The Player Who Can't Level Up

‘No!’ Gi-Gyu, trapped under Jupiter’s seal, screamed when he realized what was happening outside.

He couldn't understand why El was inside Shin Yoo-Bin’s body or even here, in this shell.

He had many questions, but they were unimportant compared to the one thing he knew: El couldn’t defeat Jupiter.

‘I can feel it.’ Gi-Gyu thought in desperation. He wasn’t sure if Jupiter had anticipated this, but being restrained by these chains had sharpened Gi-Gyu’s senses. It was as if the chains were solely focusing on restraining his energy.

‘This is…’ 

These metal chains were a seal but also something like a cleft or an opening.

So what was it?

Was it magic, Death, Life, or Chaos?

Apart from these powers, the chains had something novel. Gi-Gyu didn’t know what it was, but it felt like the medley of these energies made the chains stronger.

And at the same time…

‘My senses are becoming sharper.’

Gi-Gyu could not watch the battle outside without depending on his physical body. Perhaps this was why he could feel what was happening very clearly.

‘I am certain that something happened to El.’ 

The El fighting inside Shin Yoo-Bin’s body seemed unstable. And not just her physical form but also her mind. This was why El couldn’t defeat Jupiter.

El would end up…

‘...!’ Suddenly, something moved through the metal chains. It was moving away from Gi-Gyu, not toward him.

“It’s… Chaos!’ 

He couldn’t handle Chaos well, but he also couldn’t just sit back and watch.

‘I need to help her!’ 

Gi-Gyu couldn’t let El get hurt. Watching her die once was more than enough. He didn’t want her to experience something similar again.

His emotions and energy flowed out of the metal chains. He felt calm. The situation was as urgent as it could get, but his mind focused on finding absolute tranquility. He closed his eyes, so he couldn’t see anything. But, through the chains, he could still sense the strange flow of the energy leaving him. It was as if the chains had replaced his eyes.

“Haa…” He heard his real voice for the first time since he was trapped. A thick fog left his mouth as he opened his eyes.

‘El.’ 

His half-opened eyes were filled with Chaos, and something changed then. An unknown force had connected his thread-like sync with El to his chains.

***

“What have you done?!” someone yelled.

Gi-Gyu came to his senses and looked ahead.

“Jupiter… You bastard,” he growled when he saw his despised other self before him.

Jupiter also didn’t look too happy. He looked confused, like he couldn’t comprehend the situation. However, its next words transferred the confusion to Gi-Gyu. Jupiter screamed, “I ask you what you did!”

Jupiter continued, “Why? How? How are you able to use that power?! It is supposed to be mine and mine only! As your other self, I am the only one who can handle that power! Only I can use it!” Jupiter shrieked resentfully. His eyes looked bright red, indicating how furious he was.

Suddenly, something shot toward Jupiter.

Clunk.

It was one of the metal chains that had imprisoned Jupiter and Gi-Gyu. But now, it was twined around one of Jupiter’s hands.

Jupiter didn’t resist. He mumbled crazily in confusion, “I’m supposed to take your body. That is my role. So what am I supposed to do now?”

Clunk.

Another metal chain flew to trap Jupiter’s other hand. He muttered, “How…? Tell me. How did you do this? You weren’t allowed to use this much Chaos. So how?”

Clunk.

A third metal chain wrapped around one of his feet.

“I’m going to take your body. That is the purpose of my existence. That is the only way I can free myself.”

Clunk.

Another metal chain reached his leg.

Clunk.

This time, several dozen metal chains shot out and enveloped Jupiter. He looked like a mummy with only two differences: His face was still visible, and metal chains had replaced the bandages.

“This isn’t over. I can take your body whenever I wan—”

Clunk.

The last metal chain covered Jupiter’s mouth.

“Jupiter,” Gi-Gyu whispered. Despite being a metallic mummy, Jupiter continued his efforts to speak. However, he was now where he was supposed to be.

Gi-Gyu closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, he was in a different place.

***

“Oppa.”

Gi-Gyu was back in the flower field inside Yoo-Bin’s shell, but it felt different now. The disgustingly overwhelming scent was gone, replaced by a subtle yet elegant fragrance.

“Yoo-Bin,” Gi-Gyu said under his breath. The woman standing before him looked like Yoo-Bin, and he could tell it wasn’t Asmodeus’ piece tricking him again.

Jupiter had been sealed away now, and the metal chains Gi-Gyu gave him the ability to distinguish one existence from another.

This woman.

She was Yoo-Bin, but…

“El,” Gi-Gyu whispered.

She was also El. Yoo-Bin and El had become one. When Gi-Gyu had synced with them, they became one, making the woman before him Shin Yoo-Bin and El.

“Master.”

Just as Gi-Gyu expected, Yoo-Bin’s lips called out in El’s voice. But soon after, Yoo-Bin’s voice continued, “I missed you. It was just for a moment, but I thought I would lose you, Oppa… Master.”

“I’m okay. I’ll be fine.” Gi-Gyu promised, “I’ll take you out of this place soon.”

“No, it’s too late for us now,” Yoo-Bin and El replied.

Before Gi-Gyu could say anything, El continued, “My consciousness was destabilizing when I overtook Shin Yoo-Bin’s body, which was also unstable. Our combined self is too labile now. It is over for us. I am just happy that I got to see you once more, Master. I am content.”

With a smile, El added, “Thank you. Thank you for being alive and becoming stronger. I am so proud of how far you have come, Master.”

“El…”

“My body has probably already started collapsing. It will be the same for Shin Yoo-Bin’s body too. We both have lost the power to maintain our shells. It will soon be over. I had a wonderful life with you, Master.”

El became quiet, and it was now Yoo-Bin’s turn.

“Oppa, do you know what the gypsophila flowers mean?”

Gi-Gyu shook his head. Let alone gypsophilas, he didn’t know the meaning of any flower.

Still, not a single tear left his eyes.

He wasn’t giving up.

“A violet gypsophila symbolizes a pure heart.” Yoo-Bin smiled, her heart as pure as can be.

“We both love you, Oppa.” Her smile deepened.

Gi-Gyu stepped toward her.

Her cheeks pink, Yoo-Bin continued, “And the pink gypsophila symbolizes a moment of happiness.”

Gi-Gyu took another step toward her; he wasn’t far away from her, to begin with. One more step and he would reach her.

“The last one is the white gypsophila, which means…”

He felt a breeze, but he knew this was just his imagination. They weren’t even inside Yoo-Bin’s shell anymore. They were in an illusionary space. Because the two women were now synced to him, he could create an area where they could exist and meet briefly.

So, the breeze was fake, and so was the flowery scent.

Gi-Gyu tried to take that last step, but Yoo-Bin began to change.

It was as if…

“Death.”

Beginning from her feet, Yoo-Bin gradually turned into flowers.

The white gypsophilas.

“Don’t you think this moment is perfect for me? After all, I have always loved gypsophilas. I love you with a pure heart and am happy to have met you.”

Yoo-Bin smiled. Half of her body had already turned into flowers and disappeared.

“And now, I get to die by your side like this, Oppa.”

Then…

“Master,” El said. She gave Gi-Gyu an angelic smile before whispering, “You made me so happy.” Her smile was like a blooming gypsophila.

Gi-Gyu took the last step and hugged her. He hugged what hadn’t turned into flowers like his life depended on it. He didn’t feel any warmth from her because this was just an illusion. Her death was certainly real, but this space wasn’t.

The two voices whispered at the same time.

-Thank you, Master.

-Thanks, Oppa.

The last of the flowers scattered away from Gi-Gyu’s arms. She was gone, but Gi-Gyu didn’t shed a single tear.

“You aren’t going to die,” Gi-Gyu firmly said with a calm face. “I won’t let you.”

Suddenly, the surrounding space shattered like glass. Next, he saw someone lying on the ground.

It was Shin Yoo-Bin’s body, holding both El and Yoo-Bin’s consciousness. Gi-Gyu grabbed her wrist, knowing that they were still connected.

***

“What is happening?” Lou anxiously asked.

Soo-Jung looked nervous as well.

Quite some time had passed since El entered Yoo-Bin’s shell, yet the situation had become eerily calm. Time passed differently inside a shell, as the time axis inside shells was relative rather than absolute.

So, time had undoubtedly passed slower inside Yoo-Bin’s shell, but things should have been over by now, regardless.

Soo-Jung asked, “Do you think she will be successful?”

Lou slowly shook his head.

“No. El isn’t in good condition right now. She’s very unstable, so not only will Jupiter defeat her, but Shin Yoo-Bin’s consciousness might also devour her.”

It was an unexpected answer, but Soo-Jung remained unsurprised.

“That’s what I thought…”

“Isn’t that what you wanted too?” Lou asked, a smile appearing on his lips.

Soo-Jung smiled back as she replied, “But we were expecting different things.”

Lou and Soo-Jung’s faces suddenly turned toward Gi-Gyu, lying on the bed like a corpse.

Staring at Gi-Gyu, Lou muttered, “This bastard might just get it done, though. He still doesn’t even have a grasp of his full potential. A shock like this just might be the thing to awaken it inside him.”

Soo-Jung watched Gi-Gyu as well and murmured, “Get it done, Pupil.”

Soo-Jung didn’t dislike El. And regardless of how she felt about her, El was a powerful ally.

Therefore, El needed to live. And for that to happen, Gi-Gyu needed to meet their expectations.

Suddenly, the situation began to change.

“Did it work?” asked Lou.

Soo-Jung’s face turned tense. She couldn’t tell if Gi-Gyu had succeeded or failed.

Beside them, El and Yoo-Bin’s bodies turned into dust and scattered.

Soo-Jung retained her worried look, but Lou added, “Let’s see if that moron gets his wish.”

***

A space devoid of everything.

This was another illusion Gi-Gyu had created. He was creating the physical bodies of Yoo-Bin and El using his imagination.

He was envisioning them, but what materialized wasn’t just an illusion. Through his sync with the two, Gi-Gyu duplicated the two women perfectly.

‘Their shells have lost everything.’ 

Yoo-Bin’s shell was possessed by one powerful being after another, so it was about to be pulverized. It was a surprise that it still retained its form. Gi-Gyu knew that it was only because of Yoo-Bin’s strong will and El’s consciousness that had assimilated into her.

‘El isn’t doing much better either,’

Gi-Gyu examined El. He didn’t know what had happened outside, but it was evident that she had become a fallen angel. He could feel the same thing he had felt from Gabriel before.

The problem was that, unlike the entirely corrupt Gabriel, El’s corruption wasn’t complete. Why? Probably because of how powerful she was. The Life inside her shell was exploding, which was slowly destroying her shell.

Now, it was time to save these two women. With what he had right now, Gi-Gyu knew he could do this.

Those metal chains.

He had a hint as to what they were. With the bit of information he had gathered from them, he could save them.

Clunk.

A metal chain materialized on Gi-Gyu’s hand and grabbed the two women.

‘I need something to hold them down.’ 

He needed something to fetter the women’s forms and shells together. Chaos, Life, and Death wouldn't be enough. He needed something different, something more powerful.

Jupiter couldn’t do this. It was a part of him and couldn’t leave his body. Even when Jupiter had entered Yoo-Bin’s body, only a portion of his mind left Gi-Gyu. It hadn’t succeeded in completely separating itself from Gi-Gyu.

This was why…

A sphere appeared on Gi-Gyu’s hand. He had never experienced this phenomenon before, but he knew what he had in his hand.

‘Asmodeus’s Ego.’ 

He wanted to use it to stabilize their shells.