Translator: HH Editor: ShaSha
It didn’t get older .
It was always young .
-Estelle .
It became beautiful by the day, and the ends of its fingers always smelled like apples . On its feet, there was a grape scent . People were always enchanted by its scent every time it walked by them . Its hair was a gold color, and when it fluttered in the wind, the villagers could feel autumn .
-Estelle, Saintess of the Frontier .
From some time, people began to say this,
-Miss Saintess .
A young girl came holding a baby . She said that she had come from far away after hearing rumors .
-Please . It’s a sick child . Please bless this poor thing…
-Do you know the rules?
-Yes, yes . I do…!
Estelle nodded her head .
-Leave the child here . You can come tomorrow at dawn .
The young girl bowed her head and left .
There was a small child where the mom left, wrapped in an old but soft blanket . The young girl had gathered the softest things she had to cover the baby . An old blanket, stained with milk…Estelle momentarily dug her nose inside it .
How pleasant .
Humans would do anything for love .
-Kyu?
The baby reached out its hand to touch Estelle’s hair .
Estelle smiled . Life was beautiful even though it was wrapped up in rags . Estelle considered this to be happiness .
-It’s okay .
Estelle’s shadow squirmed .
-You won’t be hurt anymore .
-Kya…
The shadow opened its mouth .
-Poor thing .
Estelle quietly swallowed the newborn baby .
The death of the child was calm . It didn’t even resist . It just helplessly settled down . When the newborn baby’s skin and bone melted, its memories entered Estelle . They were memories from the baby’s skin and bone . The pain of being born, feeling of its finger,the smile of its mom…
-Yeah .
Short memories from a short life . After examining it’s blink of a life, Estelle waved towards her shadow . The shadow boiled .
-Let it live a little longer .
At that moment, the shadow shrunk to a baby’s form . The black shadow turned into a skin color . It squirmed around, smiling like an innocent beast .
-Kya!
Estelle smiled .
-Poor thing .
As soon as it dawned, the mother came . Had she spent the night waiting? She looked pitiful . Estelle, who had been waiting in the doorframe, handed the baby in the blanket to its mother .
-It’ll be healthy now .
-Ah…
-It won’t even catch minor illnesses . Please continue to love it as you did so far .
The mother’s face crumpled .
-Thank you…
Rumors started to spread across the continent .
-Miss Saintess…
The small rumors scratched at the small land .
-Thank you, Miss Saintess…
The small rural countries were upheaved first .
-Estelle .
After that, it was the larger countries .
-Saintess Estelle .
The continent was large . There were plenty of unhappy humans everywhere . People who were rotting from diseases, people who were crippled from birth, people who couldn’t see .
-The saintess of savior!
They all gathered towards Estelle . Every time they did, Estelle’s shadow became larger .
-Our savior!
As Estelle’s shadow became darker, the power of humans lessened . A king couldn’t rule a village that they had thrown away .
-The hope for all the ill!
Estelle .
The kings realized that this was the name of the new disease .
And they knew what they had to do to make the disease disappear .
-Burn her!
Fire .
-Burn the nest of the witch!
Estelle screamed .
The fire was burning a person .
No .
That wasn’t it .
-Don’t show mercy . They’re all cursed monsters! Don’t miss a single one!
Humans were burning humans .
2 .
-Things that don’t see humans as humans .
It groaned . It sounded like a scream . The groans combined to become a shadow, and the screams became a sword .
-Be swallowed by your evil!
The Devil King swung his sword .
The sword was trembling like it was groaning .
“Kim Gong-ja!”
The Witch shouted .
“I’m okay!”
I was confronting the Devil King . Whoosh! It seemed like the Devil King’s sword would burst with a red light any moment .
‘Right?’
I focused my Aura on my feet .
‘Or is it left?’
It was a fifty fifty chance .
The Devil King’s sword screamed .
A sword that was more red than blood and hotter than fire approached me .
[You have died . ]
[You are regressing to 24 hours ago . ]
‘It’s the left . ’
I would die .
When I died, I would return to 24 hours ago .
[You have 6 days, 23 hours, 53 minutes, and 27 seconds left to use Hundred Ghosts Summon . ]
‘[Returner’s Clockwork Watch (EX)]’ said that the user’s memory and skills were kept the same .
[You have died . ]
[You have 5 days, 23 hours, 51 minutes, and 42 seconds left to use Hundred Ghosts Summon . ]
The Sword Emperor Bae Hu-ryeong was able to share my memories because my skills were maintained even when I died .
My powers, my memories, everything .
Of course, the cool time was included in this .
[You have died . ]
A day passed .
[You have 4 days, 23 hours, 49 minutes, and 33 seconds left to use Hundred Ghosts Summons . ]
I subjugated the 11th floor .
No one died .
I climbed to the 12th floor to fight with the Devil King . The Witch of Black Dragon helped me .
The angry Devil King summoned his Hundred Ghosts . I ran towards the Devil King and died .
[You have died . ]
[You have 3 days, 23 horus, 47 minutes, and 15 seconds until you can use the Hundred Ghosts Summons .
I died .
[You have died . ]
[You have 2 days, 23 hours, 45 minutes, and 28 seconds…]
I died .
[You have died . ]
[You have 1 day, 23 hours, 43 minutes, and 13 seconds…]
A day passed .
[You have died . ]
[You have 23 hours, 41 minutes, and 53 seconds…]
And .
That day came again .
[You can use Hundred Ghosts Summons again . ]
It was time to repeat .
We could fight a final battle of sorts .
“–Kim Gong-ja!”
The Witch shouted .
I nodded my head .
“I’m okay . ”
In this life, I ran to the right without even looking at the redness .
The red light cut into empty air . Tens of skeletons were swept away . But there were 10 times that amount of goblins and orcs that burned up .
-You!
The Devil King’s voice trembled with fury .
-How! Do you have the eyes of prophecy!
“It’s similar . ”
-Stubborn .
Bae Hu-ryeong clicked his tongue .
-What a stubborn bastard .
Bae Hu-ryeong continued to tell me where to swing my sword and how to move my feet .
-But this is so cool . Hey Zombie! See if you can do a repeat summons next time . Stay inside somewhere for a week and summon monsters again .
I frowned .
‘Please! Focus!’
-I think it’ll cancel the previous summons and use the current one instead, you never know . 4 thousand can become 8000 and 8000 can become 80,000 . Kya! Then you’ll be upgraded from a Zombie to a Zombie King! Zombie King Kim Gong-ja! How cool is that!
‘Geez, stop talking! I can’t focus because…’
[You have died . ]
[You have regressed to 24 hours ago . ]
[Fucking…!]
-Why do you die so much? That’s why you’re such a pathetic zombie .
‘I kicked it because of you! I have to repeat another week now!’
-That’s because you’re a weak-ass . It’s not my fault . Anyways, it’s not .
Bae Hu-ryeong snickered .
‘I swear I’ll kill you someday!’
-Oho . I’m already dead though . How are you gonna kill a ghost? Haha . Is our Zombie getting angry?
‘You fu…’
-Use that anger to get the Devil King . I cleared through the 20th floor even though I didn’t have a lit cheat skill . Oho, how pathetic, Kim Zombie .
‘Shit!’
That was what we said, but we continued to fight the Devil King .
The skeletons continued to stop the Devil King’s forces . The Sword Saint blocked the monsters coming to us . I died continuously throughout the week and predicted the Devil King’s attack, and the Witch continued to play the Devil King using my prophecies .
“Black Dragon Master! It’s right next!”
“Got it!”
The Witch spread black Aura . The mirrors reflected it . Everytime it was reflected on the mirror, the Aura was amplified by 2 times . In an instant, the tens of black attacks cut the Devil King’s waist .
-Keaaahh!
The Devil King’s scream ripped through the sky in the paused world .
“Hahaha! Missus, nice shot!”
I laughed . Laughing, I swung my sword .
“Who are you calling missus! I’m not married yet!”
“What were you doing to not get married at that age!”
“I’m still young!”
“Nah . You probably became younger with elixirs! I know it all . ”
“You…see me after we get the Devil King . ”
We crossed over different scenes .
Sometimes, the Witch was swept by the red light . Even the Sword Saint . 1 second . Another second . We gave our lives for the fight . Even a second being off guard was dangerous .
[You have died . ]
But it didn’t matter .
[You are regressing to 24 hours ago . ]
My lethal move was stronger than the Devil King’s lethal move .
-You…
12 times .
-You dare to… . my hate…!
The Witch’s Aura pierced the Devil King’s body 12 times . Then, the Devil King’s movements became slow . Black wastewater boiled where he was attacked .
‘Huh?’
Was it just me?
For a moment, before the wastewater boiled…I thought I saw the color of skin . It really was just a moment . When I turned my head to check again, the Devil King’s body was already covered in wastewater .
-Keuk!
The Devil King took back his sword .
Even though he didn’t have a face, we could feel he was glaring at us .
[The Devil King of Fall Rain decides to retreat . ]
What?
[The Devil King of Fall Rain is falling back to the 13th floor!]
That was ridiculous!
Anger completely filled me up to my head .
“Wait! What kind of boss runs away when it’s almost caught!”
-Don’t think that! I’m coming back again!
“Look at this bastard!”
I swung my sword . But the Devil King’s body crumpled before that . Like there was a pipe somewhere that we couldn’t see, the black wastewater was pulled in .
“Hey! You chocolate milkshake-like bastard!”
It wasn’t just the Devil King . The monsters born from the shadow fell, vomiting bubbles . It was like the sound of water going down the toilet . The monsters disappeared under the ground .
“Wow . ”
The Witch, Sword Saint, thousands of skeletons, and I were left in the middle of the field .
“This is…”
It was when I was despairing because all my deaths were for nothing .
[The tower has acknowledged your choice . ]
I could hear a voice in my head .
[Hidden quest made . ]
[The 12th floor quest is being revised!]
“ . . Huh?”
Consecutively, at that .
[The 13th floor quest is being revised!]
[The 14th floor quest is being revised!]
[The 15th floor quest is being revised!]
[The 16th floor quest is being revised!]
[The 17th floor quest is being revised!]
[The 18th floor quest is being revised!]
[The 19th floor quest is being revised!]
I was speechless at this situation that I never experienced before .
Could quests be revised?
“······ . ”
While I was gaping, letters popped up in front of me .
Letters for me .
[Warrior of the Paused World]
Difficulty: Unknown
Task goal: You have chosen . You won’t allow a single victim .
Righteousness is not expecting something from those you saved . Dedication is not expecting acknowledgement from those you saved . Those who dedicate themselves to righteousness are called warriors .
Warrior!
The people of the empire won’t know your righteousness . They won’t realize your dedication . But righteousness is still righteousness, and dedication is still dedication .
In the paused world, will you still choose to be a warrior?
The Devil King has run away with injuries . He probably hasn’t gone far . If you want, you can chase after the Devil King however much you want .
Only your choice is left .
It was a quest just for me .
“······ . ”
A voice rang .
[Will you accept the quest?]
My heart thumped .
It was a question I didn’t have to hesitate before deciding the answer .
“Yes . ”
The voice responded to me .
[The hidden quest is activating!]
[Quest name, Warrior of the Paused World . ]
[May luck be with you . ]
White light wrapped around me .