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“Gurgle…”

Blood poured from Tristan’s mouth. The wire had pierced his lung, and with every cough, he spat out more blood. It was clearly a fatal wound. No human could survive such an injury. Tristan’s death was now inevitable.

“No…?”

But after a brief pause, Tristan swung his sword and cut through the wire embedded in his chest. He left it in to prevent further bleeding. He continued to slash through the wires, advancing toward Park Joon-hyuk.

Park Joon-hyuk could only stare in shock. Despite the hole in his chest and the blood pouring from his mouth, Tristan kept coming. He mercilessly cut down every wire blocking his path.

How could anyone remain so calm in the face of death? Park Joon-hyuk couldn’t comprehend it. He had studied countless human thought processes to create an AI that mimicked humans perfectly. His conclusion was that humans crumble before death. When faced with death, humans either deny reality or go mad, leading to self-destruction. Even those with iron wills are no exception. Death renders all humans meaningless.

That’s why Park Joon-hyuk couldn’t understand why the man before him refused to fall. No, that wasn’t the only thing he couldn’t understand.

“…Even after losing your Personality, you still resist.”

Personality is a trait assigned to characters. It allows them to wield power comparable to magic. Tristan possessed not only the Seven Deadly Sins’ Personalities but also other powerful ones, making him a formidable opponent.

That’s why Park Joon-hyuk used the system’s power to nullify Tristan’s Personality. It was like cutting off his limbs. Moreover, Personality is tied to a character’s essence. For Tristan, ‘Wrath,’ ‘Pride,’ ‘Jealousy,’ and ‘Greed’ were his very being. Without them, he was just an ordinary character—no, less than an extra.

Yet, Tristan was advancing toward Park Joon-hyuk, wielding his sword as if nothing had happened.

“Why?”

Park Joon-hyuk couldn’t help but question.

“I nullified your Personality. How are you still standing?”

Tristan responded with his usual ‘Pride’-filled smirk.

“Even if I explained, you wouldn’t understand.”

“I can understand. I can understand anything.”

“No, Park Joon-hyuk. You will never understand.”

“I’m a genius! There’s nothing in this world I can’t understand!”

Tristan’s provocation finally stirred Park Joon-hyuk’s emotions.

“I’m the genius among geniuses who created the Milky Way. Compared to me, you’re just a high school graduate with a criminal record. How could I not understand what you do? Stop spouting nonsense. I, Park Joon-hyuk, created everything—this world’s system and even you, Tristan.”

“Everything you did?”

The wires raining down were cut like weeds by Tristan’s sword. His movements showed no sign of slowing.

“This world wasn’t created by you. It was made by my sister.”

“She only imagined it. I made it real.”

“Without her imagination, this world wouldn’t exist.”

“Fine. I’ll admit that. But you must also admit my genius and superior intellect that turned an imagined world into reality. There’s nothing in this world I can’t understand.”

Park Joon-hyuk glared at Tristan. Despite his fatal wounds, Tristan’s eyes burned with unyielding ‘Wrath.’

“So, tell me. Tristan, you’re still a character in this world. Why can you still act like this without your Personality? Why aren’t you under the system’s control? I blocked your ‘Wrath,’ so why?”

“You don’t need ‘Wrath’ to feel anger.”

“What?”

“This isn’t ‘Wrath.’ This is my anger.”

He had lost the ‘Wrath’ that could bring others to their knees. But he hadn’t lost the anger that kept him standing before a hated enemy.

Tristan’s chest heaved. Though ‘Wrath’ was gone, anger filled his heart. He wouldn’t fall before this man. He wouldn’t weaken. He wouldn’t break. Even if it meant being consumed by the flames of his own anger.

“It’s my anger toward you that drives me.”

Anger drives people mad. If that’s true, then Tristan must have already been mad. That’s why he couldn’t give up, even in this situation.

“…Nonsense.”

Park Joon-hyuk shook his head. Even if it was his true anger, no one could resist to the point of burning their own life. That’s what Park Joon-hyuk knew of humans.

“How foolish. Even if your anger… let’s say it allows you to forget the pain. It’s only temporary. A delusion caused by adrenaline. Do you think your anger can defeat me? In that state? Impossible. It’s a meaningless resistance.”

“Whether it’s foolish or meaningless doesn’t matter. Right now, I only think… I don’t want to die before I take you down.”

“Stupid…”

“That’s what makes me human.”

Tristan wiped the blood from his mouth.

“Park Joon-hyuk. Didn’t you say it yourself? Humans and emotions are foolish. That’s how it is. We’re not machines. We’re imperfect, make mistakes, get caught up in foolish emotions, and fall in love with the impossible. That’s what makes us human. Because we have emotions, we act irrationally and unpredictably.”

Even as he coughed up blood, even in the face of unbearable pain, Tristan could keep standing because he was human.

“No matter how omnipotent you become, you can’t strip away human emotions.”

“Haha… This is… Are you trying to lecture me now?”

Park Joon-hyuk ran his fingers through his hair. It was laughable, but he couldn’t hide his discomfort.

“Ridiculous. Fine. As you said, I can’t understand. With my superior intellect, I can’t comprehend the thoughts of you or your sister. Just as a god’s mind can’t understand the thoughts of mere insects.”

“You wouldn’t understand. Just like with Michaela and Lukaela.”

“What?”

“You once said you created Michaela and Lukaela to bring back your dead daughters. But you called them fakes, failures. Yet now, they’ve become like Sora’s real daughters, not your programs. That’s because my sister treated them like her own. If you had treated Michaela and Lukaela like real daughters… they might not have replaced your daughters, but they could have filled the void.”

Tristan hit the mark.

“That’s the difference between you and my sister.”

“……”

Park Joon-hyuk had always felt it.

The difference between Jeong So-ra and himself. And that the gap was unbridgeable.

“Nonsense…”

“My sister understood humans. You didn’t.”

“No. I… I understood humans far better than your sister. I studied more, researched more…!”

“Ha… Haha…”

“?”

Park Joon-hyuk looked at Tristan, who suddenly started laughing.

“Park Joon-hyuk. You’re a madman, and you’ll never understand, but at least I know what you’re feeling now. Do you? Do you know what that feeling is?”

Park Joon-hyuk desperately tried to analyze the feeling. He scrutinized it, but no matter how much he thought, he couldn’t find an answer. He couldn’t describe the oppressive feeling in his chest. He couldn’t define it, so he remained silent.

Tristan looked down at him and spoke sharply.

“It’s jealousy.”

The truth Park Joon-hyuk wanted to deny.

“You’re jealous of my sister, Park Joon-hyuk.”

*

Tristan had given instructions to Aslan beforehand. What to do in his absence or if he couldn’t give orders. It was like an emergency action plan. It included crises that threatened the nation’s survival and natural disasters. So when the players’ invasion began, Aslan was the first to act.

Aslan’s commander, Wylie, sent troops to the endangered territories, including Elsink, as Tristan had instructed. Thanks to the gates created by Puring, Aslan was able to quickly deploy soldiers and greatly contributed to the Imperial Army’s defensive line.

Under the Empire’s banner, Aslan and the noble knights fought as one, desperately holding the line. All the Empire’s military forces were focused on the defense. Meanwhile, some units were tasked with ambushing the enemy’s rear or disrupting their focus.

“Lady Helga?!”

“I’m fine.”

Helga casually pulled out the arrow embedded in her shoulder. She led a special unit of Aslan’s elite soldiers, serving as the deputy commander.

“Rian, could you pull out the arrow in my back? I can’t reach it.”

“Ah… Yes.”

Rian, a half-vampire, had earned her place in Aslan. Though she struggled at first, she had become a full-fledged member.

Rian pulled out the arrow from Helga’s back. Flesh clung to the arrowhead, but Helga showed no sign of pain.

“Lady Helga, in a way, you’re a monster…”

“Coming from a half-demon, that doesn’t sit well with me.”

Compared to what Tristan was going through, this pain was nothing. She could endure it and keep fighting.

As if reading Helga’s thoughts, Rian shook her head.

“This is reckless.”

“Reckless?”

“Yes. I know how strong you are, but even so, you’re fighting too recklessly.”

Helga’s unit was meant for disrupting the enemy’s rear. But their actions went beyond that.

The unit’s strength was its mobility, but they were always outnumbered, so hit-and-run tactics were standard. Yet Helga didn’t retreat. She only attacked, and it was always the players who fled.

This was possible because of Helga’s overwhelming strength. She ambushed groups of players, cutting them down. Even after succeeding, she didn’t stop. She slaughtered every player in sight.

The players regrouped and counterattacked with arrows and tanks. But Helga didn’t falter, shattering shields and tanks alike.

Helga was one of the top five strongest in this world. Facing her on the battlefield was like facing a natural disaster. Lightning magic rained down as Helga crushed party members. The players, fearing death penalties, fled.

Every battle ended in the unit’s overwhelming victory. The paths they took were littered with the dust of dead players and equipment reduced to ashes by lightning.

But the cost was high. Helga, always at the forefront, was battered. Unlike Rian, Helga, being human, had limited self-healing. Overusing high-output lightning magic left scars all over her body.

That’s why Rian couldn’t help but criticize Helga’s recklessness. So far, Rian had joined in, making the battles one-sided. But who knew what would happen next? Even among elites, few had strength like Helga or Rian. With the number of heroes, danger was inevitable. Moreover, since their goal was to disrupt the rear, excessive fighting was unwise.

To this criticism, Helga replied.

“I feel suffocated.”

“Huh?”

“If I don’t do this, I’ll go mad from the suffocation.”

Helga sighed and brushed the dust off her military coat.

“I’m not smart. I can only think of simple things. All I know is that if I kill all these guys, I can reunite with the Count sooner.”

Kill one more. Maybe that would lighten Tristan’s burden, even by a millionth. Driven by this thought, Helga fought like a madwoman.

“Then you should take better care of yourself. If the Count saw you like this, he’d scold you.”

“Haha… If I could hear his scolding now, it might give me some energy.”

“……”

Rian didn’t know much about Helga. All she knew was that Helga was blindly loyal, extreme, and had no qualms about using violence—like an untamed wolf. Yet before Tristan, she was as docile as a pet.

It was easy to guess what Tristan meant to Helga. A loyal hound that would abandon everything to follow its master. A heart that wanted to follow the one she loved to the end. Helga’s recklessness stemmed from that.

“Sigh… From now on, be careful. Our unit can’t fight like you, Lady Helga. It’s good that you lead the charge, but know when to retreat. Don’t push too deep into enemy lines; stick to hit-and-run tactics. No… You already know all this. You have far more experience than me. Why do I have to point this out? Please, return to your usual self.”

“I am my usual self…”

“If you were your usual self, I’d be too scared to talk to you.”

Rian had to suppress her vampire instincts, and Helga’s ruthless training… was effective. But Rian still thought death would be better than recalling that time. Though she was still too scared to look Helga in the eye, this time she could.

“Lady Helga, it’s like… you’re not fighting to live, but to die.”

“……”

Helga unconsciously averted her gaze, inadvertently affirming Rian’s words.

“Ugh… Don’t drive a stake into the Count’s chest and focus on the mission. I understand your frustration, but first, you need to live… Lady Helga??”

Suddenly, Helga clutched her chest, grimacing.

“Ugh…”

“What’s wrong, Lady Helga?”

“My chest… feels tight…”

“Huh?”

Helga slowly exhaled, trying to steady her breathing. For no reason, a sharp pain stabbed her chest. She felt an inexplicable emptiness.

“Are you okay? Should we retreat and get treatment…”

“I’m fine.”

After catching her breath, Helga grabbed the reins as if nothing had happened.

“Are you really okay?”

“Yes. I’m completely fine.”

Reassuring Rian, Helga thought about the strange sensation she had just felt. She didn’t know if it was intuition or just a woman’s instinct… but Helga looked up at the cloudy sky with unease.

‘Count…’

*

Park Joon-hyuk had been exceptional since birth.

A prodigy, a genius. His childhood was defined by these terms, and he was hailed as a genius among geniuses before even reaching adulthood.

Of course, history is filled with countless people called geniuses. Though rare, their numbers are significant when considering human history and the global population. But Park Joon-hyuk was celebrated as the genius of the century for creating AI so sophisticated it could be mistaken for human and a virtual world more real than reality.

The world’s media and academia welcomed Park Joon-hyuk’s arrival. And the world underwent a seismic shift due to the rise of this one genius…

But the truth was slightly different.

AI more human than humans.

A virtual world more real than reality.

It was the pinnacle of human technology. Though it would take time, Park Joon-hyuk had the intellect and confidence to create it. He poured all his passion into it and achieved 99% completion.

But that was it.

Even the genius Park Joon-hyuk had his limits.

No human had ever reached the level Park Joon-hyuk had. No genius in history came close. Yet, Park Joon-hyuk couldn’t complete it. It seemed finished, but flaws kept appearing. No matter how much he fixed it, it was never enough. He was always one step away, but that step remained elusive.

He discovered what that cursed 1% was after losing his wife and two daughters in an accident.

He created AI named Michaela and Lukaela to bring his daughters back. Using all his knowledge and experience, he perfectly replicated their personalities and memories.

But at the same time, Park Joon-hyuk realized something. Michaela and Lukaela weren’t his daughters. They were flawless but fake, mere imitations.

In other words, the AI he wanted to create was just AI, not human, and the virtual world was just a simulation of reality. That was the 1% he couldn’t bridge.

Crushing disappointment and prolonged despair. At the end of it, Park Joon-hyuk changed his thinking.

‘Right… That’s how it should be…’

To create AI truly like humans, he needed to transfer real human consciousness and self into a program. To create a virtual world indistinguishable from reality, he needed to make another dimension into a virtual world.

‘In other words, if I become the “Creator” of the world, it’s possible…! Hahaha…!’

It sounded absurd, but Park Joon-hyuk immediately acted on it. Though not easy, it wasn’t impossible for someone who had spent his life studying the human brain and computers. Moreover… he would stop at nothing to achieve it. Even if it meant violating human ethics, he didn’t care. He had nothing left to lose.

Time passed.

After the Lemina Project’s trial and error, Park Joon-hyuk finally created the Milky Way, a device capable of creating worlds in another dimension.

Finally, Park Joon-hyuk had the power to create the world he desired. But he couldn’t rejoice. Just as he thought he had overcome one wall, another appeared… The Milky Way needed one more ingredient to create a world.

Imagination.

After completing the Milky Way, Park Joon-hyuk tried to create his own world but repeatedly failed. Despite being a genius who could memorize and understand complex formulas and theories at a glance, he lacked one thing. The imagination to make the impossible possible.

That’s why he needed Jeong So-ra, a writer who could supply the Milky Way with imagination.

Of course, he didn’t want to admit it. Relying on someone else’s imagination to create his desired world was deeply unpleasant. More than anything, the genius hailed as unparalleled couldn’t accept being outshone.

“No… That’s not it.”

“You called yourself a genius, but could you have created this world without my sister?”

“No…”

“Impossible. That’s why you tried to steal the world created by my sister’s imagination, right?”

“No! A genius like me…

“Ridiculous.”

Tristan coldly glared at Park Joon-hyuk, who was losing control.

“A human… who can’t even understand himself, wants to be a Creator?”

“……”

Having said that, Tristan swung his sword at the speechless Park Joon-hyuk. At that moment.

Crack!

Wires erupted from the ground, piercing Tristan’s body. Before he could react, wires embedded themselves in him.

Clang.

Tristan’s sword fell from his hand. The wires, reacting to Park Joon-hyuk’s anger, sparked and coiled around Tristan’s body.

“How dare… How dare you presume to know anything about me!”

“I know everything.”

“?!”

Suddenly, Tristan reached out and grabbed Park Joon-hyuk by the collar. The strength was terrifying. Where did such power come from in his near-death state? But the next moment, Tristan’s words shocked Park Joon-hyuk enough.

“The car accident that crippled my sister.”

“……”

“It was your doing, wasn’t it?”

Through Park Se-hee, the investigation was complete. Suspicious of the accident, Tristan had asked Park Se-hee to look into it, and she uncovered

 

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