Chapter 58

I can’t just kill a premium angel like this. They’re literally on a whole different level.

But even they can’t completely escape my abilities.

If they allowed the attack, they must have something to offer.

She reappeared unscathed, glaring at me with a twisted expression.

More precisely, at the dozens of rings spinning ominously behind me, emitting a gloomy aura.

Understanding and adapting to abilities.

Just by looking at the roots of a tree, you can understand the ecosystem of the mountain.

If I’ve gained something like this, the enemy can’t defeat me.

The Yoma clicked her tongue in disgust at the sight.

[I really hate that ability.]

[Why… It wasn’t such a bad proposal originally.]

The angel asked, flustered.

It wasn’t bad, sure. It would’ve been easier if I accepted the proposal.

Regardless of whether it pleased me or not.

But the fact that they made such a proposal proves that the Sanctuary still hasn’t figured me out.

The rings behind me spin wildly, boosting all my stats.

It’s like leveling up.

My mind and actions are perfectly aligned, and thoughts become speed.

Before I knew it, my hand shot forward.

The premium angel reacted and blocked, but the gap was already too wide.

Another chunk of flesh was torn away.

Her face, dripping with divinity as white as blood, showed shock.

Why? Didn’t you see this coming?

[You said you were watching me. You said you saw my life.]

If you still didn’t know what I was aiming for, you deserve to die.

[…You.]

Ignoring the trembling voice of anger, I charged again.

There’s no time to be leisurely.

The beings heading this way.

The distant, higher gods whose attacks I might not even withstand.

They’re watching us.

Through the eyes of the Omniverse.

The Elder Gods are calmly observing the situation because they must have some faith in it.

Idiots.

What I’m wary of isn’t some laid-back being who might show up anytime.

It’s the act of touching the premium angel.

I’m fully aware of the real danger in that act.

Suppressing the urgency bubbling up, I grabbed the angel’s wing and tore it off.

I need to get as much as I can and leave this place quickly.

The power I felt from the angel in front of me was at most a 3rd class.

I still remember. Just once, a 4th class angel fell to me, and I had to borrow the power of three sacred artifacts just to summon that finger.

The divinity within it.

[…Strange. They’re not responding. Suddenly they can’t come, what’s that about?]

That’s when it happened.

The light of the Omniverse disappeared.

The eyes closed.

And what appeared in its place.

A round circle with an equilateral triangle in the middle.

The symbol of the Trinity.

From within, a hand wrapped in light slowly, very slowly emerged.

At the same time, the dying angel was bathed in radiance.

I gritted my teeth and stepped back.

[How are they already-]

Looking at the flustered Elder Gods, I frowned.

Idiots.

Still can’t grasp the situation?

The passage they created was twisted and altered by some being’s power.

It’s been taken over.

[Let’s go.]

The decision was quick.

I didn’t need to test whether I could withstand that being’s power.

Seeing his arm, not just his hand, now revealed, I turned and ran the other way.

The Elder Gods preparing for battle.

Hoping they’d buy me a little more time.

From behind, a faint voice murmured.

[…Σεραφείμ has come.]

─Boom!

Simultaneously, a massive light surged across the area.

*

[Split up.]

[What?]

[Go the opposite way. If we stay together, we’ll both be caught.]

There was a miscalculation.

Not so much a miscalculation, but something I didn’t know at all.

The Seraphim was much faster than I expected.

The light, spreading as if to fill the entire universe, was still chasing us at a terrifying speed.

We need to split up to have any chance.

Without hesitation, the Yoma dropped down.

I went up.

The light followed me up. Damn it. It was me after all.

[Do not fear.]

A voice echoed inside. A strange vibration, like an echo overlapping hundreds of times.

More like, stop messing around.

Chasing me like this and saying “do not fear.”

And it’s not just light.

It had a complete form, stretching its hand out to grab and kill me.

Shouldn’t a Watcher, an angel, show some mercy at times like this?

[Yuyeona.]

[Huh.]

Even in this situation, that affectionate voice was too out of place.

Irritation surged, and I turned around.

It’s too pathetic to be caught like this. If I’m going to be caught anyway, at least let me struggle.

You know, they say the wound on the back is the warrior’s shame.

As the massive light enveloped me, I released all the divinity in my body.

Like dropping a drop of ink into a pure white sea.

At the same time, a warm voice echoed in my ears.

So nostalgic that my face stiffened.

[Looking at you.]

A voice I can no longer recall, buried in memories.

It was the voice of my late mother.

[Truly repent.]

*

I feel like I’ve forgotten many things.

When I opened my eyes, a savory smell hit my nose.

After a long nap, I felt refreshed but still a bit groggy, stumbling as I got out of bed.

The red sun was blinding.

“…It’s hot.”

The date was July 2nd.

Sunday.

Since my mother was a devout believer, she was naturally not at home.

I picked up my phone and checked KakaoTalk.

[Went to church. Come after eating to join the 3 PM service~^^]

I checked the time.

1:41 PM.

Plenty of time.

I woke up my father, who was also asleep, and we ate together.

As my father munched on the supermarket pork cutlet, he suddenly started choking up.

“Yeona, I heard universities are pretty empty these days. Why don’t you try applying to Seoul National University?”

Suddenly talking about college entrance exams?

I laughed and took a sip of water.

“…That’s not it. It’s just my personality.”

“Oh? Then what about Korea University?”

“These days, it’s more about which department you get into rather than the university itself…”

“Really?”

After that, my father finished his meal without saying much and abruptly got up.

I felt a bit relieved.

By the time I finished eating, my father, who had quickly changed his clothes, placed a 10,000 won bill on the table.

He told me to hang in there a bit more.

High school was almost over.

“…Thank you.”

I mechanically bowed my head and, without any real gratitude, put the money in my wallet.

I hadn’t grown up so poor that a single 10,000 won bill would move me.

Ding-dong-

My father opened the front door and called out softly.

“Make sure you come! Don’t skip church like last time and get caught by your mom!”

My face flushed.

I remembered getting scolded by my mother for skipping church to play games a couple of weeks ago.

I felt a bit resentful as my father, smiling, walked out.

“Now, about 30 minutes.”

I whispered softly in the empty living room.

By the time I arrived at church, my father would be home with my mother.

I needed to think more thoroughly.

How could I skip church?

Since I’d been caught before, my mother had been checking on me via phone calls lately.

I needed to come up with a new plan.

Thinking this, I stood in front of the mirror.

What I saw was a tall woman with white hair and red eyes.

It felt a bit off, but that was definitely me.

I tried opening my eyes wide, smiling, and even frowning on purpose.

The woman in the mirror mimicked me.

So, was that me?

Could something that perfectly imitates me become another version of me?

Wait, who’s imitating who?

Me, imitating me?

As I rambled on like this, the time had somehow become 6:31 PM.

I realized the time was a bit strange, but I didn’t feel anything more out of place.

I just thought I needed to answer the phone quickly.

Click-

I grabbed my phone and answered.

Cold sweat ran down my back.

Why?

Even though I went to church, my parents weren’t home, and they weren’t answering their phones.

Well, as usual, they probably went out somewhere together. It’s a bit odd they didn’t contact me, but it’s possible…

“Is this Yuyeona?”

My mind went blank.

“Are your parents’ names XXX and XXX?”

“Please don’t be alarmed. We need you to come to XX Hospital as soon as possible.”

“I’m sorry. Yes. Yes, yes. I’m sorry. By the time we found them, it was already…”

“Please stay calm and come to XX Hospital first…”

Then, I froze.

What? What’s going on?

I wasn’t saying anything, but the voice on the phone kept talking as if having a conversation with someone.

And… huh. This is weird. This doesn’t seem like our mirror—

Thud.

I took a step back.

Goosebumps covered my entire body.

I shook my head and looked around.

Familiar floor. Familiar bathroom.

So familiar it made me nauseous, all the scenes and situations from that day.

As I hurried outside, the world changed once again.

It kept changing, changing, changing.

All of it was buried in my memories.

All the memories came back.

Every single one.

The coffin covered in white cloth.

The photo of my mother.

The 10,000 won in my wallet.

The ticking sound I listened to, holding my breath.

The feel of the cutter knife on my wrist.

The thickness of the rope around my neck.

…Yeah. That’s how it was.

“You.”

I felt all the blood drain from my body.

Muttering faintly, I turned back to the mirror.

I reached out toward it.

My outstretched hand was trembling.

“You can’t kill me.”

I can never die.

Since I didn’t die back then, I can’t die anymore. I don’t have the right to.

[Repent.]

Now, a single black tear fell from the eyes of the mirror woman, who had taken on the form of an angel.

The moment my fingertips touched the cold mirror.

“Why me.”

Crack-

The world crumbled.