Chapter 503

〈 Chapter 503 〉 Part 1 – BAD ENDING – 1

The world repeats itself once again.

I opened my eyes on December 25, 1999.

I’ve returned to the past, and once again I’ve become Chang-yeom.

“Aaaaaaah, monster—-!!”

A scream came from below as some guy started running away screaming. Judging by his blonde hair, he was probably foreign, definitely not Korean.

‘Hmm, seems like I interrupted a big barbecue in the eastern U.S.’

Looking around, Fire Attribute Monsters were rampaging everywhere, their bodies engulfed in flames. One of them bowed its head to me before continuing its hunt for prey.

‘The same old senses are still intact.’

Not Phoenix, but “Chang-yeom’s” Phoenix. The traces of the otherworldly core still embedded in me continue to gnaw at me.

Burn it all!

Kill everything!

Erase every single thing without mercy!

These wrong sensations keep surging through me, covering all the memories I’ve built so far. It’s like if I don’t kill someone right now, my body will ache unbearably.

‘I’ll leave my memories with Chang-yeom then.’

I thought returning to the past would make things better, but nope, it’s exactly the same. I’ve become Phoenix again. Even after awakening the seven spirits, I’m still Phoenix.

‘Are you there?’

No response. The current Chang-yeom is highly wary of the ‘me’ residing within her body. Though technically, it’s because I forcibly took over Chang-yeom’s body, but she’s never reincarnated as anything other than herself.

“Sorry, but I need you to wait just a moment.”

There’s something I have to do first. Since I don’t know their locations yet, I have to move on foot and fly across the sky myself.

I have people to find from previous iterations—those who died in what I now call the immediate future. Those who must die. And those who continue on.

I need to prepare the groundwork for finding them.

‘For the convenience of me 20 years from now.’

[Hmph.]

This form really is the most stable. There’s nothing better for getting things done.

[Phoenix Sir?]

One of the monsters noticed me and called out. Looking down at me in ‘humanoid-monster form,’ it was the SS-Rank Monster <Firefly>.

[Already planning to rest? We haven’t killed a hundred thousand yet.]

[It’s an order.]

[Speak your command.]

[You go ahead to where I’ll be sleeping and stand guard outside.]

[Where should I go?]

Where should I position Garura and Salamander-class monsters? Sorry Firefly, but I have to lie to you from the start.

[Mt. Fuji underground.]

[Understood.]

Firefly flitted off into the sky, its tail glowing. Following the Pacific Ring of Fire, it will burrow deep beneath Mt. Fuji and stay there until I come to retrieve it.

‘Hikari’s problem solved.’

The S+ Rank Monster <Yatagarasu> causing the massive Mt. Fuji eruption will be taken care of by <Dung Beetle>. If they think I’m sleeping there, they’ll deal with the monster themselves.

That means Hikari’s brother, Gale Guest Hayate, won’t die. Hikari needs someone to lean on emotionally.

‘Now where should I go next?’

Flap.

I spread my wings. Ironically, the red evening sunset was setting perfectly.

[Ah.]

There’s one thing I need to take care of first.

[I guess I should go break Rusalka’s pot first.]

If left alone, she’ll melt the entire Arctic and raise sea levels. I need to make sure she runs out of magic power and drifts ashore near the East Sea like in the original story.

Runs out of magic power…

‘If I just beat her up, that’ll do the trick.’

Later, I can teach her some bed techniques with Light Blade, which will surely cheer her up.

‘Let’s start with Alaska.’

I flew across the American continent from east to west. I saw startled faces along the way, but I flew as fast as possible until I reached Alaska.

Zzzzzzt, Zzzzzzt–!!

An enormous ice butterfly, 80 meters tall, was flying slowly while scattering icy powder, freezing everything it touched.

[What’s going on? Are you done with your mission already?]

<Setya’s Rusalka> looked startled and tense when she saw me, trying to earnestly show off how well she was carrying out her mission of leading Earth to destruction as a commander-level Rusalka rather than a regular spirit Rusalka.

[I’m thinking of freezing everything here. What do you think about freezing the entire ocean?]

[Don’t test me. I’m not as easy to handle as you think.]

[…]

Rusalka gave me a strange look. But I need to give her a hint so we can have a comfortable conversation later when we meet.

[You’ll understand once you ‘have children’.]

[What does that mean?!]

She’ll get the gist of this. Rusalka is one of the top two commanders Seongju and I worked hardest on for world domination. Later, when she has a child—Seok Harang—she’ll understand what I meant.

‘Ah, back then, even though Chang-yeom had already awakened, she was still using Phoenix’s monstrous form.’ Rusalka is smart.

Of course, since she’s so smart, she’s using her magic power too efficiently. I need to reduce her magic power a bit. As the leader of the commanders, I need to fully exercise my authority.

[Rusalka, I’m going to punish you.]

[What?! What are you talking about?! What did I do wrong from the start?!]

[There’s no reason. If I have to give one…]

I raised my arm high. Magic power surged from my core, filling my entire body.

[I don’t like how you’re resistant to me.]

[What-]

[Everyone under the fire attribute should be weak. How dare water attribute act so arrogantly.]

I flicked my finger toward Rusalka.

* * *

December 26th. In Alaska, I met Rusalka and tore off her wings.

Though she held out against me for a full day, her magic eventually ran out, and I threw the human-sized Rusalka into the sea. She’ll probably drift along the currents and meet a recently discharged young man.

If she doesn’t meet him? Seok Harang won’t be born, resulting in a bad ending.

December 27th. In Jakarta, I convinced Kaernag to become human.

Facing the gold giant over 70 meters tall in my humanoid-monster form, I managed to win. Kaernag showed great interest in the humanoid form and suggested that if fighting in human form is more interesting, I could fight that way too after maintaining human form for 25 years.

If he doesn’t live as a human and continues rampaging as a monster? That’s also a bad ending.

December 28th. In Tunisia, I met Hydra spewing poison.

When I asked if instead of struggling on the surface, why not conquer the underworld, Hydra agreed and burrowed into the ground. It seemed to already have ambitions – even if the outer world perishes, it plans to build its own kingdom underground. I welcomed it wholeheartedly.

If Hydra emerges from the underworld and tries to conquer Earth before I awaken? That’s also a bad ending.

December 29th. In the Sahara Desert, I befriended Azidahaka who had no friends.

Azidahaka, who had devastated the African region, was sitting alone looking dazed when he spotted me and panicked. However, when I praised his achievements, he became arrogant. By the time I found him, billions of people had already been massacred. To ensure that we meet as enemies 20 or 25 years later, I gave him a heads-up and left.

If Azidahaka becomes romantically involved with a heroine-related character and causes complications? That’s also a bad ending.

December 30th. In Greenland, I met Penril.

To the Penril curled up in a remote place preparing to sleep, I urged him saying, “Winds should wander the world; you shouldn’t just sit quietly.” When Penril said he’d be ready to carry out missions anytime, I encouraged him to relax and enjoy himself for 24 years since he has to wait for 25 years anyway. Penril fell for it completely, and I guided him towards the abandoned forests of Northern Europe where Aruel was left behind.

If Penril finds Aruel troublesome and doesn’t rescue her? Even if someone else rescues her, it complicates matters. It’s much simpler to tie her up with Mint Team even if it’s inconvenient.

Of course, if Penril bites Aruel to death, that’s also a bad ending.

December 31st. I set up a barrier above the Terracotta Warriors.

If the awakened spirit Long were given any opportunity without preparation, chaos might be triggered. Therefore, sorry Long, but leaving him undisturbed is best. Unless awoken first, both chaos and Long will remain dormant beneath the Terracotta Warriors until Earth’s end or until Mo Taegyeong finds chaos.

…And destroying Wu Shen’s body now to prevent Long from possessing it and attacking me would also result in a bad ending since Seongju would return.

Finally, on January 1, 2000, as the century changes.

I stood atop the Hawaiian volcano crater. My mana from Tera had been depleted, and I needed time to recharge using Earth’s mana. My monstrous body transformed into the lower-consumption human form.

“Hmph. Microphone test. Ahhhh, iced americano.”

I recited the message I wanted to convey to my future self. Of course, once I entrust all my memories to Chang-yeom, I’ll only be able to hear them if she permits.

“Such a beautiful day. Birds are…”

I babbled aimlessly. What expression will Chang-yeom have when she sees me return?

What expression will she have seeing me who failed to reach a future living together with her?

“I want to see her cry once.”

Thinking about it, I’ve never seen Chang-yeom cry out of sadness except when she reaches the peak of joy and sheds tears of happiness. I’ve seen her fake sobbing, but never genuinely crying out of sorrow.

“…Lastly, make sure to check the design when building the spaceship. Otherwise, it’ll be embarrassing and disastrous.”

Though I didn’t come here to cry, if I do, I should take responsibility.

“Really lastly, the otherworldly god is on my side. …Oh yeah. One more thing.”

Whether this message will reach or not, I added a line to what I heard.

“We’ve won from the start. Why? Because another me is winning right now. Hehehe.”

Will the ‘me’ in this world’s future understand the meaning of these words? My hands were itching, and I jumped into the erupting volcano below.

“Kyyyyyyyaaaah——!!”

What should I say when I see Chang-yeom? I keep blurting out weird things out of sheer embarrassment. I’ll probably burst into tears upon seeing her, so maybe it’s better to just babble without filtering through my brain.

‘So I didn’t come here to eat, right?’

That’s too harsh and lacks consideration. Apparently, I suffered a major shock from Chang-yeom’s trolling before and developed a backlash mentality, but the current me is different.

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

Plop–!!

As soon as my body touched, the magma enveloped me like a gentle sea. I kept sinking deeper into the red sea. Deeper than what humans can scientifically detect, deeper than even Hydra can reach, deep into the bowels of the Earth.

‘Wouldn’t the inner core be enough?’

Let’s go even deeper this time. Not 20 years, but 25 years until I burst forth. As I descend further inside, I can feel the magma turning bluish due to my magic power.

‘Slowly.’

It’s time to head to the shrine. I quietly closed my eyes and focused my consciousness.

Whoosh—-

The world turned entirely red. The sky was clear, and a red staircase leading to the shrine lay before me.

Clomp, clomp.

As I climbed, my body naturally transformed into Baek Cheonghwa’s. I cannot summon my original body; it’s forbidden in this world. So I have no choice but to use Baek Cheonghwa’s body as my own.

‘Good-looking face, great figure, and that part is big too, so what’s the problem?’

Isn’t good, good? With renewed vigor, I ascended the stairs and prepared to meet my death.

‘Last time, I got incinerated immediately upon seeing her.’

Creak.

I pushed open the shrine doors and shouted loudly.

“Chang-yeom, I’ve come toキュ~!”

As expected, I couldn’t bring myself to tell her not to cry despite the heartache.

Let’s start all over again.

* * *

“Hmm.”

The man in yellow robes merely smiled.