I Am the Only Non-Returner

146 – Another Me

But then I shook my head and decided to listen to what they had to say.

– If you tell me how to implement the raw materials, I will do it for free.

[Where are these modified works? Do you think that makes sense? And I can’t make this without my ability.]

– Hmm… Are you really saying that you created this by yourself using only magical power?

[So you’re saying I came all the way here and told lies?]

– That’s not true, but since this is our territory, it’s even harder to believe. hehehehe, really…

[Anyway, how much do you want?]

– 19 Million points per person.

[Wow… Look at these thieves.]

Although he scratched the back of his head at my words, his eyes were infinitely confident. I was shocked as to why it was so expensive to make a new one, since the cost of strengthening it wasn’t that much.

‘What can I do? ‘Quickly request it and let’s go.’

But still, bargain once in a while.

[17 Million.]

– …We’ll do it in 18.7 Million.

[17.7 Million]

– 18.5 Million. No more, sir.

[Chesh…]

In the end, an agreement was reached to purchase full armor for 17 people for a total of 314,500,000P.

‘I almost lost all my points… I wanted to save some for the future, but I still don’t want to hurt my teammates even a little bit. I guess I’ll have to start collecting it steadily from now on.’

I was picturing various rosy futures in my mind, and I recreated the 17 team members in real life by using magic particles to create the images of the 17 team members for the terrible dwarves.

I wasn’t able to preserve the details, but I wasn’t too worried because this material would adapt to the body on its own.

‘Lulu and Dragana will say no even if I give it to them, and the black panther won’t be able to do it.’

– Oh my god…

– This Lamb is the one who allowed us to see this miracle today…

‘It’s funny, really.’

I couldn’t help but grit my teeth as I watched their actions, but I was relieved to know that their skills were clear, so I turned around to return to the original dimension.

At that time.

– If you tell me the main abilities of each person in that shape, I will make a weapon for you. Of course, we will use the parts that fall off while applying the material, so we can’t make it too grand.

‘Oh? Why all of a sudden?’

I was in a hurry to explain the abilities and characteristics of my team members in case I changed the subject, but when I tilted my head in confusion, they smiled brightly and said,

– It’s been a long time since anyone recognized our value. Please forgive me for being rude to find out what you think of us.

‘Well, I didn’t particularly recognize its value, but I came because you guys were the only ones who knew…’

[I see. Then, adjust the price you set earlier -]

– Then we will contact you when the work is completed. Let’s go get ready…

[······]

They pretended to be preparing for work and did not even give me a glance.

[Tsk… I didn’t ask how long it would take.]

– It will take approximately 2 months in this time.

‘2 Months… Considering the time zone here and ours… I guess it’s roughly, but it’s not exact.’

[Please do it as quickly as possible. Then-]

I immediately left the blacksmith shop and returned to our shelter where there was a lot of noise. Then I went into my room, closed my eyes, and sat down for a moment, remembering where I had met Kippenical.

The places I once visited were vaguely connected to me, so I was able to find out if something major happened. It was because I was very anxious because my body was trembling earlier.

“Phew… There’s no time to rest.”

‘The coordinates there…’

Weeeing-

I sent the mental body back through the crack, passed through the complicated path, and arrived at the destination.

And there, only the place where the explorers had swept away was left empty, and there was nothing left there.

The fact that there is nothing left means that it has become a world of complete nothingness, with no place to even step.

‘What on earth can I do to end up like this? Is something like this possible with that tuxedo?’

I flew carefully and moved my mental body to where the magic led me. And soon, I discovered a space where enormous forces were constantly colliding.

‘There is also that woman called Kipenical. Her curly hair is still alive and…’

But he was really just alive, and he didn’t look like anything. There were people stumbling everywhere, using their magic power to its limit.

And there was something piled up in the crack on one side of the wire, and even just looking at it, it looked like a dangerous object. Through that place, beings with great power were coming out one by one, and I could finally feel that their strength had risen to a level where their strength could be measured.

‘Looking at the familiar energy, I guess he’s a spectator. Hmm – I thought I had grown a lot, but I still have a long way to go. But now I can see at least the heels.’

Although I had some hope, I felt bad that I couldn’t help stop the monsters, so I stamped my foot without realizing it.

‘Let’s go back. Strengthening your inner self through meditation during this time will be more helpful in helping them later.’

One thing I felt upon returning to the shelter is that we really don’t have time. If they fall, this place we belong to will also disappear.

‘The reason you didn’t call me is probably because I’m still not of much help…’

Phew······.

I took a deep breath, sat down, and entered meditation. Because laughing and talking outside right now would be a luxury for me.

‘I need a deeper immersion… I need a way to focus solely on myself… Ah! ‘Is this possible?’

I took out the seed of Kdush, the Demon King of the Abyss, which was taken from Euncheol from the inventory. It still wriggled slightly in the form of a disgusting insect, but I grabbed the seed and closed my eyes again.

Then, in an instant, it fell to the deepest part of my heart.

* * *

Took- Talk- Took-

I could hear the sound of water drops falling, but a deep sense of discomfort passed through my entire body. Because I couldn’t hear my breathing or my heart beating.

Even though I knew it was because I had sunk into the abyss, I was suddenly overcome with fear.

[What are you afraid of?]

“Hmm?!!”

A man sitting on a matte black rock spoke to him, and he could not help but be greatly surprised by the presence.

“··· That’s surprising. Was there something like you in me?”

[I met you once before, but I don’t think you remember. Actually, I was pressing it with so much force that I probably wasn’t even conscious of it.]

It looked slightly different from who I am now, but the man sitting there was definitely me.

Eungyeon, whose body was clearly divided into left and right, with one side turned into a skeleton, with thick darkness under her eyes, was smiling at me.

“We met… I see. I remember now.”

[You remember…? I haven’t even unlocked it yet. Did you unlock it yourself? Are we really genius?]

It felt very awkward to freely express my admiration for myself.

“I met you when I was resetting the stage after giving birth to my first baby. Rather, I was even more surprised. Having stepped into the realm of godhood, I thought I now completely understood myself.”

[I can assure you that there has never been a human being who completely understood himself. And it will continue to be so. So be confident. You are a great guy hehehehe-]

“Is that a compliment you give yourself?”

[Let’s say so. Heehee – this is really fun. Actually, it was sometimes fun to watch everything you did, but you know we’re not really interested in anything other than doing it ourselves, right? Like boxing, you have to run to get excited. I thought you were going to die from boredom waiting~ Haaa~ Really.]

When I became black, my tone of voice, facial expressions, and voice were all too light. Although they are the same as me, their differences make them more different than anything else.

He is to me. I asked many questions about how on earth he got to the bottom of this abyss and what he plans to do next. Even though I answered him sincerely, I was puzzled.

“Why don’t you know? I heard you were watching everything.”

[As you began to ascend to godhood, you were blocked. The space of the abyss is incomplete and unstable. Everything is chaos itself. I think this is the place you should block first as you need to become a complete being.]

“I don’t know. Is it true that my will is reflected? This place is also within me, and they tried to block it…”

[I told you so. There is no human being who knows everything about themselves.]

“I see. Anyway, I have to become stronger than I am now.”

I said as I watched the Seed of K’dush escape my hand and crawl vigorously across the bottom of the abyss.

“If I keep going like this, one day I may be able to overcome even Tankranqu and Jin. And if the fertility goddess and the archdemon Ser help me, that time will go a little faster. I need the strength I can build on my own. “I had an idea.”

[I’m sorry, but meditating won’t make you stronger. We already know, right? I don’t think you’ll become stronger by meditating, but I think that if you shake off and empty your head of all the negative thoughts like doubts, worries, and anxiety, you’ll be able to unleash that much more power. Am I wrong?]

“······ It definitely seems like that. I vaguely thought that too.”

[There’s no way you don’t know what I’m thinking.]

“You know something I don’t know, right?”

[Hmm… You mean the memory from the first episode?]

“······ We also went through the first round, right?”

[That’s right. We are also regressors. But I made sure no one remembered. That was the condition.]

“Are we the last survivors to reach stage 51 in the first round?”

[······ Yes. To be exact, I only noticed it when I reached stage 51. This game has no end. In the end, we returned and worked together to reset those dirty conditions at the place where we first met.]

“······.”

[Hey, let’s stop talking about this. That’s because I can’t decide whether telling the story from that time will have a positive impact on you.]

“One more thing. I feel like my understanding of myself is increasing as things become clearer. Have you become a separate entity from me? Or is this a part of me that I lost and have not yet regained?”

[Hmm… It’s the latter. I wasn’t such a warm person like you are now. If you look at the memories of the first episode later, you will see… He was closer to a villain.]

“······ I see. Are you the one who removed only the dark part?”

[Originally I was going to do that. But life can’t be that easy, right? Even though the organizer helped as much as he could, he could not cut it out cleanly, and the positive parts were also left out.]

“What part is positive?”

[You must have felt it too. Although you have recovered a lot now, think back to yourself when the stage first started. Looking at it now, you said it was an absurd mess. I talked to myself, fantasized, giggled, and had a low mental age. When I see him growing up so well now, I am so moved that I almost cry.]

“······Definitely······.”

[Hey, I don’t know what that bug guy is trying to do, but it’s getting harder to talk to him little by little. But killing him doesn’t feel good. I think you should stop going.]

When I looked in the direction I pointed in the first round, the seeds of Kdush were wriggling and digging into the ground.

“This is my home. I’m not sure yet, but I’m sure he’s not a bad guy. Take good care of him.”

[Okay. See you next time.]

I spoke for the last time to another person who was waving at me happily.

“··· It’s only for a moment, but I feel like you’re not that evil. So, I don’t know what happened in the first round, but why don’t you just throw away the guilt in your heart? Then I’m leaving.”

[··········]

After hearing a sigh filled with deep regret, I leapt with all my might from the bottom of the abyss towards the outside world.