Record of a Thousand Lives

Chapter 215

Kang Yoon-Soo was speechless, as Rumier’s declaration left him confused and perplexed. He racked his brains trying to think.

The Kang Yoon-Soo who had lived for the ten thousandth time? The White Shadow, who was also the ‘One That Should Not Exist’, was none other than him?

Kang Yoon-Soo gripped his sword tightly and said in a rougher, more threatening tone, “I don’t understand what you are trying to say. Explain properly.”

“Well, fine. I am going to die anyway,” Rumier said, struggling to breathe. He continued, “I brought your soul from your ten thousandth life and trapped it inside the doppelganger. That is why the balance of this world… Cough!?started to break…”

“I find that hard to believe. How were you able to transport my soul from my ten thousandth life?” Kang Yoon-Soo asked.

“The Dimensional… Mirror…” Rumier replied.

Kang Yoon-Soo squinted. The Dimensional Mirror was an item that allowed the user to jump through dimensions, and it was the very same item he had created in one of his previous lives to go back to his world.

“The Dimensional Mirror is an item that allows the user to jump across dimensions, but it takes approximately twenty years to make that item,” Kang Yoon-Soo said.

“That is where you are wrong. The Infinite Dimension Wizard, Sephia, hid a Dimensional Mirror in a secret place that even you were unaware of, the same way you were unaware of the god killing sword. Sirian ordered me to retrieve the mirror, and I brought it to my laboratory… Then, he told me how to use the item and in what way I should use it,” Rumier replied. He gasped for breath as he continued, “I only had… one chance to cross dimensions using the Dimensional Mirror, but it was also possible to let another being cross into this dimension instead.”

“Then, did you break the balance of this world by letting the me who regressed for the ten thousandth time cross over here?” Kang Yoon-Soo asked. Rumier nodded in response.

However, Kang Yoon-Soo still had questions that he wanted to ask. He continued, “Why did you choose the version of me who regressed for the ten thousandth time?”

“It is a universal law of the world that, if two of the same person existed in the same timeline, one of them would become the ‘One Who Should Not Exist’; that would break the balance of the world and end the cycle of regression. That was the reason why we decided to abduct a version of you from another dimension and bring him to this place,” Rumier explained. He gasped for air once again before continuing, “However, it was not easy abducting you after you had regressed countless times. There was also a strong possibility that you would run away even if I managed to abduct you. That was why I decided to abduct the soul of your future self who had already died. Yes… It would be easier to control a soul rather than a living person, after all.”

Rumier’s next revelation was the most shocking of all. He continued, “The reason why I brought your soul from your ten thousandth life to this dimension is because you would have died completely on your ten thousandth regression.”

A complete death meant Kang Yoon-Soo would have died without regressing on his ten thousandth life.

Kang Yoon-Soo glared at him and asked, “How do you know that?”

Rumier could barely breathe, but he mustered his strength to reply even though his lower body had already completely disintegrated. He replied, “The Dimensional Mirror made by Sephia had more functions that the one you made. I was able to see the lives you lived after your thousandth life through the mirror.” The royal alchemist took a deep breath before adding, “You continued regressing even after your thousandth life, and you continued to disrupt the fate of this world. In the end, the disruption you caused destroyed the other worlds one by one, but you continued your regression despite the adverse effect you caused. In the end, you were finally destroyed along with this world in your ten thousandth life.”

Kang Yoon-Soo was speechless.

A strange smirk spread across Rumier’s face as he said, “The future I saw ended in your ten thousandth life, and that was it for you. There were no more regressions, and it was a complete death for you.”

Kang Yoon-Soo pondered for a while before slowly asking, “Why did this world and I get destroyed in my ten thousandth life?”

“Your regressions had an adverse effect on this world. That is to say, the fact that you went against this world’s fate of being destroyed by the Demon Lord was the reason why the other worlds were being destroyed while you regressed ten thousand times…” Rumier said as his pupils started to turn gray. It seemed that he had already lost his sight. Over half of his body had disintegrated, but he continued, “At first, that only affected the other worlds, but it slowly began affecting our world too. Your regressions… You were also destined to disappear along with this world in your ten thousandth life.”

“Is that the reason why you created the White Shadow?” Kang Yoon-Soo asked.

“That is correct,” Rumier said, nodding weakly. He added, “Your constant regressions put a strain on the universe… and you ended up destroying all of the other worlds. Sirian wanted to prevent that, and I wanted the same. That was why I broke the balance of this world to turn this into your final life.

Death had begun creeping up on the royal alchemist, slowly dragging him to its doorstep. However, Rumier started speaking much more clearly now that he was about to meet his demise.

“I trapped your soul from your ten thousandth regression inside the doppelganger. The doppelganger running away from my laboratory was unexpected, but it turned into an opportunity because you accepted her as one of your companions. The Dragon of Destruction sensed the presence of the ‘One Who Should Not Exist’ from you, which was why it fought you seriously. However, you managed to come out of it alive in the end. That was why I decided to retrieve your soul from the doppelganger, as it had no more value,” Rumier explained, before ending his confession by saying, “That was our plan.”

Kang Yoon-Soo remained silent.

The disintegration process soon reached Rumier’s head, but he left a few final words as his voice started to disappear. “The White Shadow is sealed within the deepest part of the doppelganger’s consciousness. I will leave the decision of what to do with it to you, Kang Yoon-Soo.”

Rumier finally disappeared, turning into a pile of dust that slowly drifted across the flower fields.

Kang Yoon-Soo stared at the dust for quite a while, then took out the chalice from his backpack and sat down on the ground before taking a sip from it.

‘The Demon Lord grew weaker the more I regressed,’?Kang Yoon-Soo thought.

He was certain that he had witnessed the Demon Lord grimace in pain with his final attack in his last life. However, why would he have kept failing? Had the Demon Lord put on an act when Kang Yoon-Soo attacked him in his previous life? On top of that, Kang Yoon-Soo had to kill the ‘One Who Should Not Exist’ if he wanted to restore balance to this world and wield the completely restored power of a god.

The various things going on in his mind clouded his judgment, and that was why he had begun drinking again. He spent a long while contemplating things before slowly getting up and starting to walk forward. The fragrance of flowers slowly disappeared the farther he walked, and the bubbles floating around him slowly disappeared from his sight as well. The flowers soon disappeared, and the sun hid itself beneath the horizon as the blue sky turned dark.

The path that Kang Yoon-Soo had been walking down gave way to an empty white void. At the end of the vast expanse of nothingness, his other self awaited him.

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***

The man was sitting on the floor; his body was bound up with chains, and a large shackle was around his neck.

Kang Yoon-Soo’s dried-up emotions started to well up once again the moment he saw the man who looked exactly like him. At that moment, he felt both hatred and anger. He asked, “Are you the White Shadow?”

The man looked back at him. He had the same expressionless eyes Kang Yoon-Soo did, but they were even emptier, resembling a completely blank void. In response to the question, the White Shadow only nodded.

‘There’s nothing in his eyes,’?Kang Yoon-Soo thought. He pointed his sword at the man and said, “I have a lot of things I want to ask you, White Shadow.”

He calmed himself down, preparing to interrogate his own future self. Eventually, he asked, “First, I know the Demon Lord was getting weaker the more I regressed, but why did I keep failing until the ten thousandth time?”

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However, the White Shadow did not respond, nor did he move at all as he sat on the floor staring at Kang Yoon-Soo.

“Answer me properly, or I’ll just have to kill you,” Kang Yoon-Soo said threateningly, bringing his blade closer. However, the White Shadow did not seem to be affected at all, and continued sitting motionlessly on the ground.

Just as Kang Yoon-Soo was about to approach the White Shadow and place the sword against his neck, however, the White Shadow raised his hand. Then, letters made of fire appeared in midair.

Give me alcohol.

Kang Yoon-Soo took out the Infinite Chalice from his backpack and threw it to the White Shadow.

The White Shadow’s arms were bound in chains, but he easily moved his hand to catch the chalice before taking a sip from it. He then continued writing on the air after quenching his thirst.

Just as you said.

The Demon Lord was getting weaker.

It is also true that I failed.

However, you are misunderstanding something.

Kang Yoon-Soo felt a chill run through his entire body when he read the next line.

I succeeded in killing the Demon Lord.

“You managed to kill the Demon Lord? But why was the world still destroyed?” Kang Yoon-Soo asked.

The White Shadow wrote a response.

The Demon Lord indeed started to weaken.

But that was only a little at a time.

I continued to regress and fight against the Demon Lord.

And I was able to successfully kill the Demon Lord in my ten thousandth life.

But I was too late.

I might have been able to kill the Demon Lord, but the adverse effect I had on this world took its toll.

That is why the world ended up being destroyed even though I was able to kill the Demon Lord.

Kang Yoon-Soo was in so much shock that he felt as if someone had hit him in the back of the head.

The Demon Lord grew weaker the more he regressed, and that fact had given him hope whenever he felt like giving up after being killed by the seemingly insurmountable being. However, it would only be in his ten thousandth life that he would be able to kill the Demon Lord. The future essentially confirmed that it was impossible for him to kill the Demon Lord in his thousandth life.

However, a question arose in his mind after reading the words the White Shadow wrote. He asked, “How did you kill the Demon Lord?”

Frankly, the Demon Lord’s death was actually a suicide.

I realized that after attacking for the final time in my ten thousandth life.

I realized it would be impossible for me to kill the Demon Lord even if that being grew weaker every single time I regressed.

Even if I continued regressing for eternity.

Still, the Demon Lord died by my last attack.

And the Demon Lord said something before dying.

He said my continuous regressions had destroyed the other worlds, and that this world was now coming to an end as well.

The Demon Lord left these final words before dying.

[You have disappointed me.]

That was the last thing I heard before the world met its demise.

That meant it was impossible for Kang Yoon-Soo to kill the Demon Lord with his own strength. His mind was in turmoil upon receiving the sudden influx of confusing information. His hands started to tremble, and he immediately said, “Give me a drink.”

The White Shadow threw the chalice toward him. Kang Yoon-Soo caught it and began to drink with his trembling hands. He had to cool his head.

He chugged down the alcohol in his chalice to calm himself down before asking, “Second, you could have helped me out countless times if you were trapped inside Iris all this time. You could also have exposed your identity yourself, but why did you choose to be silent instead?”

I was sealed by Rumier, so I lost my ability to speak and move.

The most I could do was pass a few words to Iris.

I managed to fight against the seal placed on me and help when you were hurt by the god-killing sword.

“Third, will there be any side effects if I kill you, my future self from my ten thousandth life?” Kang Yoon-Soo asked.

No.

I am someone who should not exist in this world.

Do as you will.

The White Shadow seemed to no longer have any lingering attachment to life. It must have lived for over two hundred thousand years, as it had lived ten times longer than the present Kang Yoon-Soo. Despite his completely emotionless tone, his words conveyed a sense of immeasurable despair and madness, as he had lived for so long and finally managed to kill the Demon Lord—only to fail to protect anyone he loved.

“I’ll ask you one last thing. Is there really no way to save this world?” Kang Yoon-Soo asked.

The White Shadow stared at Kang Yoon-Soo, and the two expressionless men, who eerily resembled each other down to the finest detail, continued staring at each other for quite a while. Eventually, the White Shadow spoke.

It is my turn to ask you something.

Do you know why the Demon Lord chose us?

Kang Yoon-Soo shook his head and replied, “No.”

It is because we would never have given up.

Be it twenty thousand years or two hundred thousand years.

That is the reason why the Demon Lord chose us.

The White Shadow looked at the chains binding him before continuing.

I went against my destiny.

But that was nowhere near enough.

I should have sacrificed something of equivalent value if I wanted to protect the entire continent.

However, I did not know that, and that was the reason why I failed until the end.

Only now have I realized the fact that…

Simply going against your destiny is not enough.

The White Shadow’s previous words had been void of any emotion, but there was a hint of longing and desperation in his final messages.

To you, the me who is living your thousandth life.

You have to break the chains of destiny no matter what.

‘Break the chains of destiny.’ Kang Yoon-Soo was able to understand what the White Shadow meant by those words. He had to kill the Demon Lord in this life no matter what it took, and no matter what he had to do. That was the only way he would be able to protect the people precious to him.

Kang Yoon-Soo gripped his sword tightly and said, “I’ve asked everything I wanted to ask. Do you have any last words for the world?”

The White Shadow slowly lay down on the ground, as if to show that he wished to meet a peaceful end.

I have already prepared my will.

To Shaneth, please tell her that she will always be my precious wife.

To Henrick, please tell him that I respected him as my teacher, and he was like an older brother to me.

To Iris, please tell her that I apologize for killing her numerous times in my previous lives, and please thank her for talking to me while I stayed inside her as the White Shadow.

To White, please tell it that I know the crude words it spat out were all a display of bravery to protect the ones around it.

To Rick, please tell her that she is a living being just like anyone else, even though she is a doll.

To Mini-Lich, please tell it that it is not lacking at all and that it is a great scholar, and to not give up on its research.

To Sally, please tell her that she is my beloved daughter.

To Acle, please tell him that I always felt the warmth he wanted to convey, even if he was always too embarrassed to express it honestly.

To Light, please tell her that she deserves to be loved for the radiance she has.

To Sharp, please tell him that there is no reason for him to put on a brave face, so he can stay true to his timid self.

And lastly…

To all of them, please tell them that I am sorry for letting them down… and for letting them die.

Kang Yoon-Soo nodded before walking over to the version of him who had lived for the ten thousandth time—the one who had lived for more than two hundred thousand years, and the one who had never given up until the very end. This man was also himself, and the fact that he had to kill himself was something he found repulsive.

However, Kang Yoon-Soo had to do it. Thus, he raised his sword up high and said, “I will protect everything you have lost.”

Silence filled the air, before a brief sound pierced through it.

Sukeok!

Kang Yoon-Soo killed the ‘One Who Should Not Exist’.