Chapter 0. Prologue

In a desert valley, as wide as the sea itself, corpses could be seen adorning the entire landscape from beginning to end.

What was once just a place littered with sand and rocks had now become a battlefield, no, a graveyard. Piles of bodies lay on the chalky ground, some were somewhat humanoid in shape, while others could not even be described.

The blood colored the sandy soil and the few trees that were in the place were completely dry. Their leaves had already fallen a long time ago and the branches that hung from them were beginning to break...

Suddenly, a sound was present, however, it was very slight. It was not known for sure where it came from, but the friction between two bodies could be heard.

As time passed, the sound began to be heard constantly, although faint, it seemed to come from one of the many piles of corpses that were in the place.

The bodies of the horrifying creatures began to tremble slightly.

The seconds passed and that tremor was still alive in the corpses of the creatures, however, shortly after it stopped and one of the bodies began to rise slowly.

Unexpectedly, the head of that body was pierced by an arm. The sound of skull bones being shattered was present and traces of blood along with folds of flesh could be seen adorning the limb.

A short time later, the figure of a man appeared from inside the corpses.

Anyone who saw his face would be shocked at that very moment, the man's appearance could hardly be described. The only thing that made him different from any other corpse was the attempt he was making to breathe.

"Haah... Haah... Cough!"

The emaciated man had a pained expression, it seemed that his lungs had not received air for a long time. However, the moment he tried to take a breath, a large pool of blood shot out of his mouth.

Keuk. When he managed to get some air back, that person clenched his teeth and put more force on his arm, trying to free his body completely from the prison of corpses in which he was.

He didn't make it all the way out, but because he was leaning forward, he ended up rolling over the pile of corpses, hitting the ground hard once he finished his descent.

"Ugh!..."

A cry of pain was released from her lips due to the heavy impact her body suffered.

The full figure of the man could finally be seen, however, the state he was in, it seemed, no, was much worse than the bodies lying around.

The corpses had deep cuts embedded in their bodies, some had quite severe burns, but most lacked their limbs connected to their bodies.

Unlike these, that man had a hideous and disfigured figure. It almost seemed as if his body had been cut over and over again. He was missing an arm and a leg, while half of his face was completely burned.

If before, the simple action of seeing his face would leave anyone bewildered, his current appearance would make people instantly avert their gaze...

He tried to stand up, but due to the painful state he was in, he ended up leaning his body on the pile of corpses from which he came out.

Raising his head slightly, the gaunt man's gaze began to trace across the chaotic landscape and the countless piles of corpses that were in the place.

A glimmer of disappointment and sadness appeared in his gaze. Closing his eyes briefly, he lowers his head and begins to take in the state of his body.

His shoulders jumped slightly and a small laugh escaped his lips. He knew his body wasn't in a 'good' condition, but he hadn't expected to end up in such a deplorable state.

'Karma has finally gotten to me, huh...' he thought, as his eyelids slowly closed.

Thousands of distant memories passed through her mind, each of them gave her different feelings, however, none of them presented happiness, rather, she could only feel resentment, pain, regret, sadness, guilt and frustration.

It had been about 15 years since the gaunt man, no, Han Seung-min had entered this place...

***

Nine Heaven, that was how this place was known...

A world in which not only humans existed, but also different fantastic and incomparable races, which could only be believed to see in fairy tales... and in your most terrible nightmares.

Han Seung-min was 21 years old when he was summoned to that place.

The little he remembered from that day was that he had collided with a mysterious-looking man. The latter had dropped a letter, but the moment he wanted to return the letter to the stranger, a bright light was released, leaving him blind for a long time.

When he finally opened his eyes, he was in a completely white room with several other people. They all had the same puzzled expression and didn't know what was happening.

Soon, a huge message had appeared in front of them. They had been summoned to a place called, 'Foundation Path'. In this, 5 tests had to be completed with a time limit of 20 days. Those who succeeded would earn the right to be called 'Player' and would be able to return to Earth.

The conditions did not seem to be so complicated for any of those present, but they would soon realize how wrong they were.

The next moment, all the people in the room were transported into a chaotic version of Earth, more specifically to the city of Seoul.

An expression of terror was placed on everyone's faces when they saw the scene that was presented to them, it seemed that they were in one of the stories of the end of the world.

Suddenly, creepy creatures that could only be found in the worst nightmares began to appear and lunge at them, hunting each person, one by one.

Despite the fear he felt, Han Seung-min managed to survive this chaotic world, fighting against those monstrosities, while he fulfilled each of the conditions that had been asked of him.

And when he managed to complete the tests, he earned the right to be a 'player'...

Then, just as the message had said earlier, the survivors returned to Earth. However, Han Seung-min found himself quite taken aback, as news around the world revolved around sudden cases of coma and insanity that began to surface in various countries.

A day after his return, he was summoned again, but, unlike the first time, the situation he was in was explained.

Nine Heaven had been invaded 10 years ago by foreign beings. Those beings called themselves 'Ancient Ones', entities of immeasurable power and possessing a colossal army, which easily covered the entire world by itself.

Their advance was relentless and at a fairly rapid pace, they began to take over most of the land on the continent.

Faced with such chaos, both humanity and the races inhabiting Nine Heaven began a fight against these forces. However, the difference in power was too overwhelming, resulting in a victory for the invading beings.

Seeing the situation in which their world was, the Gods that ruled over it, decided to help humanity.

And, that gesture on the part of the Gods, had come with the name: 'Players'...

A great bewilderment flooded Han Seung-min's mind upon learning the reason why he was summoned. However, he ended up accepting his role, unfortunately, the life that awaited him on that side was not favorable at all.

Endless misfortunes began to cover his life in both worlds. He became a slave because of a vile deception that was performed against him. He served as a scapegoat for people who committed cruelties that were not capable of being forgiven even by heaven itself.

Due to his own weakness, he ended up seeing every important person in his life taken from his side, while his last ounce of sanity was taken from him as he watched as the person he loved the most in his life sacrificed herself for him.

He begged the Gods over and over again to please save the people who had been taken over by the alien races, however, his wish was denied, becoming the witness of how several lives were taken in front of him.

Fed up with his own weakness and the Gods' ignorance of his prayers, Han Seung-min trained extensively. Not caring about the pain he felt throughout his body, he continued to torture himself to the limit, while facing various situations that put his life on the verge of death.

When he got the power he had longed for, he started a war against the alien races. Seeing the feat he was accomplishing, the Gods joined his crusade, lamenting the fact that they had ignored his pleas.

He had resentment towards them due to all the suffering they had put humanity through and the summoning of the 'players'. However, he knew that the strength they possessed was necessary to take back Nine Heaven.

Opening the Bifröst and activating the Heavenly Passage, he and the Gods formed an alliance with each other, reconquering the lands that had been infected from the alien races.

For 13 years he found himself fighting to end the invasion of the alien races. However, neither he nor the Gods expected the terrible surprise that those beings had for them.

In the midst of the battle to take back the Holy Land from Lakegnis, Han Seung-min faced a large army of monsters. His only objective was to stop their advance, unfortunately, something unexpected happened...

***

Once he finished remembering each moment he spent in this place, his eyelids slowly opened, showing a small sparkle in his gaze.

He had been ambushed by one of the 'Ancient Ones' and his fight with the latter brought him to his current state.

His body had stopped functioning a while ago, his limbs were unresponsive, and the pain that was ingrained in every part of his being could no longer be felt anywhere.

No matter how hard he had tried, in the end he ended up facing a terrible fall. Many considered him as a demon, others as someone miserable, few saw him as a hero. However, he knew exactly what it was... a 'glitch'.

He was the last among all the 'players' to get an Awakening. The heavens never granted him a guardian constellation and also denied him the 'Blessings'.

It wasn't until all of humanity disappeared that he had gained the support of the heavens, however, it was already too late.

People had wondered how it was possible for someone like him to become the savior of this world. However, they were all dead and there was no one to bear witness to the sacrifice he made for so many years...

There was not a single person alive in this world. The kingdoms had fallen, humanity was eliminated, the surviving races were corrupted by the 'Ancient Ones' and with their death, the Gods would return to the Celestial Realm.

What little hope there was was completely devastated, however, the only one who could know this was him. After all, he was the last 'player' alive...

'Maybe I do deserve this kind of ending...'

He thought, however, a great feeling of regret was reflected in the little liveliness that was on his face.

'If I had taken a different path... things might have changed'

There was no voice to answer his question. He was alone and helpless, the flame that beat in his heart was starting to dim and the world around him began to distort.

'Wow, the place is losing color... Those monsters, surely they've already taken over the sun...' he thought that, unfortunately, it wasn't like that.

His sight now seemed far away and his iris was completely obscured, what little brightness was left was taken away. His eyes had lost the ability to see...

A bitter smile could be found on his face, he had accepted his fate ever since this long battle began, however, now that he was about to die, a strong fear began to grow in his heart.

Was this really going to be the end? All his effort was useless? The lives of his friends were so insignificant?...

Hundreds of questions began to fill her mind. Suddenly, his mouth opened slightly and faint words came out of him.

"N-No..."

"... To die"

"Please..."

A weak plea escaped her lips. Her voice was hoarse and almost inaudible, it seemed as if her vocal cords were infected with nodules [1].

He didn't want to end up this way, he spent years training for a strength he wasn't blessed with. He swore to take revenge for the death of his companions, yet his body was in such a pitiful state.

"I-I shouldn't..."

Weak murmurs escaped her lips.

"...I-It matters..."

"I-I... don't-"

—«It's okay, Seung-min»

A familiar voice was heard next to him, his eyes couldn't help but widen a little, while a warm feeling began to grow inside him.

—«You gave your best, it's time for you to take a break...»

"..."

With every word he heard, he could feel a sense of calm fill his mind. He recognized who was the person who was speaking to him.

—«Well, so this is where you were...»

Seung-min's body trembled slightly as he heard another voice coming from beside him. However, those words weren't the only ones he heard...

—«I can't believe it, at least say something next time you run away, you worried us»

—«We must understand, the captain is a great lazy man»

—«Guys, leave our leader alone, the last mission left him very exhausted»

—«Ha!, said by the person who was impatient to find the captain~»

—«Man, we really worried when you disappeared from the party»

—«You should have warned me master...»

«...»

A melancholy smile was placed on his face, he could no longer see, however, he perfectly recognized who those voices were. Even if his whole life had turned into complete chaos, he would never forget all the moments he spent together with his companions.

—«Seung-min~»

Amidst the familiar murmurs around him, the first voice he heard echoed in his head, making any previous sound disappear.

—«It's okay... there's no reason why you should continue to suffer...»

His lifeless eyes began to gain a reddish color around them. He had always sought revenge for his incompetence and created a mask to avoid suffering again.

But now, tears began to fall from his eyes. He felt sad knowing that he failed to accomplish his goal, however, he felt happy to be able to hear the voices of his companions one last time.

—«Come on, it's time we joined them.»

She mentioned the first voice.

A warm feeling washed over Seung-min's hand once those words were spoken. His gaze seemed to be regaining the shine that he lost long ago.

"Certain..."

He murmured, as his eyes slowly closed. His body was no longer capable of feeling, but an immense tranquility filled his being.

"...I'm sorry I kept you guys waiting"

Along with those words, a small smile began to appear on his face, while a tear slid down his cheek.

Along with these words, the illusion of how he began to walk towards a large group of people presented itself, this being the last thing he managed to record in his mind, before his consciousness was plunged into complete darkness.

The last 'player' had passed away...

Plop. Drops of water began to fall from the sky, starting to descend faster as the seconds passed. It seemed as if the world that had despised him so much was mourning his death.

The only sound that was heard for a long time around the entire valley was that of drops falling from the sky, wetting the corpses and mixing with the blood on the ground.

With Seung-min's death, the last glimmer of hope had faded.

There was no longer anyone in the world who was able to stop the conquest of the 'Elder Ones'. The Gods would soon ascend to the Heavenly Realm again, leaving the lands they had so painstakingly reclaimed unprotected.

Woosh—

Suddenly, the sound of the rain stopped suddenly, the drops remained stagnant in the air, it seemed as if time had stopped.

|So in the end if you managed to find the 'peace' you told me so much about, 'Fail'...|

A distorted voice was heard resounding throughout the valley. His tone was calm and cold, but despite the weak accent he had used, his words were capable of shaking the entire place.

Soon, a rather mysterious figure appeared, behind him was a vortex of infinite darkness, while the space around him shattered like broken glass.

His appearance was not visible due to the robe he was wearing, however, his attention seemed to be fixed on the late Seung-min.

|To think that your death would come at this point... fate really is cruel|

Slowly approaching the corpse that was watching intently, that hooded figure crouches slightly and extending one of her arms, wipes the tear that was sliding down the cheek of the now deceased 'player'.

A nostalgic and sad air appeared around her, however, this was short-lived.

|Unfortunately I won't be able to fulfill what was promised...|

As she said this, the mysterious being withdrew his hand and straightened his posture again. While he keeps his attention on the corpse.

Rumble—

A terrifying sound was heard echoing throughout the valley. The noise that was generated would make anyone paralyzed with fear.

The force with which it appeared was such that the sky began to open in a grotesque way and the earth trembled fiercely.

In the midst of all this, the cloaked figure released a crystal blue aura.

|They arrived faster than I expected|

Woosh—

Along with those words, a great pillar of light emerged where the mysterious figure and the inert body of Seung-min were. It easily pierced the skies and illuminated the surroundings with an intense brilliance.

Not wanting to waste a single second, the cloaked being extended both its arms forward, releasing a powerful wave of wind. Along with this, a strange orb came out from the robe that covered his body.

The unparalleled violet colored energy that was released by the object, expelled the sinister shadows that were beginning to approach the place surrounded by light.

|Like the last 'Spinner of Destiny'...|

Looking up at the sky, the mysterious figure let out a loud cry. |...I, Skuld, execute the 'Sacrifice of Time'!|

A large and majestic door with numerical symbols began to manifest above where she and Seung-min's corpse stood.

As the huge entrance opened, a golden-colored light consumed the body of the deceased 'player'.

|It's going to be difficult for someone like you...|

|... Having to repeat the sufferings that tortured you until the end of your days|

An intense glow was present, covering the entire valley.

|...However, I trust you'll be able to overcome it, just like you did the first time...|

The corpse of the 'player' began to rise, while the last words of the 'noreun' [2] resounded throughout the place.

|...I won't remember you and neither will you...|

|But... I'll be waiting for the day we meet again...|

|...My hero...|

With those last words, the grand entrance released a blinding brilliance.

And once it consumed the deceased body, the entire world was covered in a white light.

The only thing that could be seen was a kind of clock cracking in the sky. While the hands began to unfold as if they were threads.

Slowly falling into the void and disappearing like little vestiges of energy...

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[1]. Nodules: Lesion that can be obtained by excessive use of the voice (it is frequent in singers, teachers and speakers)

[2]. Noreun: It is the word 'Norna' based on the Korean alphabet or Hangeul.