Episode 66: FLEX
“Mr. Jeong-yong, are you feeling a bit better now?”
“Ah, yeah, sure. Thanks.”
“No problem. I’m relieved to see you’re okay.”
At Seop Baek’s suggestion, we found ourselves in the central plaza of Kern. I was perched on the edge of a fountain with an awe-inspiring view, taking a moment to rest.
“What exactly happened anyway?”
No, I was of course aware that the regression point had been reset. What I wanted to know was why I had regressed to this particular point in time in the first place. There had been no significant forewarning at this moment. The stalking factor, which was the only source of slight unease, had already been dealt with.
I had no way of knowing. The information about my previous life was so scarce that it left me feeling frustrated.
The one thing I could assume was:
“Impossible to handle how abruptly something occurred.”
Even my own finger had popped out.
Somehow, the Box of the Dead would have to be reset, and with no time to take any measures, I anticipated my death and chopped off my finger to insert it just in case.
This situation that pushed me to the brink like this — it was hard to imagine.
No… To be honest, I didn’t even want to imagine it.
I gulped down the cup of water passed by Seop Baek, then slowly scribbled a note with my pen, to update the Box of the Dead. Once finished, I casually looked over at Seop Baek, who was sitting beside me.
“Hm? What’s wrong, Mr. Jeong-yong?”
“Nah… nothing.”
Every time I looked at Seop Baek, I felt like I had forgotten something important.
Through all my regression, I had never felt this unsettling aftertaste. What significant fact could I have forgotten that was making my heart so heavy?
“… Residual memories. I need to recover them.”
I originally intended to track down that rude, red-haired vagabond who had casually slapped my shoulder, but given the situation, my immediate goal had been urgently adjusted to recovering the residual memories.
With my chaotic thoughts somewhat organized, I began to slowly rise from my seat when someone suddenly stopped me.
“Hey hero, wait a sec, I need to talk to you.”
Out of nowhere, Ruci, who had been quietly sitting next to me, called my name.
I walked over to her where she was wiggling her finger, and she leaned in, whispering into my ear.
“What happened? Why did it feel like time reset when I woke up today?”
“…What do you mean happened?”
I died. That’s why time reset. Is that something I absolutely have to confirm with you?
The stern look I gave her in response was apparently understood instantly.
She shook her head quickly.
“So what I mean is, why did you die?”
“Why did I die…?”
Is this brat making fun of me?
I promptly smacked her forehead with the palm of my hand.
“Ouch! Why! Why do you keep hitting me, you crazy violent hero!”
“Is this really the time to fan the fire? I wouldn’t be sitting here dumbfounded if I didn’t know.”
“Ah… You… your memories were lost when you regressed, wasn’t that it?”
“Yeah. That’s why I’m going to recover them now.”
As if convinced by my words, Ruci nodded her head.
With a look of deep understanding, it seems she had truly forgotten. Of course, given that my last regression happened a month ago, it’s understandable that she forgot.
“… I had forgotten it to this extent myself.”
This unsettling feeling.
The future that I forgot… no.
The future that disappeared because I died is something only I know.
I hadn’t felt this sense of discomfort in a long time.
“Hurry, let’s go.”
“Alright, I understand.”
I marched past the dumbfounded Seop Baek and the Demon King followed behind, gingerly rubbing his head.
I activated Izanami’s Heart for the first time in a long while. With its characteristic eerie hum of ‘wooong’, a pale light emerged before me, guiding my way.
For a while, I walked quietly, simply letting the light lead.
“Ah… Mr. Jeong-yong.”
And just like that, Seop Baek, who had been silent up until this point, spoke.
I glanced at Seop Baek with a raised eyebrow. He looked like he had a lot to say, but appeared somewhat hesitant.
“…Do you need to go poop? Should we wait?”
“Wha-?! No, that’s not it! Mr. Jeong-yong, what are you saying?!”
Why would you ask about needing to poop? This hero has been hearing such nonsense recently.
I was startled by the almost comedic reaction, realizing my comment must have gone over the edge. And Seop Baek too, realizing they had overreacted, cleared their throat and smoothed out their expression.
“It… it’s not that… Mr. Jeong-yong. Lately, I’ve felt like… you’ve been hiding something from me, haven’t you?”
I suddenly felt uneasy.
I quickly exchanged a glance with the Demon King, who was leisurely gazing at the clouds.
Yes, this brat probably hasn’t got anything significant on their mind. I had been foolish.
Sighing inwardly, I decided to start with an excuse.
“What do you mean hiding? Like, what could I possibly be hiding?”
“But you just said…!”
Seop Baek was about to retort, but stopped mid-sentence, returning to their previous look of being on the verge of saying a lot. They eventually shut their mouth, shook their head, and chuckled wryly.
“No. Never mind. It’s nothing. Let’s go.”
“…Alright.”
Although lying pricked my conscience,
there’s no way they would believe me anyway. There’s no proof to show, no way to explain it.
It’s exhausting to assert a truth no one believes and end up being treated as crazy. This is exactly what happens when you start talking and people think you’re some gullible fool.
“Here.”
Lost in these thoughts, I didn’t realize we had arrived at our destination.
This was the most luxurious and enormous inn in Kern.
Its name, “The Promised Refuge,” sounded somewhat like something a middle schooler would come up with.
“The security here is the most stringent.”
Having checked the level of the guards of this inn, I could now deduce the thoughts of my past self.
This Park Jeong-yong guy must’ve died while holding out at this inn. Dying while fighting doesn’t sound too bad, but this feels rather pathetic.
Sighing once more, I approached the inn’s reception to book a room.
There, a curious thought crossed my mind.
“…Shall I take a guess?”
Which room did my past self stay in exactly?
Being the same person, wouldn’t I naturally choose the same room? That’s what I thought.
Great. Decided. I told the receptionist:
“Reservation for one night in room 201.”
“…Excuse me? We don’t have a room 201 here.”
“…”
After being thus embarrassed, I returned to the Demon King and Seop Baek.
Let’s see, now it’s time to reveal the correct answer. I immediately asked the Demon King:
“Hey, Ruci.”
“Hm?”
“Which room did I stay in in the previous life?”
“403.”
“…Are you sure?”
“You don’t even remember this? It’s what happened today, isn’t it.”
Thus, I suffered my second embarrassment and returned with the key to room 403 from the reception.
It wasn’t just the room number but even the floor that turned out completely different. I was reminded once again that “random selection” has nothing to do with “fate.”
“Here we are…”
Standing before the infamous room 403,
I slowly opened the door after swallowing hard.
Creak. The door opened slowly and sitting there in the center of the spacious room was a residual memory.
And, my body…?!
“Urgh… AAAHHHHHH!!!”
I involuntarily screamed and fell forward. I flailed my arms and legs and retreated as far away as possible.
“Mr. Jeong-yong?! What’s wrong this time?!”
Seop Baek, panicking, grabbed my shoulder, but I just stared at her with shaking eyes.
That’s right. You can’t see it, can you?
The view inside room 403 is visible… only to me. A hallucination visible only to me.
“Hmph. Damn it… J, just calm down.”
Thinking this way, I managed to slightly calm down.
Only then was I able to take a deep breath and observe the room with a cooler head.
The room painted with blood droplets, completely red.
The varying splashes of both large and small pieces of flesh stuck to the walls and ceilings.
Bone fragments scattered about, mostly in pieces.
“Such… insane….”
There were dismembered pieces and organs scattered all over.
Lucky or unlucky, it was the only thing that could still maintain a form – the skull, on which hung what appeared to be my skin.
…Had it not been for this, I wouldn’t have been able to recognize it as my body.
“Ugh… Even for me, this is a bit much.”
Even Ruci, visibly revolted, turned her head slightly.
That says enough, doesn’t it?
If even Ruci is this affected, how about me, the one directly involved?
It took me quite a long time to come to my senses.
*
[Item Activation – Izanami’s Heart]
[Residual memory from the previous life has been obtained.]
[As no abilities were lost in the previous life, ability recovery was not necessary.]
[As no skills were lost in the previous life, lost skill recovery was not necessary.]
[All memories from the previous life have been recovered.]
“Kuhhhhh!!!”
Once I regained my senses, the first thing I did, of course, was to put Seop Baek outside so I could recover the residual memory.
Seop Baek fortunately complied without protest. Though still wearing that look as if they have something to say, there was a sense of resignation in her expression.
“Bwaaaack! Pant… Pant pant….”
After the overwhelming wave of death-related memories subsided, I exhaled the breath I had been holding all this time.
Grittled teeth. What I did first was to grind my teeth.
“Damn it all, what happened anyway?!”
The second thing I did was to curse while smashing the floor with my hand.
Crash! The wooden floor broke as my fist sank into it.
Oh, I must have forgotten that I got stronger. I’ll have to conceal this somehow later.
“But then… what exactly happened?”
I carefully recalled my death.
A massive explosion. A white light erupted, and a shockwave was slowly approaching.
It reminded me of the overwhelming force of a nuclear explosion.
That’s all I remembered. In the blink of an eye, I was already in the state of regressing through time.
My previous self… directly witnessed, as you saw, exploded into pieces like a boiled egg in a microwave.
“If I don’t know, then….”
There was no available information.
Thus, at least, the task at hand became clear.
I immediately burst out the door and marched forward, standing in front of Seop Baek, who was standing there dumbfounded.
“Jeong-yong…?”
“Seop Baek.”
“Ah, yes, sir!”
As I seriously grabbed her shoulders and began to speak, she squeezed her eyes shut.
…I’ve always had this thought but why does this kid close her eyes whenever I try to have a serious conversation? The world of martial arts’ sentiments are truly inscrutable.
While pondering that, I opened my mouth.
“Let’s leave this city immediately.”
Her tightly shut eyes shot open in surprise.
“…What?”
“Pack up. We’re leaving immediately.”
“…What? What?!”
“Ruci, let’s go. We’re heading straight to the capital, so be prepared.”
“Wait hold on! Hold on a sec, Mr. Jeong-yong?!”
We had reserved the room just fifteen minutes ago. I had merely had time to smell the luxurious marble floor when, for no apparent reason, I announced our departure from the city.
My completely unexpected behavior left Seop Baek completely clueless.
“Uhhh… Ha… Ah… Damn… Huff….”
And she simply followed me from behind, her mouth agape, muttering incomprehensibly.
