Record of a Thousand Lives

The sorrow of a spirit brought disaster.

When theSalamander started to cry, her tears were notwater, but rathercloser to magma. Sparks started to fly whenever her tears met the floor. The smithy thathad been burned out due tothe explosion started to catch fire once more. The recently born Salamander couldnot control her own strength.

“Waaaaaah!”She kept crying.

“Take her,” Kang Yoon-Soo said, picking up theSalamander andhandingher over to Shaneth. Shaneth hastily received the Salamander from him, and he continued,“Appease her.”

“Hey! Wait a minute! You were the onewhomade her cry! Why are you asking me…?” Shanethexclaimed.

“I’m not good with children,”Kang Yoon-Soo replied with a shrug.

“I’m not good with them either…” Shanethsaidwith a hint of annoyanceonher face.

“Watch Kerlin burn down then,”Kang Yoon-Soosaid nonchalantly.

“...You’re so evil…”Shaneth said tearfully. She didn’t know what to do.She hadnever had any experience looking after children, because they hadused to cry and run away in horror whenever they saw her grotesque face.

Meanwhile, the fire started to slowly spread out of the smithy. Shaneth had the power fragment of Ignus, but she was worried that the fire might spread to the town.

Shanethhurriedly said the first thing to come to mind.“Hey! Don’t cry. Err... I’ll... I’ll be your mommy!”

The little girl suddenly stopped crying, and the fire in the smithy extinguished in an instant.She sniffled and asked, “…Mama?”

“No, I mean... I’m still too young to have a kid…” Shanethbegan.

“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”Suddenly, the flames started to come back to life.

“Alright! Alright! I’ll be your mommy!” Shaneth hurriedlyexclaimed when she saw the rising flames.

“R… Really…?” the girl asked while sniffling.

“Yes…Really…” Shaneth answereddejectedly.

“Woooow!” the girl exclaimed loudly,her cries finally stopping as she smiledfrom ear to ear. It was a very innocent smile, and Shaneth couldnot take back her words after seeing the child so happy.

“Mama, let me down,” the child requested.

“Alright,” Shaneth said as she let the child down. Shetightly wrapped her arms around Shaneth. It was a simple hug, but Shaneth wastaken aback. How long hadit been since she received a tight hug fromsomeone other thanLady Hermia?

The Salamander tugged on Shaneth’s robe andasked, “Mama, can you give me a name?”

“A name?” Shaneth asked back in surprise.The child was asking a person like her to give her a name that shewouldbe using for the rest of her life?Perhapsbecause it was spontaneous,she was unable tothink of any decent names.

At that moment, Kang Yoon-Soosuddenlysaid in a low voice, “Sally.”

Anyone could see that it was a name taken from the word ‘Salamander’. It was an extremely simple name, to the point one could say no thoughthad beenput into it. However,the child’s eyes sparkled as she exclaimed, “I like that name!”

As soon asKang Yoon-Soonamed the child, a message popped up on the wrist device.

[Sally]

Level: 42

Race: Salamander

Age: Infant

Strength: 4

Magic: 17

Attack Power: 21

Skills: Wrath of the Flames (Lvl1), Flame Equip (Lvl1)

A young spirit that was just bornrecently. She hasa pure and innocent personality, andlikes to belooked after.

Kang Yoon-Soo stared at the girl.

Sally…

Hehad also beensurprised the first time he created a spirit, and he had namedher based onwhatever he could think of at that moment. It wouldhavebeen better tousea better name, but he had ended up giving her the same name, ‘Sally’, in this life too.

He had never used another material aside from the Spartoi’s spearto create a fire spirit, becauseit would produce a different spirit fromthe Sally he remembered, and hecould only create one spirit from each element.

‘I guess I should avoid the fight with theDragon ofDestruction in this life too...’He remembered how much he had despaired when he watched theDragon ofDestruction rip Sally’s head from her body. He had created Sally numerous times over the past lives he lived, and he had seen the same scene of Sally dying numerous times as well.

‘Iwon’t watch this child’s death again in this life.’Sally was one of the reasons why Kang Yoon-Soo needed to kill the Demon Lord.

Kang Yoon-Soo pointed at Sally andbeckoned her over.The small child quickly walked towardhim.For a brief moment,the Sally in front of him overlapped with thenumerous versions of herhe knew from his previous lives.

‘…I need a drink,’he told himself whilemassagingthe center of his browto chase away the illusions.

That was the reason he had becomenumb. There was no other way for him to stay sanethrough the countless memories of tragediesthat had occurred over and over again in his manylives.

“Sally,”Kang Yoon-Soocalled.

“Yes!”Sallyanswered, her eyes sparklingwhen she heard hername called.

“Go to the summon dimension. I’m tired,”Kang Yoon-Soosaid.

“Will you be my papa?”Sally asked carefully.

Kang Yoon-Soo hated that title. The moreone gotattached to someone, the more their deaths wouldbe harder to accept.But itwas tootroublesome to deal with the girl,so he just answeredplainly, “Yes.”

“Wow! Sally loves papa as well!” Sally exclaimed, thenkissed Kang Yoon-Soo onthecheek. Then, she disappeared without a trace into the summon dimension.

Kang Yoon-Sooshowed no reaction, simply lyingdown on the floor of the burned-down smithy.Shaneth looked at him as if what hehad just donewas ridiculous.

“What are you looking at?” Kang Yoon-Sooasked.

***

The next day, in front of the mansion gate,Hermia hugged Shaneth with a sadexpressionandexclaimed, “Oh, Shaneth! How could Inothave known that your destiny was harsher than mine?”

“It’s alright. milady.I can handle it,”Shanethansweredconfidently.

She had decided to leave on a journey with Kang Yoon-Soo, as he hadsuggested. The power fragmenthad beenleft behind by the Ignus Dragon for future generations. She couldnot stay in Kerlin as long as she had inherited this power. Shewas nervous, but also excited, as she hadalwaysdreamed of leaving Kerlin and living an independent life.

“I’ve never left Kerlin eversinceI came here when I was young. I want to visit new placesand explore the world,” she said.

“I would love to give you a carriage,at least, butas you know,our territory’s finances aren’t that good. I should’ve asked for a donkey at least when the merchants visited our territory,” Hermia said regretfully.

“This is more than enough,” Shaneth repliedwhile holding a rucksack Hermia had given her.It had been filled with various travel essentials.

Hermia cried for a while before letting Shaneth go. Shelooked at Kang Yoon-Soo and said, “I leave her in your care. Please take good care of her.”Kang Yoon-Soosaid nothingand just nodded in response.

Hermia looked at Shaneth. Shaneth was wearing clothing that would be comfortable to travel in,consisting of pants and a shirt.

“Look at your clothes. Come overhere for a second, will you?” Hermiacalledas she pulledShanethbehind theleft wingof the mansion.She looked around andput on a serious expression, differentfrom thetearful and innocent one she had just had moments before.

“Shaneth, what do you think of that man?” Hermia asked.

“I don’t think he’s a bad person,” Shaneth replied.

“I think so as well, but there’s something suspicious about him,” Hermiasaid.Shanethlooked perplexed as she explained,“As you’re aware, we elves live extremely long lives, even though we don’t age at all.” She continued,“There are cases when the youngest-looking elfmight actually bethe eldest in the group. That’s why we have a different perspectivefromhumans when it comes to age.”

She staredat Kang Yoon-Soo from afarand remarked,“That man, Kang Yoon-Soo, gives off the samefeeling asan elf. It feelsas ifhe just looks young on the outside, but he’s actually old on the inside—like us elves.”

“Do you mean to say that Kang Yoon-Soo-nim has lived hundreds of years?” Shaneth asked with aconfused expression.

“Of course,that’s not the caseas he’shuman, but he gives off a strange aura. He acts as if he’s lived for a very long time… It feels different from us,” Hermia explained.

Shaneth couldn’t understand what Hermia was trying to say, but she nodded nevertheless. Hermia was an elfwhohad lived longer than her, andwas thus bound to bemore knowledgeablethan her.

“If you ever feel that that man is suspicious or that your life is in danger, don’t hesitate to run away and come here,” Hermia saidworriedly.

“Of course I will,” Shaneth answered, as if toassuage Hermia’s worries.Shewas a soldier, and she was stronger than other women. Although itwas a needless worry,she had the strength to resist if Kang Yoon-Soo tried to do somethingto her.

Hermia stroked the last remaining burn mark on Shaneth and told her, “Go and experience the world. I’m sure you’ll do wellwhereveryou are.”

“I… I’m really gratefulto LadyHermia,” Shaneth said, pushingdown the sorrow welling up inside of her.‘It’llbe difficult to meet someone like Hermia again’, she thoughtas they reemerged from behind the manor.

“Farewell.I wishfor your travelstoalways be accompanied by good luck,” Hermia saidas she bid the pairgoodbye.

Thepairleft after exchanging theirgoodbyesandheaded north. The wilderness came into viewpastthe bright golden fields of Kerlin.

Shaneth asked as they were about to leave the town, “Where are we headed?”

“Hiledan,” Kang Yoon-Sooanswered curtly.

Hiledan was a minor territory that was quite a distance away from Kerlin. It was a place famous for catalysts and potions, as the headquarters of the alchemist guild was located there.

Shaneth then asked the questionshehad beenmostcurious about.“Why are we traveling?”

“To stop the coming destruction of the world, and…”Kang Yoon-Soo raised his left hand and covered the sun withit.

‘That’s right.This time for sure.’

‘I’llendthis cycle of regression.’