By Zephyria 
“This is the first time Tae-un hyung has introduced someone personally. You’re quite young.”
Lee Han-gyeol bowed his head slightly, covering his mouth to stifle a yawn.
“I’m Lee Han-gyeol. I’m sorry, but if you have something to say, could you do it next time? I haven’t slept in nearly three days, so I’m far too sleepy right now.”
That was the entirety of the encounter with the younger brother he had met for the first time in 21, or rather, 68 years.
Even after hearing his name directly, Lee Han-gyeol opened the door to the sleep chamber as if he had no interest at all. Thud. The sound of the door closing echoed coldly inside Kim Si-baek for a long time afterward.
✽ ✽ ✽
He thought he hadn’t been shaken, but as he returned and sat on the sofa, his fingers trembled with spasms. Kim Si-baek tightly interlaced his fingers.
To reduce the consumption of divine power and ease Kim Si-baek’s burden, Biyendwe offered comfort through a divine utterance.
[Death and Beauty says it is normal not to recognize a face after more than 20 years of not meeting. Furthermore, he adds that the younger brother from earlier separated from my apostle at a very young age.]
“But I recognized him immediately. Maybe it’s because Han-gyeol didn’t change as much as Un-i did…”
[Death and Beauty asserts that the problem is not the brothers of my apostle, but this world.]
[Death and Beauty claims that this world called Earth, which rejects my apostle, is clearly broken.]
Was I the one who was broken, or was it this world? Kim Si-baek leaned his head back against the sofa with a melancholy feeling.
[Death and Beauty, while gauging your mood, asks if it wouldn’t be better to just return to Mak Slecht.]
“…I think that would be better too.”
Kim Si-baek muttered bitterly. He had steeled his heart, telling himself he had forgotten his hometown and would no longer cling to it, but a long-standing longing always remained within him. However, what was the point of staying in a world that rejected him so stubbornly?
Knowing that Tae-un and his brothers had grown up safely and become adults who could hold their own. Perhaps that was the entire purpose of this sudden return.
[Death and Beauty comforts you, saying there are many people in Mak Slecht who love my apostle.]
“….”
Biyendwe was right. Kim Si-baek, who had left much behind on Earth, had now left far more behind in Mak Slecht.
The time Kim Si-baek spent on Earth was 28 years, and the time he spent in Mak Slecht was 68 years. The scales of life and memories were clearly tilted to one side. Only the memory of one child…
…No.
It was tiring to even continue the thought. He didn’t want to agonize over why his existence had vanished from Earth. His lingering attachment was satisfied now that he had confirmed Tae-un had grown up well. It should be enough.
Kim Si-baek closed his eyes.
The sleep he had failed to achieve last night descended with a weight like death.
Was it a dream? Unlike the warmth that softly fell upon his forehead, the voice that slowly seeped into the depths of his sunken unconsciousness felt desolate, devoid of emotion.
Hyung.
There is only one thing I want. That you… for the rest of your life…
The voice, which felt emotionless not because it lacked feeling, but because it was forcibly suppressing and crushing violently fluctuating emotions, scattered before he could follow it to the end.
Kim Si-baek blinked and looked up at the ceiling. When he touched his forehead, a coolness that wasn’t his own lingered there. Was it not a dream?
“Did Un-i happen to come and go?”
[Death and Beauty looks at you with eyes still waking from sleep.]
“No.”
It must have been a dream. A child so busy with work wouldn’t have come up here.
He brushed his forehead and sat up. He thought he had slept for quite a while, but only a few hours had passed. Then again, there was no way he could have fallen into a deep sleep while so distressed.
It was at that moment.
As if waiting for him to wake, a semi-transparent window suddenly appeared in the air before his eyes. It was similar to when a divine utterance was output, but there was a distinct difference. The new window repeatedly crumpled, swelled, and shrank as if it couldn’t maintain its form, before finally stabilizing into a rectangular shape familiar to his eyes.
However, the phrases being output were entirely unfamiliar.
[System update complete.]
[Ta-daaa! ♬♪♬ Returner ‘Kim Si-baek’! Earth sincerely welcomes your return! Arms raised in an energetic gesture
“What is this…”
[Death and Beauty asks what is happening.]
The window for the divine utterance overlapped on top of the newly appeared system window. Kim Si-baek looked back at Biyendwe, even more bewildered.
“Can’t you see this here?”
[Death and Beauty gazes at you worriedly.]
“No, I’m definitely sane right now…”
It was clearly floating before his eyes, yet he was the only one who could see it. As he spoke, a chilling shiver ran through him. Tae-un must have felt this absurd sensation for 21 years.
Kim Si-baek closed his eyes tightly and opened them again, then spoke calmly.
“A window similar to a divine utterance has appeared. For now, it seems to call itself a ‘system’…”
[Death and Beauty is appalled.]
[Death and Beauty shouts that there is no means of communication for a god to interfere with humans other than divine utterances.]
“I’m sorry, but because the divine utterance and the system window are overlapping, my vision is very cluttered.”
“…!”
Biyendwe shut its beak tight and widened its eyes. Kim Si-baek, having left only one window open for now, asked cautiously.
“Is ‘System’ your name?”
[Returner Kim Si-baek. You must have been very surprised by your sudden return, right? But don’t worry! Although the upgrade took some time, a special gift has been prepared for the returner ◦°˚＼(*❛‿❛)/˚°◦]
“Why was my existence erased?”
[Open your gift right now!]
Unlike the divine utterances, it seemed two-way communication was not possible. Kim Si-baek swallowed hard and decided to touch the ‘Accept’ button that had newly appeared at the bottom of the window.
[Tutorial Quest 01]
[Tell a living organism that you love them.]
[Time remaining: 5 minutes 00 seconds]
A living organism… Kim Si-baek looked around. An avatar would also be a living organism.
“Um, Biyendwe-nim? I love you.”
[Death and Beauty brags, asking why you’re saying such a belated thing between us.]
“It’s because a quest appeared in the system telling me to say I love you.”
“….”
Poke!
“Ouch.”
Kim Si-baek rubbed the back of his hand where the baby crow’s beak had pecked him.
[Tutorial Quest 01. CLEAR]
[Correct! (⋆ˆ ³ ˆ)♥ A living organism doesn’t necessarily mean a human. Humans are merely one of an infinite number of species, aren’t they? Surely you weren’t expecting a quest reward? The warm heart exchanged with the one you love is the reward itself.]
[Then, Returner-nim, let’s meet again with another quest at this time.]
It was a reward that Biyendwe would have been enraged by, calling it nonsense if it had read it. Just as he was thinking whether the business of this strange and unfamiliar system window was finished, a new sentence was output.
[Oh, right! If you do not perform the quest or if you fail, Earth will be destroyed.]
…When he first saw that message, it didn’t immediately sink in. The weight of the word ‘destruction’ of a world did not match the playful tone.
[You can’t believe this sudden notice, can you? I understand.]
As if reading his mind, the system window output messages in succession.
[One last bonus! Witness the destruction of Earth with your own eyes!]
The moment the sentence entered his vision, something distant overflowed as if forcing its way into his brain.
It was a silent landscape.
It wasn’t easy to realize that the unfolding scene was from a first-person perspective. This was because the composition was looking down from an excessively high altitude.
It wasn’t easy to recognize that the thick pillar snapped in half was Namsan Tower. This was because there were several magical beasts of a similar height to the collapsed tower around it, making the sense of perspective a mess.
Giant magical beasts sang. He perceived the song visually rather than auditorily. As if drawn by the song, countless magical beasts arrived at the ruins of the fallen civilization.
Ah. Kim Si-baek finally realized. It was a hymn of destruction offered by the magical beasts to their master, Chaos. The cause of the silence dwelling in the landscape was likely the extinction of all living beings, including humans.
Yes. This was, in every sense, the destruction of Earth.
The bird’s-eye view suddenly narrowed downward, and the ground rushed toward him as if lunging. Corpses. Corpses. Corpses. Countless dead bodies greeted him.
〈■……〉
Before he could even understand the phonemes of something being crushed, the illusion vanished instantly, as if it had suddenly flickered out just as it had overflowed.
Leaving behind a single transparent tear that was not his own.
[Our beloved Returner-nim, fighting! °✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧°]
Along with a single message that remained light as a joke until the very end.