Chapter 164

It was a bizarre scene.

Question marks floated over everyone’s heads. Representing all the speechless onlookers, Sweeper asked,

“Hyung, did you have a secret daughter?”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

Yohan pushed the girl away as he replied. She still wouldn’t take her eyes off him.

“I incarnated in the wrong place and wandered for a while. I’m bad with directions, you see. I missed you, Yohan. You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this day.”

The others’ expressions subtly changed. Her tone and manner felt out of place, like an old man in a young girl’s body. Yohan stared at her and spoke.

“How did you get here? How do you know me?”

“Before that, could you send your friends away? This isn’t a story for others to hear.”

Yohan nodded at the group, who looked at him in dismay. They reluctantly stepped out.

Left alone, Yohan pulled over a chair for her and sat down, crossing his legs.

“Since those pretending to be nice are gone, here’s your warning. I don’t hold back just because you’re a kid. If you try anything or spout nonsense, I’ll put a bullet in you.”

Despite the threat, the girl just smiled brightly, unafraid.

“I know. I know what kind of person you are, your personality, and the life you’ve led.”

“Huh?”

Yohan wondered just how long he was supposed to play along with this bizarre conversation.

“I don’t know where to begin.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m Stella. The entity in charge of danger and disaster. And your sponsor.”

Yohan’s mind tangled up like a skein of yarn. It was Korean, but he couldn’t understand a word.

A crazy kid?

Sensing his doubts, Stella scratched her head.

“How should I explain… Remember about a year after you settled in New Zealand? You called out to us then.”

He was confused.

“Oh, you still have the key, right? That’ll make it easy to explain.”

With a snap, Stella rummaged somewhere in Yohan’s room.

“Should be here… Ah, found it.”

What she took out was the document Jae-ho had brought—what Yohan called the Revelation. She opened to the last page and pointed to one of the many monsters drawn in the final chapter.

“Here, this is me.”

“…….”

Yohan couldn’t brush it off as nonsense or a joke. The shock left his mind reeling.

What was this? Even more bewildering than when he first regressed.

Questions spun in his mind, but nothing came out. He just felt like a complete fool.

“Why are you so quiet? You look out of it.”

When Stella asked with concern, Yohan barely regained his composure.

“…You’re saying you’re the cause of all this?”

“‘Cause’ is a bit harsh, but… I can’t say I’m blameless.”

Looking embarrassed, Stella scratched her pale cheek.

“Proof?”

“In any way you want.”

“I’ll cut off your head. If you’re a divine being, you won’t die.”

Stella smiled faintly. Annoyed by that smile, Yohan drew his machete and swung without hesitation.

He held nothing back.

Even if she was just a lunatic, it was a joke in terrible taste.

Without a second’s hesitation, the cold blade sliced the girl’s neck.

Slice—

A strange sensation. Like cutting rubber.

“…….”

He’d definitely cut her neck, but not a drop of blood spilled. The beheaded Stella awkwardly reached for her head, picked it up, and set it back on her neck.

It was grotesque and uncanny.

“Not the best feeling. Please calm down.”

Yohan’s eyes widened. Even seeing and feeling it with his own hands, he couldn’t believe it.

“You look upset.”

“I don’t even know how to describe what I’m feeling. You wouldn’t understand.”

Someone who plays with human lives for fun.

“No, I get it to some degree. I’m truly sorry. Still, you did amazingly well. You became a great king. I respect your effort and hard work.”

“Cut the crap and the compliments.”

His expression was faint, his blinking eyes lifeless.

“You must have a lot of questions. Today is the first and last time we’ll meet, so don’t hold back.”

“I have a lot of questions.”

“Ask away. If it’s something I can answer, I’ll answer anything.”

Yohan regained his composure.

He still couldn’t believe this, but he had no choice. The unreality somehow felt even more real. In all the nearly six years since the first zombie appeared, it never once felt like reality.

“What can’t you answer?”

“The other entities don’t like sponsors and beneficiaries meeting. But it’s fine. No one cares about a finished game.”

“What about you?”

“I’m different. Because I love you. Even after the game ends, my attention won’t disappear.”

Yohan frowned.

“In the first game, the last game, and this one—I’ve always sensed your crises and could protect you because that was part of me. The others chose you for honor, but I’m different. I love you.”

“You love me?”

“Yes. Though by human standards, it might be different. Not about physical or mental connection, but something broader.”

“…….”

“Think of it as loving your existence. But… the feeling when I hugged you before was new to me. I was happy. If you’re willing, I’d like to try physical and emotional connection, too. What do you think?”

“Get lost.”

Yohan’s answer was short and clear.

“I wanted to experience human love…”

“Stop with the nonsense. I’ll ask my questions, you answer. Why did you destroy this world?”

“Before that, let me ask one thing. Don’t get agitated. Don’t let your emotions explode. It’s all over now, okay?”

“Just answer.”

Yohan’s response was cold. Stella stared off into the distance and began slowly.

“We don’t know when or why we came to be. We just existed. We didn’t interfere with causality, and each of us managed our own domains, but our existence was nothing but boredom.”

She spoke slowly.

“One day, it all started from a silly prank between two entities. At first, it was just a simple bet. Then ten, then most of us joined. We were bored. When the stakes grew, the overseer suggested creating a giant game field. That’s how this place was chosen. B-147, Earth. We copied certain points in time and ran games, and now here we are.”

“…All because you were bored.”

Stella glanced at Yohan, expecting him to get angry like a few months ago, but his expression was calm. Rather, he seemed sunken.

“Not angry?”

“I don’t have the energy. I never expected a good reason anyway. Next question. Did my actions get in your way?”

It was a vague question, but she understood exactly. She’d watched him every moment.

“…Honestly, no. Thanks to you, a few more people survived. This round, the game was poorly designed. But no matter what you did, no one would have cared. If all humanity disappeared right after the game began, or if the apostles were all defeated and civilization unscathed—it wouldn’t have mattered.”

There were too many questions. He gave up organizing them and just asked what came to mind. Yohan pointed at the Revelation.

“What’s this book?”

“We call it the key. It’s a device created by an entity fond of prophecies. At the end of the game, if the key’s owner is sponsored, it lets them meet their sponsor. I could appear before you because you had the key.”

“Why make it?”

“…Who knows. They say the key finds its own owner. Maybe it’s to give the main player of the game the right to know the truth.”

Yohan absorbed the explanation.

“You said ‘the others’ before. What did you mean?”

“I’m not the only one who sponsored you. The one who gave you memories of the last game, the one who enhanced your senses—they did, too.”

“Memories of the last game… So it wasn’t regression.”

“No. That Yohan died, and you inherited his memories.”

“So they didn’t sponsor me last game?”

“Right. Only I sponsor you every round.”

“Rina and Sweeper, too?”

“Yes. They’re also sponsored by us.”

The tangled mess in his mind began to unravel. Now he understood. He’d developed the sense to dodge arrows, a skill he never had before.

But he had a sense for danger even in the last life—the instinct that let him survive for three years.

What he’d dismissed as luck.

“You said the game ended.”

“Right. The game lasted three years. After three years, the apostles—oh, those are the mutants you call Piccolo and his ilk—disappear, and the infection they caused also fades. Zombies will also rot away. But be careful for about a month. Some traces may linger.”

Did he die in the last game because he failed to survive that month? No, it wasn’t zombies that finished him off last time. It was Gae Baekjong of the Seoul Survival Union, even stronger than now. The apocalypse ending didn’t mean those fights were over—so it made no difference.

“What happens to us now?”

“It’s all over. Do whatever you want. But… there’s one thing I hope for.”

Stella spoke carefully.

“I hope you’ll be happy. I’ve always wanted that. It’s embarrassing to say it out loud.”

With a young girl’s face, she smiled brightly. Yohan couldn’t bring himself to hate her anymore.

He didn’t like her, but he couldn’t spit on someone blessing him with happiness when everything was finally over.

“Oh, one more thing. A message for you.”

“A message?”

“Some self-correction is happening among the entities. A few of us insist this needs to end. I promise—I’ll end this in your place, take responsibility for it.”

He stared at her, then let out a sigh.

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Doesn’t matter?”

“It’s not my problem anymore. I survived, the game is over. For the next ‘me’ in another game, they can handle it. The only thing that matters to me is that it’s all over. But if you have a conscience or guilt, stop them from playing with this place again. That’s your only atonement.”

“I swear.”

Stella nodded, tightly gripping Yohan’s hand.

He felt nothing from her touch.

* * *

December 2019.

Three years since the apocalypse. The next day.

Yohan officially declared the end of the apocalypse, and humanity’s victory.

At last, a new era had dawned.

* * *

[Final Credits]

One day, as Seri walked over with a coffee cup, Yohan spoke.

“Seri.”

His usual dryness was unchanged, but now a touch of warmth colored his voice. These days, he’d make her heart skip dozens of times a day over the smallest things. Their relationship was still even and unhurried, but he wanted nothing more.

He was happy just to spend time together.

Seri set down her coffee cup and replied.

“Yeah?”

“Let’s reproduce.”

“…? Out of nowhere?”

“If you don’t want to, forget it.”

“Wait, hold on!”

She stopped, looking utterly conflicted.

“I really hate myself for not being able to say no to a guy with zero sense of mood.”

Yohan grinned, immediately stripping off his shirt. The faded scar on his shoulder and his well-built muscles caught her eye.

“What are you doing?”

He had no sense of mood at all, but her cheeks flushed. His solid arm wrapped around her shoulder.

Her heart pounded.

<RE: Survival> End.

To be continued in the [Side Story – Code Name Sweeper]

(T/N: What the hell was that?! Feels really abrupt! Oh man, but at least Seri gets laid lol. Anyway, I had fun TL’ing this series! It’s what I’m looking for a zombie themed series not until the ending though. Feels kinda unique to me espescially the reason for the zombie apocalypse. Anyway, thanks so much everyone for the support you gave me on this series! This is still not the final chapter we have at least 10 more filled with side stories of different characters but for now, the main RE: Survival plot has ended. Thanks again!)