Chapter 311: Blank Paper

A deal with the Wish Granter.

I have made all the arrangements before meeting with him.

My wish is for him to die and in return, my memories of this world.

The problem with this, of course, is that I lose my memories.

So I’ve made some arrangements.

“…Okay, Da-in.”

One is the diary I entrusted to Seo Eun.

It’s the diary I’ve been keeping since I was possessed by this world and decided to see the ending.

It contains all my memories of this world.

And when I get home and read it, I will immediately remember again.

Thanks to the residual thoughts, the destruction of the creature that took my memories, and the Vine Witch… I’m writing this because it’s not really necessary, and a similar method was used in the original story, which means that my memories will return completely.

So far so good.

“I offer all my memories of this world in exchange.”

Normally, this would be no problem, since everyone has memories from this world but I was different, as I came from another world.

And since I read the original book in that world, I also have all the knowledge of the future.

Of course, I might panic if I suddenly lost all my memories but I’ve even prepared for the amnesiac me.

“My wish is your complete and utter death, right now.”

And with that, I made my wish.

“……ha.”

“You… Haha. I see.”

The black child smiled and raised his hand to his head.

Then, with a creepy chuckle, he said.

“I see. I will grant you your wish, child of the stars.”

“But you will realize one day how reckless it is to defy the gods…”

With those words, the creature’s body began to glow white and crack into pieces.

The white tentacles that dangled around it turned black and expanded madly, as if they were about to burst.

At the same time.

“…”

Feeling my mind slowly fading, I reached into my pocket and pressed the button on the recorder I’d prepared in advance.

Okay, it’s all over now.

I’m sure he’s going to do something before he dies, but after this, I’m going to have to take care of myself since I’ve lost my memory.

Honestly, that’s my biggest problem. Would I be able to make it home safely, open the diary, and regain my memories?

…I wasn’t sure.

To be honest, I was a little scared. I wondered if everything I’d done here, all my memories, would be for nothing.

But it was for the best.

Even if I lost my memory forever, I had to take down that dangerous bastard here.

I don’t know. It’ll work out somehow.

Everything will be fine. I have faith in my post-memory self.

“….E…..gostic….!”

Ending those thoughts, in a crumbling prison I closed my eyes, blurring the sound of Stardus shouting at me.

And just like that I lost all the memories I had built up in this world.

***

“Damn!”

~Deep within Carqueas, in the dungeon~

Stardus, who had been blocked by an invisible wall, gritted her teeth as she slammed into the wall once more.

‘…I will give you all my memories of this world in exchange.’

Egostic spoke calmly.

Hearing those words, she doubted her ears for a moment.

But when she saw the conviction in his eyes, she rushed forward, only to be stopped by an invisible wall. With the unearthly shout of a monster, that the deal was sacred.

“Egostic! Egostic!!!”

She called out to him, pitifully, pounding on the wall.

He turned his back on her, as if he couldn’t hear, and went about his business with a serious face.

Yes, perhaps she should have known. That it was always this way with Egostic. That he’d always been this way, always rushing to accomplish his goals without thinking of himself.

Why hadn’t she known?

…She was too complacent.

She thought Egostic would have a solution. He was the one who had laughed and told her to trust him until this morning.

So when he’d told her he had a way to take him down, she’d assumed without thinking that he must have something on his mind. That if he did, he’d think of something special.

The truth is, he’s just an ordinary man on the inside, just like her.

Why didn’t she realize that he was trying to make something happen, even at the expense of himself?

That’s what he meant when he said he was offering his memories in exchange.

That he fears more than anything that he will not remember himself.

Stardus realized, only now, in this moment.

And so she tried desperately to break the wall, but their bargain was faster than that.

“But you will realize one day. How reckless it is to defy the gods…”

With those words, the Wish Granter body began to crumble. Perhaps, given the circumstances, Egostic’s wish was to get rid of him.

At the same time, Egostic’s body staggered.

He stood still and confused, holding his head.

“…Egostic!!!”

Stardus pounded on the wall in frustration.

She finally succeeded in breaking through the wall as the prison shook and the white tentacles flailed about.

“Egostic, are you okay? Egostic!”

She dodged the falling walls of the crumbling prison and made her way to where he was, wondering what Wish Granter had done just before he died.

“…!”

And then it happened.

A wall fell from above her.

Stardus, in a panic, flew down and pulled him out.

“Ha, ha, ha…”

As she flew through the sky, she looked down to see the blackened, thick tentacles multiplying and smashing the prison.

And then Stardus looked down to Egostic in her arms, checking to see if he was okay.

“….First, let’s get out of here.”

“Huh? Uh, yeah!”

Seeing him say that with a determined expression, Stardus quickly prepared to leave the prison.

‘…Wait.’

Surely, Egostic has lost his memory?

Is he okay?

With those questions in mind, she flew quickly to get out, relieved that Egostic was safe for now.

As such, she didn’t notice.

“…”

Egostic’s eyes were fluttering open as she held him.

***

Ugh, my hair…

I stood up, grasping my sticky hair.

Ha, shit. I remember lying in bed last night, but where the hell am I?

With that, I opened my eyes.

And in front of me.

“…?”

Blackness stretched out before me.

No. I was in the middle of a crumbling building, to be precise.

“…”

‘What the hell is going on…Shit.’

Why the hell am I in this place when all I did last night was go out drinking with my friends and sleep at home? Was I kidnapped?

As I stood there, confused, looking around, trying to figure things out suddenly, I heard a voice in my ear.

[Ah, ah. Can you hear me?]

“?”

What the hell.

I fumbled for a moment and brought my hand to my ear, where I felt the earbuds plugged in.

While I was still confused as to what the hell was going on, the voice in my ear continued.

[I am the future you. And you are the present day me, who woke up and realized that this is the way things are now. Now, if you hesitate, you will die. Don’t question it, but quickly grasp the situation and follow my instructions.]

The voice speaks quickly, as if not giving me a chance to be confused.

It’s urgent now, so don’t think about what’s going on, just follow what your future self says.

…I decided to comply.

“Shit. What the hell…’

Because I’ve always been the kind of person who doesn’t dwell on a crisis, but rather deals with the situation at hand.

[Okay. You’re me, you’ll figure it out. Look around you. What’s falling apart, what’s just been fucked up? Then find the girl with the blonde hair. Her name is Stardus. Yeah, she’s who you think she is. Let’s get the hell out of here..

“Egostic!”

Just as I was hearing the voice in my earpiece, I heard a woman’s voice from behind me.

Suddenly, there’s the sound of something crashing down from above.

-Boom.

Before I knew it, I was in her arms.

“…?”

And just like that, I was flying through the air, sounding like I was being carried.

Shit. I’ve never flown before in my life.

Once I was airborne, I looked up and saw the face of the person holding me.

‘Wow.’

The most beautiful person I’ve ever seen in my life.

She had waist-length blonde hair, and clear blue eyes that seemed to be filled with concern for me.

…As I stared at her for a moment, I realized something.

Her face looked exactly like how Stardus was depicted in the comics I’d seen.

And when I realized that I reflexively blurted out the words I had heard earlier.

“….First, let’s get out of here.”

“Huh? Uh, yeah!”

She nodded at my words, and then looked up at the sky while carrying me.

I gave up trying to think anymore.

I don’t know, shit.

[Oh, and by the way, your name is Egostic here.]

‘Nice name.’

That was the only thing I could think of.