer to a scream.
The moans gathered together and turned into a shadow, and the screams gathered together and turned into a blade.
-Be swallowed up by your malice!
The Demon King swung his sword.
The sword was trembling as if it were moaning.
“Gongja Kim!”
The witch shouted.
“are you okay!”
I was facing the devil. Hwii profit! The air swirled like a torrent. It seemed like red rays were going to spew out from the Demon King’s sword at any moment.
‘right?’
I focused my aura on the soles of my feet.
‘Or is it the left?’
1 in 2 odds.
The Demon King’s sword screamed.
A sword redder than blood and hotter than fire attacked me.
[You are dead.]
[Returns to 24 hours ago.]
‘It’s on the left.’
Die.
When I die, I go back 24 hours.
[There are 6 days, 23 hours, 53 minutes, and 27 seconds left until White Ghost Summon can be used again.]
The skill description for ‘Returner’s Wind-Up Clock’ states that the user retains ‘memory and abilities’.
Skills were also included in the maintained abilities.
[You are dead.]
[There are 5 days, 23 hours, 51 minutes and 42 seconds left until White Ghost Summon can be used again.]
And as can be seen from the fact that Bae Hu-ryeong of the Sword Emperor shared the memory of his return with me, the skill was inherited from the state it was in at the time of death.
Abilities too. Power too. Causality too. Memories too.
Of course, even the cooldown time.
[You are dead.]
The day goes by.
[There are 4 days, 23 hours, 49 minutes and 33 seconds left until White Ghost Summon can be used again.]
Attack the 11th floor.
No one dies.
Go up to the 12th floor and cross swords with the Demon King.
The Black Dragon Witch helps me.
The angry demon king summons a hundred ghosts.
I will lunge at such a demon lord and die.
[You are dead.]
[There are 3 days, 23 hours, 47 minutes and 15 seconds left until White Ghost Summon can be used again.]
Die.
[You are dead.]
[2 days, 23 hours, 45 minutes and 28 seconds until White Ghost Summon can be used again…]
Die.
[You are dead.]
[1 day, 23 hours, 43 minutes and 13 seconds until White Ghost Summon can be used again…]
The day goes by.
[You are dead.]
[23 hours 41 minutes 53 seconds until White Ghost Summon can be used again…]
and.
That day comes again.
[Summoning White Ghosts can now be used again.]
Each time the sword fight is repeated seven times.
We were able to have one decisive battle.
“—Kim Gongja!”
The witch shouted.
I nodded.
“are you okay.”
In this life, I jumped to the right without even seeing the beam of light.
Sigh!
The red rays pierced the empty space. Dozens of skeletons were caught in the beam and died indiscriminately. But ten times more goblins and orcs were burning.
-You!
The Demon King’s voice was crumpled with anger.
-A mere mortal! Do you have eyes of prophecy?
“It’s similar.”
Except the price of the prophecy is my week.
-It’s poisonous.
Bae Hu-ryeong clicked his tongue.
-He’s a really toxic guy.
Bae Hu-ryeong constantly showed me where to swing the sword and how to move my feet right in front of my eyes.
-But this is a complete blessing. Hey, zombie! Try it later to see if you can summon it multiple times. Go somewhere, get stuck, and then try summoning him again after a week.
I frowned.
‘Let’s talk later! a little!’
-I think the first summon will probably be canceled and only the second summon will be acknowledged, but you never know, right? Will there be a miraculous time when 4,000 becomes 8,000 and 8,000 becomes 80,000? Kyaaa! So now you are going from zombie to zombie king! Zombie King Kim Gongja! How cool!
‘Oh, don’t make a fuss! I’m so distracted that I can’t concentrate…’
[You are dead.]
[Returns to 24 hours ago.]
‘Sippirral!’
-Your body dies and dies, heals itself a thousand times and then dies. The zombies have become skeletons, with or without a soul. I wonder if the pathetic feeling towards Kim Zombie will ever go away.
‘I lost it because of you! ‘You have to repeat it for another week!’
-It’s because you’re a weakling. It’s not my fault. Anyway, not.
Bae Hu-ryeong laughed.
‘I swear, no matter what happens, I will definitely punish you!’
-Oh oh. I’m already dead? How are you going to tame the dead ghost? nyah. Our zombie medicine is rising, peek-a-boo.
‘Mr. like this…’
– As it rises, hurry up and catch the devil. I broke through the 20th floor by myself even though I didn’t have the magic trick skills like you. Oh, how pathetic. Kim Zombie.
‘damn!’
Despite what we said, we steadily pushed back against the devil.
The skeleton captured the devil’s army. The monsters that approached us were slaughtered by Geomseong. I died for a week at a time, predicting the devil’s attack, and in response to the prophecy, the witch struck the devil to her heart’s content.
“Black Dragon Master! Next one is on the right!”
“okay!”
The witch scattered a dark aura. The mirrors reflected the aura. Once, twice, three times, four times, each time it was reflected in the mirror, the aura was doubled. Chaaaaagh! In an instant, a silent strike that multiplied dozens of times shattered the Demon King’s waist.
-Kaaaa!
In the middle of a stationary world. The Demon King’s scream tore through the sky.
“Hahaha! Madam, this is a nice shot!”
I laughed. He smiled and swung his sword.
“Who says this is his wife! “I’m not married yet!”
“What did you do without getting married at that age?”
“You’re still so young!”
“no way. You must have become young thanks to the elixir of immortality! “I know everything.”
“You… take the devil first and look at me for a moment.”
I crossed countless lines of fire.
Sometimes a witch is caught in the red rays. Geomseong was also swept away. 1 second. 1 second again. We risked our lives and fought desperately. The Demon King’s blow was a fatal blow, so even a second of inattention could be fatal.
[You are dead.]
But it doesn’t matter.
[Returns to 24 hours ago.]
My mortal death is stronger than the devil’s mortal death.
-This guy, guys…
Twelve times.
-How dare you let go of my grudges… grievances…!
The witch’s aura pierced the demon king’s body twelve times. Only then did the Demon King slow down a bit in his movements. Black slurry sizzled in the area where the attack occurred.
‘uh?’
Is it because of my mood?
For a moment, before the water boiled, it seemed like flesh-colored skin, not black, was briefly reflected. It really was only a moment. When I looked up to check again, the Demon King’s body was already covered in scum.
-Ugh!
The Demon King lifted his sword.
Even though it had no expression on its face, I could feel it staring at us.
[The Demon King of Autumn Rain decides to retreat.]
what?
[The Demon King of Autumn Rain retreats to the 13th floor!]
That’s over!
I was feverish from my heart to the top of my head.
“wait for a sec! “Where in the world is there a boss who runs away when everyone is captured?”
– Don’t be mistaken! I will come again!
“Look at this guy!?”
I swung my sword. But before that, the demon king’s body collapsed. As if an invisible drain pipe had formed through a hole in the ground, black water flowed quickly.
“hey! “You black sesame shake bastard!”
It wasn’t just the Demon King. Monsters born in the shadow of the Demon King also collapsed, spewing bubbles. Boom! Would you say it feels like water is flushing down the toilet? The monsters became a dark torrent and disappeared down a hole in the ground.
“and.”
Suddenly, only me, the witch, the sword saint, and thousands of skeletons were left in the field.
“What is this…”
It was at a time when I was devastated that my countless deaths were turning into dog deaths in an instant.
[The tower acknowledges your choice.]
I heard a voice in my head.
[Writing a hidden quest.]
[The 12th floor quest will be revised!]
“···uh?”
And that too in succession.
[The 13th floor quest will be revised!]
[The 14th floor quest will be revised!]
[The 15th floor quest will be revised!]
[16th floor quest will be revised!]
[The 17th floor quest will be revised!]
[The 18th floor quest will be revised!]
[The 19th floor quest will be revised!]
I was speechless as I experienced this phenomenon for the first time.
Could the quest have been revised?
“······.”
As I opened my mouth, letters appeared before my eyes.
Texts for me.
+
[Hero of the Stopped World]
Difficulty: Unknown
Mission Objective: You have made up your mind. I will not tolerate even a single victim.
Justice is not expecting anything in return from those you save. Devotion refers to not expecting recognition from those you save. A person who is devoted to justice is called a warrior.
Hero!
The Imperials will not know your justice. You won’t realize your dedication. But still justice remains justice, and devotion remains devotion. Will you choose to continue being a warrior even in a stopped world?
The demon king was wounded and escaped. He hasn’t gotten far yet. If you wish, you can chase down the devil as much as you want.
Now all that remains is your choice.
+
A quest just for me.
“······.”
A voice rang out.
[Do you want to accept the quest?]
My heart was pounding.
It was a question that didn’t even require hesitation.
“yes.”
A voice answered me.
[Hidden quest is activated!]
[Quest name, Hero of a Stopped World.]
[May good luck be with you.]
White light surrounded me.
etc,
