Record of a Thousand Lives

The air reeked of blood whenLee Min-Chanwoke up, and he recognizedhis surroundingsto be thecorpse dismembermentcenter. It was the place where monstercorpseswere processedto extract meat and leather.

“Wh… What the hell?”Hetried to get up, but his body would not listen. He thenrealized that hehad beenthoroughly bound up with a rope.“What’s this?! Release me!”He squirmed with all his might and screamed until his voice started to crack, but there was no reply from anywhere.

Thecorpse dismembermentcenter seemed to be awfully quiet and empty, and only a lamp swinging from the ceilingcasta dim lightacrossthe room.

“Argh…”Lee Min-Changroaned.A manslowly approachedfrom the other side of the room—it was Kang Yoon-Soo. Lee Min-Chan screamed and pleaded,“Spare me! Please! Spare me!”

“Shut up,” Kang Yoon-Soo cut him off.His voice was cold and emotionless, and Lee Min-Chanbriefly fell silentashecommanded.

However, Lee Min-Chansquirmed with all his mightand soonpleadedwiththe man again.

“Spare me! Please! Iwon’t do that again! I won’t kill anyone, and I won’tmanipulate anyone either!

“I’ll live as a good person! I’m young and I didn’t know what I was doing!

“I’mstill a kid,right? Soplease! Spare me!”

The only response to his pleas was silence.

Kang Yoon-Soo stood up as if he had finally found what he was looking for, and he was holding a whipin his right hand. Lee Min-Chan felt goosebumps all over his body when he saw the very same whip he had used allthistime.

“Spare me! Please don’t hit me!” Lee Min-Chan begged as he trembled uncontrollably.

“I don’t plan to kill you with my hands,” Kang Yoon-Soo replied.

Lee Min-Chan’sexpression brightened when he heardthose words. He was certain that despitethe fact thatthe man in front of him was void of expression as if he werewearing a mask,he could not help but hesitate when it came to taking someone’s life.

However,just asthe youth started to feel relieved, KangYoon-Sooslowly raised the whipand said,“You’ll die by your own hands.”

Lee Min-Chan felt chills run down his spine.‘What the hell is he talking about?’he thought to himself.Whilehewas still confused, however, the whipin Kang Yoon-Soo’s handviciously struckhis cheek.

“Aaaaaack!”Lee Min-Chan screamed.

The precision and pain dished out by Kang Yoon-Soo’sstrikeswereincomparable to Lee Min-Chan’sown. Kang Yoon-Soo whipped him while narrowly avoiding any vital points, and everylashripped his skin apart. Kang Yoon-Soo whipped him just enough to notkill him, but the pain he felt made him wish for death.

“It hurts! I said it hurts! Fuck!”Lee Min-Chanscreamed as he bit historn-openlips, and his cheeks were wet with tears and blood. However, Kang Yoon-Soo did not stop whipping him.“Why! Why are you trying to kill me!? You son of a bitch! You could have reported me or handed me over! I know I did wrong, but you don’t have the right to kill me! You fuck…!” he protestedangrily.

Kang Yoon-Soosuddenly stoppedwhipping Lee Min-Chan, and just before he was about to lose consciousness, he heard the man answer his question.

“To what extent can a man express his angeragainsta boy who raped and killed his wife?” Kang Yoon-Sooasked.

“What…?”Lee Min-Chan replied,dumbfounded.

“The man killed the boy multiple times in his rage.Sometimes he killed him instantly, and sometimes he chose to torture him. He killed him hundreds oftimes, always,everytime, until even his rage started to dissipate,” Kang Yoon-Soo said. At that moment,the tip of the whip viciouslystruckLee Min-Chan’s cheek.Lee Min-Chanfelt as if hehadreceived a burn on his cheek, and he could only breatheroughlyfrom the pain.

“You askedwhy I wouldkill you, right?” Kang Yoon-Soo asked in a low voice, before bringing his face up close to Lee Min-Chan’s.It was close enough for LeeMin-Chan to feelthe man’s breath; then, a cold,eerie voice enteredthe youth’sears.

“When you killed Shaneth, she was my wife. That’s the only reason you’re going to die,” Kang Yoon-Soo said.

“What the fuck are you talking about?! You psycho! You’ll really kill me?! Then you’ll be a murderer!” Lee Min-Chan screamed at the top of his lungs as his whole body trembledwithrage.

“I know,” Kang Yoon-Soo said as he stepped back and raised the whip.He whipped the boy’s chin, and the boy could only cry andtrembleat the immense pain he felt.

“You son of a bitch! You son of a bitch! You son of a bitch!” Lee Min-Chan cursedloudly.

Kang Yoon-Soo casually pointed at the ground after hearing the boy curse him, and the boy’s face turned pale when he saw what was on the ground:Ahorsewhip, a wooden club, and a dagger. These were the tools he had usedto torturethe girls—his victims.

Kang Yoon-Soo stabbed the daggerinto the spot just aboveLee Min-Chan’s wrist, then struck the boy in the facewith the wooden club.

Pukeok!

Lee Min-Chan could not stay conscious from the pain. He could not stand it anymore.Heflinchedandclosed his mouth, and blood started to pour out of his mouth as heshook.Scared out of his wits, hehad bitten his own tongue, and histear-filled eyesquivered.

“Fuck…It hurts… I’d rather die than be tortured…Kuheok!”Perhaps because his bitten-off tongue had rolleddown his throat, the boy had stopped breathing. His body,thathad beentrembling as if he werehaving a seizure,suddenly stopped moving.

He had killed himself.

Kang Yoon-Soo stareduninterestedlyat the body and said, “The world doesn’t revolve around you.”

He stretched out his right hand, and the Ring of Life Suppression on his finger shone with a black light.“Soul Extraction.”

[Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahk!]

Lee Min-Chan’s soul howled in despair as it was sucked into the ring.

[You have extracted a boy's corrupted soul.]

[Corruption Level:Average]

[Remaining Uses:3 times]

Kang Yoon-Soo brought the ring close to his ears, andit was cold to the touch. A soul with a high corruption level could be used asmaterialfor spirit weapons, or be infused into a doll to inflict curses on someone.

‘I have to get rid of the evidence. The investigators will catch on if there is a corpse.’Hepicked up the soulless, empty shell ofLee Min-Chan’s corpse, as well as the boy’storture tools and equipment. He placed the corpseinthe sharp opening of the dismemberment machinewithout ahint of hesitation.

The room filled with the sounds of a corpse being dismembered.

***

“So what I’m saying is…You have a lot of explaining to do. Especiallyabout last night. There is a limit to being cold and indifferent, you know. We’re travelingtogether, right? Don’t try to bear it all alone, and at least…Areyou listening to me?”

KangYoon-Sooslowly opened his eyes. The aroma of coffee tickled his nostrils, and the morning sun blinded him. Shaneth was sitting in front of him, looking displeased.

“Really…”Shanethsaid.

Kang Yoon-Soo said nothing.

“You’re such a meanie…You’re too honest…”Shanethadded while pouting.

It was a warm and peaceful morning at the Golden Ale Inn, and the breakfast brought by the inn staff was scrumptious and fragrant, but Kang Yoon-Soo did not touch the food at all and just drank alcohol.

“Are you only going to drink alcohol this early in the morning?” Shaneth asked.

“I don’tusuallyeat breakfasts,”Kang Yoon-Sooreplied nonchalantly.

“That isn’t good for your health,”Shaneth said, worryingabout his health.

“I know.” Kang Yoon-Sooshrugged.

Shaneth was speechless.

Kang Yoon-Soo poured another glass.

Lee Min-Chan might have been young andill-tempered, but the manipulation skill he’dhad was dangerous. If hehad been leftalone, he would have ended up becoming a formidable foe in the future.‘Now that Lee Min-Chan is dead, it’s time to start the real hunt,’Kang Yoon-Soo thought to himself.

It was time to hunt monsters. Hunting monsters was the most basic way to increase one’s strength, and normalTravelers would look for monster lairs or receive quests from theContinentals. However, hunting the normal way held no value for Kang Yoon-Soo.

‘Hiledan was the starting location of the legendary quests,’he thought.Legendary quests were quests with hellish difficulty that could only be received by people that hadreached the pinnacle of their class. However,theyalso provided one withan opportunity for exponential growth.

Shaneth stopped eating her breakfast and stared at him.“So, what do you plan to do today?” she asked.

“I’ll go hunt,”Kang Yoon-Sooreplied.

“Where?”Shaneth askedagain.

“At the AlchemistGuildBuilding,”Kang Yoon-Sooanswered.

A guildwas an organizationformedby people who shared the same goals. Manyguildsin the Sylphia Continenthad been foundedbyTravelers whohad been summoned.

“What do you mean?” Shaneth askedwith her eyes wideand her head tilted to one side.She thought,‘What does he mean by hunting in a guild’s building?’

Kang Yoon-Soo just stared at her. He had seen her die hundreds of times, and ithad beenno different inthelife before this one. The worldhad beendestroyed because of the Demon Lord, and Shanethalong with it. However, she, whohaddied with the world,was now alive and well in front of him, and she looked exactly the same as always.

“Thank you,” he saidsuddenly.

“For what?”Shanethasked in confusion.

Kang Yoon-Soo answered as if he were stating the obvious,“For being alive.”

***

Thepairleft the inn and went out onto the streets;it was not difficult for them to spot the alchemistguild’s building. Shaneth tilted her head to one side and asked in confusion, “I’ve never heard of being able to hunt in the alchemistguild’s building. It’s not as if it can bea monster lair or something,right?”

“It’s possible,”Kang Yoon-Soo replied with his characteristic bluntness as hewent inside the building.

A blonde womanwhoseemed to be a receptionist greeted them.“Welcome to the Hiledan branch of the alchemistguild. How may I help you?” she asked with a smile.

“We came to hunt chimeras,” Kang Yoon-Soo answered.

The receptionist was taken aback and responded,“Ah…You mean theChimera Dimension?”

“Yes,”Kang Yoon-Sooreplied.

“So youhave finished the secret quest of the alchemists. Whatisthe password?” the receptionist asked.

Hehad never finished such a quest;in fact, it was actually his first time entering thebuilding. However,Kang Yoon-Soo recited the password as if hehad already knownit.“Destroying the world is easier than creating it,” hesaid.

“You have proven your qualification to enter the A-Class restricted area, theChimera Dimension,” the blondereceptionistsaid in a professional tone.“TheChimera Dimensionis a dangerous place filled with vicious chimeras, but you will be able to growimmenselyand obtain rare rewards. Of course,we, thealchemist guild, will not be liable for your death orany violationof your human rights,” she continued.

Kang Yoon-Soo nodded.Theyweredetails he already knew even withouthaving to hear about them. He had learned about theChimera Dimensioninaprevious life after hundreds of adventurers had died in it.

“TheChimera Dimensionis composed of five floors, and you will start from the first floor. A boss monster resides at the top floor, and theChimera Dimensionwill automatically close once the boss dies,” the blonde receptionistexplained.

‘The timing ofits closingis the problem.’Kang Yoon-Soo thought.

TheChimera Dimensionwas actually a place thatanyone was free to enter. It was a place that one could leave if they felt their lifewasin danger while hunting, as well. However,a sudden event that prevented people from leaving theChimera Dimensionhad occurred. The people in theChimera Dimensionhad ended up unable to leave, and all of them had died.

The alchemists feigned ignorance and refused to take any responsibility for the event, but the truth wasverydifferent. Theyhad used the people insideas test subjects for their secret research,all because one alchemist desired to create a far superior artificial lifeform. TheChimera Dimensionexisted not only in Hiledan, but in other cities too.

‘Rumier Kazan, the genius royal alchemist,’Kang Yoon-Soo thought as he looked at the blonde receptionist. She was just an employee, and the realevildoerswere only a few alchemists. There was a time when he had given his all to expose their evil doingsout of hissense of justice. However, he had noreasonto do that this time.

“I have someone I want to meet.” Kang Yoon-Soo brought up his other agenda to the receptionist.

“Who is it? If it is urgent, we are able to send a message for a fee,” the receptionistreplied.

“Someone who’s currently doing a quest for the alchemist guild. Hisname is Han Se-Hyun. He wears white armor and a mantle with a white lion drawn on it,” Kang Yoon-Soo said as he gave one gold coin to the receptionist.

The receptionistlooked through the files and nodded.“He issomeone whose record is still with us. I will send the fastest message available to him, and it will reach him by tonight at the latest.”

Kang Yoon-Soo walked towardthe corridor.Shaneth caught up with him and asked, “Who was that person you contacted a while ago?”

“Someone who’ll behelpful later on,” Kang Yoon-Soo said. Hefrowned when he remembered something about the man.

Han Se-Hyun was someone he had always met whenever he regressed, and it was hard to forget about him since he was such a nuisance.‘I wouldn’t have to meet him if it weren’t for my level. I need him to easily solve some of theupcoming difficulties…’

While Kang Yoon-Soo was deep in thought, Shaneth askedcuriously, “But what’saChimera Dimension?”

“Thealchemists’ trashcan,”Kang Yoon-Sooreplied.

“What? What do you mean?”Shanethasked.

“I don’t want to bother explaining,”Kang Yoon-Soo answered, as if Shaneth werea nuisance as well.

Then, Shaneth took out the bottle of alcohol from the bag and started to wave it around. It was as if she wereshowing that she could break the bottle at any time.

KangYoon-Sooslowlybegan to speak.“The alchemists have a lot of failed experiments that they have to get rid of more often than not, but they can’t discard the failureswhereverthey please. That’s why one alchemist thought of a solution tocreatea dimension where they coulddiscard their failed experiments. The failed experiments they discarded one by one soon started to mix with each other, and thatwashow it became a lair of chimeras.”

“People volunteer to go to such a dangerous place…?” Shaneth asked in disbelief.

“It’s because it’s a hidden hunting ground,” Kang Yoon-Soo said.Although theChimera Dimensionwas also a place where crazy alchemists would go to obtain sacrifices that they coulduse for their experiments,therewas no need for him to explain that to her as well.‘However, the rewards don’t disappoint. Especially the sword the boss chimera will drop.I can use that for quite a while.’

Kang Yoon-Soo stood in front of a shabby-lookingcharred fireplace.Hegrabbed Shaneth’s wristjust as she wasabout to look at him,thensaid,“Try not to puke.”

“What?” Shaneth responded.

Kang Yoon-Soosimplytook a step toward the fireplace, and his body was sucked in as if it had swallowed him whole. Shaneth stood there with her mouth wide open, but before she could even react, the fireplace swallowed her whole as well.

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”