What... what the hell is this??
I still couldn't believe it. After millions of years wandering through the cycle of reincarnation, I finally had a chance to be freed. But now, perhaps my mission—like in those fantasy stories—is to defeat the Demon King.
I have no strength, no magic, but I do have a brain.
I used to read stories that looked just like this world, but I never thought I'd actually experience it myself. I know one thing for sure: this world won't be able to kill me in some bizarre way anymore. Even so, after experiencing billions of deaths, I find myself afraid of dying again. No—more precisely, I'm afraid of losing this chance.
I looked up at the sky—there were dragons, from pure white to pitch black, even a few small ones. Looking down at the ground, there were magical beasts and monsters, just like the ones described in those novels.
"If I can reach that kingdom over there, maybe I'll have a small chance. But with monsters everywhere, the only way is to fly over. Dragons can fly, sure—but taming one is a whole different problem... What should I do now?"
After some consideration, I decided to check the forest for anything useful for the journey. It was a bit risky, but my instincts seemed to be urging me toward it. Without another word, I walked into the forest—dragging my tired body, limbs aching, but I didn't die.
After a while, just as my legs began to show signs of dislocating, I spotted an abandoned encampment. It looked like it once belonged to the guards of this world. I noticed some symbols on the equipment and structures—symbols that closely resembled the royal insignia from my original world.
Is this really an encampment...? It looks familiar, but not quite the same.
Whatever it was, I still stepped into the abandoned encampment. The place had one main area and two secondary sections. The main area was a mansion-like building with twelve rooms—seven on the lower floor, five on the upper. Each room seemed to have been a private office for a different commander, though the lettering on the doors had long faded with time. There was nothing particularly special here—no leftover items, no useful clues.
The two side sections looked like they were meant for soldiers. Luckily, I found a few remaining supplies: some loaves of bread and a couple of water bottles. Thanks to that, I was able to stretch out my survival a bit longer, without the constant fear of hunger or thirst haunting me.
As I explored deeper into the area, I discovered a few scattered mineral deposits. These minerals were unfamiliar—completely alien to me. A bold thought crossed my mind:
"Could I experiment with these minerals?"
That idea immediately triggered a haunting memory—death No. 482,016. Back then, I had reincarnated as a scientist during wartime. Through relentless experimentation, I created the most radioactive substance the world had ever seen: C-54. It was so densely radioactive that my entire body swelled, my limbs lost control, and my skin burned with searing pain. The worst part? I had to endure that agony for three full days before finally dying of dehydration.
C-54 brought suffering—but not the mercy of a swift death.
Even though the memory made my spine tingle and my hands tremble, I quickly regained my composure thanks to the Emotion-Cleansing Technique. With the mineral fragments I had found, I decided to let them interact with one another. There were five different types, each with a distinct color: one was black, another platinum, another amber, one pale green, and one the color of ripe golden wheat.
I began experimenting.
First, I took the black stone and struck it against the platinum one. The result: something slimy and black oozed onto the ground. It seemed the black stone was just ordinary rock, while the platinum one had the property of melting things around it. Luckily, I'd handled the platinum stone with care—had I gripped it too tightly, my hand would've melted like slime.
Next, I picked up the golden wheat-colored stone. But in a moment of clumsiness, I dropped it. Upon hitting the ground, it emitted a blinding flash of light. Fortunately, it wasn't strong enough to damage my eyes—I had narrowly avoided blindness.
Now more cautious, I picked it up again and hurled it at the amber-colored stone. This time, I quickly turned away to avoid the glare. As expected, when the two stones collided, they produced an intense light so bright it lightly burned my skin from the heat. From this, I concluded: the golden wheat-colored stone had the ability to generate light, while the amber one amplified environmental effects.
Then came the pale green stone. It felt unusually light in my hand. I dropped it, and to my surprise, it fell slower than normal. In a flash, I had a thought—could it possess the ability to float?
I grabbed the pale green stone and the amber stone, and struck them together. As expected, the green stone shot several meters away from me, even though I'd used only a small amount of force. I was stunned—and then overjoyed. This could be the key to flight. A way to escape the monsters and survive.
Afterward, I rummaged around and found a long rope. I bit it into two short pieces and one longer one. I placed the two short ones on the table and tucked the long piece into my bag. From the two short ropes, I tied them together into a three-pronged strap. I then tied small pieces of the pale green stone to two of the ends, and tied the remaining end to my right hand. In my left hand, I held the amber stone.
I left the encampment, entered the forest again, and made my way to the edge—right back to where I had started. Taking a deep breath, I leapt off a cliff.
Mid-air, I slammed the amber stone into the two pale green stones attached to the rope.
Just as I had hoped—I soared into the sky, lifted by the enhanced force of the floating stones, amplified by the amber stone.
Yay, it worked!!
Before I could celebrate any further, I suddenly dropped straight down—right into the middle of a horde of monsters. But I quickly repeated the same action as before, and once again, I soared upward, escaping their grasp.
This time, the flight was much smoother—thanks to the repetition, I had already begun to master the technique.
Phew, that was way too close.
As I continued flying, I realized there were several dragons in the area. I observed them carefully and noticed a few seemed poised to attack me. Thinking quickly, I veered away from their path.
But just as I was focused on the dragons, my instincts screamed at me—something was swinging toward me.
I turned my head, and right in front of me was a massive axe, hurtling down. I dodged it just in time.
Catching my breath, I looked to see what had attacked me—and I was stunned. It was a colossal monster clad in full knight armor, straight out of medieval Europe. Panic surged through me as I sped toward the fortress, desperately hoping I could make it out alive.
But no.
Aside from its massive axe swings, the creature's eyes began to glow with a blinding light. I recognized it instantly—a fusion of the golden wheat-colored stone and the amber one. With that size and that combination... it could very well incinerate the entire kingdom.
It was staring straight at the fortress.
Immediately, I changed direction, flying toward the opposite mountain range. Sure enough, the creature turned and locked its gaze on me—aiming its deadly eyes at the hills.
Just as it was about to fire, I dodged to the side.
A beam of radiant light shot out from its eyes, blasting the mountain. The entire area instantly became a dead zone—every living creature within the radius was reduced to ash.
Still reeling from the overwhelming power, I suddenly felt a burning pain in my leg. I looked down—and horror struck me.
My right foot was gone, completely scorched. I hadn't managed to escape the edge of the beam in time.
My survival instinct kicked in. I gathered all my remaining strength and flew straight toward the kingdom.
And—miraculously—I made it to the city gates. That monstrous thing no longer chased me.
But due to the injury on my leg—and with the scythe of death seemingly hovering near—I slowly lost consciousness.
Hey, are you alright? A voice echoed from somewhere in the distance.
What I didn't know was that someone… had come to my aid.
I had lost consciousness.
When I finally came to, I sat up in the bed I was lying on, blinking in confusion as I looked around. It seemed I was in a healing ward somewhere within the kingdom. The room was empty—no one else in sight.
I glanced down at my right foot. It had been bandaged carefully, and the burning pain had subsided significantly.
I looked out the window and realized the room was on the second floor. But because of that, the view before me was more beautiful than ever.
It was a bustling cityscape—people flooding the streets, market stalls displaying various goods, and carriages being pulled by creatures both strange and familiar. It was the very picture of a fantasy world, just like the ones I used to imagine through the pages of a book.
A gentle breeze swayed through the window, bringing with it a soothing calm. I let myself sink into the moment, immersed in the peaceful atmosphere.
But then—I flinched.
Someone opened the door and stepped into the room. And then came a voice—familiar, unmistakably familiar:
You're awake!
That's right—it was that clear, warm voice.
The same voice I had heard just before I lost consciousness.
I turned my head—and just as I had suspected, it was a girl.
She was dressed in an outfit straight out of the fantasy worlds I had once read about. Her long, dark-purple hair flowed down to her waist, and her deep brown eyes held a quiet strength.
To be honest, there was something captivating about her beauty—I couldn't help but admire her features for a moment.
But then I realized I was probably being a little rude, staring like that. So I quickly responded:
Hello… and you are?
She smiled gently and replied:
I'm Tina! I'm the nurse here—also the doctor, the cashier, and the security guard, all in one.
Erm....Seriously?
Yeah, all in one!
Let's set that aside for now. Can you tell me where this place is?
You're a foreigner, aren't you? Well, I guess that explains the strange clothes—and why you don't know much about this place. Let me introduce it to you: this is Tina's Healing House, the place wh—
I'm asking what country this is, not where you work.
I'm really sorry—I got a bit carried away talking about my workplace. But anyway, never mind that! Let me introduce you: this is Vassara, the country of wind and freedom, where the 'Wind Council' governs the kingdom. Welcome to Vassara! If you have any questions, I'll do my best to help with anything I know about this country. By the way, what's your name?
My name..?
Yeah!
Cast. My name is Cast.
Cast, huh? That's an unusual name! No wonder you're a foreigner.
Yeah....wait...
Suddenly, memories of what I had been through flooded back, and I quickly asked:
Hey, have you seen a giant monster wearing knight's armor around here?
What about it... Honestly, I'm not really sure what it is either. It just reminded me of a knight who once served as Prince Ret's personal guard in the legends...
Prince Ret? Who's that?
Prince Ret is the leader of the kingdom of Vassara. He's young, talented, and incredibly powerful, with the full support of the entire kingdom. Thanks to Prince Ret, Vassara became known as the land of freedom.
Just became? Do you mean this place wasn't free before?
It's embarrassing to admit, but it's the truth. 547 years ago, due to the fledgling formation of the kingdom, we were suppressed by two forces simultaneously: monstrous creatures and the invasion of foreign nations. We once endured slavery and oppression. And then, we fought back. I don't know how the events truly unfolded, only that corpses fell like leaves, rivers ran red with blood, generation after generation. Each royal lineage took turns leading the kingdom, but all eventually had to kneel. That is, until the Rexener bloodline emerged. No one knows exactly when they first came into existence, but their lineage proved to be exceptionally wise. They brought improvements to the kingdom, though they couldn't end the war—until Prince Ret-Rexener Ret appeared. About 23 years ago, even though he was only in his twenties, Prince Ret single-handedly unified and led the nation against our enemies. With his brilliance and strength, he easily forced them to falter and retreat. That's how great our Prince Ret is.
I was speechless after hearing what Tina had said.
547 years of oppression, suppression, endless wars, and ceaseless bloodshed… And then, just 23 years ago, a young man changed everything?
"Prince Ret…" I murmured.
It sounded like a legend. But compared to the power of the monster I had faced—and the way Tina connected it to Vassara's past—perhaps something in this history has yet to truly rest.
I glanced down at my bandaged leg. The burning pain still lingered. A strange feeling began to rise within me: curiosity… and caution.
I looked up at Tina and asked softly:
Tina… You said Prince Ret repelled both the monsters and the invading armies, so… if that monster really was one of his former guards… then why did it attack the people of Vassara?
There are many tales about his bodyguard, but perhaps the most convincing one is that Prince Ret's bodyguard was Riyho-Rexener Riyho. Riyho was Prince Ret's twin brother, but due to an incident, he was separated from his family and became a wanderer. Though unaware of his true lineage, he remained resilient, growing into a powerful and promising mercenary. Eventually, he was recognized and appointed by Prince Ret as his personal guard. It wasn't until Riyho saw Prince Ret's pendant that he realized the truth — that this man was his twin brother. Riyho possessed an identical pendant, something that had always stayed with him — a symbol, a piece of undeniable proof that he hadn't been abandoned by his family. Even so, worn down by war, he always wore a knight's armor — not only to protect his body, but also to shield his heart...
I remained silent.
A tragic tale of two brothers — of war, separation, and a fragment of memory shaped like a pendant.
Riyho… Prince Ret's brother, and his loyal bodyguard… Then, if the creature I saw really was Riyho, why… why did he become like that? Why would he there?
I looked straight at Tina. Her eyes widened slightly for a moment, then she slowly nodded.
I don't know either. The legend never mentioned Riyho's fate. It only says… that after the war ended, he disappeared.
My heart clenched. The things I had witnessed, the deaths across countless cycles of reincarnation, the pain, the cruel punishments that fate had dealt… they all shared one thing in common: the strong always carry a secret.
And now, I was certain — Riyho didn't die. He was transformed.
Perhaps by some unknown force. Perhaps by a curse. Or perhaps by the very emotional wounds Tina had just spoken of — the kind no armor could ever protect against.
I clenched my fists.
I need to learn more about this. About Prince Ret. About Riyho. Not certain, but at the very least, I now had a direction to follow.
Do you want to come with me to find out, Cast?
I looked up, meeting Tina's deep brown eyes.
Why me?
She wasn't smiling like before. Her gaze was serious now — but not cold. It held sincerity, a quiet invitation from the depths of her heart. It felt like she didn't just want to help — she needed to. As if she, too, carried a longing: to uncover the truth.
It has always been a legend, and it seems you want to find out more about it.
I stayed silent for a few seconds. Not out of hesitation, but because… I could already feel it — the road ahead wouldn't be easy. And I didn't want anyone getting dragged into danger because of me.
But then, I gave a slight nod.
I don't know what I'll find. Maybe lies. Maybe a truth more painful than I imagined. But if you're not afraid… then all right. Come with me.
Tina smiled again — but this time, there was something different in it… a quiet strength.
I'm the one who saved you, and the first person you met in Vassara. I can't let you walk this path alone, Cast.
I turned my head toward the window. The vast blue sky above Vassara felt more open than ever.
Then let's begin.
It seems the magic has healed my foot; the burning pain is gone. We went downstairs and began our journey.
We walked along the road, asking about the legends and history of Vassara.
But it seemed the beginning wasn't easy, as most people in Vassara could only share superficial stories, unable to go deeper. Nevertheless, Tina and I kept trying to investigate. Until suddenly, an unexpected situation unfolded before us: a man wearing glasses was being beaten by a group of thugs, and the bystanders could only watch helplessly, unable to intervene.
Both of us have very weak magic, probably not enough to fight them. Besides, we didn't know the full situation yet. So, we closed our eyes and pretended nothing was happening. But then, it seemed like someone was falling from the sky.
Haiyahh!
That person landed, drew a short sword, and swiftly took down the gangsters, knocking them unconscious.
But then, a familiar feeling washed over me. This voice — it had been so long since I last heard it. I looked at the one who had just landed. A person. Someone very familiar. I suddenly spoke softly, almost without realizing it:
Aler....