The Villain Has Perished

"Did I reincarnate successfully? But then where am I?"

Currently, I was standing in a vast expanse of white world. Everything around was pure white in color, making it difficult to judge the dimensions of the area I was in.

A screen appeared before me.

|| 02:10 minutes left before transfer ||

"I haven't reincarnated yet?"

"Not yet. A… problem occurred and led to delay at the last second."

"Who's there!?" My eyes widened at the unexpected answer. But, even after scanning the surroundings, I didn't find anyone else.

"Pardon for the inconvenience. I should've introduced myself first. I'm Zagerus, the 'white-haired kid' who was standing behind Melione, my elder sister."

Zagerus introduced himself while emphasizing on the words 'white haired kid'.

"That reminds me, where is Melione?" The corner of my lips curled. "I don't see her anywhere."

Just recalling her protesting against reincarnating with me was enough to fill me with boundless happiness.

Hehehe… If I'm going down, I will pull you down with me.

"She is here with you. I separated you two to… avoid minor inconveniences… to me."

Zagerus whispered the last part in a barely audible whisper.

"You have it hard too, huh."

Shockingly enough, my wish was given a green light. Of course, Melione protested, saying it was blasphemy to dare such a wish.

She, in no way, wanted to enter her own world.

I could understand her. To give a brief reason, it was best for one to read the Synopsis of the novel she wrote.

————

The Multiverse has crashed.

The blessed have lost, failing to stop the eventual end.

Unable to conquer the Apocalypse, countless worlds have fallen.

As one last desperate attempt, the surviving worlds have been merged.

The final blessed, the last survivor from the World of System, the sole SSS rank Gamer, Jae-sung, has been summoned.

Jae-sung, who once stood at the peak of his own world, dominated the Apocalypse with his Gamer System.

The hero, however, was betrayed by the one he trusted the most at his last step.

When everything seems to have ended, Jae-sung suddenly finds himself in the past, a few months after he was transmigrated into the World of Swords and Magic, before the worlds merged!

"This time… I won't fail! I won't make the same mistake twice!"

Pledging to himself, the hero again walks towards the peak. This time, he won't stop at any cost!

But was everything as simple as it seemed? Who are the ones behind the Apocalypse? How did the worlds merge? Who are 'they'?

Come walk the journey with the once hero turned rogue and find answers along with him.

————

The novel started with the protagonist, Jae-sung, regressing to the past in the World of Swords and Magic – one of the few worlds where Apocalypse had yet to begin.

In [Re:SSS Rank Gamer in the Apocalypse], every world faced their own version of Apocalypse and fell to it.

The apocalypses varied greatly. From [Zombies] of an urban world, to supreme beings like [Magic God, Solomon], to even [Aliens], [Venerable Heavenly Demon], [Magi Madoka Pulea], [Kaijus], [Advanced AI] and many more.

With the fall of countless worlds, the remaining worlds were combined for one last stand against the Apocalypses.

Yet, not only did the survivors not help otherworldlers, they also fought amongst each other despite having common enemies.

It was a chaotic world where enemies lurked everywhere and one wrong move could get you killed.

"Zagerus, am I going to regain my current memories after the Apocalypse starts or will I start from childhood?"

"I am not allowed to tell you that."

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I brooded.

'If I get my memories from early childhood, the World of Cultivators is the best to gather skills. But if I get my memories when Apocalypse is about to start, I won't have enough time to grow strong, the World of Swords and Magic is the most favorable candidate in that case.'

'Well, nothing really matters if the Apocalypse started already. By that time, all worlds would've merged.

Nodding to myself, I stared at Zagerus once again.

"Also, since Melione is counted as my wish, she would also be downgraded. Did I get that correct?"

"Indeed, that is what is causing a delay in your transfer."

Hehehe…

My worries vanished instantly. Jumping on cloud nine, I could almost hear her complaining.

"Stop jesting! How can a mortal's wish bring a Goddess' fall?! Halt this foolishness this instant!"

I didn't know I was into this kind of thing, but the frustrated voice of Meloine was healing my soul~ I could feel the years of humiliation and emptiness being washed away~

"ZAGERUS!"

With an angry bellow, a gust of powerful wind smashed into me and something akin to a curtain was lifted from my eyes.

Suddenly, I found new figures in this white world – Two, to be exact.

A silver, mist-like figure was floating in the air and talking to the golden figure made of fire.

"Elder Sister, this is the punishment father has decided for you. He wants you to learn to take responsibility for your actions."

"Even then, this is too much, that world—"

"Nice to meet you, Miss Goddess~"

"—It's you!"

The moment our eyes met, she lunged at me.

Like a feral cat, she kept trying to kill me—only for her to pass right through my body, as if I wasn't here to begin with—and I continued to wave my hand with a beautiful and friendly smile in return.

"Why can't I kill him!? I wouldn't need to go there if he is no longer alive!"

"That's because the two of your souls are now connected. None of you can kill the other and if one dies, the other will die too."

"What!? What kind of disrespect is this!?"

"Ha!? I never asked for this!"

Even I couldn't help but shout in anger. I had no plans of killing Melione—there was no point to her reincarnation if she died—but this wasn't what I had in mind!

Sighing, Zagerus shook his head.

"You get what you wish for, mortal." He then turned to Melione. "Elder sister, this is your punishment. I won't be hearing complaints any longer."

Slowly, the silver misty figure of Zagerus began to dissipate.

While we were yet to recover from the shock, Zagerus spoke in my mind.

'Human, do not think for one instant that no one has noticed your trickery.'

His voice wasn't warm and cozy anymore, but cold and emotionless that would make one's hair stand on end. I could feel a grim reaper breathing down on my neck, ready to devour me.

'Just because you masked your intent by calling it revenge, do not think you could fool me. I may have left elder sister with you, but if any kind of harm comes to her because of you, you will regret being born.'

With that, his figure dissipated.

|| 02:10 minutes left before transfer ||

|| 02:09 minutes left before transfer ||

|| 02:08 minutes left before transfer ||

'Tsk, I got caught.'

The timer resumed shortly after.

Ignoring Melione, who was yet to overcome the previous bombshell, I sat with crossed legs, trying to calm my growing excitement.

It was true that the world of Re: Apocalypse was extremely dangerous, but it was marvelous too.

A strange yet mesmerizing world where magic, technology, history, cultivation, games, superpowers, and many mores combined!

It had endless possibilities.

The ever-expanding world was the reason I continued reading that dumpster fire.

I may have been an idiot in my previous life, but I could feel emotions, nonetheless. Day and night, I felt suffocated, as if something was restricting me, tying me, chaining me down. But I couldn't pinpoint the reason.

The emptiness and sadness gnawed at me from inside, eating me alive.

I could've ended my misery by killing myself, yet I couldn't come up with something this simple too. Like I was living in a dream, I understood everything, but nothing at the same time.

'But I'm free now. I can do anything I want.'

Reincarnating in a world where death was always one step behind you?

I'll take it.

I don't care if I become an extra, a villain, or the protagonist himself. I will live for myself.

In this life, I won't make the mistake of lying down. I'll aim for the top!

——————

|| 01:01 minutes left before transfer ||

|| 00:58 minutes left before transfer ||

"Why are you excited? Aren't you worried about reincarnating in my novel anymore?"

"Nope~"

'Did she run out of gas already? But what is happening to her?'

The golden flickering flames of Melione were slowly dying, leaving a visage similar to mine. I caught a glimpse of a helpless smile on her face.

"Why do you think Gods allows reincarnation and gives them gifts?"

"Don't know, don't care. You can answer if you want, though."

"It's for entertainment. They want to see struggle—something they do not have—and thus they give gifts for an appropriate price."

"Price?"

"Did you honestly believe the blessings are free? There is always a drawback of proportional value." She looked at me with pity. "The cost of your blessing made you reincarnate into a mystic-less world with cognitive dissonance in your 2nd life, your blessing was that powerful. And this time you asked for a bona-fide goddess to reincarnate with you."

I raised my eyebrow.

"That sounds bad."

"...Bad? Only bad?" Angrily striding toward me, she glared at me.

Her drop-dead gorgeous appearance was being revealed from inside the dying flames. It was hot, and I mean literally, the flames were yet to be doused completely.

"We will need to pay a price of the proportional value! We don't know what it is! How are you so calm?!"

"What happened has happened. You can't change the past." I shrugged. "Besides, I'm happy enough that I can think freely."

"You!!!"

|| 00:30 minutes left before transfer ||

While Melione was losing her mind and I was internally laughing at her, suddenly, a huge black shadow ambushed us.

It angrily shouted at us.

"Mortals, I do not know who you are, but you dared to intrude upon my vessel?! Face my wrat—"

Splaat—!

A crisp sound echoed as the angry young maiden in front of me swung her palm and made quick work of the intruder. The black shadow burst into thousands of pieces at Melione's slap attack and disappeared into nothingness.

"There goes the last of my divinity."

"You should've asked its identity before killing it."

This place wasn't simple. In that regard, the black shadow might be someone we shouldn't kill. Not to mention, it called us intruders.

Unfortunately, Melione had recovered from her slump and reverted to her haughtiness.

"Hmph! Who dares to insult this goddess! Whoever they may be, they should know their…."

<<Congratulations, you have slayed [Magic God, Solomon]>>

"..."

"..."

"I-it's not that Solomon, is it?" Her voice was shaking as her neck turned toward me like a creaking door that hadn't been oiled in ages.

I smiled back in response.

"It's the same one."

Magic God, Solomon.

The leader of the 72 Daemon Kings and the final Apocalypse of World of Swords and Magic.

"T-then…"

"We killed the final boss – who was supposed to turn into a new leaf and help the protagonist – on our first day."

F for us.