‘This wasn't the most satisfying ending.’

Still, I figured there couldn’t be a more ideal way to wrap things up than this. To begin with, the idea of Kim Hyun-Sung and First Lee Ki-Young actually having a conversation didn’t sit well with me anyway. At the very least, it was enough that Kim Hyun-Sung had realized that it was First Lee Ki-Young who had given him the bag.

‘Then again, part of me wonders what difference that even makes.’

It was probably a symbolic object, something that connected First Lee Ki-Young and Kim Hyun-Sung. Whether you called it affection, goodwill, or pity, even I couldn’t quite define it, and Lee Ki-Young himself probably couldn’t either, but what mattered was that it held meaning between the two of them.

And it was just a few pieces of bread, nothing more.

Kim Hyun-Sung realized, albeit belatedly, that the items inside the bag were from First Lee Ki-Young. He had to have personally confirmed the last trace of humanity Lee Ki-Young had left behind in it, and he could have thought that those few pieces of bread marked both the beginning and the end of his relationship with him.

He probably felt as if they had exchanged countless words that were never spoken or received. Yes, Kim Hyun-Sung probably believed that he was understood, at least a little. He had to have interpreted that bag in his own way.

Of course, he couldn’t have taken it entirely in a positive light, but as mentioned before, he likely realized that his story with First Lee Ki-Young had both begun and ended during the tutorial.

"..."

As expected, his gloomy face stood out the most.

‘Yeah, it’s bound to feel unresolved.’

There was no way he felt relieved. Even if he had realized it, the weight on his mind was likely still lodged somewhere deep inside him. One could tell that much just by looking at his face. It looked like he could break down crying at any moment. His eyes were stained with regret and self-reproach.

‘He could at least try to convince himself of something, but he can’t even do that. That bastard just keeps blaming himself.’

The way he turned around and walked away made him look completely drained of strength.

‘Makes me want to comfort him at least.’

However, this was the moment to hold back. In the past, it could have been different, but right now, I believed he could overcome this on his own. Besides, I would be right there by his side. His turn was over, and now, it was mine.

Just as he had faced First Lee Ki-Young, I had to face First Life Kim Hyun-Sung.

To be honest, I had no clear idea what I was supposed to do after meeting him, or what I was supposed to say. I still couldn’t understand why I had to meet him. If facing him was the key to ending this first life, then why couldn't he remember me?

‘Probably some kind of adjustment.’

It made the most sense to assume it was the system making adjustments. It probably believed that this was the most appropriate way to bring this story to an end, and the most fitting way to rewrite the narrative of this continent.

Benigoa said before that this continent was no longer written under its narrative. It was no longer under the system's story, but under one that would unfold in the names of Kim Hyun-Sung and me.

This new first life was part of that process—a process to create a narrative where this continent would recognize both Kim Hyun-Sung and me as its true guardians. This very moment could be the final chapter that would bring the story to a close.

‘My head is a mess. Damn it. It’s too complicated.’

Still, I kept walking. It seemed that First Lee Ki-Young didn’t want to be the only one to face someone as well, as he had left the bag in front of First Life Kim Hyun-Sung’s residence.

Since he hadn’t even considered something like a proper farewell with Lee Ki-Young, I didn’t attach much meaning to it, either. I simply picked up the bag that he had left behind and quietly knocked on the door.

“...”

“...”

Through the Telescope, I saw First Life Hyun-Sung, who had been staring out at the sunset over Lindel, suddenly flinch in surprise. He didn’t move right away, and it looked like he believed that he had misheard it. When I knocked once more, I saw him rushing downstairs.

The door swung open far faster than I had expected. Before I could prepare myself, I saw First Life Kim Hyun-Sung's face.

“...”

He looked like he couldn’t believe it. His expression made it clear that he couldn’t accept what he was seeing with his own eyes.

“Hi,” I said, greeting him casually as if nothing was wrong.

“Uh...”

“...”

“...”

This was the complete opposite of what I had expected. I believed he would be happy to meet another survivor.

“...”

“Who... are you?” First Life Hyun-Sung asked.

His expression was slightly wary, and his eyes carried a hint of fear. There was even an indescribable sense of dread emanating from him.

Upon seeing that, I finally thought about how I appeared to him.

“Are you... a god of this world?” First Life Hyun-Sung asked.

Yeah, in his eyes, I probably looked like some transcendent being. My appearance wasn’t much different from that of an ordinary human, but my shining golden eye, the halo visible against the sunset behind me, and the divinity exuding from me made it seem like he could sense, at least vaguely, that the being before him was fundamentally different from a human.

It seemed that his firm belief that no other humans existed here was reinforcing the idea that I wasn’t an ordinary human. There wasn’t a trace of doubt in it. What stood before him was not human. Kim Hyun-Sung reached that conclusion.

“Do I not look human to you?” I asked.

“...”

“How about... we take a walk?” I suggested.

“...”

“...”

As I turned slightly and walked ahead, I saw him hesitate before eventually following me. He looked suspicious, but he probably had no other choice. What else could he even do in this situation? Humanity was gone, and he was the only one left.

He couldn’t accurately grasp what I was, but it was only natural for him to see me as some kind of lifeline that could resolve this situation.

Or perhaps he simply missed talking to another sentient being...

“...”

“...”

“How was it?” I asked.

“...”

“...”

“What... do you mean?” First Life Hyun-Sung asked.

“I mean this place, and your story,” I asked.

“...”

“...”

“Did you come all this way... just to ask me that? Are you... are you serious...” First Life Hyun-Sung muttered.

“...”

“You only came once everything is over... and the first thing you say is... how was it? You’re asking me how it was? You’re asking me what life here was like? No... more importantly... why... why?!” First Life Hyun-Sung shouted.

“No, I wasn’t the one who brought you and the others here, Hyun-Sung. Whether you believe it or not, you ended up here because of something like the laws of the universe at work.

"It wasn’t done by someone with malicious intent toward you. It was something that was bound to happen, and something that’s still happening even now,” I explained.

“...”

“I understand why you’re angry at me. I understand wanting to blame someone... but I can’t answer your question. I’m just an administrator who can’t escape those laws either. At least, for now,” I said.

“...”

“Hyun-Sung, I just want to have a short conversation with you. I have no other intentions or motives,” I added.

It seemed Kim Hyun-Sung still couldn't trust me, but soon enough, as if he had given up, I saw him quietly lower his head. It looked like he was thinking that there was nothing he could do at this point, anyway. He was already exhausted from getting angry, getting emotional, and reacting fiercely about what had happened to him.

The word "broken" seemed to fit him better now. Whether what I said was true or false, it didn’t seem to matter to him anymore. Whether I was a demon or a god, it made no difference.

Kim Hyun-Sung glanced at me, then let out a sigh before saying, “It felt... like hell.”

“Is that so?” I asked.

“Yes. For me, this place is like hell,” First Life Hyun-Sung said.

“...”

“I was an ordinary student. The kind who couldn’t even imagine picking up a sword and going to a battlefield. No matter how you look at it, I wasn’t someone who belonged in a place like this. Anyone who came here from Earth would probably describe it as hell,” he added.

“...”

“But what was even more terrifying for me was the fact that I was becoming someone who fits in a place like this hell. You would know, wouldn’t you? What I had to do to survive this long, and what I actually did.

"I killed countless people, and I committed things too horrible to even put into words. All because I wanted to live...” First Life Hyun-Sung trailed off.

“...”

“No, thinking about it now, it wasn’t just about survival. I wanted power, and maybe I even enjoyed having others look up to me. There were times when I felt intoxicated hearing people call my name after I returned from the battlefield. There were even moments when I felt proud of my life here,” First Life Hyun-Sung added.

“...”

“At some point, I stopped knowing what it was all for...” First Life Hyun-Sung questioned.

“Really?”

“What I was fighting for... what I was dreaming of... When I think about it, it was probably nothing that grand. I just wanted to feel safe, I wanted stability. But then I picked up a sword to survive.

"Then I did it again and again. I badly wanted to survive, but now that I’m left here alone, I find myself wondering if any of it ever meant anything...” First Life Hyun-Sung explained.

‘This guy is really opening up now.’

For him to pour everything out like that, he had to have been badly longing for a conversation.

“...”

“...”

“What did my life look like... to you?” First Life Hyun-Sung asked.

“...”

“What kind of person was I? Was I a bad person? Or—”

“You were human,” I said, interrupting him.

“What?”

“It’s neither a good way to put it nor a bad one. Your life here was simply human. No one else would be able to show something as human as you did. You seem to want to be judged in black and white, whether you were good or evil, selfish or selfless, but I’m not the one who decides that. You are,” I explained.

“...”

“Humans are capable of being good and evil. Selfish and selfless. That’s exactly what you were,” I added.

“...”

“You acted selfishly for your own sake, but you also sacrificed yourself for others. There were times when you acted as if nothing mattered more than yourself, yet there were also times when you threw your life away without hesitation. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"If I were to put it simply, I'd say you were emotional. You were driven by your emotions and easily swayed by them, whether you had a choice or not,” I continued.

‘I can just say whatever and he listens so seriously.’

I could see the seriousness in his expression.

“I can’t define your life with just a few words. I could tell you which side the scale leans toward, but I don’t think that really matters... If you’re asking for my personal impression, then I would say your life was interesting,” I said to him.

“Interesting... Yes, I suppose it would be interesting to you. Watching people like me struggle...” First Life Hyun-Sung mumbled.

“That is not what I meant, Hyun-Sung. You seem to be misunderstanding... Even beings like us aren’t that different from you,” I said.

“...”

“Gods aren’t so different from humans. We’re not perfect either,” I added.

“...”

“You should remember that,” I told him.

I had never thought that one day, I would repeat the words Benigoa had said to me.