The Returner

“… what are they trying to do? ”

Choi Jung-hoon looked at Lee Hyuk with an insecure face.

I won't forget it.

That look when Lee Hyuk just turned his head to himself.

Lee Hyuk had never seen himself with such eyes until now. Not once.

Instinctively, Choi Jung-hoon shouted with a trembling voice, noticing that Lee Hyuk was about to do something.

“What are you doing?! ”

There was only one person he could ask.

Appeldrich.

Unshakeable... No, the Aphedrite who was staring straight at Lee Hyuk opened his mouth without turning his gaze.

“That's what you think. ”

“ ……. ”

Choi Jung-hoon's body trembled.

“That's too……. ”

“Is there another way? ”

Before Choi Jung-hoon could say anything, Apeldiche's answer shut his mouth.

The other way?

There's no way that's possible.

Until just a moment ago, they did nothing but pray for a painless death.

Barbacce's overwhelming power has taken away their morale. But even so…….

“You could die! ”

Choi Jung-hoon's voice was plagued by evil.

“You could die! That's... ”

“It makes no difference. ”

However, the voice of the appendage still subsides coldly. When I first saw her, I didn't even see her as comfortable for anyone but Lee Hyuk.

But it's different.

At that time, if it meant that humans other than Lee Hyuk were not worthy, she could see nothing but Lee Hyuk in her eyes now.

“Whether you fail and die, or succeed and become a Mage.... After this moment, Lee Hyuk no longer exists in the world. It's just another form of death. ”

“Ah……. ”

Choi Jung-hoon gripped the tightening heart.

That's suicide.

It is a way to move forward, but essentially that choice is suicide.

Sacrifice?

Noble death?

The essence does not change even if you decorate it using any formula. Right now, Lee Hyuk chose death.

“Damn it.”

I don't want to get emotional.

I don't want to cry because Lee Hyuk chose death to protect himself. It was not the best way to honor and pursue a healthy person as a martyr.

It's just...

I can't help it.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't bear the pain.

“Lee Hyuk……. ”

Ah-young grabs Choi Jung-hoon's arm, trying to reach forward.

“Let go!”

“Enough! ”

“Now!"

As Choi Jung-hoon was about to shoot, Seo Ah-young said in a crying voice.

“That's just self-comfort. ”

Choi Jung-hoon was speechless.

Comfort yourself?

This is it?

“No matter what Choi Jung-hoon says, he doesn't change his mind. You always do. It just seems like you do what you're told, but you're just pretending because he's embarrassed. He's never been swayed by our persuasion. It's just... ”

Seo Ah-young couldn't join the horse for a moment, then lowered her head.

“I did what I wanted to do. Always……. ”

Jung-hoon closed his eyes.

Seo Ah-young was right. What difference does it make to stop him?

Nothing changed.

‘And I don't have the courage to stop it. ’

Preventing Lee Hyuk now meant that he completely abandoned the possibility of them surviving. To die together as a companion, you must abstain from the death of others?

Choi Jung-hoon laughed.

More helplessness than despair was eroding him.

And maybe... I'm hoping. Lee Hyuk gave up his life to create a new hope.

The inferior voice that flows from within him is inciting his disgust. I feel the urge to rip my head off and tear my eardrum.

‘It's always like this. ’

Always at the last thought, they had to take a step back and hope that Lee Hyuk would perform miracles. Even if the cost is the life of Lee Hyuk.

Choi Jung-hoon was bored with the idea that the hero's sacrifice might be the result of being pushed back to the public.

And…….

The one who most did not want to be found out that he was thinking this way made eye contact.

Appeldrich.

The gaze returns to her without her even knowing it. At the same time, Apeldiche was also looking at him with good timing.

“Ah……. ”

I don't know what to say.

Are humans supposed to be so inferior?

So you don't blame me?

Bullshit.

It is not humans who are mean and inferior, but Choi Jeong-hoon himself. The idea of sharing that burden with those who don't know the current situation and are just praying tells us that it's inferior.

The disgust I could not bear lifted my vomit.

“Don't blame yourself. ”

But Aphedrice did not blame him. Her voice was still intact, and her attitude was not changing at all.

“Everyone will. ”

Aphedrice's words do not comfort him. However, Choi Jung-hoon only added to his disgust.

However, Appeldrich's gaze had already left Choi Jeong-hoon. Her words were not meant to comfort Jung-hoon. I'm just telling you the truth.

Humans are like that.

Those who hypocrite for others, but put themselves before others when their lives are threatened.

If we keep an eye on him for a long time, we will have no choice but to trust those who are human beings. They can't even keep their own words.

Except for one person.

Appeldrich glanced at Lee Hyuk quietly.

There is sadness in my heart. But she was neither shaken nor frustrated.

If it's your destiny, you must accept it. He, too, knew this moment would come. To stop this moment, if it didn't work, she came into this world to slow it down a little bit, and she did the best she could.

Is that it?

So could Lee Hyuk have been happy for a little longer?

The appendage closes its eyes quietly.

He's just doing what he has to do. So she needs to be strong, too.

When she reopens her eyes, her golden eyes gleam brightly.

Tugu.

Lee Hyuk tilted his head.

“Huh?"

In his head was a shield built up of several layers of holy power and mana. We can't completely stop the Black Magic from seeping in, but at least that amount of armor can be drastically reduced.

Right now, Lee Hyuk removed the shield.

The instantaneous gaps of magical power filled his body are being pushed into his head.

But it was a little different from what I thought.

“Uh, well……. ”

Lee Hyuk scratched his head.

Then I put my hand inside my chest and took out my cigarette bag. Lee Hyuk smiled and asked.

“Well, it's not as clean as I thought, so I guess I could smoke one, right? I mean, even if you go, it's okay to have a cigarette, right? ”

“Are you taking drugs that are only harmful to the body? I really don't know about Humans. ”

“It's hard for me to understand your taste, so let's use the imperfection. ”

Lee Hyuk went around. Then Barbace flicks his fingers. Right behind Lee Hyuk, the floor rose slightly, and Lee Hyuk had a good place to sit.

“Thank you.”

Lee Hyuk sat down without giving up, and lit a cigarette.

“Good……. You can smoke in the middle of a fight. I can't imagine what it'd be like in the old days. This is why I like the world. ”

Slowly, the magic rushes to my head.

“How are you feeling? ”

“Well, it's hard to say. ”

“Do you think he feels like he's being drugged? ”

“… You've been studying a lot in this world? ”

“It's essential. ”

Lee Hyuk laughed.

Even a guy with abilities like that studied, but he couldn't win.

“Tell me, Nineteenth Demon King, Human Lee Hyuk. What does death mean to you after all these years? Is it a joy that you might change into a new being, or a sense of separation from who you are so far? ”

“To……. ”

Lee Hyuk shrugged.

“I don't think it's both. ”

“No?”

“Yes."

Lee Hyuk took a deep smoke and slowly spit it out.

“I know I'm not the only one, but death is always a pity for humans. ”

“Too bad?”

“Yes, unfortunately. It's a little different from" regret. "It could have been different. It could have been better. Why didn't I do it until now? No one can live two lives. It's a pity we can't get back to the safe and shut down the game. ”

“I don't understand. ”

“I don't want you to understand. You'll never understand. ”

Lee Hyuk looked up at the sky.

‘So sleepy.’

He didn't know what was happening in his body.

I've never experienced it, and it's unpredictable.

Whether this drowsiness is due to his death beyond the limits of his body, or his consciousness is changing to another.

One thing was certain, I couldn't resist this drowsiness.

The drowsiness that seeped into his body was eroding him. My ears are getting dim, and my eyes are getting dim. You may think Barbace is ranting, but I can barely hear him now.

‘I see.'

One thing is certain.

This is the last time. With this, his existence completely disappears. Whatever the outcome.

Lee Hyuk grabbed a cigarette with his bare hands and pulled it out of his mouth. Smoke that was sucked into the lungs slowly flows out of the lungs while deeply suppressing the lungs.

‘If there is a next life... …. ’

Lee Hyuk smiled.

‘I have to quit smoking. ’

His head slowly falls down.

I want to look up at the sky, but his body has not heard the control of his head. I thought it would be blurry enough that I couldn't even tell the difference, but then the darkness came.

Deep darkness, much deeper darkness.

Lee Hyuk's body closed his eyes and bowed his head completely statically.

My breath stops, and my temperature starts to cool down.

People refer to this phenomenon here.

Death.

The heart of Lee Hyuk who died like a statue stopped. And the existence of Lee Hyuk disappeared from this world.

Like a cigarette falling on the floor burning very slowly and then leaving.