Déjà vu? (2)

I spent the last four days studying Kim Gongja's routine.

My biggest fear? Being noticed.

Not by him, but by the ghost.

Whoever or whatever that entity was—the one Gongja kept talking to—I didn't want to attract its attention. Whether it was the Sword Emperor or the devil himself.

So far, it seemed like I hadn't been discovered.

Or maybe… it was just waiting for the right moment to strike.

Which didn't make sense. Gongja was never that strategic.

My only saving grace was that Luxxion helped me find the best possible hiding spots.

Gongja's daily routine was almost perfectly timed.

By eight in the morning, he was already up. He left the residence provided by Sang-Ryun shortly after and didn't return until late afternoon.

Since that day, he hadn't died.

I mean…

Today, he received potions from the Master Alchemist.

And I spent some time investigating her.

Conclusion?

She wasn't a suspect.

She had an odd personality, sure. But nothing beyond that.

About that red liquid he had taken before...

I had no idea what it was. It was likely just a healing potion. The coloration matched that assumption of mine.

There were other variables, other characters, and other places that could be suspicious as well.

The problem? Investigating high-rankers?

Completely out of the question.

I was just a Rank E hunter, the same as in my original world. The Tower had different ranking systems, but the truth remained: I was weak.

And the worst part?

I didn't see anything strange in his routine.

No suspicious movements.

No suspicious people.

Nothing seemed wrong so far.

Actually…

Something was wrong.

This day was repeating.

It took me a few seconds to notice.

It was subtle, like an uncomfortable déjà vu crawling through my mind.

Subtle, sure—if you ignored the chills creeping up my spine as the memories resurfaced.

It was the exact same scenario.

The smell of the coffee I ordered from the same café.

The same waiter spilling a little milk on the counter before serving a customer.

The same group of three hunters at the next table, saying the exact same words as last time.

The same bad joke. The same forced laughter.

Everything.

And then, Gongja finally appeared at the entrance of Sang-Ryun's residence.

Taking the same path. Almost the same motion as he looked toward the street.

It felt ritualistic, in a way.

Everything was identical to what had happened yesterday.

No… today.

But again.

My chest tightened.

Kim Gongja died.

The world reset.

And I was dragged along with it.

I wouldn't be able to forget what happened.

I was on the third floor.

Again.

Sure, fighting was good for gaining experience or something.

But it was frustrating to know that the day would just reset. The same assholes to fight over and over.

That's why, this time, I tried to avoid combat. Just to observe.

Gongja had made quite a few preparations, it seemed. Quite a bit of an exaggeration, but still.

And even then… he died.

Again.

So his aura training had already begun.

I already knew this would get him killed a few times. But how many times, exactly?

In the novel, it took him a week to "overcome" the orcs and reach the fifth floor.

Okay…

That meant I had to watch this world get reconstructed how many times?

— Luxxion, is there a time limit for the mission?

[No. However, I suggest the user Perseus hurry.]

I clicked my tongue and started equipping my protective gear.

This time, I'd follow the same path as Gongja.

Keeping my distance.

Observing.

At the entrance to the third floor, Luxxion broke the silence:

[The user seems confused. Did you expect the world to be on the verge of collapse?]

— Isn't that what should be happening? If there's an anomaly or whatever here, shouldn't things be getting worse?

[Main missions have different classifications. Your Ascendance Classification is still equivalent to that of an ant. This means the current mission is simpler than others that may come in the future.]

— Simple. Right. — My voice dripped with sarcasm. — And the world can still be destroyed?

[If the Seed grows enough, yes.]

I sighed.

— You know that doesn't reassure me, right?

[That was not my intention. Sorry if I made it seem that way.]

— Of course, it wasn't. Asshole.

I scoffed, rubbing my neck.

— Any chance you'll give me a clue? Just one. A tiny one.

[The user must figure it out on their own.]

— You just fucking love saying that.

[It's my role.]

— Have you ever wondered what would happen if I just gave up?

There was a pause.

Then, Luxxion answered:

[Yes. And the outcome would not be something the user would want to witness.]

My chest tightened slightly, but I forced an ironic smile.

— Well, if you want to keep me motivated, you need to improve these answers of yours.

[Noted.]

And then, an orc appeared.

Great.

I had been fighting these things for the past few days, trying to understand their patterns.

And honestly?

They were dumb. Like, dumb as hell.

The monsters from my world were a bit stronger and smarter in comparison.

The reason? I had no idea.

— Hup!

My spear sliced through the air.

The orc roared, lifting its club and swinging it down with force.

I dove to the side.

The impact cracked the ground.

I quickly got up, spun the spear, and thrust it straight into its chest.

Nothing.

Its skin was tougher than the other orcs I had faced.

Luxxion sighed. Where the hell did it learn to do that?

[The user knows what to do.]

My lips curled.

Fine.

If I couldn't win fairly—

Then to win the game, the answer was cheating.

I wasn't some knight rescuing a princess, after all.

— Tchweek! Tchwik!

The orc hesitated.

I struck.

The spear tip pierced the side of the creature's neck. That spot was more vulnerable. Softer.

Blood spurted.

The monster groaned, but its strength was already fading.

Another strike. A bit closer to the center of the neck.

And it fell.

My breathing was less ragged than usual… I was improving.

It was like they said in that saying... grain by grain, the chicken fills its crop.

And then, in the distance, something else caught my attention.

Kim Gongja.

He was fighting two orcs.

My eyes narrowed.

This time, he looked better.

Faster.

I felt energy coursing through his body the moment he narrowly dodged an attack.

Aura.

It would be useful if I could learn to use it too…

But anyway… so that was how he was going to die over and over again?

Trying to open the flow of his aura?

My gaze stayed locked on him.

How many cycles would this take?

Luxxion spoke.

[Does the user Perseus want to intervene?]

If I did it now, wouldn't I be breaking the course of events? We'd had this exact conversation days ago.

Gongja staggered.

His leg trembled from exhaustion.

He was spent.

Instead of preparing to help, I reinforced my earlier decision.

I braced myself for the inevitable.

He was going to die again.

But before that happened…

I saw something else.

Someone running toward Gongja.

A sword in hand.

Golden hair flowing as they moved.

A masked face.

Eyes glowing intensely.

A black coat flapping against their body as they advanced.

But it was too late.

Gongja was already down.

The orcs trampled him mercilessly.

The stranger stopped just a few steps from the scene.

Firm.

Their grip on the sword's hilt tightened.

But they didn't seem upset about letting someone die.

It was something else.

Something different.

And then—

The world collapsed.

Again.

The ground split apart.

The sky tore open.

And I was reduced to ashes.

This time, though…

Even if unintentionally…

I had found a clue.