Chapter 221

Cold sweat trickled down my back.

‘…Shit, what did I say?’

I felt like screaming. I wanted to ask my first-round self what the hell I had done.

I started to suspect that the Saintess had set this whole situation up to trap me, letting me meet Aitas.

Seeing me flustered, Aitas laughed as if he was enjoying it.

“Hehe… I’ve never seen that expression on you before.”

“Uh…”

I wanted to say something, but I had no idea what to say.

“It’s fine. It was quite a unique experience. I’m actually a bit disappointed.”

“Huh? What’s disappointing…?”

“Hmm, in human terms, it’s like… spicy flavor? Back then, you were spicy, but now you’re more like mild.”

‘What the…’

Thankfully, he wasn’t angry or showing any rage, so I was relieved, but his expression left me speechless.

‘He doesn’t feel like a god or an administrator at all.’

“But it’s a relief. At least you don’t seem unhappy now.”

“……”

‘Definitely… I don’t know if it’s just my mood, but he seems oddly friendly toward me.’

It could’ve been an act, but at least to my eyes, it didn’t seem like one.

“…Should I call you Aitas-nim?”

“Call me whatever you’re comfortable with. You can even curse at me like before if you want.”

I wasn’t crazy enough to curse at her here. At least, given how complicated my relationship with Aitas was, whether I liked it or not.

“Haha… About that time in the first round when I cursed at you, Aitas-nim… I must’ve been out of my mind back then. I definitely didn’t mean it…”

“Don’t worry. I didn’t feel particularly offended by your cursing. It’s really fine.”

‘Well, that’s a relief…’

“Anyway, I’ve been wanting to meet you for a while. Player Lee Yun-seong.”

Same here.

“…Same here. I have a lot of questions to ask.”

I had a mountain of questions. First, about Seo Yoo-ju and Eras, but the most important question was about something else.

It was a question I couldn’t get an answer to anywhere, one I’d been trying to force myself to forget.

“Aitas-nim, can I ask my question first?”

“…Sure. If it’s something I can answer, I’ll do my best.”

“What happened to my sister on Earth?”

“…I see. You’re asking the same question as in the first round.”

His tone sounded like he’d expected it. Apparently, I’d asked the same question in the first round.

It was the most important question for me. She was practically the only family I had left.

‘Seo Yoo-ju, Wi Ho-yeon, Yoon Yeon, Yoo Rim, and Yoo Hyun are all important, but this is the most important.’

I’d been trying not to think about it, but the being in front of me might have the answer.

Just in case she lied, I decided to strike first.

“I hope you won’t answer with a lie.”

“…Don’t worry. I have no intention of lying.”

My heart was pounding. What if something had happened to my sister?

“There’s no need to be nervous. Your sister is alive and well. However, there’s one issue…”

“What…”

I was relieved to hear she was alive, but my heart sank at the mention of an issue.

“…I don’t know how you’ll take this, but your sister has forgotten about your existence.”

‘What?’

“What… What do you mean? Forgotten my existence?”

“It’s an unavoidable outcome. The records of those who cross to another planet are permanently erased from their original planet.”

My mind went blank, and I couldn’t think straight.

In other words, players like me who were dragged to Eras had been forgotten on Earth.

“…I’m sorry. I didn’t want to tell you the truth for this reason. As an administrator, I don’t fully understand the emotions of players, but…”

“…Hah.”

“…I won’t ask for your forgiveness. But please understand one thing. We didn’t forcibly drag you here.”

“Wait… Just wait…”

Aitas’s voice wasn’t registering in my mind.

I just needed time to think.

I’d only considered the possibility of something bad happening to my sister, but I never imagined my existence would be erased.

‘No… Maybe…’

At first, it felt absurd and ridiculous, but from my sister’s perspective, it might’ve been for the best.

‘We can’t meet again anyway.’

It might be better for her to forget me. I’d rather not have her spend her life worrying about a missing younger brother.

It’s something I’ll have to carry with me for the rest of my life. At least it’s better than her spending her life searching for me.

My emotions were in turmoil, but I needed to stay calm. Only then could I get the answers I wanted.

“…I understand. So, what do you mean by not forcibly dragging us here?”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t answer that. Please just trust my words.”

‘Right, I didn’t expect to get all the answers anyway.’

But one question lingered.

Earlier, she said that crossing to another planet erases your records, but there have been cases in Eras where family members reunited after time differences.

“That’s strange. You said records are erased, but what about cases in Eras where family members reunite? If what you said is true, the one who arrived later shouldn’t remember the family who arrived first, right?”

“…Fortunately, I can answer this one. If you’re moved to the same planet as the person who forgot you, you’ll remember them again.”

“Ah…”

‘So that’s how it is.’

Well, that question wasn’t really important. Just a simple curiosity.

The next question was about the fate of this continent.

“…Aitas-nim. What exactly is the Devourer of Worlds?”

“…….”

“If you know anything, please tell me. For both you and me, and for the sake of this continent…”





“It would be troublesome if things go wrong, wouldn’t it?”

I calmly waited for her response. If Aitas knew something, I believed he would answer me.

It’s not that I suddenly gained trust. In the first round, I didn’t know, but in the second round, it’s the first time we’ve met today.

However, the administrators and my ultimate goal are the same: to protect this continent safely.

‘Of course, the details are different.’

From my perspective, my goal is to preserve this continent intact and make Yoo Ju a Transcendent Being so she can become independent.

At least, the being in front of me seemed friendly to the players, but there’s no guarantee that other administrators are the same.

‘Especially that guy, Metatron or whatever.’

Given his tendency to treat indigenous people as tools, he probably sees players as pawns, not something to cherish.

‘Just look at the Saint Mark project.’

Seeing how they create Saintesses by sacrificing orphans, it’s highly likely that the majority of administrators share similar ideologies with that Metatron guy.

“…The Devourer of Worlds. You know about it in this round too.”

“Of course. You used Aitas’s power because there was no way to stop it, right?”

“…That wasn’t the only reason, but yes.”

“…..”

“I regret to say that I don’t know much about the Devourer of Worlds either. All I know is… it devours planets without Transcendent Beings or with low-level Transcendent Beings.”

“…It devours planets?”

It sounded insane. How could something devour a planet?

‘What the hell, is it bigger than a planet or something?’

“…I think I explained it poorly. It doesn’t literally eat them. It just takes root in the planet.”

“Takes root…”

‘So, like a parasite?’

At least it’s a relief that it doesn’t literally devour the planet.

If it were literally big enough to devour a planet, it would be better to just bite my tongue and die rather than continue this nonsense.

“Fortunately, the current situation is quite manageable. We still have plenty of time, and many Transcendent candidates are still alive.”

“…Transcendent candidates?”

“Of course, besides the Returner you chose, there are others with potential. Yoon Yeon, Wi Ho-yeon, Ha Yu-ri, and Yanagiya Riki… that’s about it.”

‘More than I thought.’

I already knew Yoon Yeon was a Transcendent candidate, but Wi Ho-yeon and Yanagiya Riki were unexpected.

‘Did the number of Transcendent candidates increase because it’s the second round?’

Probably because the environment and experiences are different.

“Actually, there were a few more…”

“Were? Does that mean they’re dead?”

“…The guy the players called Gwi Chang, Baek Si-hoon, also had the potential to become a Transcendent.”

‘…That bastard?’

My expression must have twisted because Aitas continued.

“Don’t worry. I never intended to make him a Transcendent. He had potential, but I couldn’t entrust the continent to someone like that.”

“Yeah, well…”

It seems they don’t just consider military power.

However, I caught something odd in Aitas’s words.

“Aitas. You just said you couldn’t entrust the continent to him. Does that mean if a player becomes a Transcendent, they gain higher authority than an administrator?”

I threw it out there just in case. But Aitas’s silence confirmed my thoughts.

“Seems like my guess was right.”

‘This means I need to make Yoo Ju my ally even more.’

There are several Transcendent candidates, but the one with the highest potential and ability is undoubtedly the Returner, Yoo Ju.

After a brief silence, she opened her mouth and asked me.

“…Did you hear that from Aditi?”

‘She knows Aditi.’

Well, Aditi did say she was originally an administrator, so maybe it’s natural.

I didn’t feel the need to lie to her question, and since Aitas seemed to know and was asking, I answered truthfully.

“Yes, that’s right. Do you know Aditi?”

“…I know her well. Can I talk to her? I sense Aditi’s energy from you…”

“Uh…”

‘Isn’t Aditi’s voice only audible to me?’

While I was wondering what to do, Aditi’s voice came through.

– …Let me borrow your mana for a moment.

‘What?’

Before I could even respond to Aditi, I felt my mana rapidly draining.

“Ugh?! What…!”

At the same time, the mana left my body and began to form an independent shape.

It was very faint, but it was clear that the faint existence was Aditi.

– Aitas, it’s been a long time.

“…Aditi.”

Their reunion aside, I was quite shocked that Aditi could reveal herself like this.

“What… is this possible? I thought the contract…”

– Don’t worry. It won’t harm you. I can’t exert any power in this form anyway.

Right after Aditi spoke to me, as Aitas was about to open his mouth, the space suddenly tore apart.

Crack—!

‘What?’

Everyone watching this scene was equally stunned.

As the space tore open, someone appeared, and a voice filled with anger echoed.

“Aitas—!”