Chapter Text
To deal with past trauma and according to that damn god, resurface his most despairing memories, of course Kim Rok Soo would be sent back to this moment.
He had barely anytime left before all the temporary shelters become disabled.
But was this even fair? If this was a test where he had the chance to overcome it, shouldn't there be a way for him use his powers? His dual custody circumstances with Cale made it impossible for him to use even a small drop of his powers or even hear the voices of his powers because Cale wasn't here with him.
He knew he should be able to pass the test and hopefully, change the outcome. He doesn't think he can bear witnessing the tragedy all over again but he might be forced to if he doesn't gather strength soon.
-Kim Rok Soo
A stoic voice enters his mind and he recognizes it. He knew he would either hear good news, annoying news, bad news which is just annoying news. "God of death?"
-I can send help
A convenient offer at a very convenient time. An offer that was this tempting meant there would be a catch so Rok Soo doesn't say anything else, expecting more words from the god of death, and his assumption was right.
-In exchange for your lifespan
"Rejected." The answer came out immediately, slightly surprising himself. He wasn't going to offer himself as sacrifice when he knew he could survive. The problem was the others couldn't.
-Let me explain
Rok Soo rolls his eyes, not wanting to hear anything else that was just as absurd. He wanted to find a way to mentally block the god of death's voice but the next words in his mind catches his attention.
-You're a variable, a transmigrator, just like Choi Han
He frowns. His situation did sound similar to Choi Han's, actually, it was the exact same. He would rather not be called such a thing, it seemed trouble-inducing.
-That means you'll outlive everyone
He freezes. He clenches his palms as the memories of the illusions on Wind island rushed through his mind. Those memories were blurry and he knew why.
Black robes, black wyvern bones, a magic staff, a highest-grade magic stone, a diary, an arm with black veins, a broken sword, a fountain pen and a worn out sword, a video communication device, three piggy banks--
No, he needed to stop, not here, not now. Those memories were all fake, they don't matter.
But he was in the test for only a few minutes or one week in real life and he was already in deep agony, it became something he didn't want to remember. Then would he be able to go through it all again for the rest of his life if they--
Stop
"So? How much would you need?"
He heard the god chuckle, the sound pissed him off.
-Does that make you selfish or selfless, I wonder?
His patience running thin, he snaps. "Shut up, get on with it."
-Until Choi Han dies, that'll be enough
Rok Soo's eye brows come together in confusion. If him and Choi Han were the same, shouldn't they have similar lifespans? Does he even need to shorten his lifespan if Choi Han would be there? "Don't we live the same amount?" If they did, would the difference in their lifespans be enough for the exchange?
As a cool voice enters his mind, his heart drops.
-He'll die much sooner now
His eyes widen as he focuses on one particular word. Now? Did that mean it had been longer before? He opens his mouth to question but the god of death beats him to it.
-I can't say anymore. If you make this deal, you will find out
He curses out the god of death in frustration. "Useless piece of shit." There was clearly no other way to find out what that meant and but just from taking in the contents of the deal and his situations, it didn't seem that bad.
As much as he hated the gods or having anything to do with them, this might be the one time he would have to make an exception.
"Deal."
------
Park Tin Jae stands up from the chair and looks out the window. The sun was already setting, they were running out of time. He walked past Rok Soo and spoke. "We'll trust your prophecy for now, Kim Rok Soo." Then he turned to Lee Chul Min. "Call over all of the ability users with attacking abilities."
Chul Min opens his mouth, about to answer like a trained soldier. "Yes si--" But jsut as he was speaking, a large explosion resonated in the room.
Everyone in the room became alarmed as they felt the ground below their feet start to shake lightly. It wasn't just the ground, the whole building had vibrated.
O-Outside!" Lee Seung Won stutters, plopped down on the ground in shock after hearing the sound of the explosion. Chul Min, with a smiliar expression of shock of his own, responds to him. "What? Did a monster already appear?"
Rok Soo begins to frown, he doesn't remember this incident happening from his memories.
Following everyone's gaze, he looks out the window. His eyes land on a familiar sight and his jaw drops, a curse almost slipping out. "Crazy b.." Before he completes his own sentence, he was already rushing out the door, heading outside the building.
He heard voices from Jin Tae, Seung Mon, and Jang Man Soo behind him but couldn't be bothered to understand what they were saying. He only heard his own voice as he went down the building. "Why is that punk?! Why why why?!" He sounded like a madman.
Once he managed to go outside, he sees the black dragon, the black Yong shooting up the sky was turning faint and almost disappearing.
He finally manages to hear Tin Jae's words behind him. "Hey! You're about to step outside the boundary!" A warning that if he passed the boundary, monsters might come out and attack him.
But instead of stopping, he opened his mouth to speak. "Hey!" He raises his voice towards the shadow that was slowly approaching him.
Only when he slowed down, careful of the boundary, did the shadow start to move quicker towards him. When the shadow separates, his pupils blow wide and when he could make out the appearances of the shadows, he starts to speak. "You...You both?! Why?!"
It was Choi Han and Cale Henituse.
Han slows down once he gets near him but Cale continues to walk towards him and pulls him into a hug. He naturally wraps both arms around Cale's shoulder.
He was much shorter compared to before so now they didn't have much of a height difference. Cale was always more physically fit compared to him but now, Cale's shoulders felt more broader in his arms.
Looking over Cale's shoulder, he gives Han a shocked look, as if he hadn't processed what was going on.
Han found the situation amusing and didn't help any further. "You look beat up, is this when you were actually 20?"
Han, Cale, Raon and Alberu were the only ones who knew he had a younger version of his body despite being much older.
Cale jolts in his arms and pulls back, separating their chests but not their arms. "Right, you look fucking terrible. What the fuck happened?" Cale stares at his face with worry, a hint of rage in his eyes as a hand comes up to cup his cheek.
Rok Soo raises a hand of his own and places them on Cale's consolingly. "I'm okay but how--"
He barely stops himself. Once his brain started to work, he realized how they were able to come here.
The deal he made with the god of death. The 'help" that useless god mentioned probably meant Cale. That would allow Rok Soo to use his powers. So why was Han here? Was Han also part of the offer? Did his lifespan have so much worth it could bring both Cale and Han here?
No matter how much Rok Soo thought about it, he didn't like how things were turning out.
Seeing his souring expression, Han started to speak. "I managed to squeeze in, then I found that guy next to me." He said, throwing Cale a glance.
Then Cale starts to speak as he gropes his arms with a worried expression. "I just ended up here, don't know how." Every time his hands land on a new part of Rok Soo's body, his expression darkens further as if he had found something unpleasant.
"You guys don't know how you ended up here?" So were the both of them really the help the god of death offered?
But Han shakes his head. Instead of explaining further, he started to explain the situation back in their world with a calm voice. How Rok Soo was imprisoned in a black orb and how Han couldn't get near.
The more Rok Soo hears, the more his frown deepens. But it was when Han spoke the last words, both Rok Soo and Cale became shocked.
“That is why I found a way to squeeze into Rok Soo-nim’s mind, into the test.”
"Wait, you came here on your own?" Cale had assumed the both of them had arrived into this world in the same manner.
"How?" Rok Soo asks, despite already having an inkling what the answer could be.
"I made a deal with the god of death." Han starts to smile in a way that sent shivers down Rok Soo's spine. "I wanted to help you, isn't it better to do this together?"
"...What did you offer him?" He knew what it was, but he had to make sure of it.
“He said that I would live longer than Raon. I didn’t want that. I didn’t want to be left alone. So, I matched my lifespan to Raon’s.”
Rok Soo lets out a short laugh. The god of death tricked the two of them.
Han doesn't know about variables yet he knew he would have a long life span, much longer than a potential dragon lord. He didn't know Rok Soo was the same so the god of death used Han's lack of information to his advantage.
Motherfucker
Rok Soo felt rage surge through his bones as he realized they gave away something unnecessary. But he was smiling. "Punk, you must be crazy."
The smile that seemed a bit creepy on Han turned into one of innocence. "I haven't been normal for a long time, Rok Soo-nim."