It was April. As soon as the lecture finished at 2:45 p.m., college freshman Yu IlHan left the Business Hall quicker than anyone, as if he was afraid that he won’t be the first out.

He didn’t know anyone, so there was no one to stop him, but he still walked with effort and left the square to go to the hill.

This was the first time he felt something was off.

‘There are no people.’

There were loads of lectures which ends at 2:45 p.m. Of course, not everyone would be like Yu IlHan and go home as soon as the lectures end, but isn’t it strange that there are no people on the plaza or even on the hill?

‘It’s not the school festival yet… what is this… is there some school event that I don’t know?’

If that was true, then it made sense. Since Yu IlHan left all the group chat after admittance! It wasn’t like he was pressured to leave and he left on his own too!

Yu IlHan, who became sad for some reason, walked down the hill regardless of whether people were there or not. In fact, he wanted to take the shuttle but forget shuttles, not even cars went by.

Is some civil defense drill going on inside the college? Is there some school-scale hide-and-seek? He thought various things but he just let it go. Here was a guy who hadn’t held a girl’s hand for all 20 years, so he didn’t think it was strange that there is no presence inside the campus.

However, that thought completely disappeared when he exited the front gate.

“What is this?”

There are no people.

“What is this!?”

There are no people!

“What happened? What happened!?”

Yu IlHan, who was in a state of panic, ran around all over the place while repeating the same words like an idiot. None. Nowhere. It was impossible to think something stupid like ‘they all went on a picnic’. The reality was too strong to escape from.

None. There is no one!

He peeked through the windows of the restaurants he visited. The food on top of the plates on the table were still giving off steam, and the chairs were slightly pulled backwards as if someone was sitting on it a few moments ago.

Moreover, whether it was the chopsticks and the spoons, they were all over the table. It gave off a feeling as if some people disappeared right in the middle of their meal.

The other restaurants and stores were the same. Was it only that? What about those abandoned cars in the middle of the road? The cars in the road were all crashed into each other as if the drivers disappeared in the middle of driving, and some of them caught fire and there were some which leaked oil and were about to explode.

“F*ck.”

He couldn’t grasp the situation but he sure did judge that the situation was dangerous. Yu IlHan ran to the point of sweating until there were no cars in the road. As if waiting for him, an explosion sound of ‘BANG’ could be heard and tickled his ears.

Heated wind blew from that place, and he ran away from the place even faster as if he was pushed by that wind. He cried for some reason.

When he escaped the disaster, he had arrived at the bus stop.

“Let’s go home first.”

It might get better if I eat some the food my mom makes, wash up, and have a good sleep.

When he escaped from the disaster, these kinds of idiotic thoughts started invading his mind again. However, this time, it wasn’t long before he woke up from his delusion. It was because the bus didn’t come no matter how long he waited.

“What the hell? F*ck…… What the hell is happening?”

Yu IlHan self-boasted that his mentality was strong. He passed his elementary school middle school, and high school days alone all this time. As a result, he came to a famous university which could be ranked on one hand, and he had confidence that he would do well here in the future too.

The character for person(人) is said to be representing two people leaning against each other, however he didn’t need anything like that. He believed that he could do everything alone like the number ‘1’ which stands up on its own. And so he liked his name ‘Yu IlHan’(means unique).

However, even so, not this.

“Did I come to some other world alone or something? or what……”

His situation was so absurd that he blurted out something stupid. Of course, nothing changed. The bus didn’t come and due to running so hard, his legs were starting to ache. He became even more sad, that when he noticed, beads of tears were falling onto the ground.

To think I’d cry when I became a university student…

Ah, f*ck. When would I cry if not in a situation like this? I’m sad that I was isolated in elementary school. but now I’m being bullied by the entire JongNo district.

He knew that the situation wouldn’t change no matter how he cried, so Yu IlHan came to his sense immediately. He was tired and hot. First, he wanted to go home.

“Let’s walk.”

Even though he knew that there was no one listening to him, Yu IlHan still spoke loudly in case someone was there. Then he dejectedly started the one and a half hour journey home.

He came home, but as expected, his mother wasn’t there. To wait for his father to come back, he checked the time, but all clocks, including phone clocks or PC clocks, were stopped. Of course, his father didn’t come home no matter how he waited. Clearly, a few hours had passed but the sky outside the window was as blue as ever.

He turned on the TV but all he got was a blank screen, and the radio was the same. The internet was not renewed no matter how he waited. He felt as the humans on earth had really disappeared. Leaving Yu IlHan behind in the unflowing time.

The water was still running so he took a shower, and the gas was running so he ate some ramen.

“Fuu.”

It was delicious, and that fact made him even more dejected and he ate while crying.

When he became full, he became sleepy. Regardless or if there were humans or not, or whether the night came or not, he thought he’d sleep. Something might change if I sleep – With that naïve thought, he was about to lie down on his bed when…

…A beautiful woman with white, feathery wings on her back showed up in front of him.

[Whoa, there really is one!]

It was a woman with a very rude first line.

“Wh, who are you?”

Yu IlHan, who stuck to the policy of being nude when sleeping, pulled up his blanket. The woman looked at that scene as if it was ‘quite’ a sight, then she hurriedly fixed her expression.

[Khm. You can call me what you recognize me as.]

“An intruder of private property?”

[I’m the envoy of God. An Angel.]

She looked at Yu IlHan and spat out each word with strength emphasize that she was an angel.

Yu IlHan also knew that she wasn’t normal the moment she appeared in the room, he could accept the fact naturally without being shocked much at her confession. To be shocked, today’s happenings were much more shocking.

However, his thoughts took reality too lightly. The angel’s next words proved that.

[Since I don’t have time, I will get straight to the point. You were left out from humanity.]

“……Left out?”

Yu IlHan’s expression became weird. Being ‘left out‘ was something which had a lot to do with his life. Starting from elementary school where he was left out in the picnic, middle school training camp, high school trip, and even in college MT……

[Lord God has perceived the Great Cataclysm on Earth, and to prepare for that God sent all of humanity to countless other worlds. And during that process, you alone were left out for some reason.]

And now he was left out on the scale of the entire humanity!

His consciousness became distant. Yu IlHan, who managed to grab onto his consciousness, asked the things he didn’t comprehend to the angel.

“What is this ‘Great Cataclysm’?”

[It means that the experience of the Earth is full and it is levelling up to the next level.]

He wanted to retort to that argument like when he was dragged to the morning soccer club to replace his father, but barely managed to suppress it; and asked.

“What changes if the level up happens?”

[A higher system of energy than it is now will be opened on Earth. That is called mana. Also, the Akashic Record will come into contact with earth, and the humans will receive rights to see some of its records. That is called Status.]

“That’s a very easy to understand explanation.”

[I’m quite capable.]

The angel was quite proud when he received a praise from Yu IlHan and she held out her chest. Yu IlHan, who was waiting for this opportunity, quickly continued asking starting with ‘but’.

“Why is there a need for humanity go to another world? In fantasy novels, they all change suddenly one day.”

[The fact that mana will be opened to Earth means that the animals that evolved from Mana, that is, monsters……anyway, it means that you will have to confront them.]

He already expected these things from when he heard the word ‘mana’.

[Animals adapt faster to mana than humans so if the humans are left as they are, a danger of extinction after the Great Cataclysm, exists. There are already more than tens of worlds where humans went extinct on so Lord God judged that there is a need for the humans of Earth to adapt to mana in a safer environment.]

“So, that means that the humans were sent to other worlds where humans already have adapted to mana?”

[Yes, of course. The other worlders will receive a fixed amount of status as reward to train them. And of course, there maybe people who won’t adapt well, but we can’t look after all of them.]

That was obvious. Even Yu IlHan thought that they did enough. However, he had a question left.

“These monsters, can’t we kill them with guns? Or cannons?”

[A monster made up of only higher system of energy cannot be killed even by a nuclear missile.]

“Then there really is a need to upgrade humans.”

[Of course. That’s why Lord God is merciful and loving.]

The angel uselessly held out her chest again in arrogance. Yu IlHan, who waited for this opportunity, asked her with the most sad expression he could make.

“Then me?”

[……]

The angel lost her words.

“What about me?”

When Yu IlHan pressed answers, she slightly turned her head away from Yu IlHan and answered with a smaller voice.

[I think there was a mistake.]

“Please fix it.”

[The tickets are already sold out so…… You cannot go to another world.]

“No standing tickets?”

[No.]

“What kind of dog-shit God is that?!”

When Yu IlHan exploded, the angel who understood his emotions spoke in consolement.

[But there is a dropout bonus.]

“I don’t need it! Send me there too!”

[The moment the entire humanity were sent to other worlds, the time applied on Earth was stopped. So, you aren’t affected by time until the moment humanity returns and time flows again on Earth! To simplify, you won’t age. Well, in fact, this is the same for people who are sent to other worlds.]

“Send me there too, dammit!”

[Moreover, Lord God has promised you a status bonus when the Great Cataclysm occurs. Great, isn’t it?]

Stopping his tantrum, Yu IlHan, who was tempted by the words ‘bonus’, looked up to the angel and spoke

“What about mana? I need to practice that too.”

[That won’t be possible unless the Great Cataclysm occurs.]

“No, then send me there too! send me now!”

[That’s not possible.]

With Yu IlHan throwing a tantrum again in front of her, the angel resolutely shook her head. It really seemed like it wasn’t possible. Even though it’s God!

[God has set 10 years as the adaptation period. So please work hard just for that time. I will provide you your meals.]

“……You said time stopped but I get hungry?”

[The cells don’t age but they are still active. You can just think that they don’t age.]

“That’s a little bit different from ‘time stop’, isn’t it?”

[You can’t use mana, so don’t you think you need to train your body at least? Think yourself lucky. The entire humanity, excluding you, has the chance to practice mana, but instead, the changes in their bodies will reset when they come back to Earth.]

And she’s saying this as consolement? Yu IlHan sighed and glared at the angel. The entire reason for him becoming like this was their fault, but she’s grandly saying how ‘merciful’ they are…

If this status bonus thing was something worthless, then I will go on a rampage.

“Fuu……”

10 years. Finally, Yu IlHan had the intention to confront reality.

10 years? Yeah, Can I not even endure that much? – With his innate positive attitude, he persuaded himself, and he spat out the last question to the angel in front of him.

“And why am I the only one left out? Why only me?”

[While writing the list of people to send to other worlds, Lord God never found you until the end. He said it’s a truly extraordinary concealment technique.]

“……”

And so, Yu IlHan’s Earth Alone life began.

Author’s notes

New series start!

- You can comment down the wrong spellings/grammar and their correct grammar/spellings and I will correct them :)

After sleeping as much as he needed, when he woke up and came to the kitchen, a meal (breakfast by feeling) prepared by the angel was producing steam on the table.

The angel herself wasn’t there, but he wasn’t surprised since she said that meeting her at all was a strange thing in itself and there won’t be many times to meet her in the future.

“It’s delicious.”

Now that he became alone, he was touched at something very trivial. Moreover, it wasn’t empty words when he said it was delicious. He felt sorry but it was definitely more delicious than his mother’s food. The meal was nutritiously balanced and at the same time tasty, so it was a perfect meal.

“And if she earns a lot of money, then she’ll be number one wife material.”

Who married angels? Other angels, as expected, right? – While thinking trivial things like that, he was about to wash the dishes, when the dishes disappeared silently. It seemed that washing dishes was a service.

Yu IlHan washed up and clothed himself while feeling as if he was seduced by the angel, and when he was about to wear his socks to go to college, he remembered that there was nothing he could do there and stopped.

“Well, then.”

What to do now.

The answer revealed itself soon. Didn’t the angel say to train his body? Although the cells would not age, they were still active, so if he trained, the result will be reflected on his body.

He honestly didn’t like moving his body. He had no athletic ability, and he had no good memories in regards to things related to sports.

In his middle school athletic meet relay, the baton slipped from his hands and the baton ended up touching the PE teacher’s wig rather than the next player. – There was one such good…. good memory!

However, to use that as an excuse like a little child and avoid training, the situation was too serious.

Won’t monsters appear in just 10 years? I can’t practice mana like the rest of humanity so I need to do whatever I can do to raise my strength.

‘Going to the gym, eh…’

After deciding, Yu IlHan stood up and sighed. He decided to train his body, so it was now time to research materials on how to efficiently train.

After investing half a day to look up how to train the muscles, whisking away the lunch(by feeling) on the table, he left. The district gym was open as if it was obvious, and numerous workout machines greeted Yu IlHan.

“Fuu.”

Yu IlHan, who now slightly, just slightly, had motivation sighed and approached the bike which would burn his body fat.

It was the beginning of Yu IlHan’s body modification.

Yu IlHan went to the gym without complaining at all.

For 3 years.

[Are you really a modern person? How can you do the same thing everyday for 3 years?]

It was to the point that the angel showed up and asked him.

“But I need to do it, though.”

[You do.]

“That’s why I’m doing it. It’s not much different from studying for 3 years in high school.”

[……]

The angel looked at Yu IlHan as if looking at a monster.

As the angel said, he didn’t age, but Yu IlHan’s body, after consuming sufficient nutrition and doing exercises too much, was developed to the point that he looked like a health trainer that appeared on TVs. Well, it was quite obvious since he didn’t study at all and trained all day.

[You aren’t an ordinary person. Although, I knew that when you had the concealment technique which could hide you from God’s sight.]

“Don’t make it my fault!”

And he went to the gym for 2 more years. The period of time the angel promised him was 10 years so he had 5 years left now. At this point, he was sick and tired of going to the gym every day.

“I have to learn some martial arts and some weaponry right?”

[There’s no one to teach you though?]

Although she said that there won’t be many meeting in the future, she showed herself quite frequently and perhaps she got used to Yu IlHan but she was not polite with him anymore. If one didn’t consider the feathery wings on her back, then she was just a beautiful big sister, so he didn’t feel bad at all about her attitude

“I don’t know why, but internet and electricity is still working so I will study by myself by looking at some videos on y*utube or something.”

[Well, time stopped after all.]

“You’re keep going to using that excuse right?”

[Yup.]

Yu IlHan stopped staring at the angel and heaved out a sigh.

“If you recommend me one, then what would it be?”

[Vale Tudo and spearmanship. Well, I don’t think there will be much records about training in the spear so, train the basics until you die.]

“I said one!”

[Isn’t there 5 years? Just get the basics down for both.]

And what? Vale Tudo was a systematic martial art in the first place?! Yu IlHan, who was about to complain to the angel, changed his mind when he saw her serious face.

It wasn’t like she was teasing him. She advised him with the martial arts that would actually help when the earth experienced the Great Cataclysm.

Then he had no choice. If it was the angel’s recommendation, he had to follow. Yu IlHan muttered to himself in his heart and woke his body up.

The light body movements. His changed body made him feel the time.

At first, he was really sad and lonely, but when he lived for a while, he now got used to it. Isn’t human adaptation ability amazing?

Eating and sleeping was solved and there was something he had to do every day. Moreover, there was an angel that chatted with him from time to time. Other than the moments he thought of his mother, and became sad, it was doable.

‘I need to endure for 5 years. Just 5 years. Let’s endure until then.’

With that thought, Yu IlHan sat his grown body in front of the computer. He thought that Vale Tudo and spearmanship were difficult to learn just from the internet, but he had 5 years. He just thought that it was possible for him to do it if it was just getting the basics down.

The first 2 years were a continuation of trial and error. He did train his body but to Yu IlHan, who hadn’t fought with other people before, Vale Tudo was like a girlfriend to him. It only existed inside monitors.

In contrast, there was some progress in spearmanship. Yu IlHan, who didn’t know the ‘m’ of martial arts, used a long wooden stick instead of a spear to repeat motions of stabbing, swinging and blocking. But when it became 1 year and 2 years, his spear had some weight. Yu IlHan gained some enlightenment.

‘Martial arts in the end is the same as studying.’

Even something undoable would become doable when repeated a lot. That belief led him higher. It was the same for studying, training his body, and now, it was the same for spearmanship.

Then wouldn’t Vale Tudo be the same? Yu IlHan, who barely succeeded grabbing the edge of martial arts, started looking for books and videos more enthusiastically and got more absorbed in training Vale Tudo and spearmanship.

When he decided that he would do it, there was some progress. In the first place, Vale Tudo was basically a practical fighting technique to kill the enemy without any rules whatsoever. While researching into other martial arts books and videos, and putting effort to learn it with his body, Yu IlHan slowly, very slowly, felt like he had grabbed something.

Spearmanship too – He started considering the body movement that rather than just stabbing and swinging.

Pre-attack movement, post-attack movement. Movement to enhance attack power. His steps improved, and his spear phases developed and his eye direction developed. It was a positive change that occurred while learning Vale Tudo.

Yu IlHan’s muscles, which developed unilaterally, developed in a more battle-oriented way due to the martial arts training. It was to the point that when 8 years passed since he was left out, the angel was shocked after seeing him.

[You didn’t eat some strange drug right?]

“What are you taking my efforts as?!”

[Such a surprising human. Or are all humans like this?]

“Leave me alone.”

The problem Yu IlHan had was that he had no opponents. He had to fight with others to know how much his techniques worked, what was wrong, and what should be fixed. How much longer does he have to practice on sandbags and beanbags?

On the 9th year of being left out and 4th year of training martial art, Yu IlHan thought that. It was something he could think of since he was more and more confident in his techniques. Fighting with others – If it was the him from 9 years ago, he would be scared senseless and run away. Or call the police.

[You know?]

With those words, the angel pointed to herself. Yu IlHan asked in doubt

“You want me to hit you? Angel-noona?”

[Even though I might look like this, I’m an envoy of God and a higher existence. So I’m unimaginably stronger than you think.]

“You know what Vale Tudo is, right?”

Vale Tudo was literally merciless practical combat. It was a combat technique that made one wonder if it was not about incapacitating the opponent but killing the opponent. Of course, he was only on his 4th year, but Yu IlHan knew how lethal of an effect it would have if he used it on humans.

[Fuu. It was me who told you to practice that. Don’t worry and come at me.]

“Is it really okay? You won’t say otherwise later right?”

[Of course.]

The angel smacked her uselessly large chests and assured him. Yu IlHan looked at her and after resolutely deciding his heart, he went at the angel with wide eyes.

“Eat my fist containing the resentment of 9 year of isolation! Diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeee!”

[Fuu.]

And he got beaten up miserably. The angel was a Vale Tudo star.

[You know now? You can consider me a fighting opponent as you want. It’s the biggest service since the birth of angels!]

“No…….!”

After getting beaten up and getting bruises all over his body, Yu IlHan rejected with all his might, but unfortunately he didn’t have the rights to refuse. It was because the angel truly wanted to help him survive after the Great Cataclysm after seeing him train seriously for 9 years.

From Yu IlHan’s view, it wasn’t very welcome, but even if he wanted to run away, he couldn’t run away from that angel.

Fighting with the angel made his techniques truly rise rapidly. He didn’t want to admit it, but his growth was too distinct. I want to stop feeling this pain and hit that woman no matter what it takes! – since this was his objective for moving his body.

The angel was proud and Yu IlHan was in pain. His techniques in Vale Tudo and spearmanship increased.

Until the promised 10 years came.

Yu IlHan took a shower, shaved himself, and looked at his figure on the mirror. His body was strong to the point that he would be able to fight with a wolf due to training his body for 10 years, but his face was still the college freshman from 10 years ago. so there was a strange disharmony.

“It would be good if I was a bit taller.”

[Wouldn’t you grow after the Great Cataclysm? Your face is a bit disappointing but your body figure is fine so if you grow a bit taller…… Hmhm. It might not be half bad.]

“What was that about my face!?”

He looked at the mirror. Eyes that were not big at all, loose eyebrows, nose that wasn’t high at all, slightly pale lips, and even more pale skin. Hmm. he couldn’t deny that he had a face that lacked vitality.

But this was his own face. A unique face in the world.

[You engraved that much techniques into your body, so you will be able to confront low class monsters without difficulty. If so, you will level up smoothly too. So you will be able to handle mana soon.]

The angel said. She was slightly disappointed as she was preparing for a farewell, but Yu IlHan asked back since there was something that he had a question about.

“How can I kill those monsters? I thought you said you can’t kill them without mana.”

[That’s about high class monsters made up entirely of a higher system of energy, low class monsters can be killed by guns or spears or knives easily, though?]

“You deceived me angeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllll!”

[Fufuu. I didn’t lie. You just didn’t ask for details!]

The angel proudly held out her chest and blabbed. This woman, was a naughty woman who boasted sexual appeal whenever she could – Even with a messy mind, Yu IlHan thought of these things.

His rage was boiling, but it calmed down after some time passed. In the end, it was a deceit for him to grow stronger. She put in effort to fill the gap of not being able to handle mana.

When he thought of it like that, he couldn’t get angry and instead, all the energy left his body.

“Ordinary college life would be impossible, right?”

[Of course. The majority of society will be paralyzed. And a period where fighting ability rather than academic ability will be needed will come.]

“Phew……”

[When a dropout appeared at first, I thought the skies were collapsing, but due to your effort, I didn’t have to worry much. You worked hard until now. You will do well in the future.]

The time came. It was the same time as 10 years ago. Of course, Yu IlHan himself couldn’t tell the time so the angel told him.

Yu IlHan purposely moved to the same place. The grassy plaza inside the college campus. It was a scene he hadn’t seen for 10 years but there was no difference.

“Thank you for everything until now, angel-noona.”

[Wow.]

It was the first time he said thank you. The angel also didn’t seem to think that she would receive thanks and was flustered for a bit, but in the end, she laughed and flapped her wings and came to his side.

[It was quite a fun 10 years thanks to you too.]

“Will I be able to see you again?”

[Well, that will depend on you.]

The angel spoke until there, and hesitated for a bit before adding another line.

[My name is Lita.]

“Lita.”

Yu IlHan kept muttering her name as if he didn’t want to forget it. The angel, Lita, watched such a figure in satisfaction before flapping her wings again.

[I have to go. Time on Earth will resume soon, and the people will come back.]

“Have a safe trip, Lita-noona.”

The two bid their farewells. Lita slowly flew up to the sky and Yu IlHan tried his best to suppress his disappointment due to the farewell with Lita, and the excitement of going back to his ordinary life from 10 years ago, and closed his eyes.

Nothing happened.

“……”

Yu IlHan opened his eyes. He could see Lita in panic in the air.

“……Care to explain?”

Yu IlHan said with a quiet voice. Lita slowly came down to the ground and laughed cutely with a ‘teehee’. And spoke.

[I think there was a mistake.]

“Hey you crazy XXXXXXXX!”

[Perhaps due to stopping the time or some other reason, there seems to be a slight deviation in the time axis. It’s alright. It won’t be much so if you endure 10 or 20 more years……]

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh.”

It’s that f*cking time again! Yu IlHan went on a rampage while rolling on the grass square. It was because he knew that he would be beaten up if he went against the angel.

Like that, Yu IlHan, who calmed down after putting grass all over his body, muttered while looking at the resentful blue sky.

“Good. It’s just 10 or 20 years. I will wait no problem.”

Humans are animals of adaptation. He did well until now so he would do well in the future – The positive attitude, which was his only good trait about him, but became one of many now, persuaded himself

However, even after 10 years and 20 years, humanity didn’t come back.

And when 50 years passed, Yu IlHan stopped counting time.

Author’s notes

In truth, Lita lives together.

Vale Tudo – A Brazilian martial arts. As the origin of mixed martial arts, it’s a battle without rules.

- You can comment down the wrong spellings/grammar and their correct grammar/spellings and I will correct them :)

At first, he also put in his efforts. He had thought that he need to prepare for whatever he could since he didn’t know when humanity would come back.

“Vale Tudo and spearmanship are still sloppy. Actually, it’s better for me!”

[Such a strange human…….!]

Even while receiving Lita’s strange gaze, Yu IlHan immersed himself again in training. Lita provided all 3 meals for him anyway so he only needed to think about the martial arts that he needed to learn.

And like that, 5 years and 10 years passed. It was the moment after 20 years had passed since he was left out.

Now, his punches and kicks flowed with fighting spirit that can even kill a bear, much less a human, and the wooden spear he extended powerfully not only pierced the sandbag, but it ripped it apart. Yu IlHan himself thought that he had no talent in regards to martial arts, but growing up like this in just 15 years was amazing. Of course, it was also because Lita, who was a great fighting partner, was there for him.

“I’m turning 40 soon. How is it? Do I look more mature?”

[The only thing you did was punching and stabbing with the spear. Do you think you earned anything other than enlightenment in martial arts? Did you see anyone acting their age after coming out from training in the mountains?]

“You think so too? My mom won’t tell me I’m pretending to be mature, right?”

[Don’t worry about it and keep training.]

From this point, Lita, who came once a week, came once in 3 days. It was because she was worried that Yu IlHan might go crazy after being alone in the huge prison known as Earth for no less than 20 years.

Whether it was due to her worry and interest or due to his innate personality, Yu IlHan endured well.

He endured for 20, 30 years.

[Just how much did it deviate!]

While looking at such Yu IlHan, it was now Lita who was nervous to the point of shouting. However, Lita’s position wasn’t actually that high so she wasn’t in a position to ask God directly, and she didn’t have the rights to reverse the time axis so she could only restlessly watch Yu IlHan training his body quietly, day by day.

“Lita.”

One day, Yu IlHan said with a lowered voice.

“I can’t remember my mom’s face.”

[……I’m sorry.]

“Even when I look at the picture, it feels unfamiliar. Was this person really my family? Wasn’t I living here alone in the first place? Everything was my delusion and it is a lie that Lita made in order to console me……”

[Don’t say such things!]

“Yeah, it was a joke. It might be good if it was actually like that though.”

He sighed and took back the spear. It was the time after 50 years of being left behind.

“I’m fed up. I want to do something else.”

[I’m sorry to say this now but…… It’s not known when the Great Cataclysm will occur. You cannot neglect your martial arts.]

“I know.”

Now that they had shared several tens of years together, racial matters such as being an angel or being a human didn’t really matter. The important thing to Yu IlHan was a person to look after him and a person who would listen to him. And Lita took that place so he followed Lita. That was enough.

Yu IlHan was also the only human that Lita came into contact with for several tens of years, so she became to harbor feelings of more than just pity and compassion for the human known as Yu IlHan. Of course, she didn’t say that out loud.

The two’s strange relationship which occurred due to God’s error, was progressing in a truly marvelous direction.

“I’ll read some books.”

[That’s a good idea.]

Martial arts would become important after the Great Cataclysm occurs, but reading helps widening one’s reasoning and building the foundation for one’s actions. It would help, not harm.

Yu IlHan, who acted too fast that it may seem excessive after setting his mind on something, he shut himself inside the college library straight away. As he promised with Lita, he trained Vale Tudo and spearmanship for 3 hours a day, but he invested the rest of the time solely on reading.

Even the most well preserved books would change colors after several tens of years passed, but ‘thanks’ to the ‘stopped time’, objects didn’t get affected by time. It was a good thing for Yu IlHan.

His preferences leaned towards contemporary novels, but he got fed up after reading those for about 5 years and he moved onto others. While thinking that his ordinary college life might continue after the Great Cataclysm occurs, he first studied books related to his major which was business management, and when he was also about to get fed up with it, he considered plural majors and read psychology or other humanities-related books.

Unlike martial arts where the progress becomes less noticeable after a certain point, reading piled up knowledge. Yu IlHan, who was now hooked to reading, spread his interests to other books inside the library. Common knowledge, history, geography, classics, physics, chemistry, art – he read every single books existing in the library.

After a few years passed, the books inside the libraries were insufficient. There was no one guarding bookstores anyway, so Yu IlHan started conquering the bookstores within his walking range in search for books that weren’t in the library.

However, even this had a limit. On his 67th year of being left behind (Of course, Yu Ilhan no longer counted time), he made a big decision.

“Let’s learn another language.”

[Then let’s just change locations. I can deliver your meals wherever it is.]

“Where is that food coming from?”

[Secret.]

While pondering whether to cross the seas or not, he moved locations to China, the closest country. While driving any car to drive until he was out of fuel, when he found a working petrol station, he would refuel, and if not, he would just change cars.

License? There was only Yu IlHan in this world so it was okay as long as the car he drove didn’t fall off a cliff or exploded in a crash.

Even while moving, he studied Chinese in his spare time. The language studies made him sick after studying even a little became doable due to reading books for tens of years.

And the China he arrived at somehow was too wide. And there were of course, a lot of text to be read.

“Maybe it’s a mistake to set China as the first stop.”

Yu IlHan screamed in joy at the fact that there were so much new knowledge. Humanity will definitely come back before I get to know all the knowledge of China – at that fact, he even felt sorry for that.

However, that was his mistake. Even after adventuring all of the wide lands of China, and studying every book in China, humanity still didn’t come back. Yu IlHan no longer asked Lita how much time passed and Lita also didn’t speak of it.

He calmly moved to another country. It was because he felt that he might go crazy if he didn’t get new stimulation, no matter what it was.

Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, India, Mongolia…… After learning every language on Asia, he read all the books, records and even internet logs of all those countries. As if he would die if he didn’t read something, he read and read again.

Once, he forgot the iron rule of training martial arts for 3 hours a day and was close to getting beaten up by Lita.

[Are you really alright?]

“It’s alright. Anyway.”

He raised his head. The last page of the last book of the 7.5 million books inside the Russian academy of sciences was revealing itself.

Even though it was 7.5 million books, there were many books that also existed in other libraries, and to Yu IlHan, who could now read any book in a short time regardless of thickness due to reading repeatedly for countless years, it wasn’t that hard of a task.

“As expected, I can’t understand technical books even after reading them.”

Yu IlHan saw through the limits of this brain. It seemed that he wasn’t a person who was fit for sciences. He only read because there was text, and just reading the book didn’t make him a professional in that area.

“Now let’s go to Europe.”

[You’re speaking in Russian right now, you know?]

“Hyvää!”

[Okay, we can go to Finland.]

When he toured Europe, middle east, and even Africa, his vocabulary became rich.

It was the 216th year after he was left behind.

“Now there’s just Oceania and America left!”

Yu IlHan cheered like a middle schooler who just checked that there was little summer homework left. At his unchanging tension even though he had lived for over 200 years, Lita made a bitter smile and asked back.

[You do know that you have to go by boat, right?]

“It’s alright. There are many boats without owners in this world!”

[That’s called stealing.]

The power of time was truly amazing. It had made a clueless college student into an all-powerful adventurer. Of course, there was no need to say twice since one human was given more time than a human lifespan, but Yu IlHan kept moving without rest as if he would die the moment he stopped.

Using all the knowledge of Geography, he set the sailing distance to the minimum, and he looked for a boat which could hold out for that distance. In the countless books he read until now, there were many specialized books related to ships, so there wasn’t any difficulty finding a sturdy and a fueled boat, and driving it.

“Lita, humanity didn’t die out by any chance, right?”

[I said there was a deviation in the time axis. I was a fool for thinking it’s just twice or three times. It seems that it’s at least 10 times.]

“How exciting.”

After he finished preparing for the voyage, Yu IlHan left the land he was on without hesitation. As long as Oceania and America waited for him, there was no time for leisure.

And tens of years passed again.

“I finiiiiiiiiiiiiished!”

[Such a nasty guy.]

While looking at Yu Ilhan who was shouting and rolling around on top of the table inside Boston Public Library, known for being one of the biggest in America, Lita muttered with a fed up voice.

Yu IlHan finally had conquered all the available books revealed to humanity. Even though she had watched the whole process with her own eyes, it was an unbelievable achievement.

After he left the library, sat down on a bench on the street and looked at the sky blankly for a while, Yu IlHan muttered while tilting his head.

“What do I do now?”

[Martial Arts?]

“I’ve done that until now too.”

He didn’t only read books while touring around the world. He went to various ruins which remained in some parts of the world, he found traces of martial arts and he kept revising various shortcomings in Vale Tudo and spearmanship. Training was 3 hours at the minimum and sometimes it would go over 8 hours, and 12 hours.

His fighting arts and weapon arts, which transformed to the point that he couldn’t find the original style, was developed into a practical and high level technique to the point that Lita would have a hard time fighting him without mana.

This was something that was unachievable by someone who didn’t have talent even if that person was given countless years. Lita of course didn’t tell this to Yu Il Han. Since he would get ahead of himself when she did!

“Lita, other than martial arts or knowledge, is there something that might help after the Great Cataclysm occurs?”

The question that flew towards Lita, who was thinking about Yu IlHan’s talent, was this. When she heard this, Lita could feel goosebumps.

[You……]

His question proved one thing.

Yu IlHan, who experienced more things than a human could experience in one lifetime, still didn’t lose hope despite the time that had passed.

To him, his life wasn’t over. No, perhaps he might be thinking that it didn’t start until now. All the things he did until now maybe just in preparation for the life after the Great Cataclysm.

It was a long time even for Lita, who was an angel, but a human who wouldn’t live past 100 on average was treating the past years as prior preparation. Of course, he himself didn’t know exactly how much time had passed, but that didn’t make Lita any less surprised.

[You, how can you be like that?]

As she was dumbfounded, Lita spat out the question she held back until now.

If Yu IlHan tried to boast for a bit, he might have answered with a fancier answer, but he, who lived while looking for new knowledge and experienced without being in contact with another human for countless years, only had candidness and honesty left. It might be considered that he regressed back into a child.

“You said I need to do it, so I do it. I can’t practice mana so I need to do other things.”

[……]

With Yu IlHan, who sighed while replying, in front of her, Lita lost her words to speak. The countless emotions and impulses mixed with each other and blew up to the point of bursting and bleached her mind pitch white.

Soon, she didn’t know what expression to make and turned her head and spread her wings.

[I’m going!]

“Tell me what to do before leaving!”

[Think about it yourself from now!]

Lita disappeared from the place, and Yu IlHan was dumbfounded. After cool-headedly judging the situation, he muttered again while sighing.

“Let’s first go back home.”

This was a historic moment where an angel harbored more than just good intentions towards a human. And obviously, Yu IlHan didn’t notice that.

Yu IlHan didn’t know, but this was the 274th year after being left behind.

Humanity didn’t return yet.

Author’s notes

In fact, it’s insufficient to read all the books in the world even with 500 years. Please think that it’s possible only because the MC only read book for 100 years and his reading ability became abnormally high. In other words, novellic exaggeration!

Let me introduce myself. I’m the always swooshing Toika! I will write diligently so please take care of me.

In this work, I was going to write how strong a man at the peak of loneliness can become, but now that I’m writing, The angel falls for him in just 3 chapters. This won’t do……

Then I’ll come back next chapter! Adieu!

- You can comment down the wrong spellings/grammar and their correct grammar/spellings and I will correct them :)