Player Status >
1. Name: Kim Soo-hyun (10 years of experience)
2. Class: Normal Sword User, Master
3. Nation: Terra
4. Clan: -
5. True Name & Nationality: The Observer and Recluse, Summit (頂上) · Republic of Korea
6. Gender: Male (33 years old)
7. Height & Weight: 181.5 cm · 75.5 kg
8. Alignment: Lawful · Chaos
[Strength 86] [Endurance 92] [Agility 96] [Stamina 78] [Magic Power 48] [Luck 36]
(Remaining stat points: 0)
I idly rolled the small orb in my left hand, unable to think about anything, lost in a vacant mood.
"User Kim Soo-hyun."
Ten years. In that long stretch of time, I had achieved the dream I had yearned for so desperately. Yet, the emptiness and piercing sorrow that filled me inside remained.
"User Kim Soo-hyun, may I ask you again?"
A soft yet enchanting voice caressed my ears. Drawn by the sound, I slowly lifted my head. The further I raised my gaze, the more my eyes fell on the ash-gray brick floor. Then, as I took in the thirty-square-meter room, my ascending eyes came to a halt.
The room that marked the beginning of everything, and would now bring it all to an end—the Summoning Chamber.
At its center, atop a rectangular altar, faint white wings shimmered softly. Fixing my gaze on the angel sitting on the altar, I felt nothing but an overwhelming void.
"I will confirm your request once more, User Kim Soo-hyun. Do you truly wish to turn back time in the Hall Plane?"
"Yes."
I nodded slowly, staring at the angel in front of me. Her flawless beauty, her smooth skin untouched by blemishes, her delicate, revealing attire—all of it existed solely to captivate me.
Yet, no desire stirred within me. Neither her heavenly appearance nor her wistful gaze could shake the numbness in my deadened heart. I had lost all emotions since that day.
"We cannot understand. Not I, nor any of the angels. None of us can comprehend your choice."
"No, you misunderstand. I don't seek your understanding, Seraph."
My voice, cold as ice, echoed faintly. For the first time, I saw Seraph falter. Until now, I had never witnessed her shaken demeanor. Perhaps my words had struck a nerve.
Though her moment of hesitation was brief, she quickly regained her composure. In her usual calm voice, she began speaking to me again.
"User Kim Soo-hyun, you were the first to complete all missions in the Hall Plane and reach its peak."
"And?"
"There is no 'and.' You achieved the Zero Code you so desired. You have the 'right.' With this right, you can achieve anything you wish."
"Seraph, the conversation is over."
"Return to Earth? You can, maintaining your current abilities. Stay in the Hall Plane? With the Zero Code, you could rule the continents as a king, or even more."
I sighed, gripping the hilt of the sword at my waist. Its familiar feel reassured me.
"Enough of your sweet words. Ten years of them were more than enough. I'm tired, Seraph. Whatever you say, I won't reconsider my use of the Zero Code."
As I drew upon my mana, Seraph fell silent for a moment, her expression clouded with sorrow. But it was clear she hadn't given up yet.
"User Kim Soo-hyun, the Zero Code is yours, and we cannot interfere. However, it is tragic to use such great power to merely rewind time."
"…"
"I will ask one final time: do you truly wish to relive those ten painful years?"
Her voice had become a plea, filled with desperation. For some reason, I found myself laughing, a hollow, meaningless laugh that bubbled up from deep within.
I laughed silently for a long time.
---
This place was not Earth. It was another world entirely, a realm of the extraordinary called the Hall Plane, utterly alien to the mundane lives of modern humans.
I closed my eyes, tracing my memories back to the beginning.
It had been ten years since I first arrived here, summoned at the age of 23, fresh from two years of military service and returning home full of hope.
On the train ride back, I had dozed off, only to awaken in this Summoning Chamber, face-to-face with an angel whose white wings seemed to shimmer like a mirage.
In my confusion, I had begged her to send me back, but her only response was to send me to a place called the Rite of Passage, a brutal trial to prove my worth as a "User."
The seven-day trial was a battlefield of pure survival. Pursued by monstrous creatures, I fought to stay alive, emerging battered but victorious. Only then was I granted entry into the Hall Plane, a world of endless danger and hardship.
The Hall Plane was hell. A place where death loomed at every corner.
But I had fought, survived, and adapted. I endured ten long years, driven by a single hope: that I might one day return home.
---
"User Kim Soo-hyun. What are you thinking about? Are you perhaps…"
The word "connections" flashed through my mind, and an uncontrollable surge of emotion overwhelmed me. Shaking my head fiercely, I forced myself back to the present.
"It's nothing, just reminiscing. Anyway, you're right—repeating ten years of pain is no easy choice. At least you acknowledge that much."
"…"
"Yes, thanks to you and your kind, I experienced suffering I didn't need to endure. For ten years."
"User Kim Soo-hyun."
Seraph's gaze scrutinized me, as if searching for hidden thoughts. Before she could speak again, I cut her off, my voice sharp as steel.
"Don't waste your breath. I've made my decision."
Finally, I extended the Zero Code in my hand toward her. The orb emitted a radiant glow as if resonating with my resolve.
"Once more, I ask. Take me back—to the time I first arrived."
Seraph's eyes widened in surprise, but the Zero Code responded, emitting a brilliant light.
"Very well. If that is your true desire, I will honor it."
At last, the activation sequence began. As the light consumed the room, I closed my eyes, ready to face my past once more.