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Death is just like that.

It comes so absurdly that it feels like a splash of cold water on a fierce life.

It makes one’s pulse weaken and brings forth a chuckle.

It arrives harshly as the cost of mistakes and failures.

Isn’t that what death truly is?

Everyone dies.

If where that person lived was hell, they would die even easier.

If they were in a dangerous place in that hell, death would come even quicker and easier.

And so, Anastasia faced her death.

“No.”

Perhaps, like how Jinseong had performed a ritual of magic using her as a material before his own death, she might have met a similar end.

Since they were close, since she resembled Jinseong, perhaps that’s why she made such a choice.

“When the outline of death can be seen, what one can do is let go of regrets. There’s nothing lighter than leaving without holding onto any regrets.”

What can one do when faced with death?

There are those who tidy up their lives and wait for the death that will come.

Some seek to untie what they couldn’t finish and eliminate their regrets.

There are those who, although they feel remorse, pass on their legacy to someone else.

For someone facing death, what would be important?

What lies ahead on the path of someone who realizes that death will inevitably come?

To someone for whom death is as commonplace as daily life, and who dwells among madmen far removed from common sense, what significance does death hold?

“If someone drives a person to a cliff, then if that person chooses to jump from the cliff, is that murder or is it a choice made by their own will? Or did they not choose death, but rather threw themselves into a low probability escape?”

It’s an ungraspable story.

Why was Anastasia, who knew well the dangers of the collective unconscious, trying to look at the bottom of that place?

Why was she trying to become a being capable of eternal resurrection based on the spirit?

Was it to choose death on her own terms?

Was it a choice made out of desperation, gambling on a low chance to live?

Did she wish to grasp eternity and satisfy her curiosity?

Did she think there would be no other opportunity to resolve her curiosity if not now?

Did she believe there was enough possibility of success?

Was it perhaps that in a world where simply being strong wasn’t enough to preserve life, she had no other way?

The possibilities are vast.

It could be one of the above reasons, all of them, or maybe none at all.

He was well aware of Danbi before the rewind, but he didn’t know everything.

However.

If among the reasons for her death, there was a desire that thought, “The world’s gone crazy; a small mistake could mean death. So I have to settle what I’ve been curious about before I die!”…

If so…

Then it could very well be said that she resembled Jinseong immensely.

But time was twisted, and now Anastasia was alive.

And this time, Jinseong had no intention of allowing Anastasia to die so abruptly…

So, likely, the same end for Anastasia would not take place.

With that thought, Jinseong brought a hand to his jaw, as if he had a long beard.

“Hmm?”

Seeing this, Lee Yang-hoon looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“Is something bothering you?”

From Yang-hoon’s perspective, Jinseong’s demeanor was odd.

Hearing that the gaming owl had consumed a talisman, he suddenly fell silent, seeming to think of something, and even tried to stroke the air below his chin, as if he had a beard.

Setting aside the odd act of trying to stroke beneath his chin, just that alone seemed to indicate that something was indeed on his mind.

“Was it an important talisman?”

Yang-hoon’s eyes slightly shook at a thought that had crossed his mind.

Seeing Jinseong’s reaction made him feel that dismissing the incident with a casual, “A bird ate it; what for contacting about that? Let’s just let it go,” might have been a mistake.

The haphazardly dismissed matter could become an unforeseen bomb.

“If it’s important, then it is, and if it’s serious, then it certainly is.”

Jinseong broke off his reverie and answered Yang-hoon’s question.

“By any chance, are you planning on going abroad?”

“Abroad?”

Yang-hoon subtly shook his head at Jinseong’s words.

“I had planned to, but I canceled it. Didn’t you say you might meet with some danger?”

“Hmm. I added something to that, do you remember?”

“Yeah. Even if you cancel the schedule, it’s no use; I said it would be better than going personally, but risks could arise.”

Yang-hoon recited verbatim what Jinseong had said during his visit to the hospital. And before Jinseong could say anything, he pulled out something from his pocket and proudly showed it to Jinseong.

A small bottle filled with a ruby-like liquid that shimmered.

The tiny bottle, about the size of a thumb, held red liquid in it, precisely half red liquid and half what appeared to be oil, giving off a feeling like a keychain sold at tourist spots.

Around the neck of the bottle, there was a thread tied, neither too long nor too short, ending in a loop, as if it were meant to hang from a smartphone, keys, or car key.

Yang-hoon proudly displayed the toy-like item, saying, “If you have connections, you ought to use them.”

Jinseong nodded upon seeing it.

“I see where you got that.”

Jinseong clearly recognized that what Yang-hoon had was certainly a divine object.

It wouldn’t be hard to call it great, but it certainly couldn’t be dismissed as insignificant either.

It differed from those worthless imitation talismans that merely demonstrated a placebo effect, this one actually had some effectiveness as a protective charm.

And the primary material of this protective charm was blood.

Jinseong knew of the group that primarily utilized blood and was aware of someone from that group he had seen recently.

“Thomas B. Stevenson.”

The Bishop of the Diocese of Winchester, a holy sorcerer capable of handling divine spells at a proficient level.

“Right, I did get to know him last time.”

Jinseong was entangled with a wayward William due to necromancy with Thomas.

At that time, Jinseong had criticized that Thomas’s necromancy was crude and feeble compared to its potential.

However, unlike mere haphazard attempts at using church records for summoning, Thomas’s focus was on divine magic.

Those who manipulated magic based on Abrahamic religions.

They wielded a divine magic known as Holy Blood Magic, or simply blood magic, and could create various effects at the cost of blood.

Healing people was the basics, purifying water, or enhancing the taste of bad wine by adding blood loaded with lead were all possible, as well as casting curses that could prevent hair growth or ensnare people in illusions.

Of course, there were significant downsides to such divine magic…

But at least those downsides weren’t related to its effectiveness.

“It seems to be a talisman that grants the nature of holy blood to the blood, repelling the evil and preventing the liquid from approaching… Am I right?”

“Can you really discern that after just one look?”

Yang-hoon’s expression turned surprised as he gazed at Jinseong, who managed to deduce the effect of the talisman just by a glance.

However, soon realizing that Jinseong possessed a talent for magic and also shared a connection with Thomas, he gathered himself and nodded, agreeing with Jinseong’s words.

“Right. I asked out of precaution, and he cheerfully handed this over. He even said not to worry since it was made in advance. Quite the generous man. I’m thinking of giving him a donation later.”

Yang-hoon remarked, tucking the talisman back into his pocket.

“However, even though I received the talisman, what you said still makes me uneasy. So, I decided to send someone else in my place on the trip abroad.”

While it was related to investment, he felt it wouldn’t matter since he didn’t necessarily have to go himself.

Yang-hoon voiced this, looking at Jinseong, seeking affirmation for his judgment.

In response to Yang-hoon’s words, Jinseong replied…

“Ha-ha. You did very well. Truly a good decision.”

He offered him that response.

* * *

“Hmmm.”

Afterwards, Jinseong chatted lightly with Yang-hoon before stepping outside.

“Although I returned, I managed to stop him from going to America.”

While it was slightly different from his intention, he nonetheless achieved a goal.

After all, Yang-hoon didn’t go to America.

However…

“Ha ha. A talisman got eaten…”

Thinking back on that process made him chuckle involuntarily.

A bird ate it.

The cryptid that Anastasia brought had gobbled that talisman right up.

And it wasn’t just one; it was once removed.

What he created were talismans from that group.

Yet it seemed as if a bird consumed all the talismans, just like seeds scattered in a field.

It was nothing short of absurd.

But still…

While it was ridiculous, it didn’t incite anger.

After all, the situation was resolved without issue.

It was not someone else who ate it; it was a cryptid made by Anastasia.

Considering the unpredictable behavior of the cryptids resembling Anastasia, getting into such situations wasn’t too surprising.

That thought occurred to Jinseong as he returned to his building.

And then he turned on the TV and began living his life.

While anticipating when that incident preventing Yang-hoon from going to America would appear on the news.

And so, a day passed.

Two days went by, and three days passed.

And finally, once a week had passed.

“What’s going on?”

Jinseong felt a strange unease in an otherwise peaceful, far too quiet situation.

“Why aren’t there any terror incidents?”

 

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