Saving My Favorite in a Doomed World Chapter 128

In the center of an earthly paradise, there was a single giant tree.

 

It had been there before any other existence, and it held its ground firmly even as new lives were born. Naturally taking up a place in the flow of fate, the fruits borne on this tree came to hold a meaning far beyond mere fruit. 

 

God was wary of it. He forbade the humans He created from eating it, but there was one thing that viewed this with displeasure.

 

It was the serpent. There was nothing the serpent knew about itself—not why its name was serpent, why its form was like this, or why it could think and speak. The serpent simply existed in that place. Its lustrous black scales were more gruesome than beautiful, and its long, flickering tongue caused discomfort to those who occasionally visited. The serpent did not like this world that hated it alone.

 

The serpent often thought that if God distinguished between good and evil, He had made it so that the serpent could only see the world as “evil.”

 

Thus, the serpent deceived the life God loved most and ruined it. Even so, the hollow feeling within was not filled.

 

‘Why is this. I have become even more suffocated.’ 

 

Shhhhh—.

 

While slithering up and wrapping around the thick tree trunk, the serpent suddenly realized.

 

‘I see. I do not like this shell.’ 

 

Snapping to its senses, what the serpent did from that day on was introduce itself as the “World Tree” to every being it encountered.

 

‘I am the World Tree. This tree is my true identity.’ 

 

‘My body is actually not real.’ 

 

‘The point where the source of all life in the world flows. That giant tree in the center is exactly who I am.’

 

No one believed the serpent, but when the serpent made up such stories, they simply nodded as if they understood and moved on. The serpent was slowly consumed by its own lie.

 

At some point, the serpent truly became the World Tree. Those gruesome scales turned into a coarse wood grain, and the flickering tongue became green leaves fluttering in the wind. Strength surged through its entire body.

 

I see, as I thought, I was not a mere lowly creature, but an important member of this world. 

 

The serpent was satisfied just like that.

 

***

 

“It’s a fine hell. No, was that greeting appropriate as a salutation?” 

 

“Not at all. It’s just annoying.”

 

Two smiling men stood facing each other. Han Jeyu wore a faint smile with his hands shoved into the pockets of his brown coat.

 

“The hell is developing splendidly. …However, there is a difference. Seeing that the girl still maintains her original form, it seems something has gone awry.” 

 

“It didn’t go awry; I changed it.”

 

To Hwashin’s answer, Han Jeyu replied firmly.

 

“No, it cannot be changed.” 

 

“….” 

 

“I told you, didn’t I? This hell is the past. Even if the present and the future can be changed somehow, the past cannot be. Do you not even know that much? For someone who is nominally called a genius hero.”

 

….Me? When?

 

“When did he?” 

 

“I don’t know either.” 

 

“Hwashin-nim’s genius has already been revealed. It makes sense.” 

 

“…H-he does seem like a genius, though.”

 

Those standing behind them were noisy at Han Jeyu’s remark.

 

Han Jeyu, who had been staring blankly at the girl, let out an exclamation as if surprised.

 

“It seems Hwashin-ssi has uncovered that it wasn’t the World Tree that created this world, but the serpent. That’s likely why that girl hasn’t completely succumbed to the serpent’s enticement yet.”

 

Hmm, Han Jeyu hooked a finger on his chin. Even so, that girl shouldn’t be that strong.

 

‘In all the previous rounds, that girl eventually became a monster.’

 

Therefore, Cha Jaeha must kill that monster and end this hell.

 

“Whether she hasn’t fallen for it, or intends not to fall for it. Well, it doesn’t matter. Since that girl is no longer important to me anyway.” 

 

“Hey, you.”

 

Hwashin, his expression turning sharp, glared at Han Jeyu.

 

Even at this moment, those who had turned into monsters were trying to attack Hwashin’s group. Lee Suho used shadows to create a [Black Prison] to trap them, and Jeong Mueum used [Gravitational Imprisonment] to crush them while trapping them inside a transparent barrier.

 

Cha Jaeha created a [Fire Wave] at the path connected to the forest behind them, completely blocking the route the monsters were using to cross over.

 

They could now leisurely conquer the monsters of this hell.

 

‘An achievement far faster than the original work. Is it because the existence called Yoo Hwashin intervened?’ 

 

Han Jeyu, lost in thought, turned his head toward Hwashin, who had appeared for the first time in this round.

 

“Did you call me?” 

 

“You use the ‘Space-Time Transference’ ability, don’t you?”

 

A smile that invited him to say more. Hwashin, as if meeting that expectation, continued his next words.

 

“Is it because of that ability that you know the hell is the past, and that you know what happened within the hell?” 

 

“…That is correct. In addition, what is about to happen from now on is also related to my ability.”

 

From now on?

 

For the first time, Hwashin’s face completely contorted.

 

“The past cannot be changed. No, it must not be. Only then does the fact that I have gone through dozens of regressions so far have meaning. Therefore, here. Now. I shall choose the past that I will not change. …Hm, I see. As expected, the most important things would be ‘the betrayal of a comrade’ and ‘the tears resulting from it.’ Additionally, the deaths of many people are also an essential part of the past that cannot be omitted.”

 

Han Jeyu listed the plot points as if he were talking about someone else’s story.

 

Despite being one of the characters in , he continued speaking as if he were someone from another dimension, viewing everything from a third-party perspective.

 

“There are quite various ways to use Space-Time Transference.”

 

Han Jeyu raised one index finger and drew a long line in the air. Following the line he drew, the air split in half as if paper were being cut.

 

A makeshift gate created in mid-air. A broken space connecting dimension to dimension.

 

Han Jeyu could freely create such spaces through his ability. 

 

“From now on, I will use this ability to summon the GH Department members who are in reality to this side.” 

 

“What?” 

 

“I heard you did something quite interesting. What do you think, do they seem like people who can truly be trusted?”

 

The matter related to the GH Department members.

 

The moment he heard those words, a memory flashed through his mind.

 

— Yoo Hwashin-ssi. You should be happy today for gaining such wonderful teammates! 

 

— Lean on us when times are tough! 

 

— If you ask us for help, we will gladly assist you.

 

“This place is already in a state where the serpent’s venom has spread thoroughly. The moment they step into this dimension defenselessly, the dark inner thoughts they held inside will burst forth. Even the slightest hint of jealousy will swell like a balloon, and they might attack you, even if through deceitful actions.”

 

Originally, hell was supposed to develop that way.

 

In that situation, Cha Jaeha would forcefully save and rescue his comrades. Needless to say, the trauma he would gain in the process was immense. And finally, by killing the girl, the hell would end, and Cha Jaeha would solve all hells in that manner.

 

Han Jeyu wanted Yoo Hwashin, not Cha Jaeha, to receive that trauma this time.

 

Because somehow, the protagonist of this place did not seem to be ‘that man.’ 

 

“What I can interfere with through my power ends here. My goal is for everything to continue as in the original work. So I will not intervene any further than this.” 

 

Good luck.

 

Saying so, Han Jeyu split the rift even wider. Like a hunter slicing open the belly of a whale, he created a massive crack in the air.

 

As the rift was completed and the gap widened, a man who had run from somewhere took Han Jeyu in his arms and leaped straight into it.

 

Simultaneously, familiar faces tumbled out from that gap.

 

“F*ck, what’s this?” 

 

“….W-what is this?”

 

Ko Youngwoo and Sun Sihan appeared first, looking clearly bewildered. In the midst of that, Sun Sihan, discovering Yoo Jian, used [Pleasant Path] to instantly move beside her.

 

“Hey, what happened?” 

 

“….I don’t know either. What about you—how did you get in here? We’re inside a dome.”

 

At Jian’s question, Sun Sihan answered while rubbing the back of his neck.

 

“I’m the one who wants to ask. No, suddenly something like a gate opened in front of us and sucked us in.” 

 

“Is this the inside of the dome?!!” 

 

“H-hyung!” 

 

“…What, are you here too?”

 

Lee Suho, facing Ko Youngwoo, immediately ran to him, while Chanyoung first scanned the surroundings with an expressionless face. Yoon Bongpal, who was wearing his lab coat, sat on the ground hunched over and poked the cheek of a fainted comrade.

 

Looking at it, it seemed the GH Department members, including their department head, had all been sucked into this place.

 

“Wait.”

 

A chaotic situation. The village humans were busy running away in fear of those who suddenly appeared, and those who had become monsters had already conquered the royal castle and were laying waste to other regions.

 

However, Cha Jaeha looked at the GH Department members present here with a grim expression. Because there was something that weighed on his mind even more.

 

“If you all are here.”

 

Cha Jaeha’s eyes shone fiercely. In his eyes, fluster, fear, dread, and rage were swirling. 

 

“Who is guarding the outside?”

 

***

 

“There’s not a single person.”

 

Chanyoung was the first to answer his question. At the heartless tone, Cha Jaeha’s eyebrows furrowed and then smoothed out again. Because he knew that getting angry at them wouldn’t solve anything.

 

“Then we just need to end this hell as quickly as possible. Can’t we just take this girl to the back alley?” 

 

“Not yet. Because it hasn’t been confirmed if she wants to leave this world.”

 

Verite’s condition was deteriorating. The serpent was likely running rampant in that small body. Whether she could suppress it or not would be an important turning point. Therefore, until then, the only thing Hwashin’s group could do was watch over her.

 

“No matter how much I think about it, I can’t understand. Wouldn’t it be solved if we just kill her?” 

 

Wang Hao stepped forward with a face that said he simply couldn’t accept this method. His red sleeves, which had already turned sharp, were telling that he was ready to kill her.

 

“Mr. Wang Hao.”

 

At Hwashin’s single call, he immediately raised his head. A warning not to try and intervene any further. Hwashin’s smile held that meaning.

 

“…Honestly. It’s truly difficult to understand why even Hwashin-nim is taking that man’s side.”

 

However, Wang Hao eventually retracted his sleeves and stepped back again. Though his face remained full of dissatisfaction.

 

But just then, Cha Jaeha, who had lunged forward, grabbed and pulled Hwashin’s arm.

 

Stagger.

 

His body, which had already lost half its strength, fell right into Cha Jaeha’s arms.

 

“What all of a sudden—”

 

Before he could even say anything to Cha Jaeha’s unexpected action, Cha Jaeha’s fire was shot toward someone. The one who was hit by his fire and fell screaming was none other than one of the GH Department members. It wasn’t just Hwashin who was surprised by the sudden attack.

 

Yoon Bongpal, who had been watching the entire scene, also hooked his glasses over his shaggy hair and spat out just one phrase.

 

“Hoh….?”

 

Because the GH Department members who had been fainted around them also rose up simultaneously like zombies and began to mutter strange things.

 

For example.

 

“I… hate Yoo Hwashin.” 

 

“Kill him.”

 

Words such as those.