The building was fine just a moment ago.
But now, it was a pile of stone ruins.
In the middle of it, Limon ran his bloody hands through his hair.
Looking at the countless gun barrels aimed at him, he calmly thought to himself.
‘What did I do wrong?’
If the opponents had been criminals, he wouldn’t even have pondered this.
Whether it was the boss of a vicious criminal organization, a politician pulling the strings of the state, or a general of a mighty superpower.
When facing those who preyed on the country and threatened humanity, he never once hesitated to swing his sword.
The reason he was troubled was simple.
The people aiming their guns at him now were not criminals.
In fact, many of them were colleagues he had shared meals with until yesterday.
“Guys, I’ve been thinking, and I just can’t figure it out…”
That was why Limon couldn’t hold back his question.
“Just why is this happening?”
He had fought for humanity his entire life.
He didn’t want to claim he had only ever done the right thing.
But he had never once committed an evil act for personal greed.
At one point, his devotion was recognized, and he was praised as a hero, even rising to a position second only to one.
That was why he couldn’t understand it even more.
“Why are you trying to kill me by setting a trap like this and even framing me with such ridiculous accusations, you bastards?”
It wasn’t a lament.
It wasn’t sarcasm.
It wasn’t anger or a scream.
What was contained within was pure incomprehensibility.
It was merely a question as to why they wanted to kill him.
He couldn’t understand the reason they were trying to dispose of him, even going so far as to sacrifice subordinates and frame him.
The people aiming their guns didn’t answer.
Several of them simply stepped aside to the left and right, as if following someone’s instructions.
And from among those who stepped back, a person appeared.
The moment he saw the mastermind who had orchestrated this, Limon finally understood.
“…Ha.”
Then he let out a short laugh.
“The hound is cooked once the hunt is over…!”
The reason was truly simple.
A hunting dog is no longer needed once the hunt is finished.
It was only human nature to want to dispose of a mad dog that ran wild at its own whim—even if that mad dog was the top contributor who had protected the country until now.
“So, you’re saying a relic like me isn’t needed anymore?”
He already knew.
He knew there were many who found him uncomfortable.
But he hadn’t cared.
Being envied by petty people was something he had dealt with his whole life.
Above all, he had believed that no matter what anyone said, the country would never abandon him.
But that was a miscalculation.
No, it could even be called arrogance.
The country Limon had crossed the threshold of death numerous times to protect no longer needed him.
Rather, they were trying to frame him for all sorts of crimes and dispose of him, claiming he was a hindrance to national interests.
Perhaps it was only natural.
The era when Limon was an absolute power was in the past.
Now the country needed others, and he was merely called an outdated relic—even though he still possessed the ultimate strength to stand against the entire world.
“Right, I was wrong.”
After understanding that much, Limon finally realized the reason he was pushed into this situation and what his decisive mistake had been.
“I was an idiot for trying so hard to protect this shitty world.”
He had neglected wealth and power.
He lived prioritizing duty and responsibility.
He showed kindness and gave concessions to the weak.
While scoffing at the term “patriotism,” he risked his life to fight and protect the world.
That was Limon’s mistake.
If he had gathered wealth and power.
If he had grasped rights and authority and wielded them.
If he had ignored peace and lived selfishly… and, if he had accepted the proposal she made back then, at least he wouldn’t have been discarded while feeling this foul.
‘If I were given another chance…’
Limon suddenly thought.
If he had the power to turn back time.
What would it be like if he could live his life once more?
At that very moment, three pillars of light plunged down from the sky.
[A small number of Constellations watching you respond to your wish.]
[‘The Prankster Who Mocks Fate’ proposes a contract. If you agree, you can gain the power to change fate.]
[‘The Merciful Guardian of Resurrection’ proposes a contract. If you agree, you can gain the power to reverse death.]
[‘The Crow Who Watches Over Glory’ proposes a contract. If you agree, you can gain the power to find glory.]
[Which Constellation’s contract will you accept?]
“…Huh?”
Three pillars of light poured down from the stars.
Limon blinked as he saw the messages appearing before his eyes one after another.
He couldn’t understand what was happening for a moment.
The ones who were actually terrified were the others.
“What?! Why a Constellation!”
“That radiance… No, could it be a Monarch-grade Constellation?”
“Unbelievable! Not just one, but three Monarch-grade Constellations appeared to propose a contract!”
As if their previous silence—acting like they didn’t know how to speak at all—was a lie.
Watching them make such a fuss, Limon could finally understand what was happening and what he had to do.
“Kill him! We must stop him before he contracts with a Constellation!”
As if feeling fear at the changing situation, the others followed the shout of the mastermind and hurriedly tried to attack Limon.
But it was an action taken too late.
Before they could even pull their triggers, Limon was already moving.
Slash!
“……!”
The moment they saw the scene that unfolded afterward, the people in the area let their jaws drop.
It wasn’t because of the single sword already held in Limon’s hand.
The three pillars of light that had been brilliant just a moment ago were all shattered into pieces and crumbling away, leaving them in shock.
“Fuck off, you scammers!”
Limon shouted fiercely amidst the fragments of light he had cut down.
Then, glaring at the stars in the sky, he held up his middle finger firmly.
“My fate belongs to me! I’d rather die than hand myself over to things like you at such a low price!”
‘That… crazy…!’
They lost their minds.
Usually, even just a contract with a Constellation is something others can’t do because they don’t have the chance.
In particular, a contract with a Monarch-grade Constellation was something possible only with heavenly luck.
It was the dream of all Players.
Yet, far from refusing such luck, he had cut down the blessing of the Constellations with a sword.
The fact that such a thing was even possible was astounding.
And the fact that he actually did it was unbelievable even after seeing it.
But behind that shock, they also realized something at the same time.
This man was Limon Aspelder—the hero of humanity who once stood at the pinnacle of the world, and the worst mad dog.
“What are you staring at, you bastards? Do you think I’ll let you off just because you’re acting like spectators now?”
Rumble.
“Hm? What kind of trick is this now?”
And the moment that mad dog rolled his eyes and tried to charge at them, a storm of light clawed at the night.
The fragments of the pillars of light that Limon had cut down began to swirl around him as if they were spiraling out of control.
“What are you things, door-to-door salesmen? Hey, I said I’m not signing a contract, so get lost! Why do you keep sticking to me!?”
As the remnants of light drew closer, Limon let out a roar and swung his sword again.
But no matter how many times he cut them, they only scattered.
The light did not disappear and began to condense around Limon.
Limon, as well as those surrounding him, could not hide their confusion at a phenomenon they had never heard of or seen before in their lives.
However, there were others who were the most flustered by the situation.
[System error, error number k9400a4. A bug has occurred due to a forced system disconnection during contract proceedings.]
[The damaged fragments of the Constellations are being absorbed by the subject.]
Box.
World.
[‘The Prankster Who Mocks Fate,’ who had one of his hands stolen, is rolling around.]
[‘The Merciful Guardian of Resurrection,’ who lost one of her wings, is flustered.]
[‘The Crow Who Watches Over Glory,’ who was robbed of a pair of eyes, is enraged.]
Like victims who had been mugged while out shopping, three stars in the sky flashed turbulently, causing a gale and shaking the earth.
But no matter how much the stars tossed and turned, the flow of light did not stop.
“What? Hey, you guys! What do you think you’re putting into someone’s body without permission? Get lost! Won’t you get out?!”
While the others watched blankly, the dust of light that had fallen from the stars was sucked into the rampaging Limon’s body like a whirlpool.
And so, the moment every last streak of light had seeped into Limon—the world collapsed.
It was a strange sensation.
***
A sense of fatigue as if he hadn’t slept for a hundred years, and conversely, a grogginess as if he had been wandering through dreams for a hundred years.
While it felt like it was neither a dream nor reality, it was a boundary of thought that was even harder to escape for that very reason.
The thing that pulled Limon out of being endlessly submerged within that state and forgetting himself was a voice.
“Team Leader, Team Leader?”
Limon pondered who this voice belonged to and why it felt so unfamiliar despite clearly being a familiar voice.
“Stop sleeping and get up already. This is why people call you a total mess…”
Snap!
“Kyaah?!”
“Who are you calling a mess, you brat?”
Regardless of whether his head had fully cleared or not, his body reacted instantly.
The moment he heard the word “mess,” he flicked his finger and struck the forehead of the person who had been shaking him.
“Eek! Why did you hit me in the face of all places? If I end up unable to get married because of this, are you going to take responsibility, Team Leader?!”
It must have been quite painful.
Looking at the woman who was clutching her reddened forehead and groaning before yelling with teary eyes, Limon made a peculiar expression.
It was because he finally remembered who she was.
“Yu Na-kyung?”
“What is it!”
“The Na-kyung who’s on my team?”
“I’m your only teammate, Team Leader. Is there another Na-kyung?”
Name: Yu Na-kyung.
Age: 26.
Occupation: Specially recruited civil servant.
Status: His teammate.
Characteristic: Surprisingly rude.
Height 158 cm, weight… well, let’s skip that for now.
As if something that had been blocked was finally cleared, memories of her began to flood back, starting with her name.
After retracing them for a moment, Limon set aside all those memories and asked her the thing he was most curious about.
“Why are you alive?”