“…When I think about it,” I began, avoiding the Elder’s gaze.

“Well, you see, there’s no need to cling to the physical body—ow! You can’t just use violence these days! They say you have to scold kids with words, too!”

“What do you mean, my body?”

“Even if my appearance changes a bit, I’m still me. Isn’t that right?”

After all, Han Yujin would still be Han Yujin—and that’s far better than dying in a month, seriously.

“If I become bound to a Transcendent, it’d be hard to remain in this world. I couldn’t avoid paying the price. Besides, there’ll surely be Transcendents like Chatterbox trying to change me.”

At least I can trust the Elder, but his world isn’t this one. In the end, I’d have to return to the First Source World—and I’d have to go along. That would be pointless.

“Compared to that, being a sword is better. There seem to be all kinds of races in this world; I could become a blade-race member. My brother isn’t an ordinary human, either. The Neophyte roams as a volleyball, and our spirits sometimes take human form—though their true forms aren’t human. And Yuhyun would consider me me, no matter what form I take.”

“Hyung… of course… but still…”

Yuhyun looked at me with worried eyes, wondering if he’d done something wrong.

“Whatever form I’d take, you’d be my brother—but I do think the current form is better. No matter how you change, if it’s you, it’s fine—but still…”

“I said you’d like me just the same even if I became a sword.”

“No, hyung, that… well, yes—but…”

“Others might be startled at first, but since I’m still me, they’d get used to it, right?”

Even when I turned into a cat, no one seemed to mind much. Maybe I could give the sword a voice function. If the Elder couldn’t, perhaps Myeong-woo could—though he’d grumble, too. If I added a holo-projection feature, it wouldn’t be much different from now. If the skills remained, we could even meet in the spirit realm. Honestly, it sounded like a decent plan.

“Besides, opposing someone becoming a sword is plain old species discrimination—”

Whack! Suddenly, the rod held by the Chaos child struck my forehead. It hurt!

“Don’t clumsily accept a world completely different from your own.”

The young Chaos’s voice turned stern. Where his words had been light scolding until now, he pressed my shoulder down far more heavily. I flinched automatically.

“It’s good to try to understand your brother and accept that he’s different. That’s right.”

His tone was firm yet soothing as he continued:

“But understanding doesn’t mean being swept away. It’s fine to acknowledge and accept another’s way of existence. But other is other. You don’t have to—and must not—identify as that other.”

“…But really, even if only my body changes, couldn’t I still be okay?”

“It’s not that simple. First, you’re not prepared. The body is just a shell. That’s not wrong—but that applies only to those unconcerned by shells.”

I suppose I’m not that attached to appearances… hmm…

“First, consider if you became another species—different age or gender. Do you think you’d be the same as now when you were a child, or an elderly person, or a woman?”

“…I don’t think it’d change that much.”

“You speak well. Then how about that fellow who uses ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) the chains?”

“Seong Hyunjae?”

“Whether he’s older, female, or another species, he wouldn’t change one bit.”

That was true. Whether Seong Hyunjae were younger or turned into a grandfather, or became female, he’d act much the same. The people around him might treat him differently, so he’d adapt somewhat—but he’d live as he pleased, just like now.

“But you, first, they’d treat you differently.”

“No, not that much…”

“What if you became a child—or a woman?”

“Th-that’s…”

That, um… my gaze dropped to the floor. Even if Seong Hyunjae remained as strong as now, if Cye grew younger or changed gender, my attitude would shift.

“In contrast, however you change, that fellow would treat you the same—as your brother would.”

I looked at Yuhyun. If Yuhyun had been my sister, or younger, I’d probably have gone nuts. If he’d been my older brother, everything would have been different.

“If Yuhyun and I were of opposite genders, we couldn’t live together like this. It’d be hard to care for each other casually…but that’s natural.”

“I don’t mind. You’re my brother. Others would watch with those eyes, so I’d go along—but I’d feel slighted.”

“That perception is built and learned by your society. There are races and societies without sexual shame. And you, firstborn, couldn’t stray from the pack. But the Primordials can exist alone without the pack’s protection—so they’re relatively unbound.”

Indeed, Liet would have been the same as a man or a woman—rampaging as always. People might pick fewer fights with Liet, but I’d still feel him as a more violent adversary now.

“Firstborns say they don’t care, but if your body changed completely, the shock would be tremendous. Losing an arm or a leg, or changing age or gender, even regular humans suffer major trauma. But losing a human body of flesh and blood overnight—”

“…It’d be hard to endure.”

Realizing my attitude, I lost confidence. Could I really accept a changed me easily?

“I thought I’d adapted well to this changed world—but apparently not.”

“I said don’t be swept away when accepting other worlds. You adjust gradually, not by discarding everything old. I don’t think it’s right to keep only what looks best and discard the rest.”

…Isn’t it right to keep the very best? Or is it an issue of diversity?

“And.”

“Ouch!”

Another rap to the forehead.

“Anyone who can maintain their mind in any situation wouldn’t even think of discarding their body!”

“…I’m sorry. But you know, I did think of keeping myself safe. However—”

I glanced at Yuhyun and continued.

“There aren’t many ways to live long with my brother and others. As a sword, I’d have no lifespan, and after Yuhyun’s lived his years, I could absorb him as a Sword-Feaster—”

Yuhyun’s hand, resting on my knee, twitched. He’d probably be tempted by that, considering his usual wishes. Plus, if the skills transferred well, using them might be easier than as a human. Knowing such talk would get me hit again, I kept it to myself.

“That’s something everyone faces someday, but it’s too soon for you—because you’re tied to so many outside things.”

If only I’d had a normal lifespan—if I’d even twenty or thirty years left, I wouldn’t have thought so extremely.

“But firstborn, you—”

The young Chaos leaned forward slightly and looked me in the eye.

“Your body’s condition seems off.”

“Huh? Well, that is… a bit…”

He’d noticed, after all. I didn’t want to say it in front of Yuhyun, but I couldn’t hide it forever. The Chaos child beckoned me closer. I crawled up to him, and he pressed his hand firmly against the back of my neck.

“It’s similar to when we first met.”

“…What? Wait, back then, you said I wouldn’t live long, that if I managed things well I’d last twenty years!”

“Has your lifespan increased to twenty years?!”

That’d make me forty-five—or forty-six at the New Year—but that’s something. A month ago, you said one month! Is that item broken? Left in a drawer so long it glitched?

“Three years.”

“…What?”

“You’ll live recklessly anyway, so it might end up a year.”

“…What if I don’t live recklessly?”

“That seems unlikely in this situation, but if you manage well, you could live quite long—forties or fifties?”

Whoa… more than tripled. My God. Yuhyun looked surprised, too.

“R-Really? It increased beyond back then?”

“Take off your shirt.”

I stripped quickly. The young Chaos examined the mana sigils closely, then spoke:

“It’s as if it reset your body’s state to back then.”

“My body was completely altered by Chatterbox, then returned—could that be why?”

“I’m not sure, but accumulated damage has definitely gone.”

“Ah, my mana sense suddenly dulled, too. That started this morning—or rather, after I woke at night.”

“Sense is something you’ve felt and learned; it’s just dulled. It’ll return soon—hence more stable than before. Back when I said you had twenty years, you were at the mercy of the sigils.”

Whatever happened, I was relieved. Relief washed over me even as my heart lurched—the dread I’d postponed from that urgent one-month deadline had finally caught up. My body weakened, yet a smile formed.

Clearly, I had wanted to live longer.

“Yuhyun, hyung’s lifespan’s been extended!”

“Yeah, that’s great. Congratulations, hyung.”

Yuhyun smiled. It was a happy face, but something felt odd—he’d been so calm. No, that can’t be; am I imagining it? Or is it because he really would like it even if I became a sword? We could always be together, and worries would lessen—well, it does sound good.

“I’d given up on a sixtieth birthday celebration! They don’t celebrate sixtieths much these days, though.”

“Do you plan to live quietly until then?”

“Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t.”

I stood and dressed.

“You know. Surviving right now comes first. What can you do if a wolf’s chasing you? You have to run, even if you collapse and your heart bursts.”

Still, with fifty years, I’d have at least twenty good years—though I once reduced twenty years to thirty days, but… it must be a glitch.

“So, what if—if I become unable again.”

“Your worth is high, but your body’s not material. A weapon must be solid.”

The young Chaos scratched his temple.

“But there’ll be something usable as a base—something old enough that it’s lost its nature.”

“You didn’t make every captured thing into a sword, then?”

“Of course not. It takes too much effort. I only made the ones I liked; the rest I stored away.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I never said I’d make one for you. When the time comes—if you think it’s okay, then.”

His red eyes gazed at me.

“So don’t think of it as a last resort. If I don’t deem it fitting, I’ll help with your funeral arrangements.”

“Yes. I will keep that in mind.”

As if time was up, the surroundings trembled lightly.

“Be careful. What lies ahead—I’m in the dark, too.”

I wanted to ask Whitebird, to grab her by the collar: What did you see? What do you want? But the landscape shifted. Suddenly, the cold surged. Yuhyun quickly lit a fire, and I pulled a scarf and cardigan from my inventory.

“I’ll handle it. Keep the boon active.”

Handing Iryn to me, Yuhyun paused in his step, looking back.

“Hyung, you’re going to continue, right?”

“Huh?”

“Chatterbox is gone now; he might not touch you directly. His remnants are only human. So, couldn’t you return to Korea and live quietly?”

“I can’t say. And the Sesung Guildmaster’s wedding is imminent. It’ll surely involve Transcendents, maybe White Moon—how could I return to Korea?”

“It’s none of our concern. Director Song will handle it. He’s done it so far.”

True… Seong Hyunjae will be taken care of by Director Song.

“I’m, well, something like a friend. If I barely know someone, I at least have to attend the wedding. It’s not like you only do it twice in a lifetime.”

Seong Hyunjae could have a few weddings without it being strange. Yuhyun sighed softly at my words.

“And even if I could live fifty years, if the world ends, that’s it. Keeping our world intact—that’s what matters, I think.”

“…Yeah. But hyung, how strong was I before Regression?”

“…Huh?”

His sudden question left me at a loss. He hadn’t seemed very curious—maybe because he saw my pre-Regression memories?

“You were strong—actually, you were the strongest.”

Seong Hyunjae, who ranked first, went missing after Song Taewon’s death, which must have hit hard. So it’s likely Yuhyun, having grown since then, became stronger.

“You said I could use my pre-Regression power, right? In the spirit realm back then.”

“Yeah, that’s right. But it won’t be exactly the same. I… haven’t used all of it.”

Since I can only use abilities I’ve tried, I can’t bring all of Yuhyun’s pre-Regression powers. Back then, thanks to double buffs, I hardly used skills. Titles and skills—I probably had far more, but I couldn’t fully confirm.

“Could I become stronger?”

“Of course. …Because it’s you.”

And now I’ll continue living through twenty-six, twenty-seven, and so on. Growing stronger through the extended years. Yuhyun nodded slightly and smiled. His image soon faded.

“…Hearing about something and seeing it with one’s own eyes feel different.”

Hearing “I regressed and the twenty-five-year-old you saved me” is one thing; seeing it in footage is another. Iryn, who’d been perched on my shoulder, fluttered in a circle.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep