“Joo-yeon, you can still enroll in a nursing academy.”

“Why are you telling me this, uncle?”

I looked at Uncle Seung-min, who has slightly wavy brown hair and ash gray eyes, with a confused look. I was helping him out to wash the dishes after all of us had our dinner. I tend to do these tasks so that Ga-young could focus on her studies for her final senior year. Gi-young was still an eight-year-old kid; thus, it's natural he went to bed early.

“I saw the college catalog you kept in your school bag.”

“Uncle, that was…”

“I know getting into college is expensive, but if you’re giving up for my sake,...”

“Even if that no-good woman didn't exist at all, I would still decide not to apply for college. Anyway, Ga-young and Gi-young are your kids, uncle. I want what's best for you three. I'm sure they want to pursue something they want in college.”

“Joo-yeon, you are precious to me. To your cousins. Your mom included. That's why… I’m hoping you can be honest with me. I'm worried that I can’t do anything for you.”

For a moment, I stopped my gloved hands at a white plate I was wiping. I could feel his feelings of uneasiness about my future. However, I want to lessen the financial burden he has to resolve as soon as possible. I turned to face my uncle, who looked a bit sad, with the earnest smile I could ever make for him. His face looked astonished seeing my smile. I was determined to reassure him not to feel any guilt for me.

“You did something for me, uncle. And that's raising me to be determined in making my own choices. That’s why I can be brave in making a choice without any regrets.”

Ha….Ha….Ha….

To think I'm able to experience a flashback of a happy memory with Uncle Seung-min, which happened right after I graduated high school, is all I could think of right now. There's one thing the mastermind of this wretched room doesn't know about me and that is…

“I ain't gonna die that easily, you bastards!!”

And so, my persistence in dodging and running away from these nine shadowy Beasts is a sign of my determination to not give into despair that easily. The room gives off the most intimidating aura I can feel due to its painted wall's latest color change to a dark red. I don't know how long I've been running around in circles or whether any S-rank Slayer is able to find this hidden Labyrinth I'm stuck inside of. All I can estimate is that almost a day has passed by here. I bet back outside the Labyrinth’s gate it would've been at least a few hours have passed by. Anyhow, I'm running out of breath though I manage to dodge another sudden attack from the shadowy Beast.

“Oh ho…I appreciate you lot giving me your attention unlike those Slayers of a higher rank I've met so far.”

It seems to me that my talking to these Beasts, who don't speak at all, is the only way to keep my mind from slipping into insanity. I make a mock out of them as I tell them how they're not giving their all in killing a weak Slayer like me.

“Are you really S-rank Beasts!? Chun Sun-woo would be so disappointed battling monsters like yourselves!!”

Man~ why on earth would I think about that guy? Probably because he's the only S-rank Slayer who's closer to my age.

Speaking about my age, I just remember the night before, Uncle Seung-min was hiding a coupon for a chimaek meal which is my most favorite thing to eat. He must've been planning to use it for my birthday today. But now, I feel so tired; so nauseous; so much pain in my bleeding arm and bruised head. My mouth has blood stains. Ga-young's dress is completely different as the sleeves have been torn off during my time of running from these orange-eyed Beasts.

I want to go home…I must!

Slash!

I scream at the top of my lungs as one of the Beasts' tails makes a huge cut on my back. The slashing has cut my light brown long hair around shoulder-length. I stumble, panting heavily more than ever. I drop my life-draining dagger to cover my mouth coughing another mouthful of blood; the blade has slid far away to a cornered fallen pillar. This time, the monster’s poisoning ability becomes an immediate effect for my body. I can feel so much discomfort from my burning eyes. Then, I get tackled down by one of their smoky-shaped arms, coincidentally I fall down backwards right on top of the wicker man symbol. I can feel the blood oozing out of my slashed back. My arms and legs are pulled forcefully to an X-shape by four of the shadowy Beasts; each one seizing each arm and leg of mine. In a flash, one wrist of mine gets pierced by the fifth shadow’s tail. My piercing scream is heard throughout the room. Each of the next three shadows pierces my other wrist and my ankles. I can hear my blood oozing out of my newly-made wounds.

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My side eyes spot some of my blood touching the symbol’s lines beneath me. The lines begin to glow brightly in the color of a reddish-orange akin to a fire’s color. Eventually, I begin to lose my sanity as I keep on letting out my piercing screams whilst feeling every second of agonizing pain in my wrists and ankles. My vision gets more hazy as I'm seeing flashbacks of those who have stirred unwanted feelings I've been bottling up until now.

I hate this. Hate…hate…hate… HATE, HATE, HATE, HATE, HATE, HATE, HATE, HATE!!!!!!!! Your son is too young to lose a mother!? You're justifying yourself with pathetic excuses!! I've got a family to go back home to!!! You're no different than Jang, you hypocrite!! I should give up…You don't know what it feels like to be weak, Chun Sun-woo!!! You're just lucky to be born strong from the start!!! I wish I can be strong like you all! I…hic…don't want…to feel…like this…anymore…

“Yes, Kang Joo-yeon.”

Whose voice…

I vaguely recognise the echoing voice I'm hearing now belongs to the same unknown man. Come to think of it, his voice range sounds slightly lower than Jung-han's voice. Probably has a similar voice tone to Chun.

“Give into your despair more and you'll have your wish come true with our Guideline's Trúpa Program.”

My wish…The Program…is this what I really…want… right now?

I can see the final shadowy Beast hovering near the top of this tomb. It seems to be igniting a purple-colored magical aura. It forms a huge ball of blackish-purple light above me. I feel it's gonna shoot this magic bullet straight into my soul. For one last time, I inwardly say these final words in my mind.

I don't care if you're just an observer and probably the one Ms Han believes without needing to see you…if you really exist, then please give me a chance! Have mercy on this weak being here! I want to survive! I want…to live!!

Just then, I hear a static sound. At that moment, a vermillion-colored light disperses across this tomb. It burns so bright that the shadows, including the one who was about to blast his ball of light towards me, have to let go of my arms and legs and remove their tails from my pierced wounds. They cover their eyes as if the vermillion light is an exorcism’s device. Oddly enough, the light isn't blinding me at all so I'm able to get a good look at where it's coming from. I scan across the ground I'm pinned on and there, I find it emitting from my low-grade dagger.

“Why you, Elysian! Don't think you can change our plans by putting yo…revi…dru…pow…”

The static interference at the end of his sentence makes me unable to find out what he's up to. Before I can think anymore, I hear more static sounds surrounding this tomb. I manage to see blank paintings suddenly appearing, materializing themselves in a digitalised appearance. In the middle of these paintings, I see a portal in every one of them. Out of nowhere, a familiar-looking screen appears right above me. Even though I’m about to lose consciousness, I'm able to identify and read the words clearly.

[“Thy struggles to gain strength;

Yet thy who won't deny thy weakness;

Thy chose to pray for a chance to live again.”]

Then, gallons of water come out of the portals, violently washing away the shadowy Beasts that were lingering around me. The monsters seemingly get dissolved into the torrent of water. Once they seem to be gone from my sight, I realize the water is submerging the whole tomb. I hold my breath, but to no avail, I can only do that for a very short moment. And then, I can feel that I'm drowning inside this watered tomb. Just when I think I'm about to die, the same screen appears once more in my sight.

[The requirements for the Hidden Task: Regaining the Will to Live by Faith has been completed. You've been selected for “The Restart Program”.]

Program… that man was talking about it…

[You're qualified to own the “backup soul” named Elysian - The Archdruid of Versatility.]

Elysian…who's that? Druid…

[You've ten seconds to choose “Accept”. If not, your soul will not experience a “restart” after the countdown.]

[10]

[9]

[8]

Restart? Does that mean keeping me alive…

[5]

[4]

If that's what it means, then…I've got a choice.

[3]

[2]

With my mind inwardly saying “Accept”’, the button, which has that word on the screen, has been pressed right before the countdown reaches ‘0’.

[1]

[Welcome, Kang Joo-yeon.]

[You've agreed to become a participant of The Restart Program.]

[Your Healer class has been designated with the Druid subclass.]

[May this revisioned Guideline give you the strength you need.]

Before I can process these messages coming from this game system-like thing, I finally lose my consciousness that I close my eyes as if I need a peaceful sleep right now.