Déjà vu? (1)

My eyes snapped open.

The first thing I felt was a crushing weight on my body, as if I had been stitched back into reality.

My head throbbed.

My senses were…

Wait a minute.

Haven't I been through this before?

The question arose, but the answer hit me like a punch to the chest.

The small room, the newspaper clippings glued to the wall, the mattress in the corner...

Everything came back at once.

The third floor. The orcs. Kim Gongja surrounded. Gongja dying.

The world unraveling.

Ashes.

My body turning to ashes.

The nausea came much faster this time. And much, much worse.

I didn't even have time to stand up.

The vomit surged before I could hold it back.

''Urgh''

My stomach twisted as if being squeezed.

Shit.

I coughed, the bitter taste burning my throat.

This was—

[User Perseus appears to be uncomfortable.]

''Oh, really? I hadn't noticed!'' I snapped, wiping my mouth with my sleeve.

[Reinforcing: symptoms of disorientation and nausea are expected side effects.]

''Expected from what?!''

A short pause.

Luxxion continued, as if explaining the most obvious thing in the world:

[The user is experiencing a phenomenon exclusive to their condition.]

My brow furrowed immediately.

''What the hell does that mean?''

[In short, your consciousness does not originally belong to this world. This places you in a different state of existence than the natives of this reality.]

I blinked.

''…And so?''

[So, when Kim Gongja rewinds time, the entire world resets. All memories, events, and changes are erased—except for the user's.]

[But make no mistake. The user is not going back in time. Kim Gongja is.]

It took a moment to sink in.

And when it did, it felt like a brick to the face.

''So… I died?''

[Correct.]

Luxxion didn't seem even slightly fazed by dropping that bombshell.

So… Time really had reset a day.

But unlike Kim Gongja, I wasn't literally traveling back in time.

I didn't have the power to revive.

''So basically… I'm a bug?''

[Functional interpretation.]

I let out a humorless laugh.

''Great. Besides being a side character, now I'm a walking glitch.''

So, more like a backup file. Or an error.

The real problem was that I had felt everything again. My body was back, but the pain had been real.

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to settle my thoughts.

Alright. Let's recap.

I died yesterday.

I mean, I died today. It's still confusing to say it like that.

And now I'm here again because Gongja reset.

Which meant the third floor was still his destination. He was trying to learn something there.

Aura mastery… that was it, right?

That meant Kim Gongja…

He was going to die again.

I was going to die again.

It was fun to see this play out in the manhwa and novel.

But experiencing it firsthand?

Completely different.

I jumped to my feet. I couldn't just sit around. I already knew how this was going to end.

I needed to start investigating properly.

''Luxxion.''

[Yes?]

''Guide me. And no stupid jokes, or I'll die again before I even leave this room.''

[Confirmed.]

___________________

My eyes scanned the busy street as I spoke with Luxxion.

''Alright, I get how the reset works. But that doesn't make my situation any less screwed.''

People around me cast strange glances, whispering among themselves.

Now I understood how Kim Gongja felt talking to that ghost only he could see.

But that wasn't important right now. Something else had caught my attention.

That empty bottle he threw away before jumping to his death.

My eyes narrowed.

That was part of a training plan.

More specifically, a plan designed by the Sword Emperor.

''That explains why he's on the third floor…''

If events followed correctly, then in a week, if he didn't die, Gongja would be facing the Fifth Floor Boss.

The Goblin King.

And then, he'd move on to the tenth floor to settle a bet.

My memory wasn't perfect, but with Luxxion's help, I could piece together some connections.

It was already ten in the morning.

Seven hours before Kim Gongja's death if things would go as they did... the other today.

Since I had woken up in this cycle, I had plenty of time to consider possibilities.

And one of them was the potion that was in that bottle.

[The user Perseus possesses a strong analytical ability.]

''…Was that a compliment?''

[A neutral observation based on objective data.]

I rolled my eyes.

Our objective today was clear.

The outskirts of the Tower's city, First Floor.

We needed to study Kim Gongja's routine. More importantly, we had to determine whether the anomaly was somehow connected to him.

And honestly?

''I'd rather not stay in this world any longer than necessary.''

Someone clicked their tongue.

Immediately, my senses sharpened.

But when I looked around, it was just some thieves lurking in the alleys.

They had probably given up on robbing me because I looked like a lunatic talking to myself.

I let out a quiet chuckle.

[Should we establish direct contact with Kim Gongja?]

''Now?'' I exclaimed. ''He might just kill himself to reset time the moment he sees me as a threat.''

[You are an anomaly that does not make sense.]

''Huh?''

[Less than a day ago—no, earlier today—the user tried to run and save Kim Gongja.]

…

Okay. He had a pretty solid point.

The initial plan was only to observe him.

And before we could argue further—

[We've arrived.]

The world seemed to confirm that immediately.

I stopped at the entrance of a street, leaning against a dirty, empty alley wall.

A woman's desperate screams rang out:

''P-please, don't take my equipment!''

A middle-aged man stood before her. She clutched at his sleeve, her eyes filled with tears.

''Do you know how many times you've said that?'' the man growled.

I glanced around.

Kim Gongja was there.

Hands in his pockets, a blue shirt layered over a black one, dark pants. And that familiar cocky expression.

As expected.

Things were still on track—for now.

Another point to consider in the investigation.

''You owe more than six months of rent! Six months! Pay your debts!''

The woman sobbed.

''If you take my equipment… I won't even be able to survive… please…''

He shoved her aside without hesitation.

''I don't care! You'll never have enough money to pay me anyway!''

He threw an object into a pushcart and declared:

''Take everything.''

The woman fell to the ground, begging for an extension.

But no one cared.

They stripped her store bare.

Equipment. Potions. Even clothes—ugly ones, at that.

She clung to the cart, but the man pulling it sneered before muttering:

''Why the hell did they put me in charge of dealing with this crazy alchemist?''

He yanked it hard, throwing the woman onto the filthy ground.

People whispered.

''That was expected.''

''She charges outrageous prices.''

''It was only a matter of time before she went bankrupt.''

The woman shot up, furious.

''You won't find potions of my quality for this price anywhere in Babylon! You should be grateful I even opened a shop in this dump!''

Silence.

People exchanged glances.

Then… they turned and left.

She realized her mistake too late.

Kim Gongja approached her.

They spoke too quietly for me to hear.

But I already knew.

He was making the deal that would change her life.

The potions to train aura.

Because this woman wasn't just anyone.

She was the Master Alchemist.

A future genius who would reach Level 5 and lead the Alchemy Castle.

And, of course…

I murmured, never taking my eyes off her:

''A possible suspect.''

Luxxion responded immediately.

[Indeed.]

Whatever was wrong with this world… it might all start here.

But then, something tugged at my mind.

The potion Kim Gongja wanted was supposed to take four days to be ready.

Yet, I saw him drink something red earlier today—before he died.

So…

What the hell was that liquid?