Suji slowly raised her arms to hug him, resting her cheek against the cold armor. Not only was Ilein’s breastplate large, but the sturdy armor made it impossible for her to wrap her arms around his body.

She just leaned against him like that and muttered.

“I haven’t forgiven you.”

“Daphne doesn’t need to feel responsible.”

“Please don’t say that, I beg you. ……I need some time to think.”

It was really so complicated that her head felt like it would explode.

She needed time to sort it out.

She never thought she would consider the crazy doomsday countdown to be more polite.

A week.

She didn’t want Ilein to become a different person.

He would still be Ilein, but she didn’t want him to lose the memories they had shared together.

Those memories belonged to Ilein, but they were also hers.

It was strangely unpleasant that he would lose part of his memories about her.

“……After reaching the 100th floor and resolving the doomsday, it doesn’t matter anyway.”

“In the end, it was my selfishness that I revealed. Since there is one more 〈Deviation〉, you can use that one.”

Suji gritted her teeth.

She felt like slapping his cheek.

Whether this way or that way, the thought of him losing all his memories and looking at her blankly made her so angry she couldn’t stand it.

Why did she hate it so much?

Instead of naming that emotion, Suji straightened her body and glared at him.

Then, she turned on the communication of the terminal so that all the team members could hear, and spoke clearly.

“We’re returning home right now.”

“Team Leader?”

“Didn’t Noah say he’s waiting for us?”

The responses from the team members were heard, but Suji expressed her own opinion first.

“From now on, Team Daphne plans to do a speedrun to the 100th floor, so please prepare yourselves.”

When Suji and Ilein exited the tower, they received an even greater welcome than when they entered.

Because of her, a sudden craze for the 〈Sage’s Tower〉 started, and all the hunters were acutely aware of how difficult it was to climb the tower, so the cheers had to be even more enthusiastic.

Suji waved and smiled despite being in a hurry and left the place.

The location where the private jet was waiting was not far. The group, who had moved using the vehicle arranged by Noah, immediately boarded the plane again.

Contacts came in order from the dedicated manager, who thought Team Daphne would tour a few more countries before returning to Korea, and from Noah, who was waiting for them to come out of the tower.

Suji made an appropriate excuse, saying that she had to visit the tower in Korea first because of a clue obtained from the tower in the United States.

Honestly, she felt dazed.

To the point where everything she was conversing about now and everything passing by around her felt unreal. She would have to explain all of this to Peace and Saint, but she couldn’t even think straight.

One scene kept repeating in her mind.

Ilein in a messy state was embracing her, and she was in his arms, watching Ilein’s tear-stained face.

“But if you come here, you can prevent it. That terrible thing.”

“It’s just delaying it.”

“I thought delaying was something, but now I’m really sick of it. I’d rather just die.”

“……Daphne.”

“……I don’t know what to do anymore.”

“For once, please close your eyes without worrying. I don’t know if there will be a good outcome……. I don’t have much attachment to life either, but I want to find a good outcome.”

That conversation wasn’t happening in the future.

It was something that had happened in the past.

No, to be more precise, it was something that had already happened in the future.

It was a scene where her weak self, who had repeated the same life countless times and gone crazy, made Ilein use 〈Deviation〉 and gave up on everything.

‘Fool.’

Suji inwardly cursed at her other self whom she could never meet in person.

Just because you can repeat life doesn’t mean your abilities will improve faster. But how could you let go when you know all the strategies?

You shouldn’t have done that.

Ilein spoke as if sympathizing with her past self, but Suji couldn’t do that. She was angry.

Of course, she felt sorry for herself who had to go through 101 times, remembering alone what no one else could remember. No wonder Ilein volunteered to take her place.

But you shouldn’t have let it come to this situation.

‘……In just a week? It’s absolutely impossible.’

The answer was already there.

There were 15 floors remaining in the tower.

It was impossible for the four of them to climb 15 floors in a week with the team members they had reluctantly recruited, who turned out to be members of 〈Messiah〉.

‘It’s not like you’re dying. You’re just losing some trivial memories.’

She tried to console herself like that.

But it didn’t work well.

People die in the tower all the time. At the point when doomsday approaches, countless lives will be lost.

So, even if it’s not about life but memories, is there a need to cling to them so much? But it didn’t work well.

The memories of playing two-player games with him, giggling while drinking together, the trivial things like the memories of playing board games with the team members, and all those moments of life and death shared while climbing the tower… She didn’t want to lose them all.

Suji turned her head and looked at Ilein sitting across from her in the conference seat.

Perhaps he felt relieved now that he had revealed everything, the tension that always lingered on a corner of his face seemed to have disappeared. He was looking at her with the most relaxed face she had ever seen.

What thoughts had he been by her side all this time?

What was Ilein’s state of mind when he suddenly took on the task that she couldn’t solve even after consuming 100 〈Deviations〉 repeatedly?

“Ilein, if everything works out well and we survive, what do you want to do the most?”

“I want to be by the side of the person I love.”

Suji closed her eyes.

She tried hard to recall Ilein’s face when he said those words.

Ilein looked as if he was embarrassed. Unlike him, he couldn’t look her straight in the eye. He seemed perplexed, but he had an expression mixed with sincerity that she couldn’t take her eyes off.

‘……I feel nauseous.’

Is this what it feels like when you’re too frustrated?

It felt like she was getting seasick, as if she was on a small fishing boat instead of an airplane.

“Team Leader.”

“Yes?”

“Priya contacted us.”

Suji opened her tightly closed eyes and looked back.

Saint was looking at her with a worried face.

It was understandable. She was suddenly returning to her home country in a messy way without explaining the detailed reasons.

But it was a problem more difficult to tell someone than the annihilation of the world.

She didn’t want to admit it, but she somewhat understood why Ilein had been keeping the secret alone.

Because she had to think only about moving forward, at least considering the effort Ilein had made by returning with the item 〈Deviation〉 said to exist on the last floor of the tower. Because the logical conclusion was that Ilein had to naturally be sacrificed.

But if she sacrificed her companion, it felt like the very purpose of why she had worked so hard until now would be tarnished.

In the end, Suji couldn’t say the words lingering on the tip of her tongue and asked Saint something else first.

“……What did Priya say?”

“The same old thing, you know.”

Saint turned the terminal so Suji could see.

Nature took on that role out of concern for you.

Please treat him preciously.

It is already foreseen that Daphne will join us. It depends on when you make the decision.

Because you, Daphne, are the one who deserves eternal life.

The day of judgment is approaching soon.

We look forward to you taking our hand before then.

From: Priya]

Suji read the email as if it was boring and waved her hand.

Since the ‘great beings’ appeared in her life, there were only people who said incomprehensible things. Even Ilein started talking about turning back time.

In the past, she might have been swayed by these meaningful words, but now she had no interest in eternal life. Rather, there were urgent matters piled up in front of her that needed to be resolved.

“What should I reply?”

“Tell Nature to pick it up. I’ll leave it at the entrance of the tower.”

“Got it. And…….”

Saint hesitated to speak, then whispered in Suji’s ear.

“Did you officially start dating now?”

Suji blinked rapidly, then turned her head to look at Saint’s face.

It was probably just a usual joke, but her face heated up so much with just those words. If someone looked at her from the side, her face would be red.

“What are you talking about?”

“There’s no way you could exchange such affectionate gazes unless…… Peace said so.”

Saint quickly shifted the responsibility, and Suji tried to say something but let out a deep sigh.

Saint glanced at the team leader and quickly returned to her original seat, scolding Peace.

“Ah, see! I told you it wasn’t like that!”

“Hey, Saint. You were the one who said it was for real this time, right? I just added to what you said.”

“That’s true, but.”

“They keep wanting to be alone together…… Isn’t it stranger not to be suspicious?”

“Shh! Be quiet. The team leader is not in the mood for that right now!”

Suji tried her best to ignore the sound of Peace and Saint bickering, but it wasn’t easy.

In less than 5 minutes, Suji gathered the team members in one place.