Chapter 508

〈Chapter 508〉 Part 1 TRUE ENDING – LAST

“It’s the ceiling of my house.”

I threw off the VR device and immediately lay down on the bed. It wasn’t the penthouse I saw every day, nor the temple of Ra I was summoned to whenever there was a chance, but my home in the ‘real world’ before I was kidnapped.

“……Time, time.”

I opened my smartphone to check the time. It had been less than an hour since my last login.

‘Spent 20 years, 25 years repeating over and over again, yet it’s only been an hour?’

Is this like a dream within a dream? Thinking about the situation, it’s easier to believe that some transcendent force briefly abducted my consciousness.

‘The messages and DLC are gone.’

According to his explanation, the DLC that trapped me in the “Infinite Corridor,” and the message from the person who tried to sell that DLC, have been deleted.

“Community… oh man.”

I was shocked by the countless requests left on my clear certification post. They all wanted the save file or the method to enter Phoenix’s route, screaming for answers.

‘It can’t be done like that.’

I can’t let anyone else end up like me.

Besides, I don’t want to see Blazing Phoenix flirting with anyone else.

If they’re annoyed, they should try befriending Manager Huan and fill the menu with strawberries.

‘They can’t do that.’

There’s no connection between the dating sim and RPG elements, and the hints are as tiny as mouse tails. How could they figure it out without comments and replies? There were even threats saying they’d find me and kill me if I didn’t reveal the location.

“How laughable.”

From my perspective, I’ve died countless times. Even if I die for real, it doesn’t matter much.

‘No one knows I cleared it anyway.’

Unless I start streaming and drawing aggro, or unless the company reveals my existence, the secret is eternal. Though I feel sorry for everyone, my relationship with Blazing Phoenix is mine alone.

Brrring!

My smartphone started ringing. An anonymous call with no ID. Though curious about who would call at this moment, I boldly answered.

“Hello.”

[Are you calm?]

“It’s just hard to grasp reality, Mr. Ha.”

[Ha ha, I see. Are you starting to feel it now?]

The voice on the other end of the phone hadn’t changed at all.

[You pulled off quite a clever trick.]

“Because Blazing Phoenix needs me by her side.”

[By sending one version of yourself back in time, leaving a memory-bearing clone in the present, and finally returning to reality yourself…. Do you really love gambling that much?]

“Isn’t that true for everyone?”

A low chuckle came from the other end of the phone. The moment the messages were deleted, I instinctively knew. ‘We’ won.

“That guy…no, that person, what happened to them?”

[Ah, don’t worry. Right now, the Vice President is personally handling them. They can’t harm you.]

“That’s a relief.”

[It was their own interference. The headquarters only knew about the intimidation against the staff; the board of directors was unaware. If the president had found out, I would have gone and overturned everything… hahaha. Oh, what a spectacle! That guy being dragged by the hair by the Vice President herself.]

…I don’t know much about their world, but it seems their internal affairs are complicated. At least things seem resolved well enough.

‘I’m not strong enough to take revenge on the entire group anyway.’

Unlike Phoenix, who wielded godlike powers in Blazing Phoenix’s world, I’m just an ordinary young man in reality.

The only power I possess is the knowledge of how to enter the Phoenix route and the 20 billion won prize money awarded upon clearing the game. There’s no way I can defeat cosmic horrors who use VR devices to trap humans into another world.

‘Pathetic.’

Cosmic horror isn’t something to mess with. I waited for Ha Sun-tae to stop laughing and speak.

[…The documents and money related to the 20 billion won will be delivered personally by someone I know. We need to ensure there are no legal issues, so there will be a few signatures required.]

“Signing won’t drag me back into the original world, right?”

[Haha, if you wish, I could make that happen this time…]

“I respectfully decline.”

[Oh, aren’t you interested in seeing Blazing Phoenix again?]

“I want to meet her, but I can’t.”

One Blazing Phoenix has me in the past, and another in the future. Since the current Blazing Phoenix can’t come to reality, I can’t meet her here.

“And if I want to see her, I can just log back into the game, right?”

[Even then, you’re still impressive. Ah…they call people like you ‘GamChang,’ right?]

“It’s just a means to meet Blazing Phoenix.”

[Hmm… speaking of which, the DLC might have changed slightly.]

“What?”

I quickly turned on the game and checked the update files. Although I couldn’t confirm the exact data size, some data was missing from the update notice.

“What is this supposed to mean?”

[The Phoenix route has been deleted. It’s the submarine patch.]

“Huh? So other people can’t enter the Phoenix route anymore?”

[Yes. She’s now completely unattainable as a heroine.]

“……”

I felt like bowing in gratitude to all directions.

“So, how exactly…?”

[Someone was deeply impressed by the story you showed.]

Ha Sun-tae sent me a file. It contained a silhouette photo of someone not fully revealed in the original work.

[Instead of handing over the core in Yeouido and disappearing, she’ll become an ally NPC in this form. Of course, you’ll still need to meet the conditions for the original Phoenix route…]

“Wait. Does this mean the monster Phoenix becomes a heroine?”

[…Just consider it inspired by you. Occasionally suffering from mental menstruation but acting as a reliable helper, she sacrifices herself in the final battlefield…]

“So, I’m going to get stuck with those incompetent commanders, right?”

[…I’m really sorry. It was unavoidable due to counterbalance orders from the chairman.]

“Hmph.”

My head throbbed for a moment. Thinking about the real monsters who would fantasize about armored monsters made my head spin.

“…So instead of Blazing Phoenix getting close to others, I’m the one who’s going to get stuck.”

[I apologize.]

In a sense, it’s the Phoenix route. Just that the beloved heroine Blazing Phoenix from the original will disappear, leaving only the monster inspired by me.

‘Is this better than Blazing Phoenix cozying up to someone else?’

Seeing Ha Sun-tae lowering himself suggests it’s beyond his control. Even he, ultimately the ‘president,’ couldn’t resist special instructions from the group’s ‘chairman.’

“Well…since I’ve already gotten used to getting stuck, it’s fine. And it’s not like I’ll experience it directly.”

[Thank you. …It seems the staff has arrived.]

Ding dong.

Someone had come to my house. Perhaps Ha Sun-tae kept the call long to reassure me about the arriving employee.

‘What incredible consideration.’

Helping him out when he was almost stuck turned out to be a stroke of genius. People truly need to help each other.

“Thank you. I’ll discuss the rest with the staff.”

[Yes. …Ah, remember when I mentioned the trade-off regarding the monster Phoenix entering the DLC?]

“Yeah.”

[…To maintain balance, simultaneous existence within the same system was necessary. Please don’t blame me too much. There’s a concept called equivalent exchange, after all.]

“Huh?”

Click. The call ended. No one was visible beyond the front door.

“Can’t be…”

My mouth went dry. After checking the mirror by the entrance and roughly tidying my messy hair, I grabbed the doorknob.

Creeeak.

“Hello?”

* * *

Click.

Ha Sun-tae ended the call. The smartphone was connected via speakerphone, and he smiled at the man opposite him.

“As you heard, he’s not someone who would threaten us. He’s just a pure gamer enjoying the game. Now, two of them will enjoy it together…”

“Enough.”

He waved his hand to cut him off.

“I saw it myself. That’s enough.”

“…Didn’t you actually want to see them meet again? You even interfered in outer space to bring her here personally. Hmm.”

“Shut up.”

The man sitting in the elegant chair pulled up his gray hood. His attire didn’t quite match the chairman’s office, but apparently, he liked it.

“Ha Sun-tae.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“…Bringing all 16 would be impossible, right?”

“Yes. If we bring more, only one person can go. One person has already entered from our side.”

“Tch, disappointing. Then…what about the girl you called your daughter-”

“Chairman Jo?”

“…Ah, geez. Can’t I make a joke like a normal human?”

“I’m speaking as a normal human.”

“Tch. Disappointing.”

The chairman leaned back in his chair. The sunlight reflecting off the window shone brightly on his head under the hood.

“Those guys, keep an eye on them regularly and report back. If they start buying all the strawberries on Earth, adjust things appropriately.”

“Of course.”

“Anything else you need to order?”

“…How about bringing one more person? After all, that guy gets squeezed better by two people than one-”

“Chairman?”

“…Eh, damn it. Then…”

The chairman grinned wickedly while extending three fingers.

“Octopus girl, foul-mouthed one, reckless one…which of these three should we pair with him so he spends his life stressed and squeezed?”

“Do you really have to do that?”

“Naturally. …Since I put that Ni-alah bastard in the Black Death, and we can bring one more person…Equivalent exchange.”

“…I think just leaving them be might be better. This place doesn’t allow polygamy.”

“……Ah!”

“Though I understand the Chairman’s wishes…”

“Fine. Let them live happily ever after. Tsk, damn.”

The chairman kicked his chair and shouted toward the window.

“You bastards, may your condoms tear during sex—!!”

“…Does he even know what condoms are?”

* * *

“It’s nice to meet you. …Your house is tidier than I expected? Every day, Seok Harang complains about your survival skills being a mess.”

“Ahh…”

A familiar face. Despite the suit being new, I recognized her instantly.

“…What should I call you?”

“Hyun-shinra. I carry the surname ‘Ha’ and the name ‘Shin-ra.’ As a sign of respect for a certain person who helped me? Puhehe.”

“…I might need to visit Mr. Ha separately to thank him.”

I received an unexpected gift. It was inevitable that Blazing Phoenix’s route would be removed through the DLC. If this is the result, it doesn’t matter if players drool over armored monster Phoenix wanting to squeeze her.

“So, Miss Shinra… Hmm, I don’t even know what to say.”

“Should I go first?”

The girl with blue hair walked into my house, locked the entrance door, and whispered into my ear.

“…Sigh, I’m here for sex.”

Blazing Phoenix.

True Ending. 完.