It was hard to even begin to grasp what kind of resolve it took for him to stand here. To be honest, I had no intention of deeply understanding Kim Hyun-Sung’s feelings, but watching him hesitate with each step made it clear just how much courage it had taken for him to come all the way here.

After all, putting a period on something wasn't difficult for him alone. In fact, everyone struggled with it. Even renowned painters and writers found it hard to place that final period on their pieces.

Of course, Kim Hyun-Sung was neither a painter nor a writer, but the pressure he felt was probably greater, not lesser, than theirs. The period he was trying to place wasn’t for some pointless letter or speech. It was for his own life itself, including his first and second lives.

“...”

“...”

‘Even so, isn’t he hesitating way too much?’

“...”

“...”

I had no idea how many minutes he had been walking a distance he could cover in a single step. He was probably organizing in his head what he needed to say. Meeting First Life Ki-Young was definitely not easy for him.

If there was one thing that bothered me...

‘Is this bastard going to notice?’

Kim Hyun-Sung had the ability to distinguish whether I was the real First Life Ki-Young or the Second Life Ki-Young. If nothing else, he was better than Park Deok-Gu at recognizing me. It was a somewhat complicated situation, but in reality, Kim Hyun-Sung had no records of distinguishing between Flower Ki-Young and me. Of course, the chances of him noticing it were lower than back then.

The Lee Ki-Young who Kim Hyun-Sung knew hadn’t fully matured yet, while I had already fully grown. The mask I was wearing also had a perception interference spell on it, and the fact that Kim Hyun-Sung was in a weakened mental and physical state made me feel like he probably wouldn't notice it.

Of course, the biggest factor was that the Regressor Instruction Manual had already been severed. Neither his eye nor mine had returned yet. We were in a situation where neither of us could understand the other, not even our souls.

Nothing was connected, after all. On top of that, Kim Hyun-Sung didn’t have an especially keen sense of smell like that pig.

‘It must’ve been because of the Regressor Instruction Manual.’

I felt like the Regressor Instruction Manual was the reason why he and I had been going in circles in the same place. There had to have been countless reasons, causes, and coincidences that brought us here, but perhaps the real reason was the Regressor Instruction Manual.

We thought we knew everything about each other under the manual, but once the curtain was pulled back, we saw the unknown. What we had confirmed backstage was nothing more than fragments.

Without even talking, without even needing to be together, we believed that we understood each other and knew each other. We believed that the festering wound would just burst on its own.

Perhaps this opportunity could actually be a good one, and perhaps it was even the ideal solution, but I instinctively rejected it.

‘It’s still too difficult for me.’

Taking off the mask right now and having an honest conversation with him was far too difficult. At this point, where everything was already messy, removing the mask wouldn’t even be a solution.

‘I should just be glad that he's not going to run away again.’

“...”

While I was lost in many idle thoughts, Kim Hyun-Sung arrived right in front of me. Considering that the duo was still arguing back at the inn, it was hard to get serious, but the moment I saw him face-to-face, my voice sank for no reason.

“It’s been a while, Count Kim Hyun-Sung,” I said, greeting him.

“...”

“Wait, it’s my first time meeting you. Should I greet you like this? Kim Hyun-Sung of the second life?” I questioned.

“...”

“Ah, that’s not right either. Saying it’s our first meeting doesn’t fit. You’ve met me before, and you remember me. I don’t know how you all ended up drifting here, or what’s happening on this continent, but I do know why you came here. You probably came to take responsibility for what you’ve done,” I continued.

“I came to say... I’m sorry...” Kim Hyun-Sung mumbled.

“That’s ridiculous,” I commented.

“I came to apologize,” he said.

“Exactly. That’s what’s ridiculous,” I said.

Rather than flaring up in anger and acting like a madman, this kind of stance was more suitable. In fact, First Life Ki-Young had taken the same attitude. He seemed somewhat enlightened, and it even looked like he felt a bit of emptiness about everything.

“A lot of time has already passed, Hyun-Sung. The anger I felt back then is dead, and now, even those memories are faint. Of course, there were times when I wanted to tear you to pieces. I also raged like I’d gone mad with fury so intense it felt like I'd burn away, but that kind of fire doesn’t rise in me anymore,” I said.

“...”

“I was insane for far too long. Honestly, now I understand at least some of what you did, not all of it, but some. I don’t hate you that much either. Especially because you’re not the Kim Hyun-Sung of the first life, but the one from the second,” I added.

“...”

“And I don’t really want your apology. Maybe if it were from the Kim Hyun-Sung of the first life,” I added.

“...”

“In the end, what you want is an answer for how to fix this, isn’t it?” I asked.

“That’s—”

“More precisely, you want to know how you can replace Altanus, don’t you? Regardless of your true feelings or intentions, whether the egg came first or the chicken came first, there’s no way I’ll accept an apology given just to gain something.

"I don’t think that kind of apology has any meaning, and I don’t think you and I are in a relationship where we should be exchanging apologies,” I said, interrupting him.

I saw his intimidated expression. Of course, I struck the nail on its head. In the end, he had come here to ask First Life Ki-Young to use him in saving this continent. Of course, he probably also wanted to reach some kind of personal closure.

Without a doubt, that feeling had to be really significant, too, especially after seeing the truth backstage.

When there was an ulterior motive, however, no feeling or actions could be accepted as pure.

‘How am I supposed to present this in front of First Life Ki-Young?’

An apology from a perpetrator who came here because he wanted something from the victim, this spectacular situation could bring even deceased anger back to life. At the very least, if he had any shame, he wouldn't have come here at all.

When I stared at Kim Hyun-Sung, I saw that he was hesitating once again.

It looked like he was still struggling over what he ought to say next.

“You really only think about yourself until the very end, don’t you, Hyun-Sung? If nothing else, I think I understand that much. The reason you came to me like this is, in the end, because of the second life, isn’t it? You don’t take me for a fool, do you?” I questioned.

“...”

“No, I don’t even know whether I should call you altruistic or selfish,” I said.

His hesitation lasted only for a moment. As if he had organized his thoughts, Kim Hyun-Sung spoke again with a much firmer face. “That’s not the case.”

“It’s not?” I asked.

“I didn’t come here to beg like this and apologize simply because I want something. And as you said, I don’t believe our relationship is one where one side should give, and the other receive an apology,” he answered.

“So you’re saying I hurt you just the same? That was revenge and execution. I’ve regretted my actions before, but I’ve never regretted that execution and revenge. If anything, I regret not going far enough. I regret not killing you and those other idiots in a more painful way.

"I should’ve listened to their screams a little longer. No, I should have made it so they couldn’t even die,” I said.

“That’s not what I mean. I’m not trying to deny that I committed a sin against you, nor am I saying your revenge was unjust. Your revenge had its reasons, and it was justified, and if I had been in your position, I might’ve done the same. In fact, when I first began the second life, it’s not as though I never thought about taking revenge on you,” he said.

“...”

“And I won’t deny that I still feel both guilt and hatred toward you at the same time. If you weren’t Mr. Ki-Young, no, if you hadn’t been—no, if that weren’t the case, I wouldn’t forgive what you did to me. That’s separate from what I did to you. Rationally, I know that I was in the wrong... I know that everything began because of me...” he continued.

“So your feelings haven’t disappeared, is that it? You shameless bastard. What right do you think you have to hate anyone?” I questioned.

It was understandable. Humans often prioritize their own perspective above all else. Of course, just as Kim Hyun-Sung said, and as First Life Ki-Young had experienced, it all began with Kim Hyun-Sung, and First Life Ki-Young had merely carried out his revenge and execution.

Yes, one could say that First Life Ki-Young’s revenge was justified, but from the standpoint of the one who had to fully receive that anger and malice, saying that one had no right to hate him because of what one had done was a different matter entirely.

Just as First Life Ki-Young had gone through many things, Kim Hyun-Sung had also gone through many things. Unless one were a Buddha, it would be impossible to forget such a hellish time in an instant.

In that sense, it was only natural to say that Kim Hyun-Sung still hated First Life Ki-Young. The pigsty comment I made back then hadn't come out of nowhere.

‘He's seriously planning to throw him into a pigsty.’

It wasn’t that Kim Hyun-Sung was shameless. For some reason, he was being extremely honest with his emotions.

“The only thing you can do is beg while accepting the judgement coming your way. You bastard who ordered the massacre of countless people, do you really think you have the right to hate anyone?” I questioned.

“The sins I’ve committed will never be erased, not even in a lifetime. I know there’s no way to undo them, and no way to repay them. I have no intention of making excuses by calling it a mistake or saying that I tried to stop it, but even so, just because you were there does not justify everything you did,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.

“Right. So that's your goal? Did you think I wouldn't realize that? In the end, you came here to criticize me and say that while the revenge was justified, everything that happened along the way went too far. Is that right?” I asked.

“That’s not it,” he replied.

“That’s exactly what you’re saying right now. I don’t even know what kind of conversation we’re having anymore, Hyun-Sung. I don’t understand what we’re even talking about, or why I’m saying these things to you. Do you understand? Why are we standing here having this kind of bullshit conversation?” I asked.

“I don’t know either,” he answered.

‘Is this bastard an idiot?’

“What?”

“I’m not sure what I’m trying to say either. I wanted to apologize, and as you said, I planned to ask you to make me replace Altanus, but I don’t know how things ended up like this. I’m angry, and I deeply regret what I’ve done. I hate you, I miss you, I want to kill you, and I want to comfort you.

"There are too many emotions that I can’t explain them all in words... I don’t know... what I should say. M-maybe I just want to talk with you about things without any reason,” he explained.

“...”

“Is a reason really necessary?” he asked.

“...”

“Do we really need some kind of reason to talk?” he asked.

“We’re not friends, and we’re not close enough to have a normal conversation. Don’t project Lee Ki-Young onto me. The one you want to talk to isn’t me, it’s probably that Lee Ki-Young from the second life. You came all the way here just to say something like that?”

“No, I want to talk to you. At first, I wasn’t sure either, but seeing you here now, it feels like everything has finally become clear,” he replied.

‘That’s because I'm Second Life Lee Ki-Young, you idiot.’

It seemed like this bastard had sensed something after all. I wanted to tell him that he was mistaken and that he had approached the wrong person, but of course, I couldn’t say that outright.

“...”

“...”

“So, what is it you want to say?” I asked.

“...”

“...”

“I want to... go back to the very beginning and talk,” Kim Hyun-Sung answered.

“What does that mean?” I asked.

He looked slightly hesitant and embarrassed, but he clearly wanted to say it no matter what. Kim Hyun-Sung hesitated like that for a long while before saying, “T-thank you."

“What kind of bullshit are you talking about?” I complained.

“That day... in the tutorial... thank you so much... for helping me...” he muttered.

“...”

“...Hyung,” he added.