After she pierced her arm into my chest, I reset the scenario again.
I found myself among the girls, right at the entrance of the place where I'd die the moment I entered.
Ding~
[Notification]
"One rewrite chance eliminated. 8 remaining."
I was overwhelmed with hatred and anger toward that damn girl who mercilessly took their lives.
If I had tried harder, if I hadn't underestimated the situation, they wouldn't have died.
It's all my fault. My existence feels like a curse.
I clenched my fist as I cursed myself, existing among those who think I'm Klo, when I'm nothing but his weak writer.
A warm hand, comforting, touched me.
I turned to find it was Luna's hand.
"Is something wrong, Klo?"
She asked in a gentle tone, her eyes sparkling. I started doubting myself.
Who am I really?
Am I Klo, and those memories just a daydream of mine? Or am I the writer who fell asleep and dreamt all this?
Or neither… or maybe both.
I smiled as usual at Luna to assure her that everything was fine.
"It's nothing. I was just thinking there's a girl inside who might kill us all."
Luna panicked, pulling out her huge scythe as she tried to pull me behind her to protect me.
"Get behind me, Klo. I'll protect you."
"No, you're wrong. Why am I the one you should protect, the one worth sacrificing yourselves for? All I see is your deaths. Why?"
Nevin stepped forward and stood in front of me. Her expression shifted from arrogance to a look full of pity.
"Because you chose to be who you are now."
"Hey Nevin, don't talk to Klo like that. He's going through something none of us can understand," Elithia said from a distance, walking slowly toward us.
Lynette remained silent from the start, like a shadow hiding in the dark.
Luna dropped her scythe to the ground and slowly approached me, hugging my head against my sweat-drenched hair.
"Klo, if there's something bothering you, tell me. I'm your wife, I'll stay by your side."
Liar.
"Come on, tell me."
Liar.
"I know you're worried, so open your heart to me."
Liar…
I stood up slowly, unsheathing my sword and walking slowly toward that place.
"Klo? Where are you going?"
I kept walking. I didn't answer Luna, who had collapsed to the ground.
Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand. You'd just see it as a childish story.
They followed me, but before they could step inside, I created a barrier to block them.
"Klo, why are you doing this?" Luna screamed.
"You'll understand everything," Nevin said, as if she knew something but was hiding it from me.
Elithia cried, and Lynette watched in silence.
I slowly smiled as I approached my death, ready to unleash myself.
I opened the system window and upgraded everything I needed — at least to delay my death.
[Information]
Name: Klo Yuthnir
Age: 17
Race: Human
Rank: C
Level: 30
[Physical & Magical Attributes]
Strength: 28
Agility: 44
Endurance: 32
Intelligence: 50
Luck: 43
Mana: 31
Aura: 37
Spiritual Energy: 40
HP: 150/150
I'm still weak, even after upgrading my abilities.
How pathetic.
I continued walking toward that girl, who stood still as always, staring at me with cold, slow eyes.
She suddenly lunged at me, trying to tear me apart like before — but this time, I was focused on every detail of her movements.
I bent backward to dodge her strike, lifted my sword to cut her hand, but she pulled it back quickly and kicked me away with her leg.
I blocked it with my sword, but unfortunately, she was cunning.
While I was falling, she used the dirt and flung it in my face, blinding me temporarily.
I felt like I was separated from my body.
"Klooo!"
Why is Luna screaming?
I opened my eyes slowly and found myself standing among them again, near the entrance.
"Oh, I died," I whispered with a heavy breath.
"Did you say something, Klo?" Elithia asked.
"Nothing."
"Your eyes look dead… and why did you whisper about death?"
Do my eyes really look like that?
I smiled while waving my hands in the air.
"I was just rambling, Elithia. And my eyes— I didn't sleep well."
[Notification]
"7 rewrite chances remaining."
I advanced again and created a barrier around them, then died again.
I kept doing this, hoping the situation would change.
Ding~
[Notification]
"6 rewrite chances remaining."
Ding~
[Notification]
"5 rewrite chances remaining."
Ding~
[Notification]
"2 rewrite chances remaining."
Only two left. I looked around.
I felt dizzy.
The blood splatters, the pain, the fear…
Every time I enter, the girls die.
I bent down quickly… and threw up from the horror of it all.
"Bwaaaa—"
The girls turned toward me.
"Klo!"
"What's wrong, Yuthnir?"
"Sir, are you sick?"
"Klo, if you're not well, we'll go back."
I clutched my aching head, trying to lift it to look at them.
"We can't leave this place."
Because of me.
If I hadn't written this place — or made it so hard to escape — I could've gotten us out from the beginning.
I lay on my back to rest, staring at the green sky.
What have I been doing this whole time but dying?
I dragged them with me just to satisfy my ego, so I wouldn't die alone.
Am I a human being… or am I Klo?
I stood up with difficulty, looking at them.
"What do you think about a plan?"
"Just stay resting, we'll handle it."
"You can't, hahaha…"
I stood up, disobeying Elithia's words.
"Didn't we tell you not to move?" Luna said.
"Shut up!! All you do is tell me to rest! Don't you know what I've gone through to protect you?!"
"We're sorry."
"Don't be. I'm the idiot here. I'm the one to blame."
I walked slowly to the entrance, stood before it, and stayed there for a long time, staring.
I looked back and found them ready.
"I'll tell you the plan… just hope we don't repeat the scenario more than twice."
"What scenario are you talking about?"
I smiled, closing my eyes, hoping they'd forget what I said.