The last thing Ian saw was something tearing through Lucifer’s wounds.
At the same time, the burst of dark energy exploded in mid-air, and he was helplessly caught in it while heading toward the Valhalla Glendia had summoned.
‘Does that mean I might have died in the explosion?’
Ian ground his teeth as he reflected on the recent events.
He wasn’t sure if he was dead or alive, but he assumed he had perished, enveloped in the dark energy.
Why? The reason was simple.
‘If I weren’t dead, I wouldn’t have opened my eyes in a void like this.’
He had closed his eyes amidst a desperate battle, and when he reopened them, he was in pitch-black darkness, unable to see even a step ahead.
Anyone in such a situation would think, “I must have died.”
Ian was no exception.
Leaving the battle behind, he began to think about what the future held for him.
‘So, what happens to me now? They created me to take down the Demon God, but I died halfway through. I guess that means a happy ending is completely out of the question.’
Based on Belphegor’s words, Eris had gone to great lengths to create an assistant to support the hero. Yet, if he failed to fulfill his role and died, wouldn’t that be utterly frustrating?
Of course, Ian felt some resentment too.
After all, he had been forced into this situation with no proper rewards to begin with. The hardships he endured early on were documented in his “memoir”, and aside from revealing the truth, Belphegor hadn’t been much help either.
‘Fine. Mistakes were made on both sides. If Eris, the Goddess of Peace and symbol of kindness, has any sense of fairness, she’ll at least reduce my punishment, right? Honestly, I pushed Lucifer to the final phase. Maybe Ariel managed to defeat him after I died.’
Partial credit.
Though it felt shameful to even utter such a term, given that this wasn’t some school test, Ian believed he had earned at least that much recognition.
‘Ugh, whatever. If I get punished, I’ll just accept it. It’s not like the gods are going to listen to my complaints anyway.’
Sitting down with a thud, he stared into the invisible, dark ceiling, sighing repeatedly.
But then, a thought struck him.
‘Wait a minute… why hasn’t the quest notification popped up? Whether I succeeded or failed, there should have been some kind of update by now.’
The moment he noticed the silence of the system window, which had always been annoyingly loud at the worst times, he became uneasy.
He understood why there wasn’t a new quest. The first one he received was about the Demon God, so it made sense.
[Hidden Story: ‘Ian’s Secret’]
[A quest has been activated.]
[Defeat the Demon God and uncover the secret Ian has been hiding!]
[Success: Happy Ending / Failure: Eternal Death]
‘Right! I already received it. So why isn’t it wrapping up?’
The quest, buried at the very bottom of the system window, had been there since Ian first realized he had been reincarnated.
If it were truly over, the quest should have disappeared, marked as failed.
Yet, for some reason, the quest window remained, persisting without vanishing.
What on earth was going on?
Ian, unable to make sense of it, frantically scrolled through the system window.
And then he saw it.
[Confirming Ian’s truth.]
‘Confirming the truth? Then, this space…’
Was it a place created to uncover the truth he hadn’t yet realized?
The revelation left him shaken, his skin tingling as if his hair were standing on end.
And then, it hit him.
His vision blurred, his head spinning, his field of view narrowing rapidly.
It was a sensation he knew all too well, and he couldn’t help but grimace.
In that moment, Ian knew for sure.
“Damn it. I’m about to pass out again.”
With those short words, Ian closed his eyes.
***
[After a difficult past life, what awaited me as I was possessed was another hell.]
Lee Hyun-Woo.
His life had been nothing but misfortune.
[It might sound ridiculous, but when I reincarnated, I didn’t wish for a wealthy life. What I wanted was to live in an ordinary household and lead an ordinary life. It was something I had never experienced.]
A childhood marred by the death of his mother in an accident and a father who worked tirelessly to support him.
Though his life had been lacking, he managed to find small joys and live with contentment until high school.
But the real problems began after that.
The day he was assigned to the forward unit and received his first visitor’s pass, he got the news: his father, who was driving a long distance to see him, had died in a car accident. For the first time in his life, he felt as if his entire world had crumbled.
A life without a single place to lean on was truly miserable.
After being discharged due to family hardship, he found himself alone, with no family left and only his body to rely on.
That meant he had to stand alone in this harsh world with nothing else.
[I can’t afford to be picky. I need money.]
As a child, while waiting at a crosswalk on the way to school, Hyun-Woo saw a kid pointing at a person collecting scrap paper nearby.
When the child asked, “What’s that person doing?” the mother replied, “They’re doing that because they couldn’t study and don’t have money.
If you don’t want to end up like them, you need to study hard and succeed.”
That passing remark left a lasting impact on young Hyun-Woo. He vowed to succeed and live a life that didn’t involve such work.
Of course, reality didn’t unfold as he wished.
[To earn money, I had to do anything and everything. Even if others mocked and ridiculed me, what choice did I have? I needed to survive to do anything at all.]
In his naive youth, Hyun-Woo had sworn never to become someone who did such work.
Yet ironically, the first job he took was exactly that kind of work.
[Even if it was shameful, there was no other choice. It was all I could do. I didn’t even have the bus fare to get to my home an hour away, so I had to walk, pitifully, every single time.]
How long did he live such a life? Over time, he managed to save a fair amount of money.
Though his life wasn’t perfect, it wasn’t so bad either.
They say that when you have some leeway, you start looking for other things.
Hyun-Woo didn’t know who came up with that saying, but he thought it was remarkably accurate.
[By then, I had already cut ties with my friends. Even though I had been living my life like that, I began to feel lonely, realizing that I had nothing left. It was then that I started looking for an escape.]
To quell the loneliness that rapidly filled his heart, Hyun-Woo turned to gaming and exercise.
He hastily bought a second-hand computer and registered at a nearby gym.
Though his sudden spending left his bank account nearly empty, he didn’t care. Deep down, he already had an inkling that this life would end in tragedy.
[Even if I survived on instant ramen three times a day, the life of having some leisure was indescribably happy.]
In the early mornings, he worked out.
Then he went to work, and upon returning home, he would power on his computer and dive into games.
However, the seemingly endless stream of games gradually ran dry.
Eventually, Hyun-Woo reached a point where he had to actively search for a new game to play.
That’s when it happened.
[One day, I stumbled upon a game: Heroic Academy.]
The game that would become the source of all his troubles.
The moment he completed the main story and started the DLC, a new world unfolded before his eyes.
This wasn’t some clumsy metaphor—it truly was a new world.
[A noble’s life? Uncovering Ian’s secrets? My head was spinning at the absurdity. At first, I thought it was because I hadn’t been eating properly, and my mind was playing tricks on me.]
But this wasn’t some fantastical dream. It wasn’t long before Hyun-Woo had to face reality.
[Piecing together all the information in the room, I realized something: Ian Volkanov… this guy might be someone who was never meant to exist.]
He had no special advantages.
Of course, being a creation of the gods, there must have been some hidden strengths. But despite countless attempts, the only thing that greeted Ian was the endless cycle of regression.
[Failing over and over again. Losing childhood friend Celia, Erzebeth—who supported me—and Haley, who taught me swordsmanship. And finally, my sister Ariel. The repeated loss of those who trusted and followed me made me want to tear my hair out.]
Even after Celia sacrificed herself to grant him an elemental attribute, nothing improved. He would take one step forward, only to die, resetting the timeline.
At one point, the endless cycle of regression drove him to the brink of insanity, and he considered ending his own life.
[I thought about suicide. I tried hanging myself, throwing myself into the freezing ocean, and even leaping off cliffs.]
He desperately wanted someone to rescue him from this pain, yet he also feared anyone approaching him.
If he failed again, he would scream in agony at the thought of their relationships resetting once more.
After countless failures, Ian had no choice but to make a decision.
[Using Haley’s knowledge as a Swordmaster, I began crafting an ancient artifact called a “Soul Branding Stone”. It was a relic capable of engraving a mark on the soul, enabling it to endure the regression cycle. Above all, I thought it would prevent the terror of losing my relationships with those I cherished.]
He decided to entrust everything to Ariel and end the regression cycle as quickly as possible.
Using the Soul Branding Stone would irreparably damage his already-strained family relationships and invite hatred from those around him.
But if he didn’t, the quest would never succeed.
Ian’s reasoning was simple.
First, use the Stone to eliminate the burden of regression. Then, figure out a solution, no matter how difficult. Finally, once the Stone’s effects wore off from the prolonged cycle of regression, he would reconnect with the relationships he had lost.
[Even if no one remains by my side, I will end this cycle of regression….]
Though the thought was unbearably sorrowful, Ian Volkanov resolved not to cling to ties that would inevitably be severed.
Even if it meant isolating himself on a deserted island, he was determined to move forward.
[Using the Soul Branding Stone didn’t result in any dramatic changes. But at least, unlike before, the pain began to fade with each regression. Perhaps it wasn’t the Soul Branding Stone’s doing; maybe I had simply become numb to the cycle of regressions.]
He feared the growing indifference within himself but reassured himself that it was fine, as long as he repeated the thought: Once this regression ends, I will fix everything.
How many attempts had he made? Ian no longer remembered.
Until it worked… until he found even a single clue, Ian continued his relentless efforts.
Perhaps his determination finally reached the gods.
At last, Ian discovered the solution he had long sought.
[I can’t forget Lucifer’s face, staring at me like I was a lunatic. Even though only one final strike was left, my blade didn’t aim for his neck—it plunged into my own abdomen. I couldn’t erase the sight of Ariel and my party members, staring at me in shock and disbelief. But with precious people still alive, there was no other choice.]
The opportunity to defeat the Demon God Lucifer and end the cycle of regression had finally arrived.
If Ian could carry this memory into his final regression, the nightmare would truly end.
With this thought, Ian drove his blade into his stomach.
But this cursed world didn’t unfold as Ian had hoped.
As the Marking Stone’s effects faded and the moment came to set everything right, it wasn’t the world that collapsed first—it was Ian’s mind.
The excessive regressions had gradually eroded his sanity.
Before Ian could act on his plans in this regression, he lost every bit of skill and progress he had painstakingly built since his reincarnation.
It was at that moment…
The memories of all 1,083 regressions vanished in an instant.
Standing at the precipice of the legendary Grandmaster rank, Ian was forced to confront a devastating end.
As his vision swam, Ian finally opened his eyes, fully aware of the hidden truths he had uncovered.
And he saw them.
– Ian! Wake up… please, wake up…!
“Are you awake? Hang on just a little longer, Ian!”
“Ian! Can you hear me? It’s me, Lia! Do you recognize me?”
“…”
Against the backdrop of a darkened sky, tainted with violet mana, familiar faces filled Ian’s vision.
Saintess Glendia focused intently on her healing, while Lia and Eri stood behind her. Bianca prayed with clasped hands, and beside her, Reina silently wept.
It was a perilous situation, one where any mistake could cost lives.
Ian should have told them to leave immediately, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so.
There was only one reason for his hesitation.
[You have uncovered the hidden truths. Defeat the Demon God Lucifer and end the cycle of regression!]
[You have recalled all the skills and experiences accumulated in previous regressions!]
[You have reached the rank of Grandmaster!]
[Will you accept the final quest?]
As a barrage of system notifications flooded in, Ian responded without hesitation.
‘I’ll do it.’
He felt it deep within—there was not much time left to end this accursed cycle.
