The man who shouldn't exist (1)

Forty-Two Times.

It had been forty-two repetitions since the last time.

Forty-two times watching this world rebuild itself.

Forty-two times witnessing Gongja die and start over.

Forty-two opportunities to find that masked man again.

But he never appeared.

The only time I thought I saw him, it was just a distant silhouette that disappeared before I could confirm anything.

Meanwhile, Kim Gongja had finally "unlocked" his aura.

With very heavy quotation marks, that is.

He was now on the fifth floor, about to face the boss. The goblin king.

Following him unnoticed was impossible.

But more than that… stepping inside was suicide. I still couldn't use aura or mana. No skills, no safety net.

And if Gongja needed six deaths to beat the Goblin King—according to the manhwa—what the hell would I need?

I had to be ready.

So, while keeping an eye on him, I trained.

Luxxion kept saying my progress was insignificant.

Annoyingly, he was right.

I wasn't improving.

But at least now, I could see how bad I was. That was something.

The fifth floor trembled.

A loud crash.

The fight was over.

Kim Gongja had won.

The moment was coming.

The day he'd make history in the Tower.

The day he'd surpass the tenth floor.

I headed to the teleporters. Hunters crowded the area, waiting for transport.

Among them—Gongja.

Talking to… no one.

''Am I losing it?'' he muttered, laughing. ''Who's being served here? Feels more like I'm on the menu for Hell.''

A few hunters exchanged uneasy glances.

I didn't stick around.

I needed to reach the tenth floor first.

__________

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

The setting was simple: a long corridor leading to the great gate, where the boss awaited.

And before it, a lone soldier.

A Tower guard.

I leaned against one of the nearby walls—far enough not to draw attention, but close enough to observe.

''Luxxion, do you think something unusual is going to happen here?

[I cannot predict the future, but so far, the course of history remains unchanged.]

''That means the anomaly hasn't revealed itself yet.

[Or that User Perseus is simply incapable of detecting it.]

The conversation was interrupted when the guard stared at me.

''You.'' His voice was firm. ''What are you doing here?''

I raised my hands as if I were innocent.

''Just waiting.''

His eyes narrowed.

''You're not thinking of challenging the tenth floor alone, are you?''

I let out a humorless laugh.

''Do I look suicidal to you?''

The guard kept staring, clearly suspicious.

I huffed and moved a little farther away, settling into a more distant spot.

Even so, I could feel his gaze burning into my back.

I sighed.

Then, I kept talking with Luxxion.

Some time passed.

And then—

Kim Gongja arrived.

He walked straight through the corridor, his steps determined.

As he passed me, our eyes met.

For an instant, I tensed. Luxxion also fell silent.

Gongja said nothing.

But I could swear I heard him mutter to himself:

''Is this guy a lunatic?''

Right after, he stopped in front of the guard.

And just like me, he was blocked.

''You can't enter.'' The guard crossed his arms.

Gongja frowned.

''Why?''

The soldier groaned.

''You're alone. Challenging this floor solo is suicide. Even the Black Dragon Guild failed. Thirty-four elites died. You don't stand a chance.''

Silence.

Then, Gongja smiled.

''I understand.''

The guard sighed in relief.

''Good. Glad you see reaso—''

''But I want to die.''

The silence came back with a vengeance.

The guard blinked.

''…What?''

Gongja slumped dramatically.

''My wife… gone. Murdered. I tried to save her… but I was too weak.''

The guard gasped.

''That's… horrible…''

''And if that wasn't enough…'' Gongja wiped a fake tear. ''I'm terminally ill. Six months left.''

The guard trembled.

''This is too tragic…''

Gongja pulled out a bag of gold and pressed it into the man's hands.

''Please. Don't register my name. Just let me die with honor.''

The guard hesitated, then sniffled.

''You… truly have nothing left to lose…!''

I watched everything.

In silence.

And then, I murmured to myself:

''…Are they filming some kind of weird soap opera?''

[User Perseus is not the only one who noticed. This dialogue lacks statistical coherence.]

I stifled a laugh. Even Luxxion found this nonsense absurd.

The guard, wiping his eyes, reached for the door, ready to open the gate.

But that's when something caught my attention.

The Sound of Footsteps.

Fast. Precise.

Leather boots striking against the stone floor.

I turned my head and saw someone pass right beside me.

Long blonde hair, shimmering under the dim lighting.

A sword sheathed at his waist.

A mask covering his face.

Masked-man.

My heart pounded in my chest.

He had appeared again.

His hands were already moving toward his sword.

He was going to attack.

My hand dove into my inventory, pulling out my spear as fast as I could.

But—

He was fast.

Too fast.

I felt no aura.

No mana.

No energy fluctuations.

Just pure speed.

And I knew, the moment I tried to rush toward him, that I wouldn't make it in time.

My only option was to shout.

''WATCH OUT!''

Gongja, still caught up in his dramatic performance, turned his head with an irritated expression.

''What? Who the hell is screami—''

He didn't have time to finish.

Masked-man was already there.

The guard stepped forward, raising his spear.

He was part of the Hunter Association.

And if Gongja wanted to die, he wanted him to die with honor.

The blade of the sword gleamed.

The fight was short.

The guard tried to block.

Tried to react.

But the result was inevitable.

The sword slipped through the gaps in his helmet with surgical precision.

His body froze.

The sword was yanked from his skull in one clean motion.

Blood sprayed.

The guard collapsed to his knees.

His head detached from his body and rolled across the floor when the man then swung his sword once more.

Decapitated like a kicked soccer ball.

I was still running.

Gongja had already drawn his dagger.

He leapt backward, putting distance between them.

A smart decision.

Masked-man wiped the blood off on his sleeve.

His eyes were fixed on Gongja.

The dead guard remained on the ground.

And the blade still dripped with fresh blood.

The attacker moved again.

This time, straight for Gongja.

And Gongja dodged.

The sound of steel slicing through air rang out.

I got close enough to shout again.

''GET OVER HERE!''

Our eyes met.

For a moment, Gongja hesitated.

Then, he jumped.

Leapt over the corpse.

And ran to my side.

Masked-man stumbled.

The blood on the floor made him slide, his boot skidding against the stone.

He fell.

But he got up fast.

Now it was the two of us against him.

Gongja looked at me, confused.

''Who the hell are you?''

''…We've got bigger problems right now.''

Masked-man stood still.

Not a single word said.

He didn't seem troubled. Nor afraid.

He just watched us.

Then, he spoke.

''I can feel that in you as well. So why are you betraying us?''

His voice was melodic.

Almost gentle.

My expression hardened.

''What?''

''You know what this place really is.'' He took a step forward without raising his sword. ''This shitty fantasy world.''

My stomach dropped.

My suspicions were right.

''…You're from the same place as me?''

Masked-man smiled beneath the mask.

''Am I from that place?'' He tilted his head slightly. ''What do you think?''

Gongja frowned.

''What the hell are you two talking about?''

I ignored him.

''You didn't answer my question.''

''And you didn't answer mine.'' His tone was calm. ''Why are you still on his side? Standing next to this puppet, repeating a predestined story?''

He lifted his blade, pointing it at Gongja.

''Why, even knowing he's nothing more than a worthless fictional character, are you still standing beside him?''

Gongja remained silent.

But my mind was racing.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

''You want to kill me because I'm helping Gongja?''

''I want to help him.'' Masked-man twirled his sword. ''To find redemption.''

I let out a humorless laugh.

''And redemption would be what?''

''Death.''

My smile vanished.

Masked-man lowered his blade slightly.

''You can join me and be forgiven for your sins. Or…''

His sword gleamed.

The energy rising along the blade wasn't aura.

Wasn't mana.

It was… wrong.

The smell hit me first.

A repulsive stench.

Rotten.

I shuddered.

Gongja, who had died more than four thousand times, broke into goosebumps.

My hands grew clammy.

And that's when I understood.

The anomaly.

Why would someone try to kill a man who was essentially immortal?

The answer was obvious.

If they were trying to kill someone who always returned in time…

…It was because they had found a way to kill him for good.