"…Humans are truly incomprehensible creatures."

The woman with four fangs embedded in the man's neck growled menacingly.

The seemingly everlasting moment abruptly came to an end. Yet, the man's face remained serenely calm.

"Ggggghhhh…"

The woman's sobs, as she sank her teeth into his neck, gradually faded.

Blood trickled down the widening gap between their bodies. But the man paid no heed to the crimson blood flowing from his neck.

"Born and abandoned."

The force on his neck gradually loosened.

The man, with his tattered arms, supported the scarred waist of the woman who had sunk her teeth into his neck, ensuring she didn't collapse.

"Freedom taken away by one's own kind."

The woman's breathing grew weaker.

"In the end, you were raised as a vanguard for the jesters roaming the skies."

The woman leaned against the man's neck. No, she collapsed against it.

The four fangs embedded in his neck tried to slip out.

The man gently raised his hand and pressed it against the woman's head, preventing the fangs from leaving his neck.

Like a flickering candle that could be extinguished by the slightest breeze, the woman could no longer see, hear, or feel anything.

The man closed his eyes and whispered softly:

"You, who had never had a will of your own, acted, and succeeded."

Small cracks appeared on the man's body.

"Wolf, chained and deprived of freedom your entire life."

The man's hand, which had been pressing down on the woman's head, crumbled away. His face cracked, and his body fragmented.

"Because you chose sacrifice and wished for my demise, I accept the cessation of my time."

The man lifted his head with a faint smile.

The sky was filled with pitch-black clouds, pregnant with foreboding.

The man's body collapsed.

His arms fell, his legs shattered, and half of his face split apart. Yet, he remained standing, still holding the woman in his arms, his back straight.

The remaining eye opened.

A gaping abyss, capable of swallowing even the darkened sky, revealed itself.

"I accept 'death.' And…"

The sky twisted and contorted.

An endless darkness poured forth from the rift, cascading down upon the earth.

The world gradually lost its color.

The fragmented remains of the man turned to dust and scattered.

The woman did not fall.

Like a victorious warrior who had endured a grueling struggle, she stood tall, her feet firmly planted on the ground.

Soon, darkness enveloped everything.

In a world devoid of color, the woman alone retained hers.

"Fucking hell."

I couldn't help but express my anger at the text that appeared on the screen. At the same time, I carefully clicked the left button of the mouse, afraid that I might miss any unread text.

['No. 999: The End of Eternity' has been added to the Ending.]

A new ending, registered after three years.

[You have collected all the Endings. You can now freely browse the Endings.]

And so ended the excruciatingly long journey.

I leaned back weakly against the chair's backrest, my gaze fixed on the text displayed on the screen.

"Fucking asshole."

The curse escaped my lips naturally.

It was directed at myself, for having seen all the endings of this text-only game, released over a decade ago.

And it was directed at the creator, who had designed every ending, from 1 to 999, to revolve around the character's death and misfortune.

"Haa…"

I craved a cigarette, even if I had quit smoking just two weeks ago.

If, by some unlikely chance, I were to find out the creator's address, I would, without a doubt, resort to any means necessary to track them down and smash their head with a soju bottle.

'A living embodiment of evil.'

Suppressing the urge to smoke, I manipulated the mouse.

I clicked on the Ending Archive, marked with [New!!], and took a screenshot of the densely packed bookshelf, filled from 1 to 999 without a single gap.

"Haa."

Sighing repeatedly, I opened the internet and logged into a community.

['Channel of Academy of Happy Growth']

[Isn't this title a real scam?][3]

[Got recommended by a friend, is this for real?][11]

[Why aren't you sending me to the hot threads?]

[Fuck you, Naver (Korean Browser), for limiting my access.][37]

[Is this the National Masochist Association?][51]

[Keep making shitty endings, I dare you.][86]

Despite being a text-only game, over a decade old, the number of subscribers to the channel continued to grow year after year.

With a simple background and no character illustrations, the game consisted solely of words. Yet, the words came together to form sentences and paragraphs that ensnared players, refusing to let them go—this was one of the reasons.

Without bothering to read any other posts, I proceeded to create a new one.

I attached the screenshot I had taken earlier and poured out my raw emotions without any filtering, crafting the post with utmost care.

[Title: Buying the Creator's Address.]

[Writer: GGang] [Recommend 0] | [Non-recommend 0] | [Comments 0] | [Views 1]

[(Screenshot attached) As you can see, this unemployed piece of shit has finally seen all the endings. Those who know, know, but I spent three fucking years holed up in my room, clicking away at my mouse. And for each choice, I filled at least two notebooks with notes… (abridged) Fucking hell. The reason I stuck with this game for 11 years was because I thought at least one of these endings our Wolf would end up happy. That's the only thought that kept me going, like a dried-up anchovy hanging on to hope. But this fucking asshole of a creator… (abridged) I already knew it wasn't a happy ending from the get-go, but fuck. I know you masochists will still want to see the ending, so I'm posting the last ending's strategy. Also, I'm deleting all the other strategies I've posted, and I'm out.

P.S. If someone shares the creator's address, I'll restore the posts.]

[Elena Mama: Aren't you afraid of getting your dick chopped off if you're lying?]

[Yard Rang Fist Rice Ball: The dickhead's illness has relapsed. But is the last ending really not a happy one?]

[Witch T Panties: Fuck you, retard, for pulling this shit again. And if anyone knows the creator's address, share it with me too. Shitting on his doorstep is my dream.]

As soon as I posted the message, the community's veterans began to comment.

In the past, I would have responded to each one, but now… well.

I quickly moved the mouse again.

With each "click," the posts I had written disappeared one by one.

It had taken me hours to write them, but it only took two clicks and less than two seconds to delete them all.

"Haa…"

It took me about an hour to erase all traces of my presence from the community.

"Haaa…"

I couldn't help but sigh repeatedly.

There was nothing I could do about it.

"… ."

I had invested in a good chair for my back since I spent long hours sitting, and as I leaned back, my back reclined almost horizontally.

The ceiling was dark and gloomy.

It was dark because the lights were off, of course.

Turning on the lights wouldn't have made much of a difference anyway…

For a while, I couldn't take my eyes off the dark ceiling.

Perhaps it was because that shadowy space seemed to reflect the emotions I was feeling at that moment.

I felt hollow and empty.

'That devilish bastard…'

Apparently, the spark of anger I thought had gone out was still smoldering somewhere in my heart.

"Phew!"

I had to repeatedly wipe my face with my hands to calm the outburst of anger.

But the anger refused to subside.

It had been exactly ten years.

Ten years was longer than most of those online friends I had known.

Yet, after ten years, that bastard had hit me from behind, hard enough to ensure I wouldn't get up again. Brutally, with enough force to shatter my skull.

"Couldn't you have made just one ending, the last one, a happy one, you balding asshole…!"

Out of the 999 endings, most of the main characters had experienced happiness multiple times. But there was one exception.

Just one character whose setting never changed throughout all 999 endings.

'Wolf'

A girl who was simply referred to as 'Wolf' by everyone in the story.

Always sacrificing herself for someone else's happiness or being the first to face ruin.

Without a single exception.

In all 999 endings, the girl had died 999 times.

There were no more endings left.

"Was it that hard to give her just one happy ending…?"

I felt the energy drain from my body. I didn't even have the strength left to be angry anymore.

All I had wanted was for her to survive, yet that fucking creator refused to grant even that in the very last ending.

It felt more absurd and empty than when my friends-turned-former friends had abandoned me after hearing about my sudden windfall from a cryptocurrency investment.

It was like my entire life had been negated.

Some might laugh and call me overly invested in a game, even going so far as to suggest I needed psychiatric help. But that's fine. I know I sound like a crazy person.

So, it's time to bid farewell to this damn game and return to being a normal person.

I had spent ten years grinding away at it, but since the other side had negated that effort, there was no longer any reason for me to stick around. It's time to move on and find a new hobby with the money I have left.

Yes, that's right.

There's no point in throwing a tantrum; it would only hurt me in the end.

As the last embers of anger finally faded away, I felt a profound sense of emptiness wash over me.

I sat up straight in the chair, my gaze vacant. I placed my hand on the mouse and moved the cursor, intending to close the game window that was still open.

"…"

At the bottom of the screen, a small message window appeared on the title screen, something I had never seen before.

I knew better than to get my hopes up, but I moved the cursor anyway.

[Did you enjoy the stories I prepared?]

[ Yes / No ]

A real psycho, this guy.

I clicked on the cursor.

[If I were to ask, 'Which part?', I wouldn't be able to hear your answer, so let me ask differently.]

[This is a one-time opportunity. If I give you a chance to read what I'm about to write…]

[Do you have the confidence to create a story that satisfies you?]

[ Yes / No ]

I clicked on the cursor.

[This is your only chance. If you fail, that's it. You will lose everything you have.]

Choosing an option automatically saves the game. There was only ever one chance from the start.

[If you fail, you will lose everything, and even if you succeed, all you will gain is personal satisfaction.]

That personal satisfaction. That's all I needed. Did this fucking guy think I was after some kind of reward after seeing all these endings? What a lunatic.

[You're the lunatic here. I'd like to see what you look like.]

Those were my exact thoughts.

[This is it.]

[Do you wish to attempt the 1,000th ending?]

[Yes] / [Yes]

"You're the lunatic."

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

Without hesitation, I moved the cursor.

.

.

.

"Ha."

Who would have thought I'd ever see an unfamiliar ceiling again