CTLI — Chapter 22
by Brie“…To get back safely.”
Error Progress: 61%
Execution of deletion begins at 99%
“Back where?”
“To… where I originally lived.”
“Is there a way?”
“There is. But I’ve already tried it once.”
Error Progress: 62%
Deletion will be executed at 99% progress.
You’ve already tried it once? I clenched the edge of the desk, trying to endure the pain that felt like my head was about to split open. The man, breathing heavily, kept glancing around nervously. If he really was a player, he was likely seeing something I wasn’t. I didn’t dwell on it.
“What is it?”
“…The ending.”
Error progress: 65%
Deletion will be executed at 99%.
The ending? At that word, heavy static buzzed through my head, and everything I looked at flickered into a garbled mess of symbols, only to revert back again and again. Gritting my teeth against the pain that felt like someone was pulling my brain out, I pressed on.
“What do you mean you’ll disappear?”
“I’ll either be deleted or absorbed into this world. My existence itself will vanish.”
Error progress: 66%
Deletion will be executed at 99%.
My vision burned. It felt like my breath was laced with heat, like my head was on fire. My body began to stiffen, so I clenched and unclenched my fists, groaning through the sensation. I was shaking, as though I couldn’t accept it.
“Her too?”
It felt like my body didn’t belong to me. With trembling hands, I managed to pull the documents from my coat and place them on the desk. They were the papers Jin Sungwook had given me—with the photo of the suspicious woman attached. The man glanced down and then quickly grabbed the paper in panic, his eyes wide as he looked back up.
“Team Leader Heo Yaeun?! She’s here too?!”
“Why me? Why did you come looking for me?”
“Where is she? If she’s here, I need to see her—”
“Answer my question first!”
Bang! I slammed the desk and barked at him.
Whether it was the pain throbbing in my skull or the sheer pressure of this situation that forced me to deny the world I had believed in for so long—I didn’t know. But I was on edge. Startled by the sudden outburst, the man flinched, then began to panic, confused and visibly shaken.
“N-no! Why is the timer suddenly moving so fast?!”
The pain was getting worse. It was almost unbearable to stay seated, so I reached out and grabbed the man by the collar. Civilians shouldn’t be handled this way—yes, I knew that—but I couldn’t hold back. I yanked him forward.
“Talk!”
As I shouted, the man shook his head and recoiled.
“Because you’re the main N… of this game!”
At that moment, the lights flickered off all at once, and the building shook violently, as if struck by an earthquake.
I lost my balance and fell to the floor. I could barely groan through the crushing pain that pounded across my body. My eyes felt like they had melted away from the heat, my teeth chattering uncontrollably.
“No! No!”
His scream echoed—and then everything went blood red.
Gasping for air, I clutched at my chest. My heart was thrashing as if it might explode.
Error progress: 67%
Error progress: 68%
Error progress: 70%
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Error progress: 75%
Error progress: …
Forcing execution of temporary program!
Execution not possible!
[ Time until program execution ]
<< 39:53:20 >>
Switching mode…
Mode switch failed!
Verifying error code…
[ Would you like to delete this data? ]
< YES / NO >
Lying on the floor, I could barely register the floating text. My body tingled as if electricity surged through me. It felt like something had slammed hard into my chest. I was being broken apart, then pieced back together.
Whatever it was, it didn’t feel good. Something gushed between my teeth—bitter and metallic.
[ Remaining time: 10 seconds ]
If no selection is made, a default will be chosen.
What an unfriendly program. The person meant to press the button was lying helpless on the floor. I tried to move, but all I could manage was a twitch of my fingers.
The red text slowly faded from my vision. The blinking countdown hit zero—and with a soft click, the word YES glowed red before vanishing.
The once-dark room lit up instantly. When I came to, I was seated neatly at the desk.
Snip. Something had definitely been cut. Whether it was my memory or some piece of data, I couldn’t tell.
The pain that had crushed me was gone. My mouth was clean—no trace of the iron taste remained. It was as if nothing had ever happened. I raised my hand to my head, shook it a few times, then turned to the man sitting across from me.
The last thing I’d heard from him had been a near scream.
Would he remember?
He might know more than I did—he was a player, after all. Just as I was about to ask, he spoke first, hesitantly and shyly.
“Um… excuse me… why am I… here?”
His voice was timid, and he was watching my expression.
What?
I couldn’t hide my confusion. I stammered.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t… I don’t know why I’m here…”
“…Sir?”
“Did I… do something wrong?”
I bolted out of the room. I passed by Park Moonkyu, who was just about to light a cigarette, and rushed to the security footage.
Behind the glass, the man appeared nervous. I cursed under my breath and turned my attention to the monitor.
I saw myself enter the room. The man watched me nervously and sat down. But unlike my memory of an intense conversation, the footage was silent. We didn’t talk at all. Not for a long time. I fast-forwarded the video at double speed. Still, I just sat there, arms crossed, watching him.
He kept stealing glances at me like a scared animal and finally opened his mouth.
“Um… excuse me… why am I… here?”
“Ha…”
I let out a hollow breath and slumped into a chair. It had been wiped clean—like nothing had ever happened. That data—whatever it was—had been deleted.
When Park Moonkyu stepped back in, I quietly told him he could release the man. He nodded, like he’d expected it, and walked over to the guy.
I exhaled slowly and engraved the text now flashing in front of my eyes.
Error progress: 80%
Error data deleted.
c3VwZXJ2aXNvciBtb2Rl has been activated.
▒▒▒ Mode can be confirmed after change.
[ Time until program execution ]
<< 39:48:12 >>
It is recommended not to raise the error level excessively before temporary program execution begins.
In the end, I hadn’t found out anything useful. I ruffled my hair in frustration and slammed my head onto the desk.
The only thing I’d learned was this:
That the reality I had so desperately wanted to deny… might truly—really—be the truth.
“It’s me. Ma Kanghyuk.”
Knock knock. As soon as I tapped on the door, it flew open like I’d been expected. Though it was quite late and I felt the need to be cautious, Choi Dohyun didn’t hesitate at all and rushed over to me. “Hyung!” he called brightly, wrapping me in a hug without the slightest pause.
“Ugh.” I grimaced and pulled my head back, then gripped his shoulders and gently pushed him away.
“You’re heavy.”
“Sorry, I was just happy to see you.”
“It hasn’t even been a full day since we last met.”
At my blunt response, Choi Dohyun gave a sheepish smile and shrugged his shoulders.
“Come in quickly. It’s a little chilly at night.”
He said this calmly, as though he hadn’t just leapt at me a second ago, and tugged at my arm. Instead of shaking him off, I quietly stepped inside.
“Ajusshi!”
Yoon Seohwa, who should’ve been in another room, peeked her head out and greeted me cheerfully. I hadn’t expected her to be here as well, so I hesitated briefly before narrowing my eyes and asking,
“Didn’t you get assigned a separate room?”
“I did, but I didn’t want to be alone. And I was bored.”
She then held up a beer can and shook it playfully.
Ah. It was only then that I noticed the smell of fried chicken wafting through the house and took off my shoes. The warm temporary shelter was filled with a cozy, inviting air. It looked like they were in the middle of dinner—the table was a mess of hot chicken and scattered bones.
“Did you eat dinner, ajusshi?”
“Yes, I already did.”
“Still, have some.”
Choi Dohyun whispered this in my ear as he let go of my arm. Startled, I turned quickly, only for him to laugh like it was the funniest thing and close the door. He was acting much more familiar than usual. Judging by that, he was probably tipsy.
Sighing, I sat down in a chair and pulled an apple from inside my coat.
“An apple?”
“I was given it. I don’t eat fruit, so you two can share it.”
At my words, Yoon Seohwa gave a short, impressed “Wow!” and quickly snatched the apple. She rinsed it under the sink, then split it in half and handed one to Choi Dohyun. I listened to the sound of them crunching on the apple like drunks and sat down on the living room sofa.
“Aren’t you tired?”