Chapter Three: The Celestial Audience
The silence by the Cheonggyecheon Stream was a testament to his failure, a temporary setback in his ascent. Lee Soojin lay still, a discarded piece in a game he had almost won. Kang Minwoo stood alone, the sole player left on a broken board. And now, the gamemasters themselves had decided to grace him with their presence.
The familiar blue of the System flickered, a sign of his continued potential.
[Sudden System Anomaly Detected.]
[Dimensional Instability Detected in Proximity.]
[Initiating Forced System Transition.]
The air warped, the water's gentle murmur turning into a discordant whine. The System glitched, then the ruined cityscape dissolved into a breathtaking, terrifying expanse. Ruined Seoul was gone, replaced by a colossal chamber where nine magnificent thrones glowed with an inner light. The central amethyst one sat empty, a silent invitation to power.
Nine figures materialized – light and power, their expressions a mixture of ancient wisdom and detached assessment.
Libra, the scaled woman, spoke first, her voice resonating with celestial authority. "Mortal," she said, her gaze sharp. "Your… unexpected defiance has prolonged your existence. What is your demand?"
Minwoo finally met her gaze, a smirk playing on his lips. "Demand? I don't demand. I propose a change of rules. This game… it was flawed. Predictable. I want a do-over. Send me back. Let's see if I can't break your little system."
Cepheus, the wise king, stepped forward slightly, his starry eyes filled with a profound understanding of the temporal currents. "Mortal, such a request… it carries a price. The energies involved in traversing time… they are turbulent. Your memories of this iteration… they would likely be lost. You would return… unburdened, yet unguided by your immediate past."
Minwoo scoffed. "Memories? They're just data. I adapted once, I'll adapt again. In fact, it'll be a cleaner slate. No baggage. Just pure potential. Send me back. Let's see what a truly optimized player can achieve."
The gods exchanged silent glances, a flicker of something akin to intrigued amusement passing between them. Orion, the fiery warrior, spoke, a hint of a challenge in his voice. "You believe you can succeed where others have failed, even without the lessons etched in your mind?"
Minwoo's smirk widened. "Believe? I know. The others were weak. Hesitant. I won't make the same mistakes. Give me another chance to prove it."
Libra's gaze sharpened, a hint of something akin to respect for his arrogance in her cosmic depths. "Such confidence… it is rare. A desire to return solely to test your own capabilities, knowing the trials and your hard-won knowledge will be forgotten… it is an unusual request."
Virgo, the gentle woman, observed quietly, "A desire driven purely by ego… an interesting variable."
Taurus, the bull-headed giant, rumbled, "The data from a subject with such… self-belief… could be… illuminating."
The gods murmured amongst themselves, a palpable sense of their intrigued curiosity filling the chamber. Finally, Libra addressed Minwoo again, a note of cool interest in her voice. "Very well, mortal. Your… audacious request is granted. You will return to the beginning, stripped of your immediate memories, driven only by your inherent… drive. And our observation… will be most keen."
Minwoo's smirk widened into a confident grin. "Good. Don't blink. You might miss something."
The celestial chamber shimmered, the gods beginning to fade, their expressions a mixture of solemnity and intense curiosity.
"The game… begins anew," their voices echoed, carrying a resonance of the unique arrogance of his desire.
Minwoo felt the sickening pull of time, the promise of a second chance fueled by his own unwavering self-belief. They think I'm just arrogant. They have no idea.